Leader

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Well I got my flyer in the mail for Leaders open house. I have to say I find that company to be a real joke. How demeaning to put enjoy "a" hot dog, chips, cookies ,and a cold drink". Here people are spending big money and they give you a hot dog!!!!!! Sounds like the menue for a daycare. They are the cheapest company I've ever seen. When I bought my evaporater 4 years ago they argued about giving me a hat ! I for one won't be there to eat there lousy hot dog. They are ungrateful to there customers who pay there salary.

[Butcher]

Probably the cheapest hot dogs they could find,ever priced an ro through them thats a joke, they were 5000 higher for the exact same unit,it kinda pissed me off that they would gouge like that, also I bought tees from them this year and there own flex tubing would not stay on the post after I took the seasonal spout off, so all my drop lines are open I am not happy,last yr used lapierre and had no problems.they need too add a couple thousandths on to the diameter of there posts.

[jmayerl]

Yup you guys need a new place to buy from. I called to get quotes on a 3x12 intenso from a dealer that is 3 hours from my house. He gave me a close estimate and said he would like to stop over and talk about it over lunch. Next week he bought us lunch and wanted to see the woods. Over lunch we said we would also like to buy a RO from him so we can get them both from the same place for ease of service........guess who stayed and bought us dinner at my favorite steakhouse?

[MapleFever]

Wow! I have to say I am really surprised by these comments. I attended Leader Evaporator's, Lapierre's and CDL's Open House's last year and I was impressed with the event that Leader hosted in comparison to the other local suppliers. They had alot more than just "cheap" hot dogs when I was there- they had McKenzie hot dogs, maple spiral ham from Dakin Farms, Cabot Cheese, cookies and chips, all kinds of hot and cold drinks and I think I heard donuts in the morning too. I would imagine that they spend ALOT of $$$$ to put this event on. Sad anyone would complain about something like this...

[Butcher]

I dont care about the hot dogs , I was adding fuel to the fire, I was ranting about the markup on the exact same machine,i could understand a little markup but 5000 isjust being stupid..

[Bruce L]

I can only give good comments about Leader.Took two years,two open houses to be sure,and Bruce(VP) honoured his price from the first year.The rig came a month late(plasma cutter broke down),they threw in a couple hundred dollars in stainless fittings,hats and shirts for my kids and me.Delivered the rig,stayed all day to help roll in the rig and carry in the pans,(which were extremely heavy)then Bruce came to boil with me this spring.Determined one blower not large enough because of a restriction(I have a 90 degree elbow in the ductwork for our set-up)Bruce was going to make the 5 hour drive to exchange it,but our season wasn't long enough to bother.He has since made the 5 hour drive up,exchanged the blower at no charge,walked the bushes for 4&1/2 hours to advise me as to how to increase production,all at no charge or guarantee that I will be purchasing any of his suggestions from Leader.I have heard enough horror stories from other producers about service,one of many reasons I chose Leader,doubt very much another company could touch the service I have received from Leader

[markcasper]

Jmayerl, I thought you were so disappointed with the season that somewhere one here you stated you were going to sell all of your equipment?? Now an evaporator and an ro in one shot....I'm confused.

[jmayerl]

Oh mark, the eternal arguer; let me set you straight once again, I can understand your confusion between all your smart remarks.

I do believe what your refering to is the fact that my personal syrup operation must remain totally self funded. I don't think anyone including myself could ever have seen a season that only lasted a few days. I made the mistake of buying equipment that I needed and wanted yet could barely afford. The equipment was more than it was supposed to be when I got it so I was in the hole even farther. So therefore I am selling much of my equipment. Most of my buckets are sold, I have 3 guys coming to look at the evaporator in the next few days and that should be all I get rid of for now.

I have recently been contracted to purchase a new evaporator, RO, and all necessary start up equipment for a small commercial operation. Part of my contract involves making sure that I know how to run it all and instruct the new owner on it also so I don't know if I will even have time to cook for myself next year. I have already lined up a buddy to take care of my stuff if I don't have the time to do it.

So there now you have the story so feel free to not have a smart remark after all my posts.

[markcasper]

I'm guessing our time will run out tues or weds. 10 forecast is for highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's. No snow cover so that's gonna be it. Far northern Wisconsin may be spared the heat. This is my 4th year but this maybe the straw that breaks this sugarmakers back. We are at about 15% of our break even point so if this is it, I will probably be selling most my equipment.

Really Mayerl? You're going to sell most of your stuff because of one bad year? No one complains about the good years. This is agriculture at its grandest. Maybe now it's easier to understand what it was like for a dairy farmer to stick their life savings into their operation in the late 70's only to see costs double or triple into the 90's and 00's while the milk price didn't move in conjunction. When the trees don't piss for one year it makes ya feel your oats for sure. This stuff is bell curve material. Consider this an outlying year that isn't fun. Like the stock market, the panicking guys pay.


