Value of used tubing

[argohauler]

This may be hard to figure out, I'm looking for help. What would a ball park figure be for used gravity tubing in 1000 - 1200 tap setup? Line is taken down and stored inside every year. Lateral lines are approximately 20 years old. Mains are the same age, mostly 3/4" I believe, but not sure on the footage. I believe the lateral line was made by Maple Experts. Never asked how many rolls of tubing were used to set the bush up. 7/16 spiles and drops are original. Does it have a value?

[batsofbedlam]

Probably not worth anything. If the tubing is 20 years old, it is probably PVC and not polyethylene. PVC has no UV resistance and will grow mold like crazy inside. Half inch mainline is to small to be effective for 1000 -1200 taps.

[Brandy Brook Maple Farm]

Are you looking to sell it? Or buy it? I have read research studies and attended maple classes that indicate used tubing (both in droplines and lats...even mainlines after a considerable period of time) harbor such extensive bacteria as to render them undesirable in commercial maple production.

The only value your used tubing would have to a commercial syrup producer would be to cut it up for use over side tie wires (to protect the trees) when installing mainline wire in a new bush. If it is made of polyethylene (not PVC) there are small, private markets for it to be recycled into something else.

[argohauler]

I figured that would be the response. Has anyone started their operation on newer used tubing? Where I got the evaporator I use now, that's how they started out and on vacuum.

My uncle is looking to possibly sell it to me. His health is too poor to make syrup anymore. He won't rent his bush, but he said I could ask the neighbour whose bush he also taps. I have permission from the neighbour to tap it. He consistently averages 150 imperial gallons a year off of it, which I think is too low, but likely due to the age of the tubing and never putting in new drops and taps.

He never expanded in all those years and there are many new trees I can see that could be tapped. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm going to do a tap count. It's a younger bush, that was logged out in the 40's and marked and thinned in the mid 80's.

[maplecrest]

for the time and effort and energy put into trying to use 20 yr old tubing will not be worth it. the fittings are old and brittle. will break off in your hand when you go to tap. buy a roll of tubing a month and 12 rolls should more than do that woods.and last at least 10 yrs.

[The Sweet Spot]

Probably not worth anything. If the tubing is 20 years old, it is probably PVC and not polyethylene. PVC has no UV resistance and will grow mold like crazy inside. I do agree with this statement: but if your tubing is polyethylene I may have another story. My wife and I purchased a maple business about 5 years ago. We inherited (by default, it came with) our new to us equipment. This is not tubing that was left up all year and was cleaned well when put away. I posted a question on here and basicly got the same response that you are getting. Now being the earth friendly off the grid person that I am, I have a hard time pitching all of this tubing. Which by the way is recycleable in my county. So I got on line and found a video on utube showing how to take the fittings off without scaring them. Yes I did find that some of the fittings were brittle. So the ones that were brittle went to recycleing and the good ones I reused. I did find that some fittings had to be replaced in the bush, but most worked just fine. The sap comming from my bush with tubing and natural vaccume is producing more then my buckets, and is no more cloudy than the sap in buckets. Now to be fair this is an odd year and most trees are producing cloudy sap at this time but it does not smell and tastes fine. I must admit it will take more time, but I am not convenced that it all must go. I am curious who funded these studies, and could the information be sqewed to fit the financing. Take all of your long lengths and connect them into usable rolls to carry through your bush, then use these rolls like you would any other.
Peace Troy at the Sweet Spot

[PerryW]

The vast majority of my tubing (3/4" black plastic mains and a hodge podge of 5/16" old stretchy tubing) is 20+ years old. Some of it was used when I put it up. Old U.S> Maple Green tubing and Berliner Green TUbing. Old waterloo blue ribbed tubing. It still puts out clear sap and last year 70% of my 113 gallons was fancy grade. Having said that, I don't the the tubing has any value except using it where it sits.

It's simply too much labor to remove and reinstall and still have to live with brittle, stretched out tubing. I believe you could probably get piles of old tubing for free if you asked around.

