Leader Visit

[MainelyMaple]

Im thinking of making a road trip out to leader this week. i have never been there before. i would like to get a run down of start up cost for a new operation. is this more of a place just to look around and purchase what i know i need or will there be somebody that can sit down with me and run a bunch of numbers and start to get a game plan going?

[maplecrest]

call ahead and ask if brad or bruce will be around

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Bring 2 banks with you/you'll need it. All i can say is it will pay to shop around on price's unless you have free money to give away/burn??

Let's just use a Bernard twin Double extractor as an example=
Taken from the 2008 catalog price's-

Leader $1,750
Bascom's $1,295
Dom&Grimm $1,336.50
Maple Pro $1,125
Lapierre $1,276

Need i say more.

[Pete33Vt]

If you are going to leader, why not a full day of it and talk with Matt Williams, at Lapierre, or Garth Atherton a Maple pro then you will have a good idea. Maybe even Chris at Maple Guys. Your best bet would be to call and setup times to talk with these people.

[MainelyMaple]

i made the trek out there today. i met with gary at leader and tim at maple pro and then ran out of time, but definetly learned alot. where is lapierre id like to stop by there next time......maybe another trip next week? lol

[sapman]

I believe LaPierre is also in Swanton, aren't they? Never been there, or to Leader's new place.

Tim

[Haynes Forest Products]

If you go Maple Pro and see garth tell him YUT YUT YUT AHA AHA HAH YUT YUT For me thanks

[Pete33Vt]

Lapierre is in Swanton, its off rt 78, right by the franklin county airport.Right across the road from a John Deere dealership.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

If you came up I-91 off the exit to the right about a mile+ is Lapierre's and to the left under the interstate is the way to Leader.

[Dalestead]

Yes if you are going to buy anything at leader bring two banks with you maybe even two and a half to cover the rising cost of everything. Just think they are the olny one's that make their own pipeline on sight, sell it to you with out any trucking and they are still the highest priced out there. Go figure?? If you are looking for anything go to maple pro ask to deal with Nick or Garth. They have good prices, exelent equiptment, backed by top notch service.

[MainelyMaple]

well just looking at the evaporators leader seems to have a much more rugged arch than maple pro specifically the air tight door, and i like the idea leader has with the cross flow syrup pans to prevent niter build up, does maplepro have anything like that? everyone seems to be shying away from leader and i really dont know much about the equipment so im just trying to get different opinions here, but even though they are more expensive isnt it worth it for better equipment? just curious is all. like i said im new to all this.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

The evaporators and Tubing are made by Leader in Swanton/But extractors/mainline tool/tubing tools and a bunch of other things are made by other suppliers=Tell me what justify's the higher price on the same identical items that other company's carry like leader does? That's my point.....

I do like leader's pans and such and maybe the higher price is in line for the item? The rest is carried by others at a guesstimate 15% savings in $. I know wher i'd buy my next tool if i needed it.

[hard maple]

Mainley
Don't confuse leaders revolution with the cross flow.
Two completley different designs
Leaders is like a hybrid between the cross and the reverse style pans.

[maplecrest]

for my two cents, the cross flow pans draw off at the cooler front of the arch. the leader revolution pan has one till that draws over the hottest part of the fire on the back side of the pan.

[hard maple]

Jeff
good point with the heat points. I've had several reverse flow pans and this is my first cross flow and I can say the cross is much more forgiving than the reverse (user friendly)
The gradient seems more accurate and constant.
The people I've talked to with the revolution really like them.
I guess you would have to talk to someone that has boiled on each rig to get an unbiased opinion.