Mainline tubing dispenser

[maple flats]

I have used a large homemade wooden spool to pay out tubing from 3/4" up thru 1.5", but it is very heavy to handle and mount on my woods trailer. Also, it bit me last year as 4 of use were lowering it off my truck and I had to make a trip to the ER. Thus I am looking for a better option. I searched the web and so far I found 2 options. The first is a trailer that hooks behind the ATV and the roll lays flat on the trailers spinning bed with adjustable arms to hold the coil. While it looks nice the price too steep for the use I would give it ($1500-1600+ S&H).
I also found an adjustable hand truck type called Pipetruck, that will accommodate sizes from 1"-2" tubing (3/4?, don't know why not), but that is priced at $1000. I could make one very similar to that for far less, but wondered if any of you have a better idea. My needs are that it will hold 3/4" -1.5" coils (I still have the last of my 3/4" and that is only a partial coil, maybe 250-300', after that I'll only buy 1" and larger).
What do you use to unroll the mainline? I want it portable or able to mount to a 4x8 trailer. I see a $510 option in the Leader Catalog but I want more ideas before I decide. I will need it in 2.5-3 weeks.
Dave

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

Leader has made one that I saw at two classes looks like it works good but you could make one for cheap money. I only have the pic of the spindle. The adjusters move out from the center.

Scotthttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/29/mataby5e.jpg


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[noreast maple]

Dave,- I made one like the leader one and built it out of 3/4 square tubing. I put a 5/16 round hoop around the outside so I could stand on its side and roll when working alone if i needed to move it to next line. Its light enough to lift and carry by myself but with the ring around the outside ,two people can do it with eas.I built mine with the option of screwing it to the deck of trailer or setting on ground cause some places are to steep to take trailer!!! --the upright arms are adjustable by slidding in or out to hold center of roll and I have had 1 1/2 -1-and 3/4 on it and it rolls out like a dream. - I made a break on it like leader has and it works great,just turn the center nut for more tension or losen it for more freespool. dont regret building it and i think i have about 100.00 tideup in it.

[maple flats]

noreast maple,
Do you have any pics of the one you made? If you built another, is there anything you would change?
Dave

[K.I. Joe]

I made a frame to hold the tubing and nailed it to a piece of wafer board. With the board on a rock and the wife pulling I was able to spin the contraption and play out the tube....>Cost was nothing but scrap lumber.

[noreast maple]

Dave, - Icant think of any thing i would change on it , I fell in love with it. when pulling 1 1/2 you can even pull up hill, down hill any direction you want and the tubing is the only thing you fell, and no twisting of pipe either . Ijust love it cuts time of instalation way down. Ill try to post pics in a little bit. I even do my mainline wire with it also, no more twisted wire.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Will your Mahindra pick up the wooden spool? We get our 1" on a 2000 foot spool, run a pipe through the center and pick it up with the bucket and a couple of short chains to place it on a wooden rack we built on an old manure spreader and then hold it in place with U bolts. Works well.

[wiam]

I do similar to what Sunday Rock is saying. I built a wooden spool and put it on the round bale spear on my Mahindra and pull pipe off it.

[eagle lake sugar]

I use 1000' rolls of 1" and 1 1/4" mainline. I made a simple reel from 2 sheets of plywood, trimmed to the o.d. of a 1 1/4" roll of mainline.I drilled holes in the center for a piece of pipe and used a drilled piece of 2x6" on each sheet for a bushing, screwed to the plywood. Cut 3 4"x4" pieces the same length as the thickness of the roll of tubing, lay the tubing on one sheet of plywood, space and mark the 4x4's locations, remove the tubing, screw the 4x4's to the plywood. I put an alignment pin [lag] in each 4"x4",and drilled a matching hole in the top plywood sheet, so when you put on the top piece of plywood when changing rolls, it lines up easily. I then built a cradle with 2 upright 4"x4"s on a rectangular base of 2"x4"s , braced the uprights, and put stop blocks on top of the uprights. You put the pipe through the reel, two people pick it up, and place it on the cradle. I had all scrap materials, but the total cost would be less than $100. It transports in two pieces which makes it easy on my narrow trails.

[maple flats]

I have a wooden mainline reel, it is just too heavy and bulky. However I made mine out of 2 wooden circles made from 2 layers (second layer is diagonal to first layer) of 5/8" thick rough cut poplar. I then cut them into a circle and drilled the hole. Then I made 6 spokes from 3/4" black pipe each with a floor flange on both ends. Then the spokes are held by an all thread thru with a double nut and flat washer on each end. One of those nuts is what caught me on the head and sent me to the ER last year. I made mine too heavy. That is why I'm looking for a lighter, safer one.

[noreast maple]

Dave , Im still trying to figure out how to get pics. from my pictures album on windows over to this site and post them. I can weld, fabracate and build stuff, but this computer stuff gets me everytime.:confused:

[jcb]

How much main line are you guys running ? I lay the roll on the ground put a five gallon bucket in the middle have a guy sit on it then I grab the end and go. works great! :)

[maple flats]

I don't have that spare guy to be an anchor. I have done similar in the past, but now I'm looking for easier and better. That works OK in a little snow but when in mud it is very messy and I seem to end up in mud too often. As to how much, about 4000' this year, future, who knows. I can use the heavy bulky one I have but after my ER trip I'm looking for a safer method.