Agriculture, including maple syrup making should generally be assessed on at least a ten year average. The average of the past 10 years will yield a reasonable expectation for the year to come. As some mentioned, there are highs and lows. Simply too many variables when it comes to agriculture. As they say in ranching, maybe next year will be better........and occasionally it is.

I regret the misunderstanding.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Oh mark, the eternal arguer; let me set you straight once again, I can understand your confusion between all your smart remarks.

I do believe what your refering to is the fact that my personal syrup operation must remain totally self funded. I don't think anyone including myself could ever have seen a season that only lasted a few days. I made the mistake of buying equipment that I needed and wanted yet could barely afford. The equipment was more than it was supposed to be when I got it so I was in the hole even farther. So therefore I am selling much of my equipment. Most of my buckets are sold, I have 3 guys coming to look at the evaporator in the next few days and that should be all I get rid of for now.

I have recently been contracted to purchase a new evaporator, RO, and all necessary start up equipment for a small commercial operation. Part of my contract involves making sure that I know how to run it all and instruct the new owner on it also so I don't know if I will even have time to cook for myself next year. I have already lined up a buddy to take care of my stuff if I don't have the time to do it.

So there now you have the story so feel free to not have a smart remark after all my posts.

Very sorry to hear of you hard time with this past season. Sounds like you will still have fun next year. I hope what you sell that you get top dollar for. Best to you on your new adventure next year.

[Daren]

Behind every gripe is a bit of bad experience be it either due to someone elses issue or your own. There are at least three issues here, the first one being petty about a hot dog and does not even warrant comment....so shame on those who did. I like hot dogs and I would be fine crunching on a granola bar or slim jim I picked up on my way there for that matter. They have food available and a small barbeque fits nicely....I appreciate that and that is what most of them do. The second is the price different manufacturers charge. It does price us out of a hobby as a 2x6 or 3x8 costs nearly what a car does. I chose to buy from other than Leader or any other big operation in my area when I bought an evaporator but that really came down to cost. Yes I find leader a bit expensive when compared to similar stuff (sorry leader), but none of the big guys are all that affordable anymore and I can feel the pain of an upgrade on a horrible year. Those bills need to be paid right? I did save some money there but I see folks beat up Patrick on this site as well. I got a great product at a fair price and for that I can overlook some things. Definately hot dogs!. The third is service for what they sell. Leader gets a pretty good grade on that from where I sit. I have always found them to be very accomodating (not sure if i spelled that right), whenever I have been in a pinch. This year it was with my RO which is a hobby springtech. They were great and gave me options for where I might find outside help for my problem due to the machines age. They did a weld repair for me at a fantastic price in my opinion and explained to me how I could put the machine back together myself. That saved me a fair amount of money they could have made me pay to have them do the repair. They supported their machine even though it was probably over 25 years old and I was not the original owner. I buy from all of them from time to time and all have treated me well. I do buy based on price. If I cant get a good price on a decent product, I dont buy it until I can find it from someone who will or I can scrape together enough that is not spoken for elsewhere to buy it at the higher price than I would like. Sorry so long winded here but bashing business that support what we love to do bumms me out and makes me sorry I clicked on the thread in the first place and got sucked in.

ps, also sorry about your bad year! It was not very good to most.

[sjdoyon]

We went with a Leader Evaporator for several reasons.
1. Found it to be the best made evaporator on the market. (Have a few friends who bought other brands and they are always complaining).
2. Excellent customer service - Try getting some of the other company's to come to your sugarhouse in March/April.
3. Leader came to our sugarbush and mapped out/ribboned all our mainlines to maximize our production.
4. They are a Vermont company that employs Vermonters.
5. Do your research and go with the company you feel comfortable with.
6. We bought equipment from a variety of company's. We did a lot of research to identify the best products and with the poor season still ended up with over 1,300 gallons.

[syrupmaker]

I can ask what dealer you used jmayer

[maplefrank]

Wow! I have to say I am really surprised by these comments. I attended Leader Evaporator's, Lapierre's and CDL's Open House's last year and I was impressed with the event that Leader hosted in comparison to the other local suppliers. They had alot more than just "cheap" hot dogs when I was there- they had McKenzie hot dogs, maple spiral ham from Dakin Farms, Cabot Cheese, cookies and chips, all kinds of hot and cold drinks and I think I heard donuts in the morning too. I would imagine that they spend ALOT of $$$$ to put this event on. Sad anyone would complain about something like this...
why wife 2year old son and i attended leader and lapierre"s last year, wished we could go this year but finances are short......i bought my first leader 2x6 in 1984 and have upgraded to 4x14......Bruce has always helped me with the best pos. way to go.......

