If you've gone to bag or tubing can I buy your old buckets/spiles?

[old fashioned]

I do syrup with buckets, spiles and a flat pan and I boil off 25 gal an hour. Anyways - I am looking to get more buckets and spiles. They come up every so often at auctions around me. Last time I was bidding against a guy who owned a bar decoration company and an interior decorator. I can't compete with that! If you have a bunch of buckets/spiles stashed away and would like to see them used as intended, I'd love to hear from you. I'm not comfortable tossing my email to the world so please private message. Thanks

[wnybassman]

I have about 110 I didn't use this year but will keep them because I don't know what the future holds. I might need them.

But I bought a couple batches from this Ebay seller with good results https://www.ebay.com/itm/25-GREAT-Aluminum-Sap-Buckets-2-GALLON-SIZE-Maple-Syrup-Bucket-W-W-/302676661242?hash=item4678ef53fa

[toquin]

400 buckets you can have for free,lids also.

[prairietapper]

400 buckets you can have for free,lids also.
that is kind and generous of you. a hat tip to you

[spud]

I second that. What a nice thing to do. God bless you.

Spud

[old fashioned]

When I started making syrup 35 years ago I was looking for equipment. I found a guy - just gone to tubing - who sold me 75 pails and spiles. He asked what I was using for a flat pan. I told him I was looking for one. He went up in the attic of the garage where the pails were and came down with an old looking flat pan. He said try this one. When I asked him how much, he told me it was his great grandfathers pan and he was pretty sure it made syrup in the 1800s. He said, "somewhere my great grandpa is smiling - use it for 20 years, come back and tell me how it does and we'll talk about a price. I used that pan for years. It started to leak and I could not fix it. I took it to a radiator shop and the guy asked me where in the world I got it. He said it was English Tin and was probably from the 1800s. He recommended not using it anymore because the solder on it had a high lead content. I retired it to my attic. I had bought other flat pans and a finishing pans at auctions. When I retired a couple of years ago one of my retirement gifts was 2 flat pans and a finishing pan made in the tool shop. I called a young - 20s - guy I know who is really interested and just starting to make syrup and told him to come over and drive a pick up. I gave him my old flat pans and finishing pan. When he asked how much he owed me, I told him - use them for 20 years, come back and tell me how they work and we will talk about a price. I was blown away by toquin's generosity. We have talked and I am going to pick the buckets and lids up. Some day I too will pass them along to someone who still uses buckets and spiles. This is what makes what we do and the folks who do it so special.