Couple of sap guzzler questions

[Tapped Out]

I have a sugar bush area that will max out around 350 trees. I am currently on gravity with 3/4" main and less than 7 trees per lat line. It is an isolated spot (no power). I am wondering:

if a sap guzzler would operate off a 12v deep cycle battery and how long before charging?

and where a good place to purchase one would be?

Thanks!

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Glenn Goodrich has 12 volt sap guzzlers. I think you just get 2 batteries and just keep switching them out.

[jmayerl]

Use a shurflow pump

[gmcooper]

I tried battery for one year. It worked but was a real pain. Bought the highest rated battery to meet the load and still barely got thru the day most days. The next year I bought a 1800 watt Champion generator from Tractor Supply. Generator would easily run 14 hours a day. Fairly quite and was only $189.00. Generator holds maybe a little more than a gallon gas. Starts first or second pull every time. I had checked into a solar charger for the battery but that was going to be way to much to get one big enough to keep up.

[Tapped Out]

Will the Surflow handle 350 taps?
Use a shurflow pump

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

800w gen from harbor freight 89 on sale will run approx 10 hr, two stroke but really quite.
For dealers the maple guys have guzzlers for what you can buy right from Bosworth. Make sure it has a high rpm.We have two and the higher rpm model produces more vac.

[DrTimPerkins]

For dealers the maple guys have guzzlers for what you can buy right from Bosworth.

With any Sap Puller or Guzzler (diaphragm style) pump, be sure to order spare diaphragms. Chances are you might need to replace them either during the season, or at least every couple of seasons. A spare is very cheap insurance to have around when the sap is running.

[unclebuck]

I own 2 guzzler pumps which I bought from bosworth pumps out of providence RI Ran over 600 feet of 14/2 wire into the woods they worksed great vacume @ 21 to 26 hg dr perkins is correct deffinately order a spare diaphram mine cut on the incoming sap side I have Only replaced one in the last two years Bosworth receantly replaced the size of there pump shaft to a7/16 instead of 3/8

[rayi]

800w generator How long does it run on a tank of gas

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

With any Sap Puller or Guzzler (diaphragm style) pump, be sure to order spare diaphragms. Chances are you might need to replace them either during the season, or at least every couple of seasons. A spare is very cheap insurance to have around when the sap is running.
Oh yea Doc, a trip to barre during prime sugaring time is very time consuming and inconvenient, Im glad thad drove to cabot for me.


800w generator How long does it run on a tank of gas
We have got approx 8 to 10 hr on 1.1 gal, all the pump does is idle never works hard.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=800+watt+generator

[Tom_saw]

I ran the Harbor freight 800 watt generator last year also . It ran good . Got about 12 Hr. per tank .

[VT_K9]

We bought a sap puller from Goodrich Maple in Cabot, VT. Thay had a converter your could use to run it from a battery. We thought about that...heavy batteries...maybe need 3 to ensure long run times and proper charging periods...carry those into and out of the woods more than 200 yards...in snow. We bought a Honda EU2000 generator. It is quiet and will run all of our power tools. We have used it a lot beyond just the puller. Look at what you may want to do with a generator (saws/drills/lights) and then choose the size. The 1000 watt units or so may not handle what you want to run on it.

As far as run times. I would fuel it about 7:30-8:00 in the morning, again at 4:30 when checking sap levels, and again at 9:00 pm if I was going to run it all night.

As for diaphrams...check the posts here and you may find te discussion about the durability or intented/expected life of the diaphram. If one lasts you all year, you may not have maximized your production or it was a bad year. I believe they are rated for X number of cycles. That many number of cycls will be attained in 24 hour use of the puller over 3-4 days, I think. If you have access to used diaphrams take a look at them. They develope a pattern consistent with the diaphram flexing. I found this to be the wear points and failure of the diaphrams. I would recommend having no less than 2 on hand and if you plan on running it a lot maybe start the year with 4 or 5.

The puller worked great for us and we would average 25-28" at the puller and the farthest pont.

Good Luck,

Mike

[adk1]

I just bought one from Ray g at the Verona conference. He gave me a spare diaphram. He said it was the new model of diaphram. It is black. I need to figure out where to get a couple more of them. Can I order directly from bosworth and if so which particular one? Also, there is also a duck bill gasket or something? Does that need replacing allot?

[Schiefe4]

The puller worked great for us and we would average 25-28" at the puller and the farthest pont.

That seems rather high for a diaphragm pump. You may want to check your vacuum gauges.

[VT_K9]

104951049610497
That seems rather high for a diaphragm pump. You may want to check your vacuum gauges.

I agree... why are we really going to a full vacuum system when we have those numbers. We installed two gauges two years ago when we setup the pump. One at the pump and the other at the highest and farthest point. They have always been within 1-2" of eachother. That is unless I found a leak. Two broken taps usually drops it down to 10-12". One broken tap or a chew hole will drop it to about 20". When it is cold and likely not running well I am around 18-20". A cut diaphram will not hold vacuum, but the needle will jump. I have attached 3 images from last year (2 from one day and one from a couple days later). I will tell you that I spent a LOT of time making everything as tight as possible. New lines, new fittings, made a 3/4" and 1" mainline tool. Everything that I could do to be as accurate as possible was done.

Mike

[adk1]

I have heard of many diaphram pumps pulling that.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The Pittsburg vac pump harbor freight sells any good for maple syrup??

[Drew Pond Maple]

10517
Mine at the pump on a good day. Same as VT_K9, I also have a gauge at end of main 600' that is 1"-2" less. Somedays no change at all.
I have a spare diaphragm but never needed it last season. Maybe the ice trap that I made is the reason???

[S&STappers]

Could I use a guzzler to pump the sap up hill to a tank? It would be about a 250' run and about a 30' rise.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

That seems rather high for a diaphragm pump. You may want to check your vacuum gauges.
we have two units and one has a higher rpm we get 24/26 all the time on two different gauges, the slower rpm unit might get 18 tops. so its possible

now we are getting that vacuum but not cfm's

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Could I use a guzzler to pump the sap up hill to a tank? It would be about a 250' run and about a 30' rise.

im going to say no and if it does will be a trickle, go to TSC buy a gas pump for 200

[Quabbin Hill Farms]

Yes i can get somewhere between -20 to -25 with my guzzler, i usually change the diaphragm twice during the season.