how do you get your sap out with deep snow??

[foursapssyrup]

we have never had to deal with snow like this since we started making syrup. right now we have over two feet on the ground, and another 12-18" coming by thurs. we do not have a vacuum system, and our sugar bush is downhill of our sugar house, and our ATV can't pull the trailer through the deep stuff. in other words, we might be back to carrying buckets!!

what do you guys do to get your sap??

[Southtowns27]

I have a Tucker Sno-Cat and a Thiokol 2100. We average about 20 feet of annual snowfall here so I don't really have any other options
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/Southtowns27/Maple%20syrup/100_0797.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/Southtowns27/Maple%20syrup/2100.jpg

[Flat47]

A Tucker for sugaring???? Too cool! Hmmm...that gets me thinking about our operation...Love those old Tuckers.

Us? Snowmobile and jet sled with 3 30gal juice drums. Once you get a trail broken with just the snowmobile, it's a breeze with both the snowmobile and loaded jet sled.

[maple flats]

My leased taps all run to roadside, pump 40' to tanks on truck and trailer. In my own woods, I plow and then drive tractor to pick up points where I pump from woods tanks to truck tank. I used to use a tractor to carry the tanks, now I just plow and drive truck in. All collection tanks can be gotten to on hard driveway because I put crushed stone drives down. Now, working the woods is different. I have about 1-3' on the ground in various locations, snow shoes are usually used. I have tapped with up to 4' on the ground in past years.

[danno]

[QUOTE=Southtowns27;128797]I have a Tucker Sno-Cat and a Thiokol 2100. We average about 20 feet of annual snowfall here so I don't really have any other options

Now, that right there is awesome!

[3rdgen.maple]

Same for me as far as snow Southtown. Right now Im almost at 200 inches for the year and big snow coming yet. I just keep plowing out the sugarbush's throughout the year. A couple feet plus is normal for gathering in the begining of the season. Thing is ground never freezes here and I think most of it melts from the ground up. About 3 feet left in the woods.

[poolguy]

we usually dont get too deep here.....but every now and then it surprises you. we picked up this vintage tucker last year and restored it so if it does hit we are ready! only thing is our sap pumps right to the sugar shack.....so no real need for it other than getting to the sugar shack..........but still lots of fun. before and after pics

[Flat47]

we usually dont get too deep here.....but every now and then it surprises you. we picked up this vintage tucker last year and restored it so if it does hit we are ready! only thing is our sap pumps right to the sugar shack.....so no real need for it other than getting to the sugar shack..........but still lots of fun. before and after pics

Not to hi-jack the thread, but what does your Tucker have for a drivetrain? I'd read that they used Jeep stuff. True?

[poolguy]

the older ones all had chrysler....even hemi's. some of the newer ones i think did have jeep. mine has a 6 cylinder flat head with a 3 speed manual tranny and chrylser rear end. the claim was allways that the tuckers had less psi than a man on skis.

[Southtowns27]

Thanks for posting the pics poolguy. My Tucker is also all Chrysler, 265 flathead, 8 3/4" axles. The tranny is a NP435 4 speed (which is what Dodge used in all their trucks) the transfer case was built by Tucker. Our Tucker at work has a 318 in it also with an NP435 and Dana 60 axles. Poolguy's right about the hemi too, the 700 series machines could be had with a 354 industrial hemi. The Tucker Sno-Kittens had Ford Anglia engines in them and the brand new Tuckers have B series Cummins. There was a period in the 70's I believe where you could order one with a 3-71 Detroit (that would be sweeeeet!). I have no knowledge of Jeep engines ever being in them.
The ground pressure of my machine is 0.66 psi. It's probably slightly lower than Poolguys since I have 4 pontoons, but maybe not since he doesn't have all the extra weight from the 4 wheel drive stuff. Be interesting to know for sure. Regardless, the machines literally float through bottomless powder snow.

[3rdgen.maple]

Intersting machines for sure. I know a local snowmobile club down in Solon NY that took a 4x4 chevy blazer and modified it by putting tracks on it they make for the 4 wheelers. They groom all the trails with it from what the owner of it told me. Neat looking but has to be expensive as heck to convert but probably alot cheaper than buying a new groomer.

[foursapssyrup]

love the old tuckers. wish i had one right about now! actually, i always wish i had one.
don't worry about hijacking this thread, it's all about what you use to get the sap out of the woods, and anything that goes along with it.
my neighbor just got his snowmobile running, so i'm gonna ask him if i can use it to blaze some trails so the atv can make it's way around.

keep em coming guys!! very interesting for sure!

[Flat47]

I have no knowledge of Jeep engines ever being in them.


Goes to show that you can't believe everything you read on the web. There were, though, track kits to fit CJ5 and CJ6 Jeeps. Don't know who made them, though.


Now back to maple!

[Rhino]

We use a Case 530 tractor with half tracks and new to us this year a 420 John Deere crawler. The half tracks on the Case was one of our best investments. The crawler should work out good to I hope. Those snow groomers do look unstoppable.

[cpmaple]

The kids break trails with a z370 fan cooled sled then we have a grizzly 600 4 wheeler, and last but not less our craftmans 18hp garden tractor with high/low range and chains on it. The 4 wheeler is new to use this year before this sled till snow is gone then tractor. Hope we dont much more snow or i will need a helio to get sap hehehe cpmaple

[Sugarmaker]

We take a little different approach. Since we rent almost all our taps. I choose the roadside maples, run 16 to 20 taps on gravity to the side of the road into a 40 and 35 gallon containers then drive the pickup around and pump from about 35 stops. Takes about 2 hours to gather with the radio playing and the heat on:)
Sometimes the snow is still a problem like setting the containers, snow plows burying the containers or thawing snow.
I really like those Tuckers, poolguy nice job on the restoration.
Rhino: half tracks on a Case 530! NICE! Post a picture of that please. I would love to have a nice 530. I have been a Case guy since I could crawl up on one.
Chris

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Team and sled! Much nicer and smoother and the tank sets lower than the wagon.

