Tubing ?

[Fred Henderson]

I have heard a few on here say that they use 4 season tubing and would never use anything else. Why is that? Can the 4 season stuff be left up all year? Is it better than the ridgid?

[ennismaple]

The 4-seasons gets left up all year and is guaranteed for 15 years. Once it's set up the only labour involved is to tap and clean up. To wash it you suck a couple cups of hot water through each tap when you pull it at the end of the season and cap off the spile (we use the CDL T-cups).

A friend helped me tap our bush that's on 4-seasons with 19/64 spiles last spring - just over 2 hours for 550 taps! We had a pretty good sweat on by the time we were done!

It is more work to clean because you have to carry a pail of water to every tree but a lot less work otherwise. For set-up, a bit of warm water or lightly chewing the tubing is all you need to push it onto the fittings.

I don't have any experience with the rigid tubing to compare it to 4-seasons. Ultimately, we'll have our entire bush (4000 taps) on 4-seasons.

[Fred Henderson]

Thanks for the info. There is so much stuff out there that one can really get confused on what to buy.

[ibby458]

Fred- I talked to our local dealer at the auction Thursday night. I think I got him talked into putting on a tubing seminar this fall. I think I'll also speak with the guy I sold syrup to, and see if he's interested in putting on one. He strings enough of it, he ought to know how!

[Fred Henderson]

If I were a dealer selling tubing I would have a semiar every fall and every spring. It would start right with the grass roots of tubing use. I think that I would really be able to sell a lot of stuff.

[oneoldsap]

Hey Marty:
Take a gallon jug drill a hole in the top 3/8 " i think slidc in a piece of tubing about 2Ft. long, add water, take a strap of some type put it through the handle on jug throw it over your shoulder and go to it. place tap lightly to tube and let the vacuum pull the water it only takes a little.

[mountainvan]

I've had the rigid tubing in my woods for at least 10 years and it still looks and works great. I've used the more expensive stuff when I had to and like the rigid better for my laterals.

[Russell Lampron]

The four season tubing is more elastic than the rigid or semi rigid tubing. That means that it will return to its original length better than the other stuff. If a tree falls on it and stretches it it won't need to be tightened up after the tree has been removed, it will return to it's orginal lenght and tension. It is also more resistant to damage from the sun.

Russ

[tuckermtn]

we have been using only 4-season and one other advantage to using it is its easier to coil up at the end of the season if you plan on taking down any laterals...the rigid lamb stuff doesn;t like coiling back up

[Homestead Maple]

I use the rigid tubing exclusively now and started with it for the most part. I tried a little of the 4-seasons for a year and a moose got into it and a lateral line that was maybe 60 feet long became 300 feet long once the moose stretched it out. (It would have been neat in a way to see all the commotion) The problem is, is that the tighter the 4-seasons is pulled the tighter it grips the fittings (chinese handcuff) and it didn't come off. If it was only a branch or a tree, ya, it wouldn't matter much.The rigid pulls off and I don't mind that. Snip a few inches off where it came off the fitting and with a tubing tool. it's ready to go again. The tubing stays up year round.

[oneoldsap]

Ditto homestead maple, I also prefer the rigid, it will outlast the fittings that it is put together with. A 15 year gurante isnt worth much with out fittings that will last that long. We are rebuilding a section next year mostly because the fittings are falling apart from U.V. damage.

[brookledge]

I use the rigid exclusively for my laterals and use the four season for drop lines. The only place that I use four season for lateral is a short section that I have to take down each year. As it already been said the rigid doesn't like to coil up very well after it's been made into lateral lines with drops.
Moose are known to raise havuc when walking through an orchard. At least with other animals they tend to jump over or go under it. Moose have been seen walking in the woods with a trail of tubing behind them.
Keith

[Sugarmaker]

Thanks Guys,
I am considering some road side tubing and sounds like the four seasons would work good for short runs. Also I will have to take the tubing down each year too. So it sound easier to handle.
What/who has the best 5/16 plastic spile/spout and fittings to use?
Regards,
Chris

[Homestead Maple]

Ya, I probably should have mentioned that I use the semi-rigid tubing for the drops. The rigid is to stiff to use here. It will eventually bend the health spouts.

[brookledge]

Chris
You opened a whole new can of worms in reguards to the best taps. Personally I have the IPL health spout. The only reason is that they were the first to come out with them and then others followed with 5/16 instead of 19/64. I think all have gone to black in color and will last about the same. Leader when they had blue fittings seamed to break faster but they have changed to black taps and tees. I like theleader tees because they have nail hole in them which I ocasionally use to keep things from moving. Andthey have the nice plug setup for plugging the tap.
I would say to you that which ever you go with it is mostly for convience as to who is the closet dealer and what he carries.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I bought 9 rolls of the Beaver River from the Maple guys and I love it. It has been up 3 years and it looks like new. In my opinion, the stiffer the better. The nice thing about the Beaver River is that the walls are very thick and I have had numerous times the rodents have bit a small chunk but haven't bit thru the entire wall due to the thickness.

Granted, it is much harder to work with than some of the other stuff, but well worth it in the long run as it still looks like new and hardly sags any at all. :D

The worse thing is that they seem to have discontinued making it as I can't find it anywhere. :(

[Homestead Maple]

I use the Leader spout which is 5/16" and the IPL tee which is 19/64" and the spout tip wedges into the tee a little tighter and they don't come out in the off season or if the tubing washer pressure is a little to high at the lower elevation of your sugar bush when washing.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have mainly all Leader spouts and I like them a lot and haven't had any problems out of them. I got some Lapierre to try them also, so I'll see how they go and I have a few of other brands. It doesn't appear there are 2 cents difference between any of them, just a matter of preference.

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I believe Southernmost Maple located in Highland County Virginia has some Beaver River Tubing. I used one box of it. It stays tight and appears to stay cleaner than the semi-rigid light blue tubing that leader was selling several years back for $36.00 a roll. I used one roll of that also. The only draw back I have with them is they are hard to roll back up at the end of the season. I have become addicted to 4 seasons tubing. It is more expensive at somewhere around $70 a roll. I usually sell my commercial syrup to our friend Henry, He usually sells several skids of Four Seasons a year. I don't want the money for the syrup from him, just more Four Season tubing. Blame my addiction on Henry B. of Salisburg,Pa. As for drops I use lamb 33-U, It had no other use. And since leader didn't need anymore of my money they discontinued 33-U. I never liked 4 Seasons for drops therefore I'll be looking for another brand to replace my drop lines when they wear out.
Mark @ 220 Maple

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

Lapierre Semi-Rigid works nice for drops!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I bought 5 rolls of the Lapierre this year off of the Maple guys and added about 75+ taps with it. Powerdub is a big fan of it and I wanted to give it a try.

Mark,

As far as Henry, now he only uses the new Lamp memory flex tubing. He was 4 seasons crazy, but now he only uses the new memory flex and that is mainly what he sells, at least by far the most of. Guess he buys such a huge quanity, he probably gets a little better discount. At least he told me that is all he uses now. I am sure he still has a lot of 4 seasons in the woods, but I guess all of his new tubing is the Lamb memory flex. He loves it, but I haven't tried any so far. I don't roll up any of mine, so it stays out year round.