What's it worth?

[ibby458]

Hi! I'm new to this forum, but have been making syrup for 6 years. I started out with a 2x4 flat pan on cement blocks in the yard and 70 buckets; moved up to a 2 1/2 x 5 flat pan on home-built arch and 220 buckets. This year I'll be boiling on a Leader 2x9 (2x6 with extra ripple bottom pan) Soldered SS rig with 300 buckets and 100 on tubing.

THe evaporator belongs to a friend/neighbor that hasn't used it in 10 years. He told me to borrow it this year while he decides if he wants to sell it. Yesterday, he said he'd sell and we'll dicker after the season.

My question is - What's a FAIR price? Everyone likes a bargain, but I don't want to cheat a retiring farmer, either.

The pans are perfect, without a flaw. The arch front is broke in 2 places (I fishplated it for now) and the sheet metal on the arch is rusted almost through. The firebricks are all good. The stack was gone, and I replaced that.

Included in the deal are a blower (Not a factory addition, but it works perfect)

Also, a 350 gallon SS bulk tank, 400 fair-good buckets, covers and rusty grimm tin spouts, a Homelite chainsaw tapper with bit (runs), SS scoop & skimmer, a couple filter cones and a hydrometer

I'm building a sugarhouse this summer (Gotta get it out of my tractor shed!), and I won't move it in unless I own it.

Any suggestions what I should offer him?

[Russell Lampron]

Are the pans stainless steel or english tin? If they are tin they are probably soldered with lead solder. It sounds like the arch is pretty rough as well. I think $500.00 would be top dollar if this is the case.

The buckets with a cover and spout are worth $3.00 and up depending on size and condition. 16qt buckets in good condition (no dents or rust) being worth $4.00 to $5.00 each. Mismatched and smaller buckets are worth less.

Bulk tanks sell for $1.00 to $1.50 per gallon. Zero tanks sell for alittle more if they are in good condition because they can be used with a vacuum system without a releaser.

Russ

[ibby458]

Hi!
The pans are soldered Stainless. This unit was bought new in 1984 (give or take a couple years) I don't think they were using lead solder then, but I really don't know.

The buckets are mismatched. There's about 5 different sizes/styles from around 10 qt to around 16. No obvious leakers, some slight rust on some, some dents around the rims on most.

Thanks for your input!

[Rob Harvey]

I dont think lead solder went away until some time in the early to mid 90's. Rob

[cheesegenie]

Salesman from Dom. Grimm in Montreal told me there was lead in
SS soldered pans untill about 1995.

[Russell Lampron]

Ibby

With stainless pans, a new arch front and new tin on the evaporator it would be worth in the $2000.00 range. You will have to find out how much it will cost for new tin on the arch and how much a new front will cost to come up with an offer for the farmer.

As for lead in the solder you would want to drain the evaporator pans if it is going to be sitting for a few days between boils.

Russ

[brookledge]

Just a few more things on lead soldered pans. I had pans on my old 3X8 that I bought new in 1986 the pans where stainless with lead solder.
When the manufactueres switched to lead free solder (as stated early 90s)they put decals on the pans stating they had no lead. This way it was easy to identify. New pans today there is no need to do that.
If you are worried what to do about the lead soldered pans you can test some of your syrup at a lab for lead. Contact your state association and ask for guide lines with lead. If I remember Vermont has the lowest recomended parts per million. In most cases even if you have lead in your syrup it will not be enough to affect adults but it could impact young children.
There are things you can do if you do have lead soldered pans.
Most important do not use harsh cleaners or acid to clean the pan. You want the solder to get a coating of sugar sand over it this will help to minimize leaching.
Next as already stated keep the pans drained while not boiling.
If you scorch or burn some syrup through it away, other than affecting the taste it could have higher lead count in it.
When I had my syrup tested for lead my association did the test. I think I had somewhere around 50 ppm and I think 250ppm is the guideline. I do know that some had high levels way over allowable limits.
I know I rambled on but something that alot don't think about
As to what it is worth go back over the for sale forums for the last couple of years and that should help to see what others where asking for simular items.
Keith

[ibby458]

You've given me a lot of good things to consider. Taking a slightly different tack, has there been any research as to WHERE the sap/syrup picks up the lead? With 1/2 my taps on roadside trees, I think there may be lead in the sap from leaded gas exhaust settling on the soil for umpteen years. Once it hits the pans, if most of the lead is getting picked up in the syrup pan, that's pretty easy to change to welded. If it's the flue pan, that kinda makes the whole rig less valuable

I am concerned about regulations that may come in the future concerning lead concentrations. I'm not really worried about the safety issue (due to the small amount and frequency that syrup is eaten) but reality rarely has much effect of rules and regulations.

[Rob Harvey]

There probably is some environmental lead picked up, but you cant do anything about that. The lead you can adress is the lead in all sorts of old equipment. There is lead in old buckets, tanks, pumps,filter tanks just about everything old.

[brookledge]

Nearly all the lead in syrup is from the equipment used. Only trace amounts are in the sap.
Keith

[brookledge]

Hear is a link from proctor maple research on lead I know there are other test that have been done but here is one
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/LeadOut.pdf
Keith

[maple flats]

I was not into maple with a conventional evap back in the 80's but if it sort of paralleled the plumbing trade the lead started to be reduced in the early 80's but was not removed til the mid 90's. I don't recall the % lead as the downward changes occured but I think there might have been a couple of steps between 50/50 (lead/tin) to the 95/5 lead free of today.