Thor evaporators

[sapsick]

im considering a new 2x6 from Thor and just curious if anyone has had any expierence with these units as of yet. How have they held up since you've had them and such. thanks for any help

[Brian]

That is who made Thad Blaisdells pans,It is the old algiers I think.

[Brent]

I saw some on display at the Int MSPA last fall in Stratford.
Patently unimpressed.
Stainless, but not bright anealed like everyone else uses.
They should boil as well as anything else. The fire doesn't care if the stainless is shiny. But you have to spend a lot of hours looking at it.

But, that stainless is less expensive and the price might reflect that.

[wiam]

I saw some on display at the Int MSPA last fall in Stratford.
Patently unimpressed.
Stainless, but not bright anealed like everyone else uses.
They should boil as well as anything else. The fire doesn't care if the stainless is shiny. But you have to spend a lot of hours looking at it.

But, that stainless is less expensive and the price might reflect that.

My sister had a sticker on her 1984 Kawasaki "Chrome don't get you home" Shiny tells me who is in maple for kicks not for profit.

William

[BryanEx]

For those interested in taking a look based on this discussion you can check out their web site here;
http://www.thorinc.ca/indexen.htm

[Brent]

My father used to say "chrome is only there to get the car out of the showroom"

We get a lot of visitors and they like to see shiney.

The web site pictures, or at least some of them show bright annealed pans. Makes you wonder why they would got to a sugarmakers convention and put that dull thing up against
the shiney CDL / Leader / D&G etc. It sure made them look second class to my eyes.
Different strokes .........

[maplekid]

they look like algiers. or pretty close to them.

[Brent]

I heard they bought Algiers. Can't recall the source so don't take that for gospel.

[syrupkid]

OUR COMPANY, ALTHOUGH VIRTUALLY NEW, IS COMPRISED OF TWO MAIN COMPANIES. LES ENTREPRISES T.S. INC.(THE MOTHER COMPANY) AND ALGIER SHEET METAL INC.
THESE TWO COMPANIES TOGETHER ARE HIGHLY SKILLED IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS. WE CHOOSE TO SPECIALIZE IN ONLY A FEW OF THEM TO ENSURE, # 1, SUPERIOR QUALITY. #2, UNSURPASSED SERVICE.

WE AT THOR EQUIPMENT ARE DEDICATED TO SERVING THE NEEDS OF OTHER COMPANIES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF A CLEAN AND PRECISE PRODUCT.
WE PARTICULARLY SPECIALIZE IN STAINLESS STEEL FABRICATIONS, BUT REALIZE THE NEED FOR OTHER SHEET METAL APPLICATIONS, BE IT ALUMINUM, COLD ROLL, STEEL, AND EVEN TITANIUM.

SOON TO BE ’ISO’’ ‘CERTIFIED, WE ALREADY HAVE A COMPANY POLICY THAT SPECIFIES NO COST GUARANTEES. THE CLIENT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO PAY FOR A MISTAKE MADE BY A MANUFACTURER. WHEN PLANS ARE PROVIDED, THE END RESULT WILL BE RIGHT!

IN SANITARY APPLICATIONS, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS IMPERATIVE. IN FOOD GRADE APPLICATIONS, THINGS MUST BE TO CONFORMITY ALSO.

PROFESSIONALISM AND COURTESY ARE SOME OF OUR ATTRIBUTES. JUST BECAUSE IT IS BUSINESS DOESN’T MEAN IT HAS TO BE COLD. WE ARE ALIVE AND IT SHOWS IN OUR WORK! WHEN YOUR NEEDS ARE CUSTOM, OR BEYOND THAT OF THE ‘’IKEA GENERATION’’, WE ARE YOUR SPECIALISTS! PERIOD.


Copy pasted from the Thor website. My uncle purchased a new Thor 2x8 and likes it fairly well... the front float is a poor design that relies on a rubber gasket that gets crusted over with niter and fails to seal. His pans are bright annealed, but the castings on the front turned white after a while. Overall it was a lot cheaper than one of the big 3's models but again I feel he got exactly what he paid for... a cheaper evaporator.

