Mainline color

[Maplewalnut]

Anyone using the white opaque mainline from Lapierre? Thoughts vs the blue in terms of heat?

Looking to replace a section and also add a new section that skirts a hedge row so sun is an issue.

Thanks
Mike

[rchase]

charter plastics gray mainline is nice and way less expensive then lapierre mainline.

[Potters3]

I have used all Leader blue, i like it easy to use softer then some so it rolls out nice and works on fitting well. I ran 27" vac last year no problems. And I love that I can see thru it, easy to see if the sap is flowing and where there is problems. I found a couple of plaaces where I had very small leaks couldn't hear then but could see bubbles in the line. It is more money but I think I got what I paid for. I have used the gray in the past, stiffer harder to work with and you can't see thru.

[noreast maple]

Has anybody used what they call rapi tubing ? If so ,how did that compare to leaders blue for softness?

[noreast maple]

Maplewalnut, Iwould think white be ok in some places, isee a guy paint his mainlie white in places where the sun beat right on it.

[nymapleguy607]

How much does the hedgerow shade the mainline? If it sees quite a bit of shade I would go with the blue, if it was more in the open I would go white. I have some blue and older white that was a black rib to help it warm up in the mornings, but I still think I need to thin some trees along the sap line.

[spud]

How long of a stretch do you have and at what degree? Black Charter pipe might be all you need. I think a lot of people are talked into blue and every other color under the sun by the dealers but they don't need it. Black pipe thaws faster if you have a freeze up. Black pipe saves you money. A tree limb will destroy expensive mainline just as fast as the black charter pipe. I do know that if I set my whole woods up with blue mainline it would have cost me about $7500.00 more. Although I would not have gotten an ounce more sap from doing it. The syrup that was made from my sap was just as light as anyones and my sap travels about 3000 feet before it gets to the sugar house. A lot of my mainline is in the sun also but my sap was always nice and cold when coming into the tank. Give it some thought before you go out and spend a bunch of money on pipe you might not need. Just my two cents.

Spud

[Brian Ryther]

Mike,
There is a time and a place for White Main Line. I have a Eastern facing bush where the main line travels 2000' across an open field. Changing the main line from Black to White was one of the best investment I have ever made in maple. By changing color my sap went from yellow to crystal clear. You cant make Light syrup with yellow sap. The longer you can keep the sap clear - the more $ you will make from the table grade syrup.
Brian