Cordless Drill Vs Tapper

[adk1]

what does everyone use, an actual tree tapper or just one of the ol dewalt/porter cable etc drills?

[Brad W Wi]

I use a Milwaukee cordless 28 volt. Works for me. I put out 150 taps a day and I run out of juice before the 2 batteries do.

[peacemaker]

my rigid cordless gun ...

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I have used everything from a bit and brace to a breast drill to a converted chainsaw to a 3 horse briggs with a chuck, to a "real" tapper. I'll take my Milwaulkee portable anyday. Get a good one and extra batteries. Don't let the batteries freeze.
Doug

[maple flats]

I carry two cordless drills, A DeWalt 18V with 3 batteries and a Ryobe 18V with 2 batteries. Even when I have a helper we never even use all of the batteries. I have tapped 425 taps in a day on a previous DeWalt 18V with 2 batteries (different model than what I now have) I like the cordless. But if I had to tap over about a 1000 in a day i think I would use a gas powered just for the speed.

[brookledge]

I think you will find that more and more are going to cordless drills especially now that lithium-ion are out. They last longer than the ni-cad do. I have a tanaka that worked great but now it justs sits while I use my 24 volt cordless. Another factor is the hole size 7/16 uses alot more power than 5/16 so now that I'm using 5/16 the cordless goes along ways.
Keith

[Jim Brown]

We use a Ryobi 18 volt one+ and as a matter of fact we just bought two new ones over the weekends. Nothing wrong with the old one but they were selloing them CHEAP at Home depot over the weekend could not pass up the deal . Tool combo set(59.95) to include drill
- 5 1/2 inch circular saw-light-vacuum- extra battery . Because we bought combo got to pick another Ryobi power tool for FREE .we picked another hammer drill.(reg price99.90)We can get about 200 5/16 taps per battery and we have 6 batteries. As was said keep them warm or on the charger till just before you use them. we take a small gen to the bush when we tap and plugin the charger and keep the fresh battery warm
works for us

Jim

[white mt]

I have a mix of taps. I use a tapper for the 7/16 holes and my helper runs the cordless 18 volt for the tree savers. this setup works well. Dan

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

2 18 volt batteries will get me 300 7/16 taps, this year im going to 5/16 should go much further

RICH

[Grade "A"]

All I can get is 230 5/16 taps out of my dewalt, but is because i'm out of trees not battery

[Revi]

Cordless drill. I like one that fits in the holster on my belt. It's a little smaller, but easier to carry around. We get plenty of taps out of a battery.

This thread reminds me, I left my drill out in the cold. I'd better bring it in and charge it!

[Haynes Forest Products]

I like my DeWalt I made a set up so I can keep it on a sling that goes over my sholder and when I get to the tree I swing it up drill let it drop and in goes to my side out comes the hammer as I pull the tap off the spout holder and hammer it in and Im off to the next one. What I like is if you get 2-3 people tapping its quiet in the woods and you can comunicate and you dont stink from the fumes. A little tip is take a peice of tape and put it over the prongs on the battery so you know that is charged and ready to go I hate going to the truck and you see a pile of batteries and you have no idea what is what

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

with my solar panel on my back and my craftsman i can get about 1400 before it gets dark out on a good day.

[Hal]

Years ago it didn't matter that much, if it would put a hole in a tree I would use it. I never did get a chance to use one of the early big gas tappers, nor did I ever drag a car battery on a sled to run a drill. I did put a lot of holes in with a breast drill, we had an Ohlsson and Rice "Drillgine" for a long time, and then a couple of different chainsaw conversions. The last tapper I used had a McCullough weed whacker engine, and that about cured me of gas engine rigs.

Now that I am not nineteen years old any more, I prefer the cordless drill for overall ease of carrying, low noise, one handed use if necessary, and utility outside of sugaring. For carrying, the brace and bit, or the breast drill wins hands down, but 100 taps a day is all I want to think about doing with it. For speed the chainsaw conversion is tops, but weight, noise, and fumes don't do me any good at all. The gas tapper is in between for speed and weight, but still has the noise and fume problem. It is also a lot of money to hang on the wall 360 days a year if you aren't really using it fast and furious for the other five. Another thing is, the fewer reasons to have petroleum products around the sugar operation, the less likely any of it is to get into the syrup.

I have two Craftsman drills, and 18V "industrial", and a newer 19.5V, with two batteries each. I am still using some 7/16 taps, and they really drag the batteries down in a hurry. with 5/16 taps they go much longer. If my sons are tapping with me, the 4 batteries don't make it through half a day, but one of them can run to the sugarhouse as needed, to swap for a hot battery from the charger. If I am working alone the issue does not arise.

[partsrus1974]

My old cheap o 18 volt cordless in low range with a canadian 5/16 bit would do 400 on 1 pack.I also help another local producer here with around 3000 taps,we use to use those old gas tappers.Nothing like carrying them up and down ledges u can barley stand up on let alone carry that and all your gear tapping trees LOL Went cordless 3 years ago and love it!!!!I have not used the gas 1 since you just got to have enough battery packs withch are not cheap but what is for this hobby.

[adk1]

well, thats is what I figured, but I guess I will have to add a new cordless drill to my list of necessities to get while I am gettign everything else cause the only one I ahve right now is an older 9.7Volt makita or whatever they are. I dont think that that would gut it for more than 50 taps even with the 5/16ths!

[maple flats]

I had a 9.6 Makita. Thought it was OK until I used someone's 18V DeWalt (however that was before i was doing maple). I think most good quality 18V or better should be OK. I find that the cheaper ones do not have a big enough battery pack to last very long. I would not be afraid with Makita, DeWalt, Milwalkie, Hitachi or another Name brand. Most cheapo private label brands are junk in this type of equipment. However on some catagories I do find those off brands or generics OK.