[argohauler]

The vast majority of my tubing (3/4" black plastic mains and a hodge podge of 5/16" old stretchy tubing) is 20+ years old. Some of it was used when I put it up. Old U.S> Maple Green tubing and Berliner Green TUbing. Old waterloo blue ribbed tubing. It still puts out clear sap and last year 70% of my 113 gallons was fancy grade. Having said that, I don't the the tubing has any value except using it where it sits.

It's simply too much labor to remove and reinstall and still have to live with brittle, stretched out tubing. I believe you could probably get piles of old tubing for free if you asked around.

I set my own bush up in used tubing we tore out of another producer's bush. I still have 13 barrels full of tubing and a whole whack of mainline.

Since I am basically broke, I thought if I get to use the existing tubing, I would put in new taps and drops, but my uncle is in the thinking stage right now. He even mentioned about tearing it out.

It would be nice for vacuum, but it would need at least 1 sap ladder.

A local dealer suggests a rule of 15' per tap when setting up tubing. That would mean 30 rolls for this bush and does that take into account the strive for 5 rule?

Yesterday I got rained out, so I'll do the tap count today.

[ennismaple]

It's simply too much labor to remove and reinstall and still have to live with brittle, stretched out tubing. I believe you could probably get piles of old tubing for free if you asked around.

I've got a pile of it outside the front door of our shack you can come get any time! If used tubing is the only option its better than nothing. However, putting up new tubing will quickly pay for itself by producing more sap over a few seasons.

[markcasper]

For what its worth, I am going to reuse 30p that I took out of our woods. I will use this somebody else woods, about 150 taps. I am going to put new mainline there. the 5/16 is between 10-13 years old flushed everyyear. I cannot see throwing all of this away to use in a woods don't know how long ill have it. Since were all putting in more mainline than years ago, be shorter spans of 5/16 making it easier.

[michiganfarmer2]

I bought 1200 taps worth of tubing that was installed new, and only used one season. I paid $1500, and I had to take it all out. Im happy with the price, and I dotn mind the labor

[maplekid]

so i figured id rekindle this conversation because im in a predicament... i was recently offered some used two year old tubing. the problem is i have absolutley no clue as to what its worth. i figured a dollar per tap. it has leader stubbys and adapters. 3/4 in mainline (the blue stuff with saddles) and theres probley 500 ft of mainline. could someone give me a dollar amount. i dont wanna low ball it and make him lose money. im too honest of a person for that. thanks in advance,nate

[maple maniac65]

about what it would cost to take it to the dump. I am noit kidding used tubing is used tubing. You will spend more time trying to make the lengths of tubing match your orchard than it is worth unless time is not accounted for.

[wiam]

What Maniac said and the fittings will leak if cut out of the tubing. There might be some use in the mainline.

[motowbrowne]

I would have to disagree with the above two posts. Yeah, you will spend a lot of time getting the distances to match, but if you are interested in saving money and keeping a bunch of plastic out of the dump, then it might not be a bad idea. It would seem like the mainline at least would have some value. I suppose it's true that the dollar amt. wouldn't be very high, because, as mentioned, you will have to waste a lot of it to get it to fit on your trees. Still though, if you can pick it up for a few hundred bucks, then it's probably worth it. I would figure out how much the same material would cost to buy new and offer him maybe 25% of that, especially if you have to do the removal. But just because you have to put some time into it, doesn't mean it's useless.

Ryan

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

if the guy wants to GIVE it to you take. no money involved

[maplekid]

nothings free in this world. everyone wants a dollar lol. but anyways after tlking to him i made him an offer for the tubing. and asked about a 300 gallon tank as well. got both for $225. i dnt think its too bad of a deal

[wiam]

If you cut the fittings out of the 5/16 they will leak when put back together. You will see if you have vacuum. I believe they will leak if you do not have vac. If you are interested in saving money go for it. If you are interested in making money get new tubing.

[maple flats]

I find it far too much hassle to reuse any laterals. Drops should be new every 5 yrs for best yields, but CV adapters help that number. I have lots of used tubing free to anyone who will take it away. For good yields why mess around with old tubing?