Transfer pump for the Sugarbush

[VTnewguy]

I was wondering what people to use for a transfer pump to move sap from one collection tank to the next. We want to use the blue barrel to collect sap and then transfer it to a tank in the Polaris Ranger. Does anybody else use this setup? I would like to get a small Honda water pump (1") but I'm concerned about lifting the sap straight up. We don't have access to electricity where we collect.

[sap creek]

used the pump for many years no issues on lift

[Haynes Forest Products]

Well then gas it is. When you say straight up I will assume you mean up from the blue barrel into a tank on the ATV. This pump will last you as long as you own it if you take care of it . I have guys that bring me sap to RO and they empty cage tanks faster than I can process it. Just get Cam-Loc fittings on all tiger flex pipe and you will never worry about transferring liquid again.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Powermate-25cc-1-HP-Gas-1-Water-Transfer-Pump-PP0100381-/351840646006?hash=item51eb563376:g:xBYAAOSwCGVX2cY Y

[VTnewguy]

Thanks, I'll be getting one of these pumps soon.

[Haynes Forest Products]

VTnewguy I will tell you that the most aggravating thing I witness about nice light, easy to move, quick to put away, don't take up much space, easy to lift pumps are.

They will get stolen if you leave them out in view
they will not stay flat on the ground or truck bed if the hoses wont flex
will slide off the truck bed if you yank on the hoses
A stiff intake or exhaust hose with twists in it will make you want to throw the pump in the woods.

I highly recommend that you get the light blue Tiger flex smooth bore and install came-Loc's on all ends. Make up a weighted suction line side so it stays at the bottom of the tank or better yet make a PVC suction tube that has a cam-Loc fitting on it so you can hold the section side down in the bottom of your tanks.

When you expand you will use poly cage tanks/totes and then get the ones with the cam fittings and you can attach right to the tank bottom and it will be easy as pie to transfer. I have a wall full of adapters that allow me to transfer liquid from any tank or piece of equipment at a moments notice.

I hate it when you spend 2 min trying to match up hoses to tanks and drums only to find out your discharge hose fell out and all the sap is on the ground. If you put a cam fitting on a nice heavy Stainless steel T for you discharge line it wont fly out of the tank due to pressure.

[VTnewguy]

Thanks for the advice. I like the idea of the hard fitting on the bottom of the barrels.

[MISugarDaddy]

We use a 1" Honda pump mounted in the back of our Kubota RTV to pump out of barrels in the woods and then to pump out the tank in the Kubota. Everything in the back of the Kubota is mounted on a piece of plywood so we can slide it in and out of the back. For pumping out of the woods barrels we have attached a PVC pipe to the hose.
Gary

[Dill]

Cam lock fittings are your friends with portable pumps. 2 stroke water pumps work great and will last a long time.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Cam-locs allow you to take the pump only and toss it in a warm spot at night. Plus when you unwind the hoses you can spin them and not the pump.

[Sugarmaker]

Not sure how much sap your moving?
Have you considered the bilge pumps running on 12 volt? (RULE brand) Quiet, light weight, and pump fast. We move 6000 gallons of sap per season with two of them. one is a 2700 gph and the other is a 3000 gph. We pump about 5 feet vertical with no issues. These need to be submersed in the sap, so the have to be set into the collection tank, with the discharge hose going to your moving tank.
The short answer is yes we have been using the type of set up your considering for about 10 years.
Yes camlocks on all connections is a good thing.
Regards,
Chris

[VTnewguy]

Do you have a separate generator to run those? I have a friend that suggested a generator and bilge pump.

[johnpma]

What are you guys using for hose with the big bilge pumps? The outlet is 1 1/2" on the big Rule pump I have

[Sugarmaker]

We run the Rule 12 volts off the truck camper plug. For hose I would recommend swimming pool hose, very tough!
Regards,
Chris

[maple flats]

For the hose I suggest Spiralite milk hose from ECI, better than pool hose and it's food grade, pool hose is not. ECI, (Eastern Crown Inc.) sells it by the foot, smooth inside, food grade and they have it from 3/4", 1", 1.25" 1.5",2" and even larger.