[Haynes Forest Products]

If you need a spare battery for that Makita I have a spare laying out in the woods along with 2 hammers 1 bright orange pair of tubbing cutters 2 pair of Klines and a cell phone. Have you ever walked your woods calling yourself listning for the ring

[peacemaker]

here is my 2 cents which is 2 cents passed on from my tool repair "GUY" yeah i use tools enough to have to have them repaired and replaced ... oh yeah back to my 2 cents passed on by the "GUY" s two cents ...i hope u are all following this ... cause i aint..... he said dont buy any bigger then a 18 he said the cost doesnt out way the weight and he said there isnt much more power and they drain the battery faster .ok i think thats what i was saying

[ennismaple]

We used the Tanaka gas tapper for decades - until last year. We tapped all our 5/16 holes with 18v drills - mostly DeWalt but we've got one Rigid and one Milwaukee. The DeWalts I could get 225± taps per battery. I'd carry a spare in a pouch attached to my belt. The battery drills are just as fast as the gas tapper if the bit is sharp. Plus, you don't need to wear hearing protection and there's no fumes. In previous years my shoulders would be killing me by the time we were tapped. Last year they were fine because the battery drills are so much lighter.

[ennismaple]

If you need a spare battery for that Makita I have a spare laying out in the woods along with 2 hammers 1 bright orange pair of tubbing cutters 2 pair of Klines and a cell phone. Have you ever walked your woods calling yourself listning for the ring

Your sugar bush is like mine - I can't count how many pairs of pliers it has eaten over the years.

[peacemaker]

did that with my brother in law after tracking a deer he shot with the bow ... so what i am saying is yes we tracked the deer all morning got it in the truck he goes to call someone to tell them we got it and no phone so back we go he happens to have another phone he is calling it and i am slowly retracking the deer since the stupid thing was on vibrate ...

[peacemaker]

i lost my friend in our sugar bush for a week then one day i went down and there he was just sleeping against a tree ... we call him rumple

[peacemaker]

i went and checked today he is still asleep he is still warm but asleep its almost been a year

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have a 18 volt Hitatchi I bought at Lowes for $ 100 and it is small, compact, lightweight, 5 year warranty and I also got a free extra battery along with the 2 that came with it. I can do 200+ on one battery as I usually tap each of my 3 bushes a couple of weeks between each one, so I can usually tap each bush except the biggest which has around 230 on one battery and it is close. I guess as the batteries get older, that will change but it was a nice Christmas gift from my wife!

[Homestead Maple]

Has anyone tried the Lithium batteries? They are quite a lot lighter than the NiCad and are suppose to have more run time.

[mountainvan]

I'll let you know. I got a 36 volt lithium bosch to tap with next season.

[Homestead Maple]

Wow, I didn't know there was anything out there beyond a 28 volt. I've heard some good things about the lithium batteries but don't know of anyone that's used one. I would be interested in how it works for you.

[tuckermtn]

we used 2 lithium dewalt batteries last spring on a house we were building...they do seem to last longer- the one thing I didn't like- and would be easily rememdied by having more batteries- is that when the battery is dying, there is no slow-down in performance as it gets near the end of its charge- it just suddenly quits. I'm sort of used to the nicads slowing down- and you can plan ahead...okay I can get these last 10 taps drilled, then I need to go back, etc...

just my $.02 worth

[gmcooper]

I have been using the Ryobi 18 volt for the past few years. The older the batteries get the quicker they run down. Some of the super discount price cordless tools and batteries are not the same as the identical looking unit that was twice the money a year or two ago. Learned that from Craftsman. They tend to package much cheaper quality batteriers in the low price deals.

Just bought a new Bosch 18 volt lithium. Work great but the batteries go dead at the end very quickly. We have been doing lots of metal roofs lately and once you think the battery is getting low you can only get about 2 more screws in before it is totally dead. Drill came with 1.5 amh batteries I will be getting the larger 2+ amh batteries before tapping.

If anyone want I have a gas tapper that has not been used in 8 years.
Mark

[wdchuck]

Ok, I just gotta be the oddball here. I still use a gas tanaka and I like it. I just keep doing loops out and back to my gas can so Im not too far away at any time. That way I can do some taps, then fuel up the tapper and me at the same time. As for the weight, well I still dont think it's THAT heavy, and anything bigger than an 18 volt drill is starting to weigh up a bit anyway. Yeah, there's fumes, but I kind of like the smell of 2 stroke- I may even burn race fuel, because that's even better!.......It all kind of reminds me of old snowmobiles, but that's a whole other story...........So I'm probably the only one so far to admit that I'm still using gas, but I'm funny that way..............

[Ash Cat]

I just got a new Bosch 18 volt 1/2" drive lithium-ion battery drill. The battery is the size of a pack of cigarettes and charges in 30 minutes. You get two batteries and a mail in coupon for a free third battery. I should have enough juice to tap all day without needing to leave the woods. It replaces my hitachi 18v. The batteries get tired after a couple years and it seems to make sense to just get a new tool than buy replacement batteries.

[HHM-07]

Guys

Keep a sharp bit that will make your job a lot easier and prolong the life of your bats, a sharp bit will pull itself in no need to lay on

Dick

[3% Solution]

Yeah nothing like a cordless and a couple of batteries!
Was using a 9 volt and four batteries, wouldn't quite do it all.
Bought a Makita 18 volt with the Lithium batteries, that should do it!!

[tessiersfarm]

I did 75 taps last year with my makita 18v lithium and carried the extra battery all day for nothing.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Get a good bit the short titanium twist type is nice not the old brace and bit type. I like the smaller one easer to judge depth and they dont stick ya in the leg when your walking in the woods. I have used the same bit for the last 4 years and the gold titanium is still strong.