Releaser brands anyone have a favorite to put any input on

[Rselleck91]

Hey folks. I'm looking to here some peoples input in brands of mech releasers double verticles.
After changing from electric to mech I bought a bhr 12x12x18 it hasn't failed on my works good rated for 3000 taps, a couple things I don't really like about it but overall ok. I just picked up a lappiere 12x12,18 and I haven't used it yet but will be used in a secound bush. I bought it and I tested it out in a water tub cleaned it and greased it. I find the moving parts in the fittings is a really good design I think I like it more than my bhr. So much simpler design to work on. The vac switches chambers installs for a better continues vac. The bhr has a 4-8 sec delay having to move the whole vac inlet pipe to the other chamber.

Can anyone elaborate on this or any thoughts or expire acne with other releasers?

I'm going to really put the test on them next season but I see the lapierre I shooing to perform better in my eyes

[TheMapleMoose]

We have three of the next size smaller BHR, the ones rated for 1000 or 1500. We bought two a few seasons ago, and then were stupid enough to buy a third. I feel like Wile E Coyote.... They are def sluggish, they came with regular nuts on all the pivots and there's nothing like walking into the sap building in the morning and finding the thing all jammed up because the nit spun off. We've replaced them with nylon insert nuts. I can't say we've had one "fail" but they just don't seem to work that great. Also as far as I can figure, we own the only 3, because you can NOT get replacement orings for this size.
Like I said, however, they do work. But someone has to be making a better mouse trap

[maple maniac65]

I have two bernards and one lapierre single vertical mechanical. I have less problems with the Lapierre with hang ups. Age of releasers are 5-10 years and each one is broke down and new o rings and lubed internally every other season.

[wiam]

Mostly happy with my Lappierre single. I just have to watch it when thawing out. Just wondering why you would go away from electric? I wish I could go to electric.

[GeneralStark]

After using two different mechanical releasers over the last several years, both bhr, this year I built an electric releaser for less than 400$ and I can confidently say I will never go back to mechanical. If you have power at the woods it is definitely the way to go IMO. I never had a problem with it the whole season and I ran the vac. pump 24/7 and vac level was at 27.5.

[Rselleck91]

Hi again folks. Just following up on the post. The reason I went from electric mechanical is I was using a generator to run my 3hp vac motor then a 1 horse pump on the releaser. When the releaser kicked it bogged that 18hp Honda generator pretty good I knew when she was dumping just by the tone of the generator. Eventually it killed my motor starter compositors, There for I put a mechanical releaser in with a dry line for vac and the pumps sits at the top where it's hooked Ito a shed with 30amp 220 service enough for vac a light and the auto start.

I find the bhr having to switch the vac feed line between chambers to be a sluggish transition. The lappiere releaser using the piston in the fixed feed lines switches almost instantly. Also I find my bhr wiill not switch over good without at least 15" I run 24-25 but still everyone claims bhr is the best very reliable but I fail to see it that way

[TheMapleMoose]

Dito on the sluggish BHR. It's ok other than that I guess. It is kind of a bummer when it shows up and the orings are all dry cracked but whatever

[doocat]

lets hear more about he $400 electric? Specs man, specs.....

[Moser's Maple]

lets hear more about he $400 electric? Specs man, specs.....
he used this design which I got from another guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l4hQHhjG9k

[DrTimPerkins]

We are also in the market for new releasers. In that particular installation, we've used Bernard single-vertical (3 units) and a double-vertical releaser (1) for about 11 yrs, and despite annual refurbishment, they're starting to show their age. High vacuum certainly does take a toll on them as well. We are separating part of our woods into multiple areas, so will end up with 6 different releasers. This is so we can measure the sap from each section (treatment) independently and thus see what the effect of the treatment is. We cannot do electric releasers because of cost, space, and complexity (we'd need 6 releasers, 6 separate pumps, 6 separate water meters, etc.).

We've been looking at the Bernard and Lapierre single-vertical continuous vacuum releasers (VCV) and would like to hear any feedback from people who have used or assessed them.

[western mainer]

We used the Lapierre single-vertical continuous vacuum releaser this year and it worked great. No movement in the lines when it dumped. Can't go wrong.
Brian

[GeneralStark]

lets hear more about he $400 electric? Specs man, specs.....

As Jake said, I used a design that I adapted from a fellow trader, similar to what his video shows but with several differences. I also spent an hour with Maplecrest, another trader, looking at his electric releaser designs and went with a couple features he uses.

I scored a used electric Bernard releaser with a manifold for under 200$ with no pump and removed the mechanical float switch and reamed the float rod bushing to run the power cord for the submersible pump through. I drilled a hole in the side of the releaser chamber for the cord for a standard float switch. This is one place where I split from other designs and instead of using conductivity probes or small paddle floats and a relay I just went with the simple and effective standard float switch on a power cord tether style as there is enough room in the chamber for it.

I followed Maplecrest's advice and used a Pitless adapter (used in well applications) to penetrate the chamber for the pump outlet instead of bulkhead fittings or the O-ring style penetrations. The pump is a Goulds submersible stainless trash pump (3/4 hp) that I got cheap from a fellow trader. This is the trick in building one of these units is finding a high head submersible pump. Others use Sta-rite pumps with good success.

As I said it worked flawlessly the whole season 24/7. There is a check valve outside the chamber between the submersible and the storage tank. The only minor issue I had was one morning when lots of slush came down the mainlines and supported the float switch and kept the pump running. It sorted itself out pretty quick though as the releaser is in a heated room.

So, a solid electric releaser for less that $400, using some used parts and other standard fittings and pieces.