Buckets on trees or buckets on the ground

[Oxford]

I've been tapping about 15 trees for the last couple years and so far I've been using buckets hung from the spiles on the trees around chest height. This year I'm considering just putting buckets on the ground and running tubing from the spiles down to the buckets. This is just to make the collection process a little easier. I can just collect the full buckets and replace them with empty buckets. It's not as pretty as the buckets on the trees, but I wouldn't have to collect them quite as often as I could use bigger buckets.

I see lots of different types of 5/16" tubing for sale for a very wide range of prices and I'm wondering what the differences in tubing are and what would be appropriate for running from the spile to a bucket on the ground? When using buckets on the trees I always placed them at chest height just for convenience of handling them, but with buckets on the ground does it make any difference how high I put the spiles?

The bush loaded with deer, coyotes, raccoons, and even a bobcat or two. They've never bothered the buckets on the trees, but are they more likely to bother the buckets on the ground?

Which do you prefer? Buckets on trees or buckets on the ground? What do you see as the advantages of one method over the other?

[fred]

either way works but if on the ground the tube must end shortly past the top of the bucket. if its in the sap, at the end of the day a good bit gets sucked back in the tree

either size tubing works, if you put several together 3/16 will draw out a little more

doubtful if animals will bother

[Calycanthus]

The biggest thing that will bother your buckets on the ground is wind. Doesn't take much to hold them in place, though.

I see more advantages with buckets on the ground as opposed to on the trunk. Larger bucket, no galvanized or aluminum, smaller taphole, more flexible tapping range on the trunk.

[jdircksen]

I like buckets because they don't put extra weight on the taphole, and because the system is sealed from the elements unless you make the hole in the lid too big for the tubing. I usually don't have to worry about bugs or rain getting mixed with the sap. I have big trees so I run 2-3 taps into one bucket. I haven't found a good way to transport the full buckets though...4 gallons on each arm get's pretty heavy. My taps are waist high.

[ShaunG]

I have been doing this for about 3 yrs as a hobbyist. I have buckets , 5 gallon pails (tubing), and Sap Saks.
For my opinion I like the Sap Saks best. The bucket lids always blow up and alittle harder to pour. Also tough to tell from a distance if you have sap.
I have a cluster of like 7 maple trunks all coming out of the ground together. All trucks are right diameter. So I've used tubing in all of them down to single bucket. I never seem to get that much sap. So last year I tried on different trees close together with tubing. Still not the amount of sap I think I should get. Plus its hard to tell when the are full.
I like Sap Saks best. No chance of lid blowing up and water getting in. Easier pouring. And get visibility to tell how full the bags are.
Bags or buckets animals have never bothered them.
Good luck this year.

[NoblesvilleIN]

I use 1-gallon plastic jugs (washed out and bleached cider and milk jugs) on tubes. To keep them from blowing, the jugs are set in a 5-gallon bucket that has a few rocks in the bottom. I drill a hole in the jug's screw on top that just fits the tube down from the tap - no debris or ants get in. Note, I'm only tapping 10 or so trees in my yard and can check them daily. On a few days, the 1-gallon is overflowing.

[Pdiamond]

I use buckets on trees and 5 gallon buckets on the ground hooked up to tubing. also use sap sacks and have not hand any critters bother any of them. going try try my hand at a small 3/16 gravity line this year as a test. We'll see what the good Lord provides. I want to keep my options open to see what might work best for my operation to make it easier for me to collect. ought to be a learning curve for this year. Its nice the kids and grand kids come out to help. really starting to get the itch but will wait awhile yet. thinking sometime mid February to start. storage won't be issue.

[KiO]

This is only my second year but I have been using three gallon frosting buckets from Market Basket bakery with 5/15" tubing down into the lids with a 5/16" hole which is a nice tight squeeze to keep water and anything else out. I have not had them blow away or had any animal issues but as I said I'm only in year two. I'm happy with my set-up and have also used one gallon milk/water jugs with same concept. Snow piled around jug seemed to work well last year to keep it in place but without snow not sure what my plan is to weigh them down if needed. Best of luck!

[red dorakeen]

I go with buckets and drop lines. I drill a hole for the tubing just below the top edge of the bucket.

Seems holes in the top eventually leak and though it doesn't amount to much water, it usually discolors the sap.

I also put chunks of wood or rocks around the buckets to make sure the stay put and often to shield them from the sun.