[jcb]

I agree snow dose help and 4000' is a lot I would want to find a better way as well

[morningstarfarm]

At the maple school here last month I saw the cooles answer to this...leader makes an aluminum spooler for mainlines..was a really slick design and light enough to haul into the woods easily...was a bit pricey at 500.00

[maple flats]

Yea, $510 in the new catalog, trying to avoid that.
noreast maple sent me pics of his version of the Leader one that he improved and built himself. I think I'll build one like his.
Thank all, but especially noreast maple!!!

[whalems]

So can you post the pictures for all of us to see? Or are you still waiting on your paten to go thru?:)

[noreast maple]

Glad the pics came through dave, and yes its 3/4 square tubing thin wall on the two sections, top and bottom . Im pretty sure it measures 5 feet in diameter on the top section and four across the bottom section. I used 1 inch pieces about two or three inches long to slide on the arms for the upright tubes , and the same for the ones that slide down to hold the pipe from flopping up and off. the only ones that have bolts in them are the upright ones that slide on the arms.they are like a1/4 inch bolt with t handle to tighten or loosen. if you know how you can post pics if you want to . I had to call my daughter in VA. to get them sent by email to you , Darn kids , smarter than me , just dont tell her that , ikeep telling her i know how but my comp, is on the blink:lol:

[noreast maple]

Dave , i also built the smaller spooler that you can hang on a limb or hang on your mainline and run your 5/16 tubing on. - I built one for Maple hill too and we both love them ,no more wearing your arm out carrying spools of tubing on you arms and trying to keep them from twisting or kinking.

[jcb]

After thinking about it I want to build one too, I mean
the bucket thing works but a spooler would work much better :) Hey Noreast Maple can you share some photos..... Thanks

[noreast maple]

Maybe maple flats can post them, Im comp. illiterate and cant figure it out yet!!!!! ---Ask him and maybe he can. --sorry!!

[maple flats]

Maybe maple flats can post them, Im comp. illiterate and cant figure it out yet!!!!! ---Ask him and maybe he can. --sorry!!
I can't seem to copy them to post on here. I will however forward them to any member who wants them, with noreast maple's permission. I can do that. They just won't copy for some reason. While I an almost computer illiterate, I have 3 kids who work full time in computors. One of them will bail me out sooner or later so I can post them. In the meantime, just PM me, let me have your email and I will forward. Since many may be interested, I will try to keep my message box from maxing out, if you get the "full" message, try again later.
Dave

[whalems]

heres a pic

[noreast maple]

Thankyou to maple flats and whalems for posting that picture. On the outside of that top section I put around ring on it tokeep brush and weeds from geting wound up in pipe while it was turning, - It also helps to carry it by or stand up and roll. The first one was 1/4 inch round steel,but it would get bent sometimes so a very good friend of mine , MAPLE HILL, was using it and he welded a stronger one on it. I think he said it was an old silo hoop witch is about 5/16 or so . - the short arms that stand upright are adjustable so you can move in or out to hold roll by sliding out to center of roll.

[jcb]

thanks looks great

[maple flats]

heres a pic
Is that the only pic you received? There should be 10, showing construction steps.

[whalems]

Is that the only pic you received? There should be 10, showing construction steps.

No I received all 10. Thank you

[TheMapleMoose]

Ours is very similar with the exception of the horizontal arms. We made them shorter and used 1" thin wall and slid 3/4" 1/8" wall inside so they are extendable/retractable for bigger rolls and transportation. We also have ours mounted on our woods cart

[noreast maple]

this one could be mounted on trailer but i opted not to so i could get to hard to get at places where no trailer can go. I can set on trailer and use that way also, just left different options open to whatever the sittuation calls for.

[maple flats]

I built one today, based on Noreast maple's pic. The only major change is that I used 2- 5/16 thick by 5" diameter nylon discs between the base and the spinning top. I still need to paint it and I had to order a heavy compression spring to adjust tension to control over spinning. awaiting the spring. Might warm into the 40's Monday, I'll try painting then, it might be my only chance. Will be using it next week.
Thanks all for the answers. Thanks Noreast Maple!!

[noreast maple]

Glad to help dave, hope yours works as good as mine. that plastic disk sounds like it should work real good, you can even use a can of lithium grease inbetween the disk, wouldnt take much.It will savewearing on the disk,--Good luck!!!!

[maple flats]

I think I'll leave it dry. I don't want any grease to catch dust and dirt. The disks were made by my brother on his lathe. I have a friend who got me onto using nylon a few years ago when I needed a main idler bearing on my excavator and the part was not available. He turned the hub (13.2" OD, his lathe can do up to 13.25") to remove roughness, then he made a nylon bushing. It still shows no sign of wear. That does have 4 grease fittings, 2 inner, 2 outer, but that is moving 8000# thru mud and sand etc. Nylon is real tough.
If my 5" disks prove to be too small to hold the turntable flat, I'll get my friend to make 2 @ 8", the biggest that would be practical.

[noreast maple]

Yes plastic is tough, I dont know why i didnt think of it . Alot of guys use it on fith wheel plates for tractor trailers and claim to hold up to 100,000 lbs. and dont need to grease them nowhere near as often. I think you will love it. --- if you want ,I can email you picture of small tubing spooler for 5/16 line, you hang it on your mainline and walk away with no tired arms.