Saddles vs. Tees

[Fireman]

We are getting ready to set up some 3/4" main lines on gravity. I am blessed in the fact that I have a woods that is chocked full of hard maples. I think I have areas where the tee's with the 4 or 6 port manifold would make sense. We are planning for a 2% grade on the main line. Should I try and stick with saddles to drain into the main lines? My concern is having a few tees on a 100 to 150 foot main line may cause too much turbulence or disrupt flow too much. Thanks!

[farmall h]

Use saddles. Those 4-6 port star fittings or horizontal fittings for your main lines are a PITA. You have to cut and clamp for every installation.

[Foremaple]

I've heard that any kind of multi fitting,even double saddles, will favor one lateral over the others. I guess its one of those path of least resistance things???

[BreezyHill]

saddles are less costly and will not hinder the flow of the main as much as a tee fitting. While it may seem easier to put in a six way, saddles are quite simple and do a good and not make a flow restriction area.

Ben

[spud]

Saddles all the way. Those other fittings are junk and remind me of the nightmares of sugaring I had in the early 80s.

Spud

[adk1]

Yup saddles you can add as many as you need in the ideal locations

[TunbridgeDave]

Firm believer in saddles as well. Think of all the extra tubing you might waste running several lines to one spot, instead of putting single saddles right where you need them. If you have vacuum you will have a lot more chances of leaking with the tee/star setup.

[Bruce L]

Changing over as time permits to all saddles. Once Bruce from Leader showed me about leaks on the six way stars, I am a firm believer in single entrance fittings. We watched four lines coming into a six way star last spring, one line had a bad leak, so the other three lines were not moving sap. Once we disconnected the leaky line to repair it the other lines started to move into the mainline

[markct]

The only place i use star fittings and tees or elbows is the end of a mainline, sap ladders or occasionaly at a mainline joint where 2 or more lat lines will be entering nearby anyhow

[farmall h]

Ditto on the "nightmare" Spud !

[Fireman]

Overwhelming favoritism to the saddles for sure. We are just getting into the tubing. I am amazed at the amount of planning and thought that needs to go into it. We will have main lines going through clusters of trees with 18 to 25 taps in the area of what car would take up. I thought maybe a star would be ideal for those spots. What really opens my eyes though is what you talk about Bruce. Thanks for everyone's input. Greatly appreciated.