Small gas powered pump

[royalmaple]

Where are you guys buying your tanaka pumps or similar sap transfer pumps?

I think I might be in the market.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[tapper]

Do you have a Tractor Supply Store in your area? I've seen them in there.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The first Tanaka I bought about 5 years ago was from a local dealer for $ 359 new. The last one was this past summer for less than $ 90 brand new on ebay. It is so old the mix ratio is 25 to 1, but it was brand new in box and even the box looked like it was produced a week before I bought it. I would guess it is 15 to 20 years old and Tanaka told me they would guess around that. It is so old it was a TAS Tanaka.

Works great and if you are going to spend the money, spend a little extra and get a Tanaka or a Honda and you won't be sorry.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

They carry ones in the Northern Tool Book. I bought a 1" ECHO 6 yrs ago and have had great luck with it. just had to replace the gas lines this year because they cracked over the summer. But yeah, the honda ones are great too. I just get nervous buying some of the no-name brands just because of the sake of having to get parts. I don't care what brand you buy, they will still need something someday. It is REAL nice if you can go down the road somewhere locally and get parts to keep it going when you need it!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ryan,

You making any syrup?? Close to 70 here today and tommorrow and has been in 50's and 60's for a week now. Looks like we're about done, started late and ended early but was good while it lasted.

[brookledge]

I bought a honda 4 stroke last year and I like it better than the two cycle tanaka I had. It uses less gas than the tanaka.
I also agree that you should get a brand that you know will be around for a while so when you need parts some day they will be available.
Keith

[royalmaple]

Thanks, I'll snoop around and see what I can find. I got to get a better way of getting the sap out of my 300 gallon stock tank in the woods.

Spent a little too much time on getting sap and not too much on how the heck I was going to get it out.

I had to throw up a mini mainline wire and tubing system to get the sap to the trail from the tank. Then the bilge pump I was using wasn't pumping, battery was dead. Had a load on the artic cat and that got buried trying to turn around, just a serious mess. I think the 4 wheeler is going to go there tomorrow and take a stab at it. Of course I was stringing up the mainline and wire just as the tank was going to run over. Real nice time to be messing with that.

Just got done boiling, just sweetn'd the pans. Didn't draw off. I am beat so wanted to shut her off. Runs very well I am happy. Took a bit tonight trying to get my float to work properly in the head tank, and try to figure out where I wanted to set my floats etc. Morning will come soon now.

Sure does smell nice in the new sugarhouse, gotta love that sweetness.

Wait I can almost see the sun.

[tuckermtn]

royalmaple- I like the small Honda WX 10

are you ever over in the manchester/Concord NH area? In manchester try Naults Honda or in concord try Concord Motorcycle shop. both had the small honda at $300 ($80 less than Norther tool)

-tuckermtn

[Russell Lampron]

Matt,

I too have a Honda WX10 pump. It works great unfortunately my former son in law bought it originally from an online source. He only paid $239 for it but I don't know from whom.

Russ

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

WVM-

yes. made almost 10 gals. real light a-med. it's lightening up though. but once it got warm and hasn't froze at night, the sap STOPPED running. but after it cools down, it looks like some great weather coming. with that new arch, it took me 3 hrs. to boil 285 gals. of sap. but I think that evap. rate will get a little better as i figure out how much air to put under and over the fire.

[royalmaple]

tuckermtn, I haven't been over there regularly but I could shoot over.

I charged the deep cell battery for my bilge pump last night while boiling and it is working fine today. I may just keep using that for now.

I am running out of money fast. I might actually have to start working, yuk.