single or double saddles

[jimsudz]

What's your opinion on double saddles? I've noticed that only one lateral seems to run. The problem with more singles is more chances for vac leaks.What do you think?

[spud]

I was told to stay away from the double saddles. My super's went in nice and i wired tied them also. I did notice that after hand tighten the two straps i could still get one or two clicks using pliers. I really don't think i will have a problem with them.

Spud

[G.Rainville]

I have used both single and double saddles. For the most part they work fine if properly installed, when I do have a problem though it is usually with double saddles. If I have a vacuum leak on one side it tends to mess up the other side of the saddle, so for the past two years I haved used only singles and have had very few issues. Make sure you take the rubber gasket off the saddle and install that first so you can make sure it is installed properly. I didn't do this the first couple of years I started sugaring and had a lot of pinched gaskets.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Double saddles are not as good with vacuum. You have sap trying to flow from 2 directions and turbulence occurs. If you have 5 taps on each lateral coming into a double saddle, you have the sap from 10 taps trying to get through that hole rather than 5 or less so there is a restriction and probably less vacuum to the taphole.
Doug

[Amber Gold]

I like them when I'll only have 5-7 taps total coming into the saddle from both sides. It eliminates another vacuum leak and you're still in the 5-7 tap rule for a 5/16" fitting. Since there aren't many situations like this, I don't have many of them in my woods...handful.

[ennismaple]

We have a few doubles as well but don't use them anymore. Sometimes the lateral lines were made longer to get to the double saddle manifold than if we'd gone the shorter route to the mainline and used 2 single manifolds. It only takes 15ft less lateral line length to pay for an additional saddle manifold - ignoring the extra sap you'll get from the taps on just single manifolds due to the better vacuum transfer. It costs more to do it right the first time but it'll pay off in the long run!

[farmall h]

Doug is correct. Go with the singles...better vacuum transfer.