Hanging buckets / bags on health spouts

[royalmaple]

Anyone have experience with hanging buckets or sap saks on health spouts. I have the 7/16 reducers and stubbys combo, friction fitting type.

I just scored some new trees that I drive by everyday on my way to the post office. Saw people were outside yesterday enjoying the 50 degree day, so I did it, turned around and poped in and asked. "Go for it" was the reply I got, and full permission to tap the rest of their 16 acrea if I wanted. So looking at tapping about 25 huge roadside rocks, this year maybe look in the woods in the off season. Probably get more sap outta them than currently on my other set up!!

I have some metal 7/16 taps soule's but would rather keep using the health spouts if possible.

[Russell Lampron]

I use the leader cast 5/16 spouts for my buckets and plan to go 100% with them next year. I don't use sap bags so I don't know if they will work with those. Still using a few 7/16 Warner cast spouts and can't see any difference in the amount of sap I'm getting per tap. It seems to be the same or probably alittle better with the smaller spouts.

Russ

[mountainvan]

I also use the 5/16 cast but also use the 5/16-7/16 adaptor with a hanger on it and then a 7/16 spile attached to the adaptor this gets far enough into the bucket to make sure it all goes in. I hang the big grimm buckets on these and never had one fail.

[maple flats]

I have my buckets on 5/16 Leader cast spouts and have not had any drop after i re set them. I tend to tap them in lightly if the trees are frozen and re-set the tap when it warms up. I did have a couple fall out before i got to re-set.

[brookledge]

I know someone that hangs plastic 5 gal pails and uses 5/16 health spouts. He drills hole in bucket a little bigger than 5/16 and when he taps the tree he just puts the spout through the bucket and then pounds into the tree. He has the curved snap on style covers. The only disadvantage is that you can't take the bucket off the tree. You can rotate it on the spout to pour it out if you want but he uses gear pump and goes tree to tree sucking the sap out so he doesn't need to take them off the tree.
Also the wind can never blow it off the tree. He also said that the spouts hold enough sap in the ends so that the air doesn't get into the hole and dry it out.
Keith

[royalmaple]

Keith-

I was going to use regular buckets or sap saks and try the health spouts, I just was not sure if the plastic spout could handle the weight of the loaded bucket?

I guess since it is not pulling down right at the end of the bucket, may work fine.

[brookledge]

Matt
It seems to work for him without a problem. All the weight pulls straight down close to the tree so I think you will be ok
Keith