Market for used spouts, T's, drops, tubing

[hookhill]

A friend of mine works for Maverick Farms in Sharon, Vt. They are a 40,000 tap operation and over the last several years they have changed out thier lines and fittings. He has offered me a various lot of 7/16 and 5/16 spouts, T's, drops, tubing, wire....There are probably 1000 drops, and 1000+ spouts and fitting. The 5/16 spouts are probably no good (they had trouble with them cracking at the base and replaced them), the 7/16 spouts are good, most of the drops are good and most of the tubing looks to be the newer variety. All of it is clean. He is offering the whole lot for $200. It sounds like a good deal and was wondering if I might be able to sell what I dont end up using and also if used stuff is worth messing with.

[Fred Henderson]

It depends a lot on just what it is. If the 5/16 tubing is that purple crap it isn't worth taking to the dump. Find out just exactly what it is you are buying.

[maplehound]

When I started out with tubing, a fellow suger maker offered to let me have his old set up that he had dropped to the ground. All I had to do was pull it out of the woods. I saved all the fittings and main lines but not the branch tubing. This saved me alot of money and got me started with tubing. Then I changed it out over the next several years.
Used tubbing isn't recomended but it is a good way to start out if your not sure that you will stick with it.
Ron

[Russell Lampron]

The 7/16 spouts probably aren't worth too much as most people are using 5/16 now. If the 5/16 spouts are junk too then the tubing and fittings are the only things of value. A 500ft role of tubing starts at around $50 and goes up from there. If there is enough usable tubing and fittings to justify spending $200 go for it.

Russ

[hookhill]

The word on the street is that the 5/16 spouts are not working out that well for many sugarmakers. Some producers are returing to the 7/16 spouts.

[hookhill]

The word on the street is that the 5/16 spouts are not working out that well for many sugarmakers. Some producers are returing to the 7/16 spouts.

[maplehound]

Hookhill,
I never heard that. Everone I talk to thinks that everyone should be using 5/16'th spiles. Where did you hear other wise?
Ron

[Russell Lampron]

I know that nobody liked the 3/16 microspouts but everyone I have talked to likes the 5/16 spouts. I started out using the 7/16 spouts for everything and have since changed all but 200 taps on gravity tubing to 5/16. I am even using the 5/16 taps for all of my buckets now.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

I know that nobody liked the 3/16 microspouts but everyone I have talked to likes the 5/16 spouts. I started out using the 7/16 spouts for everything and have since changed all but 200 taps on gravity tubing to 5/16. I am even using the 5/16 taps for all of my buckets now.

Russ


5/16" is the way to go. Russ how do you use the 5/16 for your buckets? Explain please?

[brookledge]

Fred
The manufactuers now make 5/16 taps for buckets.
As far as people going back to 7/16 the only ones that I have heard of going back are those who are not using vacuum. Otherwise I feel the 5/16 are the way to go.
Keith

[Russell Lampron]

Fred,

Leader makes a 5/16 hookless spout for buckets. It has a barb on the top that holds the bucket in place. The bucket has to have a 3/4 inch hole in it to slide over the spout. I had to enlarge some of mine so that they will work. You can't use the flat covers on them either. If you have a 2006 Leader catalog they look like the bottom ones in the picture labled "F." (green box)on page 27.

I started using some of them 3 seasons ago on my smaller trees and liked them so much that I have bought enough so that I won't be using any 7/16 spouts any more. I didn't notice any difference in the amount of sap I get now as compared to before. It is faster to gather sap too because you don't have to find the hook to hang the bucket back on. Just slide it over the spout.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can drill a small hole in the hook and insert the wire hinge thru it and it works good and the covers won't blow off either! :D

[Fred Henderson]

I got the catalog and have looked at it @ 1.35 how well do they endure the tapping in with a hammer. How many have you broken of what you use. I still use the 7/16 but I don't like seeing that big gaping hole in the tree.

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon, if you drill a hole thru the barb to put the wire thru you cant slide the bucket on and off of the spout.

Fred they stand up well. I haven't broken any of them yet and I used 40 of them last year. This year I will be up to 125, the number of buckets that I have.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have always used one of the stainless hooks on mine, but may try to put the bucket over the hook on some of them this year. :?

[mountainvan]

Want a cheaper way to use 5/16 for buckets, and use the older 7/16 plastic spiles? I use the 5/16-7/16 plastic adaptor, hook over the adaptor, 7/16 spile on the 5/16 adaptor, to hang my buckets. Will hold a full bucket of sap!! Cool thing I do is during sugaring season is to take the 7/16 spile off, stick a digital thermometer into the adaptor, into the taphole and take the trees temp..

[ibby458]

I'd get a rough count of the Tees and other fittings, and if buying them new would cost more, go for it. (AS long as they're good fittings) I'm sure you can sell the bigger taps on eBay this spring. Consider the tubing as a write-off, and if you can sell the taps you're money ahead.

Read my thread (Reusing tubing and fittings) a few pages down to get advice on what's a good fitting.

[Beth]

I've read alot here about replacing old tubing because the production goes down. It sounds like it's caused by a build-up of bacteria scum on the inside of the tubing walls, constricting the flow of sap? I have 3 or 4 vintages of tubing, the oldest being about eight years old, and wondered if this problem would be obvious, like by cutting the tubing and examining the inside for "plaque". I'm definately going to replace the old stuff, but wondered about the newer stuff, which is good 4-season tubing.

[HanginAround]

The problem is more with quality drop because of bacteria, darker syrup, rather than flow. There can be an issue with flow too, especially with older stretchy tubing, the more you tighten, the smaller the bore gets as it stretches, or soft tubing can actually collapse under vaccum, not so much an issue of plaque buildup.

[Beth]

One reason I asked, was a comment printed in the new Leader catalogue on page 20: ".... This process gave us plenty of occasions to notice that new lines always ran about 1/3 more than lines that were used three years..." Obviously I'm a little skeptical, since it's in a supply catalogue, afterall, but I've read similar accounts other places.

[treefinder]

i have about 300 5/16 spouts that i put in this year and rest "700" are 7/16all of mine are gravity fed. i'll let you know how i turn out . i personally like the 7/16 better i just see them lasting alot longer they have been using them for decades.they tree savers we'll i've seen alot of 100 or better year old trees that look perfect that have been taped with nothing but 7/16 i geuss it all depends on who you talk to.