[Brent]

Joel
When I started to read this my first impression was that we finally got a manufacturer to come on line and join or discussions.

I hope Thor lives up to its statements of policy.

There are lots of people out there that want and only need a less expensive funtional rig. I'd like to compare their prices to Patrick Phaneuf, who delivers a superbly crafted rig at a lower cost.

[Bucket Head]

"Chrome don't get you home". I like that, its clever.

Yes, the shiney stuff looks great. I would love to have a shiney rig. However, the "dull" mill finish of my pans, and countless others made from mill finish steel do not look "bad" at all. Most used commercial kitchen equipment has a dull looking surface due to years of use, but it does'nt look bad.

Shiney stuff looks very impressive, no doubt about that. However, I've never had anyone that looked at my rig say, "Oh no, those pans are not very shiney. I'm going to pass on the syrup".

Steve

[Thad Blaisdell]

I can tell you that I am extremely happy with the product I received from them. I bought both a front and back pan for my 6x14 and would buy another of both in a heartbeat. I ran that rig hard this year and they withstood everything I threw at them like a champ. They are bright shiny pans too. I am extremely impressed with the workmanship and the overall cost was far less than a leader pan.

[sapsick]

thanks for the input fellas. price wise they are less than 200 bucks cheaper than the leader patriot rig and they seem to be more flexible with building it with whati want with allowing to pick and choose drop/raised and cross/ reverse where as leader is set that i can only get a raised flue with a reverse flow pan un less i buy a separte pan. the jruy is still out for the moment but the verdict will be handed down soon!

[stoweski]

I can tell you that I am extremely happy with the product I received from them. I bought both a front and back pan for my 6x14 and would buy another of both in a heartbeat. I ran that rig hard this year and they withstood everything I through at them like a champ. They are bright shiny pans too. I am extremely impressed with the workmanship and the overall cost was far less than a leader pan.

That's what I was waiting to hear. Thad should become a local rep for Thor!!! When I visited his sugarhouse back in February I was impressed with the pans enough so that if and when I upgrade mine I'll go with Thor. If the pans weren't all shiny I definitely didn't notice. It was a very nice setup.

[Russell Lampron]

If the Thor evaporator is anything close to the Algier evaporator in design and quality it is a nice rig. I really like my Algier evaporator.

[Jim Brown]

During the season we had a little accident(burn't front pan) called WH SUPPLY and got a new pan made by THOR in one week!!. Quality is great and it is SHINEY!! I would look hard at their equipment before I went with the big three. Also their price was nearly $300 less that Leader for the same pan and they said we can have that in a week Leader said maybe in three weeks
Our two cents
Jim

[sapsick]

well the deal is done. just ordered my new rig from Bacon Farms in Sidney. got a new 2x6 raised flue with cross flow syrup pan onits way. im stoked!!! thanks for the input folks.

[tuckermtn]

don't want to sound like I'm gossiping, but I have to ask- If I remember correctly, Matt Williams left Lapierre to go to WH supply. I did not have a good experience with Matt when he was at Lapierre, so I have stayed away from WH. Its good to hear that folks have had good luck with them.

[abk]

Sapsick
I purchased a Thor Evaporator 2X8 for the 2011 season. I was pleased with how quick it was built and the quality of the workmanship. This is the first evaporator I have ever owned or used so I had a learning curve. I am looking forward to the 2012 season so I can learn more. I was the first person to buy a Thor from a supplier in my area and he thought it was a well built rig. I was disapointed it did not have any operation instructions with the rig but I just asked a lot of questions from my supplier.
ABK
Thor 2X8
200 Taps
New 24X36 Sugar House for 2011

[TimberTap]

They are algier but the quality is not what they used to be and for 200 dollars less than a patriot if thats all the difference theres no comparison if they were 1500-2000 less i would say they were worth it.