Which Shurflo Pump ??

[thebbqman]

I am setting up a 12v Shurflo vacuum system - there is a lot of talk on here about the Shurflo 4088 and some about the 2088. Looks like the 4088 has 3.0 GPM and the 2088 has 3.5 GPM. Does the larger GPM of the 2088 mean it will pull more suction?

Is one of these pumps better? Or the 4048 (4.0 GPM) is double the price. Is is worth it that much more?

Thanks,
Jay

[BAP]

I am running about 110 taps in a 4008 Shurflo pump pulling 21-24” of vacuum depending on how the sap is running. This is my 4th year using it.

[bcarpenter]

I run the 4048's, and have 3 of them. very strong vacuum, and great for pulling sap and pushing sap if you plumb them as a transfer pump too. Below is a link to my build of my set-ups.

http://www.littlecreekmaplefarm.com/?p=3721

They are more expensive, but my first pump is still pulling strong when there is no vac leaks in the lines. I pull 15-17i nches with dry lines and over 20" when the sap is running and I recirc the sap thought the pump.
Bill

[motowbrowne]

I've got three 2088s. I'm happy with them.

[Cedar Eater]

I think the 4088 sucks more vacuum. The amount of lift is the number you should look at rather than the amount of throughput. IIRC, the 20XX series only has 3 diaphragms and the 40XX series has 4, which means a smoother, harder and more consistent suck which enables a higher lift.

I'm still experimenting with smaller and cheaper dual diaphragm pumps because I have small numbers of maples isolated at long distances from each other. Last year I sucked a 45 tap line through a $25 Favson pump. It didn't suck as well as a Shurflo 4088, but it impressed me. I will probably be using some of those when I move to my new sugarbush.

[Super Sapper]

I run three 2088 pumps on up to 150 taps and they work very well.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

How long of a distance are you running these Shurflo's? We have a new mainline to install this year on some real nice roadside maples. Good slope along the road but I don't think its quite enough for 3/16". I've walked it with GPS and still need to plot it up but was thinking of trying a Shurflo. The mainline is about 1400' and will have 175-200 taps on it. Too much for a Shurflo pump? I think I have a spare one for my camper and could use the deep cell Optima battery that sits on the charger all winter.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

The mainline is about 1400' and will have 175-200 taps on it. Too much for a Shurflo pump? I think I have a spare one for my camper and could use the deep cell Optima battery that sits on the charger all winter. I ran 210 on a 4008 last year with about 1000 feet of 1 inch mainline. performed brilliantly pulling 20 inches. I have two shurflo pumps, my second is a 4048 and it eats through a good battery in about 12 hour. I prefer the 4008 because it will run up to 20 hours on the same battery.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Good to know, thanks for the info. I was looking at Mountain Maples controller setup as well and he recommended the 4048. You running 1- 12v deep cell battery? I think we'll try it. If it doesn't work well for some reason, we have another mainline with 130 taps we could put it on. But that will require some line upgrades and leak repairs.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Yes I use deep cell batteries. The 4048 is a great pump. I just like the 4008 more.

[Biz]

I think you would find that either pump would seem to work well and pull decent vacuum, but when using the smaller 4008 pump, if you have too many taps you will not get maximum vacuum (and sap) at peak sap flow times. If you care about getting the highest vacuum and sap production possible, the 4048 pump is a better choice if you have more than about 100 taps. I saw a consistent 25" at the pump this past season on my setup with a Shurflo 4008 and 82 taps when it was flowing strong. If I doubled the number of taps on the same pump, my guess is the vacuum would drop by a few inches, and amount of sap would drop proportionally. A customer in Wisconsin found this to be the case in his sugarbush also. So the tradeoff, is it worth an extra $100 for the 4048 pump to get more vacuum and more sap.

The 4048 pump draws about 50% more power than the 4008 so battery life will be shorter. My 4008 pump will run 35 hrs on a deep cycle marine battery. i would expect a 4048 pump to run about 24 hrs under the same conditions.

Dave

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We’re definitely going to try something being a new setup that we can install the spin seal saddles on. Originally we were thinking 3/4” mainline but now I’m thinking probably 1”.