[Takoda Whitcomb]

i agree 100% with maplefever.leader had the best hot dogs last year and better service. when leader had the evaporator demo set up the man in charge of it answered all my questions about them. over at lappiarre the man in charge of that demo wouldn't even talk to me(im just a kid). leader also went the extra mile and gave out those stainless steel cut outs of maple leaves. I also think that the leader evaporators look better than the Canadian ones. most important there stuff is "Proudly Made In USA".

[Josh Nickles]

Yes, Made in the USA still means a LOT TO ME!!!!!

[DonMcJr]

Made in the USA and Leader actually saw my post on this website about if my firedoor was defective and contacted me through this site and had me call and sent me a new door!

So I have nothing but good things to say about Leader!

[nymapleguy607]

I deal with leader for most of my equipment as they are the closest dealer to me and I do agree there prices seem quite high when you compare them to other companies. But I will say they seem to be the only company that will take the time and talk to the smaller producers. I have been to all the big 4 maple open houses and the people from Lapierre and Dominion and Grimm only seem to care if you have a big operation. CDL was a little better but still no comparison to Leader. I talked to the people doing the boiling demonstration, and got tips on building a new arch, and how I could improve my operation. So maybe I'm baised but to me there a pretty good company to deal with.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

going up for free hot dogs, Bus is leaving Poultney around 6:30am on the 28 heading north with 3 and picking up fourth in Burlington hop in Thad.
Well Leader is very expensive for us small guys, they do make awesome equipment. I can't speak from personal experience but listening to my Bro in law, Leader is top in customer service, no one can come close to them. Also another sugar maker around had issues with his RO this year ( it died ) he called three manufacturers up, it took two of them a couple days to call him back (while 2k tap on high vac is dumping sap) Leader DELIVERED a brand new RO like 2pm the day he called, hows that for customer service? pretty dam good if you ask me.

[sapmaple]

There is a saying "you get what you pay for" even if I need something small a call to Fred and the crew and its in a box and sent UPS and I have it the next day or so on my doorstep Just sayin

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

There is a saying "you get what you pay for" even if I need something small a call to Fred and the crew and its in a box and sent UPS and I have it the next day or so on my doorstep Just sayin
I have always wanted to stop at your sugar house, maybe ill get over my procrastination soon

[Thad Blaisdell]

going up for free hot dogs, Bus is leaving Poultney around 6:30am on the 28 heading north with 3 and picking up fourth in Burlington hop in Thad.
.

I cant seem to download my bus ticket.... lol let me know what time you will arrive in the Burlington area. I am thinking exit 14 there is a Holiday Inn immediatly on the left we could meet there.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Yes, Made in the USA still means a LOT TO ME!!!!!

I can't argue with this statement at all. I agree on that.

[Bruce L]

I agrre with what Takoda said,even though I am Canadian.We also had a similar experience at open house two years ago.Leader took time to answer all questions,found me a cart which were scarce,took me around to help me find everything.When we went to lapierre,I was looking at the Force 5 while my wife went inside with my "needs" list.She came outside and said she was ready to leave as the salesman she was talking to told her he didn't have time to talk to a woman that wasn't sure where to look for stuff.Do they not realize that most sugarmakers have wives and kids that help out immensely in the bush,and picking up supplies at open houses? I personally never turn away from a potential customer,no matter age or gender,since it may not necessarily be the individual you may be dealing with,but also more importantly it could very well be a potential customer.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I agrre with what Takoda said,even though I am Canadian.We also had a similar experience at open house two years ago.Leader took time to answer all questions,found me a cart which were scarce,took me around to help me find everything.When we went to lapierre,I was looking at the Force 5 while my wife went inside with my "needs" list.She came outside and said she was ready to leave as the salesman she was talking to told her he didn't have time to talk to a woman that wasn't sure where to look for stuff.Do they not realize that most sugarmakers have wives and kids that help out immensely in the bush,and picking up supplies at open houses? I personally never turn away from a potential customer,no matter age or gender,since it may not necessarily be the individual you may be dealing with,but also more importantly it could very well be a potential customer.
I heard of a very similar incident at a satelite/franchise business, the guy in so many words pretty much said "Sounds like your a tire kicker" don't have time for you, but leader sat down with this same person 3 times.

[Mike in NY]

We have had a generaly good experience at the rutland store. Always happy to answer any questions and UPS out any supplies you may run short on. After finishing our 5th yr I find they are much more helpfull as I am better able to explain my needs