[Sugarmaker]

Dave,
Good suggestion on the milk hose!
Regards,
Chris

[themoonlighttapper]

We just did a test run using a Shurflo 4008 to pump water approximately 350' in length and 80' up in elevation, using a combination of 3/8" and 1/4" ID plastic tubing. Worked like a charm. Can't say a flow rate yet, perhaps not fast enough for your circumstance. Pump claims 3 gpm at 55 psi. Do not know how it will hold up for an entire season, but we will soon find out!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Remember when looking at flow rates they are listed at Zero Head meaning no elevation and then from there its a decline in flow and pressure as the elevation increases.

[Maple Doc]

I was wondering what people to use for a transfer pump to move sap from one collection tank to the next. We want to use the blue barrel to collect sap and then transfer it to a tank in the Polaris Ranger. Does anybody else use this setup? I would like to get a small Honda water pump (1") but I'm concerned about lifting the sap straight up. We don't have access to electricity where we collect.

I'm also a new guy. I've been using a small Honda pump to transfer sap from a 35 gallon collection tank on top of a DR power wagon to 30 gallon food quality storage barrels outside my sugar shack. I eventually use the same pump to transfer from the storage barrels to a 125 gallon sap tank which is the input source to the evaporator float. The pump is great!


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[DocsMapleSyrup]

I'm a fan of the Rule bilge pumps. I pump up 6' from my collection tank to transfer tank with a Rule 2500 pump that is clamped onto a SS tube to lower into my 275 gallon tank. I carry a 12 deep cycle battery with cable clamps and can pump 275 gallons in less than 10 minutes.

[Mitchhorne8]

Seems like everytime I have something running through my mind I go on mapletraders and I find a thread on my very concern. I was shopping around today trying to decide on a pump. 400 taps on vacuum looks like I'm using square cage totes. The pump on the ebay link will be sufficient? And will it pump about 6' up to a tank on a platform?

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[VTnewguy]

I'm also a new guy. I've been using a small Honda pump to transfer sap from a 35 gallon collection tank on top of a DR power wagon to 30 gallon food quality storage barrels outside my sugar shack. I eventually use the same pump to transfer from the storage barrels to a 125 gallon sap tank which is the input source to the evaporator float. The pump is great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think I'm going to have to pony up the money for a Honda pump.

[DocsMapleSyrup]

Mitchhorne8

Seems like everytime I have something running through my mind I go on mapletraders and I find a thread on my very concern. I was shopping around today trying to decide on a pump. 400 taps on vacuum looks like I'm using square cage totes. The pump on the ebay link will be sufficient? And will it pump about 6' up to a tank on a platform?

That pump will definitely work. I decided on a bilge pump because it is faster, no gas, no oil.

[Ghs57]

I decided on a bilge pump because it is faster, no gas, no oil.

Which one did you buy? Trying to decide between gas or 12 volt. I currently use a sureflo, which works but is too slow at 3gpm.

[Father & Son]

These pumps work great. I have a Earthquake and a Tanaka. Empties a cage tank in 12 to 15 minutes through a 1" line, 100 ft long with 25 ft of lift to my truck.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5HP-Portable-Gas-Water-Transfer-Pump-1-NPT-26-5ft-2-Stroke-6-500RPM-1850GPH/351183950057?_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%2 6asc%3D41403%26meid%3D57bb998d6cca4e6a95a2490470d2 384f%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D3222 94289456

https://www.amazon.com/Earthquake-WP4310-Centrifugal-2-Cycle-Diameter/dp/B009E7WG6G%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIWLFS2PHY4JWG7RQ %26tag%3Dpowerequipmen-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB009E7WG6G

Jim