5/16 spiles for buckets

[Birdland Sugarbush]

I’d like to try some. 5/16 spouts this year. Abscond has some plastic with hooks, but I don’t see those holding up well. They also have some stainless (no hook) but they say they won’t work with flat top buckets. I have a mix.

Suggestions?

[raptorfan85]

The plastic ones are usually seasonal, so you would buy new ones each year. If you want metal I think all your good options are still in 7/16. You can Try looking for some good used stainless ones. If you really want to do 5/16 just grab some plastic ones and toss them after the season. They are pretty cheap.

[KV Sappers]

I switched from 7/16 to Sap-Meister 5/16. I tried the plastic 5/16 and they did not work for me. They leaked and would come loose. I bought the hooked spouts and use a 19/64 drill bit to tap the tree. The one complaint I have with them is the hook they use. The hook they use is a little smaller then the hook that my 7/16 used and my buckets did not sit as well on them so I just switched out the hooks with my old hooks and they work much better.

[Michael Greer]

I'm very happy with the latest Sapmeister spouts. Their design has evolved over the last few years and now they really work well. I love stainless steel. It doesn't wear out. It doesn't degrade in the sunlight, and it can be cleaned. My spouts are as clean as surgical instruments at the beginning of every season. Now if we could get someone to make a reasonable stainless bucket...

[goose52]

i have been gradually switching over from buckets to bags and 7/16 spouts to 5/16. The only complaint i have about the CDL spouts is that i have broken a couple when tapping them into the tree. They are definitely not as stout as the 7/16's and when it's cold you need to be aware and use a lil more finesse.
mark

[Birdland Sugarbush]

Thanks all –*I saw some older messages complaining about the design of the sapmeister spiles. Spoke with someone from the company and they said they were modified a while ago. I ordered a bunch and will report back.

[ADK_XJ]

At the risk of thread hijacking...I'm looking to see if anyone has advice or suggestions on using bits for 5/16 bucket spouts?

I recently bought a bunch of new "health spouts" from Roth's to use with our buckets and also bought a specific 5/16 bit for maples. I drilled my first two taps and both were much too large to properly seat the new taps. Should I be using 1/4" bits instead ?

[Michael Greer]

The newest version of the Sapmeister is a thing of beauty, with a slight trumpet shape that works very well at sending the drip in the right direction.

[Russell Lampron]

When I was still using buckets I used the Leader 5/16" aluminum bucket spouts. They have a nice hook on the top to hold the bucket on. The bucket has to have a 3/4" hole in it to slide onto the spout and some older buckets have smaller holes. That's the only problem that I had with them.

[Birdland Sugarbush]

They work really well, though I’ve found they’re less forgiving if the taps aren’t level. I had a few where the sap was running back to the tree. Was able to fix it easily. I’ll pay more attention next year.