What is the Best Brand of Evaporator on the market

[Drp482]

I'm looking at finally getting into sugaring. Looked at Cdl and leader last year at there open houses. Been looking into Lapierre on the internet looks like a great evaporator. Looking at 2.5x10 or 3x10. Would greatly appreciate any feedback that would be beneficial in picking a top quality product. I want to do it right the first time. Thank you!!!!

[madmapler]

I would check out sunrise, smoky lake and a few other smaller companies before going with one of those. You'll find their products to be of equal or better quality and much less expensive.

[morningstarfarm]

Need a bit more info..are you looking for wood or oil?...if wood then all above are good..if oil then you really need to look at leader...yes expensive, but worth it by far for their reverse fired rig....and their super flues are awesome

[motowbrowne]

Look at Thor too. With the Canadian dollar where it is versus the US dollar, there's some deals to be had. I have a friend who bought a brand new all stainless 3x12 for under $9000 from them.

[maple flats]

That's like the big question, Ford, Chevy or Dodge. I bought new pans in 2011. At that time I looked at all except Smokey Lake (hadn't discovered them yet) and Patrick Panneuf (sp?)(delivery and timely delivery issues apparently). I was then going to buy a Leader Max Flue pan and syrup pan when a producer suggested looking into Thor in Quebec. I ended up getting them from Thor. 3x3 syrup pan, same side draw and 3x5 flue pan with 10" deep flues (raised flue) and the price was just over $4000 less than the same from Leader had priced them. The quality is great, workmanship perfect.
The only issue I had was my fault. I never measured my old Leader soldered pans, I just read the size label on the tag attached to the pans. They said 3x2 on my syrup pan and 3x6 on my flue pan. Since I was going to 10" deep flues instead of the 7" the old Leader pan had, I went with 3x3 and 3x5. When I got them I had to extend the arch a little. It seems when leader labels a pan it is like lumber, they had to plane it down to get it smooth. The new pans from Thor measured exactly 3x3 and 3x5, but when put on the arch, with about a 3/8" gasket between them, they totaled 2" longer than the Leader pans had with a full 1" gasket between.

[DrTimPerkins]

Would greatly appreciate any feedback that would be beneficial in picking a top quality product. I want to do it right the first time.

Others have made some good suggestions, so I won't bother repeating. I assume you're not looking to get an evaporator to boil in the 2017 season? If so, you're going to have to go with whatever they have in stock, because there is no way they're going to be able to make an evaporator for you this close to the season.

In general, all the companies make nice product that'll do the job well. Some have slight tweaks here and there. It's a big purchase, so spend some time looking and talk to the sales folks at length and see what they think. A good time is during the Spring Open Houses when they give nice discounts and can guarantee a relatively early delivery date.

The other big factor you might want to keep in mind however is support. Where is the closest dealer to you and what line(s) do they carry? Are they open during sugaring season. Do they provide good setup and operating instructions? Might they even come out the first time you fire up to give you some pointers. If you have to have emergency repairs, can they get it done quickly and on-site? It is never fun when something happens during the season and you've got to wait a few days for a shipment to arrive while sap is coming in hard.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Look to the future when you start looking. Without knowing what you plan down the road. I know 4 guys in my county that all moved up from their original pan sets. They all went with what they thought would be perfect for NOW. Then they built structures around them and were in Hog Heaven. Now 2 years down the road they are looking at moving on up to the next level.

I would go on line and yes Youtube the different pan makers and see what you like. If retail sales are in your future keep that in mind. Now don't get side tracked by the guy that made his own out of a truck bed and refrigerator. Have fun its a strange journey your embarking on.

[leaky bucket]

stay away from PJ evaporators (phaneauf ) workmanship is second to none just doesnt deliver , i ordered fall of 15 with del set for late Feb 16 got it in june but missing blower motor and some fittings. I still dont have those and probally never will see them. I got them elsewhere.
Missed last season all together as i had sold my rig based on del dates ! His service sucks

[Bucket Head]

What's wrong with an evaporator made from a truck bed and an old refrigerator? Does it boil well?

Seriously, all good advice above and Dr. Tim has a good point. Having a good dealer close to home is crucial during the season!

[n8hutch]

As said earlier, Decide what kind of fuel you want to use, Alot of these companies make great Evaporators, but some may have the best rig for the fuel you intend to use, wood fired You may want to look at A Force 5, oil Leader is arguably the best, CDL makes a nice wood pellet unit, D&G Offers electric evaporators.

If you are going to be using an R.O. at some point you may want to pair your pan set to the size of R.O. or level of Concentrate you are going to boil. Might be worth looking at an Opperation near by that is using the kind of fuel you intend to use and see what they lIke about there setup and what they would change if they could.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Go with an evaporator from a local dealer that will be there the provide support when needed. An evaporator is only as good as the company and the dealer to support you, enough said.

[ennismaple]

I agree with Brandon. Lapierre, Leader, CDL, D&G all make good units with each having their positives and negatives. When you break something at 9pm on Saturday evening of Easter weekend and your tanks will be overflowing by noon the following day who will answer their phone and get you what you need to keep boiling? Customer service should be an equal or greater factor when selecting your rig.

