Sap Pump

[Amber Gold]

I saw this 2", 145 gpm, gas powered water pump on Harbor Freight for $200. Would this make for a good sap pump or would something else be better.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95977

Thanks

[tuckermtn]

price is pretty cheap, but I think its too bulky...we got our Honda water pump from Concord Motorcycle shop for $300 and it is pretty handy...I think its the WX-10. very portable, uses very little gas...we use ours to pump out bulk tanks in the woods then pump up to our feed tank...

[DS Maple]

I have seen guys who have a pump mounted onto a rack that attaches to the receiver hitch on the back of their truck and this pump might be OK for that. At 56 lbs I wouldn't want to carry it very far though.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I have a couple of these pumps. They have the Chinese "Ding Dong" engine. They are a bit bulky but mine just sits by a collection tank during the season. It pumps over a half mile to the sugar house. There is a rise in elevation of about 40 feet. I have a 2" quick connect to the tote and reduce to 1" for he pump line. This is the second year of use. Just changed the spark plug at the beginning of the season.

[brookledge]

Yea it would work. But size your pump according to the size tanks you have. If you are only pumping less than 100 or so gallons then I'd go with a 1" If you normally move 100- 500 at a time I'd go with a 1.5" and then if your tanks are over 500 I'd go with a 2"
I have a WX15 Honda and love it. Very light and it is 4 stroke and uses very little gas compared to a 2 cycle
Keith

[Amber Gold]

I also wasn't sure how big I should go. Thanks for the rule of thumb on pump sizing. The WX15 does look like a nice compact pump.

How much are you moving the pumps around? Are you pumping from the holding tank to the truck or leaving the pump in the truck and drawing from there? 60 lbs is a lot to be lugging around, but it's also $250 cheaper.

[tuckermtn]

we pump from our woods tank into our truck tank...then from the truck tank into the feed tank in the sugarhouse...occasionally when we have too much sap, we pump from the truck tank into a 300 gal milk tank...then when there is room in the feed tank, we pump the sap up there...

so if it comes out of our woods tank, it typically gets pumped twice...if it comes out of our buckets, we pump only once- up to the feed tank...

we use the same Honda wx10 for all pumping...

-tuckermtn

[brookledge]

I take my pump as close to the tank as possible. Even though it is self priming with a lot of suction hose it still takes time to prime. So my philosopy is to have a longer discharge and a shorter suction. The main tank that I pump from the most I have set up with a quick coupling from the valve on the bottom, basicly instantanious pumping. As for sizing of pumps if time isn't a factor you can go with a 1" pump for everything. Most 1" pumps will move 30 something gallons and a lightwt. 1.5" will move 70 something gallon per minute then a pump like the one you looked at is rated for 145 gpm. So you need to base the size on whats good for you
Keith

[Brent]

think about 145 gallons in a minute.

so one day you want to fill a 5 gallon pail.

you'd have 2.4 seconds, if you could keep it all in the pail.

I think its just too ****ed big.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

i think a fella with 4 taps and a 2 inch pump is overkill

[Amber Gold]

I have 4 taps this year and am planning for 100 next year with the intention of expanding each year.

Brent you're right. If I have 100 taps I'm likely be transfering 100+/- gallons a time which is less than a minute with that pump. Even if I get up to about 500, where I'm planning on topping off, it's still only 500+/- gallons per day. I think I'll keep my eye out for a 1" pump.

It's been a while since I've used a pump and have forgotten that is easier to push water than it is to suck it.

Thanks.