sap hauling

[tanner pike]

does anyone use oxen or horses to collect sap?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

We still use the horses to collect what few buckets we have out. It is great publicity. Until 6 years ago we were all buckets (about 1200) and did it all with the team. We are now about 4000 on vacuum and pump everything to the sugarhouse. There will be between 50 and 250 buckets hung and the horses will go to get them. I do put most of the wood up with the team.

[tuckermtn]

Doug- what breed is your team? The guy I sugar with has Suffolks

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

They are grades, mostly Belgian. I got out of cows and now the horse herd keeps expanding.

[shane hickey]

These are my team of horses and wood loaders :lol::lol:2279

2280

[collinsmapleman2012]

shane i like the way you think. i wish i still had my tractors, but they went with the farm and cows.

[shane hickey]

shane i like the way you think. i wish i still had my tractors, but they went with the farm and cows.
Dad sold out to In 1992 all the cows and equiment was gone. I was to young to really do anything but I remember plain as day. That's one thing that I love large pieces of iron. I bought a grapple bucket last fall for my tn 75 and I wouldn't sell that for $10000 It's a real back saver when it comes to picking up wood and filling the dump truck.

[collinsmapleman2012]

we had some pretty neat things, and we were looking into a grapple for round bales. only problem wass tractor couldnt handle it. hopefully i should be getting a new tractor soon, with a bucket. that way i can get to the 200-300 taps ive been eyeing for 3 years, along with lots more. tractors are one of the best inventions ever, up there with sliced bread, firearms, mapletrader and of course evaporators

[ADKMAPLE]

I once assisted with a syrup family in Fairfield VT that had all buckets and used a team of morgans to collect the sap. they were so well trained that they knew when to walk and when to stop by listening to the galv buckets hit the side of he metal tank. it was amazing.