[GeneralStark]

Go with an evaporator from a local dealer that will be there the provide support when needed. An evaporator is only as good as the company and the dealer to support you, enough said.

Bingo! And beyond a local dealer, does that dealer have the support of a skilled service team that will be there when something goes wrong.

It is one thing if you are a hobbyist and aren't so concerned with your level of production, but if you are in this to generate income, you are going to want solid support.

Don't get me wrong, Smokey Lake and Sunrise make nice looking equipment, but will they be there when something goes wrong?

[fresh spout]

There seems to be a common thread here....work with someone who can be there to support you! Think long term rather than just in the short term. The big 4 companies have been around for a very long time and for good reason. Many of the smaller companies might look to be more economical, but when compared to actual boiling rates and syrup made per hour, you will see that little details go a long way.

[Dale Sparrow]

As my brother likes to say, go big or go home. I was also debating what size to get, started out thinking a 2x6 to get started with quickly changed my mind and started looking at several 2x8s after reading many posts about how people added taps every year I began to think maybe a 3x8 would be better. Ended up finding a great deal on a set of 3x10 leader pans and built my own arch. Figure how many taps you will get maxed out at down the road and then get an evaporator that is at least big enough for that calculation, then if you get even bigger than you calculated you can add an r/o rather than getting a bigger rig. I had already had the experience of not being able to handle the sap I was getting because my home made flat pan set up couldn't boil fast enough. I was boiling 12 hours a day and still ended up giving some sap away. Trust me you don't want to go there. Happy hunting. :)

[madmapler]

Regarding customer service, that all depends on where you're located. I've had miserable experiences with getting things from the big guys at my location even going through a local dealer. I talked to a CDL dealer just a few days ago who was complaining to me about getting things for his customers and I have to say that when I bought my front pan from Sunrise, the float box didn't line up with the flue pan. The season was about to start so I overnighted it to them, they modified it and had it back to me 2 days later. I can see it with an RO perhaps but I don't really see a whole lot happening to an evaporator aside from float box issues(maybe) that can't or wouldn't be handled locally anyhow. Personally, I'm kinda surprised at the direction this thread has gone. The speed of the courier services these days can't be overlooked. One last point is the prices the big guys charge for their equipment. If a smaller guy can make equal or better quality equipment for less than the mass producers then there is an unreasonable amount of profit being made but who doesn't know that already. It's an in-your-face reality in this business. There's only one way to curb that IMO. Don't support them if you don't have to. To each his own I guess.

[wiam]

Regarding customer service, that all depends on where you're located. I've had miserable experiences with getting things from the big guys at my location even going through a local dealer. I talked to a CDL dealer just a few days ago who was complaining to me about getting things for his customers and I have to say that when I bought my front pan from Sunrise, the float box didn't line up with the flue pan. The season was about to start so I overnighted it to them, they modified it and had it back to me 2 days later. I can see it with an RO perhaps but I don't really see a whole lot happening to an evaporator aside from float box issues(maybe) that can't or wouldn't be handled locally anyhow. Personally, I'm kinda surprised at the direction this thread has gone. The speed of the courier services these days can't be overlooked. One last point is the prices the big guys charge for their equipment. If a smaller guy can make equal or better quality equipment for less than the mass producers then there is an unreasonable amount of profit being made but who doesn't know that already. It's an in-your-face reality in this business. There's only one way to curb that IMO. Don't support them if you don't have to. To each his own I guess.

I have been holding back my opinion which is close to yours. I can't think of much breakage on an evaporator. If you burn up a pan it won't matter if you are in Swanton. You aren't getting one next day.

And I am very happy with my Thor pans.

[BAP]

Over the years I have had evaporators from 4 different companies. It is just like any other piece of equipment, sometimes one brand is better than the other but they can all have there bad points. Some of the biggest companies can be the worst for service because they are so busy and have so many customers they aren't able to or don't care about providing good service. You are better off buying an evaporator that has the features you want and like then worrying about who made it. There are many smaller shops that make great evaporators. Figure out what you want for features and size then compare brands to find the one that meets your needs and budget.

[Bruce L]

You have made a good start by asking here on the trader,now for follow up visit the open houses and see the evaporators in action.Go visit different producers with different rigs and question them on quality,performance and above all service.Pick a handful of members to private message about their set up,I found that some either don't frequent the forum very often, or don't post much about their set up unless asked directly.Don't believe all the propaganda on brand A or brand B, I made that mistake with outdoor furnaces,and was lucky to unload the " top rated furnace" after one year,losing between $1500.00 - $2000.00 I almost bought brand A in evaporators ,but when I asked for names of actual owners of that evaporator to verify performance claims,the emails and correspondence quit.Brand B was highly rated by propaganda,but I was not impressed with the performance,nor the service the individual told me they were receiving with their evaporator from the company.I couldn't be happier with my final choice,I actually needed a larger blower than what came with my evaporator because I had elbows to deal with,Bruce Gillilan made a special 4 hour drive up to exchange the blower for me,on a weekend at no charge,that is the kind of service that you need for follow up when the sap is running and you have an issue.

[maple flats]

As you make the visits, at least as you narrow your choices you might do better talking with owners who are not also a dealer for that brand. They can tend to paint a rosier picture than an accurate one.