Leader aluminum spile question??

[Bucket Head]

Two years ago (2005 season) I purchased 20 Leader 5/16" aluminum spout's for bucket's just to try them. I liked them and we decided to add more tap's to the operation so I bought a box of them and used them for the 2006 season.

The original twenty I bought looked fine after a season's use. Still shiny and no corrosion (oxidation). The one's I purchased and used once in 2006 look awful! They oxidized very heavily. They are almost completly white in color and a few of them degraded so badly that you can no longer make out the "Made In Canada" that is cast into them!!

Has anyone else experienced this with these spout's? Does anyone have any idea why these corroded so badly and the other one's are fine? Do the new aluminum bucket's that are availiable corrode like these???

I am very dissapointed with these spout's and I would hesitate to reccomend these to anyone. Honestly, I have antique steel spout's that look better than these!

Does anyone make 5/16" bucket spout's in stainless steel? I know they would cost more, but they would look great year after year and last a lifetime.

Steve

[H. Walker]

How did you clean the spiles? It sounds as though you must have cleaned them with something corrosive.

[mountainvan]

I got a couple white spots, corrosion, on a couple spiles but nothing like that. Tha al. buckets I have don't have any corrosion. I think it may be the difference between rolled and cast al..

[3% Solution]

Hey Steve,
A couple of years ago I picked up a half dozen Soule cast aluminum health spouts and the only thing I found with them is you need to be very carful tapping them in as they will snap off. I got the hookless and should have gotten the hooked ones. Are these the same as you have?
I ran short on taps yesterday and stuck a couple of these in, we'll see what happens!
There is a "NEW" stainless steel health spout for buckets which is 19/64ths which is put out by IPL. They are $1.10 at Bascom's.
Hope this helps!

Dave

[Fred Henderson]

Those new SS spouts for buckets are over priced by $1.09. I just sent 50 back to Maple Pro.

[3% Solution]

Hi Fred,
Well that's good to know!
How bad do they ......... well stink?
What is the problem with them?
Dave

[Fred Henderson]

Dave,
They do not hang,stick or protrud into the bucket far enough. The bucket hole would have to be pretty near the exact size as the flange to keep them from blowing off the tree. If the bucket hole is to big and the bucket gets blown sideways the sap will run on the ground. In the Maple Pro catalog they showed a straight spout that they said was for tubing. It had the flange and about another 3/4" +- protruding. They would have work great for buckets but when I called they said that they were not getting them this year.
Someone from Maple Pro just called and asked if I wanted my CC credited. I said no, send me a check after all I had to pay to have them shipped back.

[3% Solution]

Hey thanks for the info.
You speak about buckets staying on the tree, I am wondering how many I have tumbling around today.
Getting about 25 mph gusts here and my buckets are higher up than I am here.
Temp is bobbing from 24 to 28 all afternoon with snow squalls.

Dave

[Bucket Head]

H. Walker,

I did not use any cleaner on them. I soaked them in water only. At first, I thought they corroded because of the hard water we have here. But I used only water on the original one's and they did not corrode.

The only thing I can think of is that they used two different grade's of aluminum?? One must have been more resistant to corrosion than the other.

It's a shame these corroded like this. Unless Leader can prove their current one's won't corrode, I doubt that I would buy any more.

Steve

[brookledge]

Try talking to Leader they are usually very good with customer relations. Tell them exactly as you told us and see what they have to say. You might find they are willing to stand behind their product.
Keith

[Russell Lampron]

I first started using these spouts 5 years ago and have been steadily increasing the number of taps each year. I have not noticed the white corrosion on any of mine. Even the oldest ones still look good although they aren't as shiny as the new ones. Like Keith said give Leader a call amd see what they will do for you.

CDL makes a stainless 5/16" bucket spout but from what I have read here they are junk and don't waste your money on them.

Russ

[MaineMapleDave]

I've used them for a few years now, and agree that after a season's use, they do sort of oxidize a bit, with the part that's actually in the tap hole getting a sort of brownish color.

Never gave it a second thought because the old galvanized (then later stainless) taps (the ones with the separate hook) did the same thing.