Small Plastic Buckets

[Dennis H.]

I was getting ready to order some SapSaks holders and bags and I stumbled upon small 1-2gal buckets with lids for about the same price as the sapsak holders. They also have larger buckets, they go from 1 gal up to 6 gal buckets. There is also several different type of lids offered.

Has anyone used plastic buckets hung from the tap? How well did they work for you?

With all the additions I made this year if I can saving a few $$ would be great.

Here is a pic of what type of bucket I was looking at. I would put a hole just below the top lip, just low enough fro the lid to fit on.

[Father & Son]

Check the bakery departments in Wally World and the larger grocery store chains. They have frosting buckets and lids the give away or sell for next to nothing.

Jim

[Dennis H.]

Yeah I did that last year, I got a bunch for free. I used them with drop lines worked great. The smallest ones I got from the bakeries were 3.5gal.

I was looking to get smaller ones that I could hang off the tap.

I got permission this year to tap a wooded lot nearby and I was looking to add right around 100 taps. I found that using containers hanging on the tap was quicker emptying than the buckets on the ground. The containers that I used were gallon milk jugs.

I googled for plastic pails and found a company called Yankee Container up in North Haven CT if I remember right. just over $2.50 for bucket and lid.

I think I am going to switch from the sapsak idea to the plastic pails.

[Ahnohta]

We use the 2 gal plastic buckets w/ lids hung from tree. We are at 100 buckets. We have the same type you have pictured and are real happy w/ them. We in past tried the frosting pails from bakeries, but they are not as ridgid as one you have picutred. We now use the type you have pictured and gave away our frosting pails. We use the 5/16" tap and it works fine going into side of bucket. Do not go top one gallon size buckets unless you can empty a coule times a day.

[Dennis H.]

Ahnohta, what did the frosting buckets look like? Did they not have the extra reinforcement around the top?

I posted pics of the two types that Yankee Container sells, one is listed for light duty (the first pic) and one is for heavy duty (the second pic). The price difference is right at 50 cents per bucket.

I am still not 100% sold on the buckets over the sapsaks but I think I am leaning toward the buckets. The cheapest I could find the sapsak holders would run me $3.60 ea or $3.44 per case of 25, this doesn't include the cost of the bags either.

[Gary R]

Dennis,

I used frosting buckets last year. They are about 3.5 gal. heavy reinforced like your second picture. I just got 15 more from the bakery yesterday at .50 each. I have seen 4 or 5 types of buckets at the bakeries. You need to find the bakery that uses the heavier type. I drilled a 3/4 inch hole between the reinforcing rib. You also need to use a utility knife and slice off the rib's by your hole and cut off at least one of the tabs on the lid. All this will allow the bucket to sit close to the tree. I hung mine on 5/16 tree saver spout's. I even had some 5 gal. ones nearly full of sap. No problems at all. You will need a lid remove from the paint department for about $1. In past post's some guy's have cut all the tabs off the lid but 2. This would make removing the lid easier. They used a table saw and cut them off in no time. If I had a saw I'd probably do the same. I also set a couple on the ground at 2 tap tree's. Work's great but, You need some soft tubing to transition to your spout and I put A ty wrap around the tubing inside the bucket. If not sap my run back the outside of the tubing and out the hole. Now we can't be wasting any sap!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You could probably cut off the tabs with an angle grinder and one of the thin blades with the lids in a vise or something to hold them if you had access to one since you don't have a table saw. Wouldn't be quite as neat or as fast, but should make a good enough cut that you won't have to worry about sharp edges and getting cut with the lid.

[Gary R]

That's how I cut off my tab's. Angle grinder with cut off wheel.

I will add 2 more cent's into this. I have collected sap with real galv. sap bucket's with peak lid. They are way faster to empty than the plastic bucket's. For those of us looking to save a buck, plastic we went. Good luck:)

[Dennis H.]

I looked at the buckets myself, The price for the buckets were not bad, but when you add the cost of the roofs I would be above the cost of the plastic pails and also sapsaks.

I also was afraid of those low lifes that go around and steal metal. Down here sugar'in isn't real big and I just can imagine what someone who already steals metal would think when they see a woods full of buckets hanging on trees.

[Uncle Tucker]

The sapsacks when frozen can bang against the tree and get holes in them that you cant see. You only notice when the sack is dripping on the ground.