Slide fitting slipping

[Maplewalnut]

Having a problem with my slide fittings slipping at mainline.
Probably 25% have slipped and now the saddle has a whole lot of tension. Little discouraging since they are only 2-3 years old. Tried to reseat a couple of the laterals and once attached to mainline you can slowly see the tube slipping through the connector

Lapierre semi and four seasons semi if anyone is wondering

Anyone else have this problem?

Mike

[adk1]

I have used them one year. I did notice that a few of them slipped alittle. I just had to push them on better.

[batsofbedlam]

I found that they do slip. After our hurricane and all of the branches that it brought down, I prefer that they slip rather than the line stretching or snapping. It only takes few minutes to walk throughout the sugar bush and retension them.

[spencer11]

there is a thread on SBI about them if you do a search, i use them at the main but use lap. rigid and none of them have slipped

[adk1]

I use the Leader Max Flow flex as my lateral line. the stuff is awesome. I have had branches fall on the lines and even though they are tight, they will drop to the ground..Remove the branch and it springs right back up to the original position without havingto retension. This is nice because I do not have to worry about the fittings coming undone etc.

[spencer11]

do you mean the max flow grip? i think thats the one thats for lateral line, i thought the mex flex was for drop lines? i used a roll of the max grip and hate it, it stretches alot and always sags alot. then i switched to lap. rigid and it dosent stretch or sag nearly as much, and the slide fittings go on very tight

[Thad Blaisdell]

do you mean the max flow grip? i think thats the one thats for lateral line, i thought the mex flex was for drop lines? i used a roll of the max grip and hate it, it stretches alot and always sags alot. then i switched to lap. rigid and it dosent stretch or sag nearly as much, and the slide fittings go on very tight

Spencer, if you like the lap. rigid, try the leader 30p or even cdl now has a rigid 10 year that looks like 30p. Much easier to see the sap flowing in the tubing. Rigid tubing all the way for me.

As far as the slide fittings they are a waste of time and money in my opinion. If you have to go through the woods and tighten your lines every year you are doing something wrong. I tried about 400 and hate the **** things. I stick with the hook connector on the wire and the cdl hooked end. Then use a dead end Tee so the loop around the tree doesnt ever have sap in it.

[adk1]

Yeah, sorry, the Grip..I dont know, I love the stuff, but I have allot of pine and hemlock in my bush and they are always dropping limbs so it is nice to know that the tubing has enough flex in it to not pull the fittings apart. However, I do have one very long line that I have to tie up cause I cant get it tight enough when it is full of sap. I guess if I just used the 30P then I might not have the same issue. I have never used anything but the grip.

[spencer11]

i have some of the 30p and like it, its good tubing, but its just to expensive, same with the cdl, although the cdl isnt expensive, i think the lap. rigid is the cheapest, and its a good tubing i think

and i love the slide fittings, i have wireless mainlines so everything stretches and loosens up over a little bit so i can just simply adjust it

[Dennis H.]

I used the slides for the 1st time and love them.
I only use them at the end of the lat. I still use a hooked connector at the mainline.

Another benift that I found with using the slides at the end tree I found a use for old hooked connectors and other fittings along with used 5/16. I use the old stuff to make the loop around the end tree for the slide fitting to hook onto, yeah I also use the little hook thingy that allows yout to hook the slide to 5/16.

[adk1]

I used the slides for the 1st time and love them.
I only use them at the end of the lat. I still use a hooked connector at the mainline.

Another benift that I found with using the slides at the end tree I found a use for old hooked connectors and other fittings along with used 5/16. I use the old stuff to make the loop around the end tree for the slide fitting to hook onto, yeah I also use the little hook thingy that allows yout to hook the slide to 5/16.dennish so you use the slide at the end tree in a way that sapdoesnt go around the tree

[Dennis H.]

that is exactly it.
I used leaders end rings before. The sap had to go all the way around the tree and if the lat drops down away from the end tree because of slope it had to actually go up hill a little on its way around the tree.

Not so with the slides, Also if your lat's need to be dropped to pull out wood or get do other work in the woods just undo the slide from the loop that goes around the end tree, roll it up out of the way and go to work. When done unroll the tubing, hook back onto end tree loop and good to go for the coming season.

[adk1]

think I might just use a length of nylon rope to go around the tree rather than tubing. will same be a fitting.

[maplwrks]

I have used the slide fittings for close to 10 yrs now---I really like them. When installing tubing, there is nothing that makes the job go quicker than not carrying a bunch of tools--the slide fitting allows this, and this is why I initially bought them. I have used them exclusively on 30p tubing and they have not moved at all. BUT...I am going away from them due to cost. I can put in an end fork and a hooked connecter much cheaper than 1 slide fitting. I still think that the slider is a cool fitting that works well, but you pay for this convenience. By not using them, I can save approx. $2.00 a lateral. AND..If a squirrel chews up the tubing going around the end tree, not big deal, no sap lost.