Hand Operated Filter Press

[Amber Gold]

I was looking at 7" filter presses and saw that the hand operated press retails for $850 and the gear pump press retails for $1095. What's the break off point for one versus the other?
Thanks

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you are going to spend that much, spend a little more and get a motor driven one. If you take care of it, you will be able to sell it for mor than what you paid for it down the road. I have never used a hand operated one, but after 2 seasons with the motor driven one, I have both hands full at the same time with everything going on while filtering syrup with the motor driven press and would hate to think of having to use a hand operated press. Right now is early order season, so you may be able to knock 10% off of that.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Buying a hand pump would be like buying a car with crank windows and no air cond.

[Fred Henderson]

Or having windsheild wipers with no motor.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Thats called my first car A VW I used a credit card to defrost the windows

[Jeff E]

You guys are brutal! I have a hand pump 7" press, and really enjoy using it for filtering right to bottles. Great control of flow rate.
I also appreciated saving $200. That is still worth something!

I cirulate the syrup back into the heating/mixing tank until the press is hot, and then go riight to bottling. This works fine for someone doing one bottle at a time.

For bulk packaging, I will be going to a motorized press, with much more capacity. The little one is only good for 10 gallons between paper changes are needed.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Jeff E Amber Gold asked what the breaking off point was and I would say AT THE HANDLE....LOL Kidding aside Im glad i have the elec pump with that said I would have been alot happier with the hand pump over the cone filters and wool bags. I burned all my filters and only filter bulk or into the bottler at the time of bottling. I use the bypass valve when i bottle quarts and 1/2 gallon jugs it works well.

[maple flats]

Who did you get your prices from? If not the Maple Guys I suggest you do so. There are better presses in terms of capacity of the press frame but you can't beat their press for price and the syrup clarity is fantastic with it. After using my motor driven pump I would never use a hand operated. To get the super clarity I found it easiest to filter back into the source tank until the discharge was perfectly clear and then transfer the discharge to my canner without shutting it off (I catch the discharge into a ss pitcher during TF and dump it back into source) Before i tried it this way the clarity was real good but not 100% perfect after extended settling I could see a very fine cloud in the bottom of the bottles, so fine most could not see it but i knew it was there and I did not want it. This method I use I think would be near impossible with a hand pump. I do it this way because I discovered the extremely fine cloud happened when I shut the pump off and turned it back on after transfering the discharge. My thought is that the instant of start is a sudden surge that forces some slight amount of sugarsand thru the filter, of might even be a slight amount of the filter cake (your filter medium, filter aid)

[Amber Gold]

I was able to find a hand operated filter press. It's a 6 year old Wes Fab and includes about 400 filter papers. The guy bought it used from Bascom's about 4 years ago. What's the going rate for something like this? He wants me to make him an offer.

I was thinking I could use it as is or swap out the hand pump for an electric pump. Bascom's lists a used 5gpm syrup pump for $200. Would I be able to hook that pump up to this press? Other than that all I would need is some sort of holding tank and I would be set to filter and bottle syrup.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have the westfab 7" filter press and just for fun I like to run it up to the max PSI and see how far i can splatter syrup all over the place and that is what you will do all the time if you put a gear pump on the hand press. So ask him why he is selling his press? I would bet he wants to upgrade at your expence so go $350.00 and have fun if he takes it. Oh and my best distance so far is 1 quart 12 feet 3 inches over 3 adults 2 kids and one happy dog

[Jeff E]

I have seen used, good shape 7" Hand pumps selling for $650. Of course that is the selling price, not the purchase price! I was told I could upgrade mine to electric if done properly, i.e. all plastic gets upgraded to stainless pipe, install the bypass...

With the limited capacity of the short bank set up, I don't think I will ever switch mine to the electric pump. This will work for small batches, bottling etc.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think the plates are the problem with the pressure.

[Amber Gold]

He's actually selling his entire hobby operation and he's willing to sell the filter press seperately for the right price.

Is the construction of a hand operated press different than a pump operated press? Am I not able to convert it to a pump operated press? If I can convert it what size pump would I use and what else would I need other than a pump? Not having seen the filter press would it be expandable?

My plan is to produce about 100 gallons of syrup this year and go up from there. I figure for the right price I could be into this setup (hand operated filter press plus a canning tank) for about what I'd pay for a flat filter canning unit. Not sure if would work better or worse. If it can't be converted, would I be better of with this or buying a flat filter unit?

[Big maple]

to change that unit over you need the gear pump amotor to run the gear pump and two pulleys and a belt to connect them. There may not be the tabs for the motor and pump mounts and change over the fittings from nylon to steel. No good, If it is not what you want don't buy it, it is not worth the time and effort to do that plus whenever I try that route it ends up costing me more than a new one would. Try a two cone flter tank and adouble burner unit from the local hardware. You can easily do one hundred gallons through it and if you are patient and let it do it's job it will turn out very clear.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I hate to dog the hand pump but your talking 100 gallons of syrup thats alot of work. if you look at the hand pump filter bank you will see that they are not the same. The cost to convert the hand to motor.... is motor, pully ,pump, pully 3 way ball valve ,pump ,switch ,guage , plumbing ,belt ,belt guard , frame to mount it all , time to build. Its alot of money and it still wont handle the pressure. if you use a bypass valve that just cuts down on the amount of filtering that you can do. My elec westfab will filter at 100 PSI and that is cranking down on the plates with a cheater bar. I can add two more plates to mine but havent needed to doing 150 gallons. I never filter all my syrup all at once so cleaning and new filters are cheap and easy.

[maple maniac65]

On Craigs list NH under farm&garden there is a small sugaring outfir for sale for $1600. Included is a 7" electric filter press brand new/ slightly used. There is other misc. stuff that a small outfit is selling. I already have a filter press but if I was close enough and looking for one this looks like a good deal.

[Amber Gold]

That's the one I was looking at. I'm going to look at it this week. I figure I'll only be filtering a 1/2 to 1 gallon at a time so this would work fine. It'll filter better than a flat filter and I can use it for a year or two and upgrade to an electric pump model.

Now it's time to see how much he'll sell it for. He hasn't stated a price he'll separate it out for and wants me to make him an offer. He's also got 400-450 filter papers and a 50 lb bag of filter aid, so this will be enough to keep me busy for a while.

Thanks for the input.

[Amber Gold]

The guy wanted $700 for the press, filter paper, and filter aid. It was more than I had and more than I wanted to pay, but told him to give me a call if he changed his mind.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

$ 700 for a slightly used electric press with any accessories is a good price, check out the prices new. I wouldn't pay that much for a hand press, but a good deal on a good condition electric press.

[Amber Gold]

Brandon. that's what I was figuring. I thought $700 for a lightly used hand press is almost what I'd pay for a used electric press. New eletric's I think are about $1050 and a new hand's $850.

I'll continue to keep my eyes open and see what I come across. I still have some time.

Josh