Micro spout feedback

[Parker]

I was wondering if any of you used Micro spouts this year and if they made a diffrance? I am planning on setting up sevral more lines this year and was wondering if they would be worth the substantial $ and time investment,,??? I know the concept is to have a steril spout,,no bacteria=tap hole open and flowing longer,,is there a why to sterilize plastic taps at the begging of the season??? Does one have to use vacume with the Micro spouts? Thanks in advance,,,Parker

[Parker]

Are they a real pain in the butt to take off the drop line to be cleaned and when you do remove them what do you put in their place to keep mud wasps ect. from going into the lines (if you leave your lines up all year?) Parker Like a fellow told me ,,,,I would worry about dropping a handfull of them in the woods and loosing 30-40 dollars!

[WF MASON]

At the Southern Maine Sugarmaker meeting last week, the topic of micro spouts came up. All who used them reported an 80% flow of the health spout. Not bad concidering the size hole.

[Beweller]

Some one posted a remark about using tubing directly as a spout. I have used 1/4 inch PE tubing. As reported, I taper the end by twirling a piece of the tubing against a grinding wheel. This is pushed into a tap hole made with a "C" drill.

Someone reported on using an extremely small spout in fall tapping to measure sugar content. For such a purpose, a local fast food resturant supplies "coffee stirrers" that measure 0.115 OD and fit tight in a 7/64 inch drill hole. I think I have also seen stirrers that were slightly larger.

[maplecrest]

parker the hole you drill have got to be clean. the micro plug easily with drill shavings , goo ect. under high vac results are comparable the health spouts.to plug the drop tube you have to use the tees with the 7/16 spout plug. the tube slides over well during wash up and will not blow off

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WF MASON]

If you look close you'll see Parkers post was from 2004, way back, Beweller question started the thread again I guess. I have had people ask for micro spouts from time to time,but I no longer believe they are available , the flow was alot less , but some people still like them.
Beweller I'm not not sure if the thread you read was mine or not , but I do remember a guy who was here that told me he just drilled the tree and stuck the 5/16" tubing in the hole , he drilled the mainline and stuck the 5/16" tubing in that and the sap would run. He said he would never concider paying out for a tap or a mainline manifold becouse they were unnessary.
He drove a mercedes. A nice one too.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Jim Brown]

Chances are he didn't pay for the mercedes with his profits from his syrup business!

[brookledge]

They came out in the early 2000's and then I was told that nobody liked them and they where no longer being sold. In fact I remember seeing them in Bascom's catalog listing them as a discontinued item and very cheap.
Keith