raised flue or drop flue?

[maple dayes]

in the market for a new evaporator which is the better style flue pan, raised or drop.

[JAMIE]

Check out Leaders Max pans.

[boondocker]

I asked this same question last year when i was getting ready to order my new evaporator. I found that it was a 50/50 respose. There seems to be no real advantage from one to the other. Both have there good points and bad. I went with raised flue do to the fact i can regulate my front pan sap depth with the extra float box and thatwas a big selling point for me. On the other hand they say that drop flues boil faster than raised due to having the flues in the fire all the time, but you need to be carefull throwing wood in the fire box so you dnt hit the flues with wood. But here again they also say that if a raised flue is insulated right it will out perform a drop so you can see where im going with my rant......lol Its all preferance. Max flues are nice but big $$$$........

[markcasper]

I'll chime in....I just bought new pans for this year and went with a raised flue this time around. I liked how the drop flue boils and the pans were all one level and one float. I had to replace them because 4 or 5 front flues were leaking badly. In fact there was a few outright holes the size of your little finger in a few of them right in the bottom front. I went with the raised because #1, no more getting poked with wood. Keep in mind the old drop was soldered SS and that i am sure contributed to some of the problem. This new pan is welded and is a Leader. #2 the price on the raised flue was over $1,000 cheaper than a drop.

I have boiled on a smaller raised flue years ago and it seemed the floats jammed in the front pan an awful lot. But that was then......the Leader floats are much more styreamlined today! I don't like the raised flue now going to be so tall, I'll have to have a step ladder, that sucks.

Bottom line is that I would have went with a drop if it was not an issue with getting banged with wood, but I cannot be spending this kind of money and risk it happening again! Good luck to you.

[maple flats]

I have used both. Either is good. I now have a new set of raised flue and they replaced a set of raised flue pans. My 2x6 had drop flue. The pans I bought new were custom made by Thor Equipment of Canada. I had 10" raised flues and higher than std sides made. They make all sizes, price very competitively and do excellent work (my pans set was about 35% of Leader's price). They will make anything you ask for, not just a line of "std sizes and features". If you call them, unless you speak French, ask for Arnold Raymond.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

if had it to do again i would do raised,
what boondocker said.
been boiling 10 years on a drop and never hit the flues hard enough to damage.

[Dave Y]

A raised flue. You can run your back pan and syrup pan at different levels. a far as a Max pan goes, well, bigger isnt always better. just more money.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

A raised flue. You can run your back pan and syrup pan at different levels. a far as a Max pan goes, well, bigger isnt always better. just more money.
i dont see the benefit of a max flue based on COST to GPH. when it only boiled a little more than a Lap. at the boil off. Now a Revolution front pan, I would seriously consider that, reverse flow one side thats awesome

[wiam]

I might as well stir the pot. I am very happy with my "tube" back pan from W F Mason. http://www.wfmasonwelding.com/evaporators.html

[wiam]

I might as well stir the pot. I am very happy with my "tube" back pan from W F Mason. http://www.wfmasonwelding.com/evaporators.html Same price for a 2x6 as I paid 3 years ago. I have never seen a back pan boil like this one.

[boondocker]

wiam i forgot about the drop tube. ihave watched a video on a drop tube boil and it looked like it was working really well, he was having a hard time keep the sap in the back pan lol. how do you like yours?

[gomish]

I might as well stir the pot. I am very happy with my "tube" back pan from W F Mason. http://www.wfmasonwelding.com/evaporators.html Good pictures of boiler tubes. Question- how do you clean that thing?? I just built a 1.5' X 2' flue pan, 6 drop flues, flues 5" deep X 1" wide (2 ' long) and it is going to be a pain to clean down in those 1 inch wide-5"deep flues, compaired to my 1.5' X 3' flat pan.

[wiam]

wiam i forgot about the drop tube. ihave watched a video on a drop tube boil and it looked like it was working really well, he was having a hard time keep the sap in the back pan lol. how do you like yours?

I love this rig:)

[wiam]

Good pictures of boiler tubes. Question- how do you clean that thing?? I just built a 1.5' X 2' flue pan, 6 drop flues, flues 5" deep X 1" wide (2 ' long) and it is going to be a pain to clean down in those 1 inch wide-5"deep flues, compaired to my 1.5' X 3' flat pan.

That is the only drawback. I use pan acid. Let it soak for a while and then take it off the arch and pressure wash it. That gets most buildup off. I got a 3" round brush, twisted wire handle for cleaning tubes on a corn stove and welded an extension on the handle. I try to run this through the tubes before fire up each day.

There are special brushes made for cleaning a "flue" pan

[gomish]

Wiam OK I see the pictures of the boiler tube pan on your post down below. How do you clean down in around all those tubes and the bottom of the pan?