New to tubing. What are necessary tools?

[sugaringcrazy]

I do 150 buckets and this year I'm adding 50 taps on gravity with probably another 50 next year. It's my first time installing tubing, and I want to do it right. I'm a little intimidated, so any advice is good. First of all, what kind of tools do you think are necessary. It looks like I could spend a pretty penny, but being smalltime my funds are limited. Also, anyone know of any good tutorials out there that could give me some good step by step advice. And I might as well throw it out there, but I have some free time right now, so if anybody in VT needs help installing tubing that would be the best way for me to learn. I'm obviously a beginner, but I work hard and learn fast.

[motowbrowne]

Schuyler, hope everything is well out there, I'm looking forward to visiting next week. Although I'm no expert by any means, but I installed 150 on tubing last year. I determined that since I was only doing that many, buying the tools for the job seemed cost prohibitive. I did find that heating the tubing ends before slipping them over the barbs on the fittings worked just fine. I think if I was doing a bunch of taps it might get too time consuming, but I found an insulated drinking jug with a flip top. I can't really find a picture of what I'm talking about, but if you saw it, you'd know what I mean. It's one of those things you might have put Tang and some ice in to take to a soccer game in 1995. Holds about a quart of water, made of plastic and has a flip-top cap. The hole perfectly fits the tubing, and depending on the water temp, 10-40 seconds takes that plastic from freezing to warm and pliable. I have a better thermos, that I filled with boiling water which I used to replace the water in the jug after about 30 minutes. Worked like a charm. Tubing slipped right over the barbs and stays in place just fine. Also, I recommend pre-making all of your droplines in the comfort of home, you can make them in a few different lengths to accomodate varying tree diameters and then when you're installing tubing just start from one end (I started at the top with a ring-type end fitting that allows for a dropline also) and work from tree to tree, when you get to the next tree, cut the line, dip the ends, install the drop, or drops, and go to the next tree. Let me know if that helps or if you have any other questions.

Ryan

[motowbrowne]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aladdin-Hot-or-Cold-Thermos-Coleman-Water-Jug-with-Flip-Top-for-Drinking-USA-/230733349860?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b8c783e4

This is exactly what I used. If you haven't done it by the time I get there, I'll give you mine when I come.

[spencer11]

if you can weld, buy a cheap 1 handed tool(search the classifieds) and weld another pair of vice grips on, that's what i did, so i bought/built a 2 handed too that i use for everything that cost me $80 total