Automatic or Hand Pump Press?

[Lazarus]

I'm at the point where I'm making about 40-60 gallons of syrup each season, and I usually pick up a little more from a friend on the side. I need to get a filter press, like now. I have the option of pretty much anything, but I have had Daryl approach me with his 5" hand press. My concern is that, filtering about 5-8 gallons at a pass, the press will be too hard to operate after a few gallons. I am a very small female (surprise, I know), and I don't have a lot of strength in my hands or arms. I'm moving to a filter press mainly to resolve considerable frustration I have with the effort involved in filter cones, but I would be extremely upset to spend hundreds of dollars and not be able to work it after filtering one or two gallons. I'd rather go a bit extra and get one with a pump if that's the case.

Any thoughts on this? I would love to see a quick video clip on operating one of these - does anyone have anything they can post? Or any thoughts about whether I can make a hand pump work, or should I just go for something more automatic?

Thanks!
-Laz

GBM 2 x 6
225 taps on bags, growing every year
Honda Foreman 4x4 and
Yutrax super-sap-hauler

[500592]

How about flat filters they filter extremely fast.

[toquin]

We have been using the hand pump filter press for a couple of years. Works great, but you will feel it in your arms when that last filter is getting pluged

[Russell Lampron]

I took the hand pump off of my press and now use an air powered diaphragm pump. If I was lucky I could get 5 gallons through it before it got to hard to pump.

[mike z]

With a cone filter, I can filter, then add syrup straight to the bottles as it is still very hot. Is it true that with a filter press the syrup cools down to the point of needing to be reheated again when bottling

[syrupkid]

Get one with a gear pump. I have a short stack 7" press with a gear pump and love it. I can get between 10 and 15 gallons through before its plugged. My uncle has the same filter press with a hand pump and can only get 5 to 7 gallons through before he needs to change papers. The $900 that my filter press cost me was
totally worth the ease of filtering.