[foursapssyrup]

Team and sled! Much nicer and smoother and the tank sets lower than the wagon.

i'd love to see some pics of that!!

[afretired]

Now those Tuckers are about the coolest thing I've seen in a while. It would definatly turn a few heads down here for a little while when we had snow.

David

[Rhino]

Sugarmaker, Somewhere on my brothers old post he had pics of our case 530 with the tracks. I will call him and see if he can find that post and put the pics on this thread. Those old Case tractors are reliable i have to say.

[dano2840]

helocopter!

[Tweegs]

Having more than 2 feet on the ground here is rare, especially come sugaring season.

For us, a 4X4 compact tractor is plenty, can always use the bucket to push or pull if she gets bogged down

[foursapssyrup]

seems like we found a good way to get the tubing into the woods... not sure if they can carry a full 5 gal pail though....

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs785.ash1/167529_174286955949097_100001033810703_384724_7309 8_n.jpg

[twitch]

looks like you got a good crew there all they need is a small tank, sled and rope that 3 can grab

[JuniperHillSugar]

Here in Midcoast Maine we've got thigh deep snow right now, and its still snowing. I'll pack trails with the snowshoes before the season, to help a little when we have to go with buckets. I'm also putting antennas on the kids in case they get off the trail.:lol:

[bobsklarz]

Holy CRap!! I'd give my eye-teeth for one of those things!!! And I don't even get that much snow!:lol:

[Flat47]

Holy CRap!! I'd give my eye-teeth for one of those things!!! And I don't even get that much snow!:lol:

Your talking about the Tucker, right? Not foursapssyrup's kids.

[foursapssyrup]

Your talking about the Tucker, right? Not foursapssyrup's kids.

those are my neices and nephew. watching them is plenty for me for now, i'm not ready for kids!!

and i sure hope he's talking about the tuckers...

[collinsmapleman2012]

Q: How do you get sap out with deeep snow?
A: Very carefully its a precious product :lol:

[Southtowns27]

Your talking about the Tucker, right? Not foursapssyrup's kids.
I laughed..

[bobbyjake]

Thiokol Spryte

http://nh.craigslist.org/rvs/2190307301.html

[bobsklarz]

Nope. I meant the Tucker. Have 10 (TEN) grandkids of my own. Don't need anymore!:o

[michiganfarmer2]

where i have buckets inside the woods, I use a tractor with 18.4 - 38 inch rubber untill the snow is gone.

Where I have tubing, I plow a road to the collection point, and use the pickup and a trailor.

'course the road trees are all collected with the pickup and a trailor.

[argohauler]

I was in the bush today and went around packing the trails with the MF 175. There is no frost in our ground and everytime I go through a water hole to get it to freeze up it snows, like it is tonight.

We don't usually get much snow, 6 - 8" at the most. It's over my boots now.

We've got a set of half tracks to put on our MF 230, but it's down right now.

The argo doesn't like deep snow and tracks for it are out of my price range.

Maybe I should resurrect this. It's what our hunt camp used to take into the bush. It's been just sitting in my uncles shed since 95.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/GitneyRoad.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/KingEddie2.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/HomewardBound.jpg

It's homemade with some useful stuff from army surplus and the motor is a 1929 model A.

My uncle used to use this for hunting and he brought all his syrup home from the bush in this Raidtrac.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/CampRaidtrac.jpg

[Southtowns27]

Nice pics argohauler. That old Ford looks EXACTLY like my old truck.
I see you're from Dunnville, I've been there a few times up to Vic Powell's shipyard just below the dam.

[Flat47]

Looks like a Bombardier J5 with a homemade cab. J5's are still made, but by a different company now. Very very capable machines. I've never had one out in the snow, but they were used for snowmobile trail grooming, sidewalk plowing, etc.

[nace]

wow ! that tucker is awsome! about the only thing we see with tracks in ky are bobcat's and bull dosers. great restore job. happy sap'in...nace

[afretired]

We don't have to deal with a lot of snow normally, but the mud is a different story. This is what I've been using.

David

[Randy Brutkoski]

Now that is the ultimate sap hauling rig right there. nice!!!

[allgreenmaple]

We don't have to deal with a lot of snow normally, but the mud is a different story. This is what I've been using.

David That's awesome. Those deuce & a halfs can be gotten pretty reasonable too.

[Flat47]

That's awesome. Those deuce & a halfs can be gotten pretty reasonable too.

And can handle 1500 gallons on it.
And some can run on mixed diesel/gas.
And they're all wheel drive.

Nice sap hauler!

[morningstarfarm]

only one word of warning on those duece and a halfs...if you do get it stuck and have to winch her out...be **** sure you don't tie on to a pine tree..I have seen several of them pulled right over onto the truck...tie onto a hardwood tree..their roots are much deeper...:o

[afretired]

The other day I took my tractor(New Holland TN75D) to clear out a spot to set a 275 gallon tank at the end of my main line. Well I got in there ok but hung it trying to get out. So back to the house to get the duece. I got about 75 ft away and ran the winch cable out to the tractor and tied onto the bucket. Had my uncle in the tractor and I was operating the duece and winch. The tractor was hung so tight I was actually dragging the duece. I finally got the front bumber up against a big tree and pulled the tractor out.

[Clarkfield Farms]

What about somethin along the lines of this? ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBjlSJf4274

I've always liked the concept.

P.S. - The music that goes with the video is - eh. Let's just say that it can be annoying. :D