Anyone Collecting Sap Without a Pipeline?

[OrangeAgain]

I would love to hear about those still collecting sap the old fashion way. I.E. With horses. With a tractor....

Why?

How?

[buckeye gold]

Sure a lot of us do. I collect 100-125 taps off buckets and bags with a tractor mounted tank. Being small and my trees being widely scattered tubing is not economical. I like collecting by hand as fond memories of my youth and it's good exercise.Now if I ever expand much I'll consider tubing.

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Horses, tractor, I wish! LOL
I have a sled and my two feets, the leather express as I like to call them! My sled holds 31 one gallons milk jugs before I have to walk back to the truck and make room. By room I mean 5 gallon buckets with lids. This summer I picked up a couple of those big totes and several 55 gallon plastic barrels, all food grade and clean. I am now trying to figure out how to get more/larger containers in my sled and a 55 Gallon drum in the back of the truck?

[MillerTime]

I tap and run plastic tubes down to milk jugs. I walk around daily and empty the milk jugs hauling it back to the barn on foot to empty into a 55 gallon plastic barrel to store until I boil. I bought a 4 wheeler this year and would like to fashion something to be able to collect with that


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[GeneralStark]

I would love to hear about those still collecting sap the old fashion way. I.E. With horses. With a tractor....

Why?

How?

I assume you are talking buckets. Here is a thread already going about bucket operations:

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?21942-Who-s-Still-tapping-ALL-buckets

[RC Maple]

All buckets for me too. I gather with 5 gal food grade buckets that I carry through the woods. Fortunately, most of the trees are close to where I can park the truck. I fill the buckets to the 4.5 gal mark and carry them back to the truck where I put a lid on them and set them in the bed. This works well for all best the best runs. On days over 2 gallons per tap, 5 gal buckets fill up fast and make for a lot of carrying. I figure as long as I can do it that it is great exercise. I haven't planned for after that yet but if things go right that is a ways away.

[Brad W Wi]

We run 400 pails and collect with a 6 wheeler or tractor. My wife and I can handle it alone (We're both mid60's) but do get some help collecting sometimes. Not hard and then I don't have those lines hanging in the woods. I will collect this way as long as I can.

[Biz]

I have 15-20 buckets that I gather by hand, using 5 gallon pails and a sap yoke that my great uncle carved for me. The yoke makes it sooo much easier to carry the buckets - the old timers knew what works! They are about 100 yards away, down hill from the sugarhouse and spread out. I didn't want to use a 4 wheeler or my 4wd truck because it will chew up the hayfield and/or get stuck.

Dave

[Ausable]

When I was a kid - Still in my 50's - I hung coffee cans from Grimm spiles and gathered with 5 gallon buckets. I would carry theses back to the sugar shack and filter into my storage barrels. So now I'm in my 70's and that is a big game changer - if You want to make maple syrup and not die in the process - Ya just have to work a little smarter - as the energy level is way down. Now I use plastic spiles with drop tubes into 5 gallon pails with lids. I keep my main trails open with an old snow thrower. I gather with a Rhino and a 25 gallon barrel attached in back. The barrel has a lid with a seal and a snap ring to hold it closed and now I loose very little sap I transfer sap into the storage barrels with a submersible sump pump, Works for me.

[Rosie_R]

"a sap yoke that my great uncle carved for me."

Do you happen to have a picture or plan or a general idea of how he made the yoke?
I have an old yoke from my grandparents barn, but it is too dry-rotted to use. I would really like to recreate one for myself.
Thanks

[bigschuss]

90 buckets...we collect with a snowmobile. If we lose the snow we use an ATV. Keeps my kid busy!

22216

[JR Acres]

30 taps on bags - collect with 5 gal buckets and an ATV. Love the exercise and time in the woods

[Sugarmaker]

I collect with a F250. 30 stops in 30 miles, It loves it! I did see a nice video from Larry the maple guy who has several team of oxen he is training to pull a sap sled in a couple years.
Regards,
Chris

[woodsy]

Snowmobile with a tow behind sleigh here.

[ir3333]

60 buckets and a pull wagon with air filled tires...
... you are pretty strong by seasons' end!