Mainline question

[Specklefield Farm]

My neighbor, who owns 3+/- acres right behind me has given me cart blanche access to tap whatever I want. There are probably 100 trees that can be tapped. We are wicked low budget, and I am trying to get the most bang for my buck as far as getting sap to the sugarhouse. I'm probably looking at 500' just to hit my property line, and then another 1000 more to the sugarhouse. I'm wondering if a 3/4 or 1" mainline (1500') would pay for itself this year, assuming I can get 150 taps into these trees. The other 1000 feet across our property holds another 100+ trees that can be tapped, and I dont have any kind of storage tanks. (Is anyone starting to see my dilema?) I have another 50 trees on the topside of our property (with good pitch all the way) that I would like to put on tubing also. Maybe I'm getting old but this bucket packing is getting old too!! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, and bear in mind that I am fairly new to all of this! Thanks.:D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ok, I know I am going to start some controversy here, but here goes. If you are never to to have more than 200 taps on the neighbors property and if you don't ever plan on adding vacuum, then go with 1/2" mainline. It is cheaper and easier to work with. When you get up to your trees, convert it to 3/4" mainline with a 1/2 x 3/4 adapter. I have 170 taps on one 1/2 mainline and when it is flowing at the best possible it can flow, it fills less than 1/3 of the pipe. That may not sound like much sap, but a 1/2" pipe running 25% of capacity continually will run a lot of sap in a short period of time.

If you look around you can find a bulk tank somewhere cheap like a 200 or 300 plastic cage tank for free or close to free. If you have a decent year at all and keep good slope with your tubing, you will more than pay back everything this year.

[Dave Y]

Brandon, Nothing controversial about that.

[Specklefield Farm]

Thanks Brandon, I didn't mention in the post that I was also working uphill with this. Any suggestions on getting it from point A to point B?

You're in Beckley? I grew up in the Bruceton Mills/Clifton Mills area of W bg V
just over the border in Penna.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

A lot of guys on here say never to use 1/2" mainline, but I disagree and have never used anything bigger as I have no problems with it as I have no reason to use anything bigger.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you are working up hill, unless you are adding vacuum and it don't sound like it with you budget. What I would suggest is to use 5/16" tubing and run all the taps to the lowest point on the property and then run a 3/4" line and pump it back to the sugarhouse or the best solution would be to have something to haul the sap in and go to the tank and pump it out of the tank into a tank on a tractor/atv/truck and haul it back to the sugarhouse. This would be a cheap method because you wouldn't have to run all the extra mainline as I have to haul all my sap and it all gets pumped 3 times. From woods tanks to tractor tanks. From tractor tanks into 625 gallon milk tank inside sugarhouse and from there up into 320 gallon Lappierre feed tank when I am boiling and a 4th time when I circulate the sap in the milk tank thru the UV unit.

If you are not going uphill, run the taps on just your property to the sugarhouse and if it is uphill, run to the lowest point and pump to the sugarhouse or gather and pump into whatever you are collecting the sap on the other property with.

[Specklefield Farm]

That is exactly what I was going to do. I'm just kinda uneducated in the tubing dept. and wanted to see what other info was out there. I plan on running off the neighbors property, following the creek line and to a holding tank. I may fabricate a wooden box, and line it with a blue tarp if I get real desperate. (my wife will love looking out at the blue tarp all spring!) and then pumping up to the sugarhouse. One way or another, I'll get it there. I'm a trial and error kinda guy, and I have plenty of errors to prove it!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Why don't you post where you are in NH. There are plenty of trader members on here and I am sure one of them would take an hour or so one weekend day when they are not working and show you their setup. They can teach you more in an hour or two than you can learn in several years of trial and error.

[mapleman3]

Specklefield, I moved this to the tubing area, no problem posting here ... great question :)

[Specklefield Farm]

WV-Good point, I guess being a newbie, I kinda liked my anonymity! New Hampster is kind tiny, ya know? Thanks for the help, I gotta go wrap presents or I'm really gonna get in trouble if ya know what I mean!

Mapleman-Belchertown, huh? My wifes family has a sugar opperation in Athol, MA. Must not be too far from you?

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

Ok, I know I am going to start some controversy here, but here goes. If you are never to to have more than 200 taps on the neighbors property and if you don't ever plan on adding vacuum, then go with 1/2" mainline. It is cheaper and easier to work with. When you get up to your trees, convert it to 3/4" mainline with a 1/2 x 3/4 adapter. I have 170 taps on one 1/2 mainline and when it is flowing at the best possible it can flow, it fills less than 1/3 of the pipe. That may not sound like much sap, but a 1/2" pipe running 25% of capacity continually will run a lot of sap in a short period of time.

If you look around you can find a bulk tank somewhere cheap like a 200 or 300 plastic cage tank for free or close to free. If you have a decent year at all and keep good slope with your tubing, you will more than pay back everything this year.
DID I READ THIS WRONG {start out with 1/2 mainline then when you get to the woods you switch to 3/4 dont make sense to me}
RICH

[caseyssugarshack93]

I think he means switch to 3/4 cause they dont make saddles for 1/2inch but i dont know.

just what i think..



nate

[caseyssugarshack93]

I think he means switch to 3/4 cause they dont make saddles for 1/2inch but i dont know.

just what i think..



nate

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

No, put the first 150 taps in the far section on 1/2 and when you get up to the next section of woods which is several hundred feet from the first section, then go to 3/4 if neccessary to handle the additional taps.

Sorry for the confusion, I was stating I didn't see any reason to run 1/2" all the way to the far bush.

[Specklefield Farm]

We ran about 500 feet of cable this weekend. Yesterday was frigid, today was a lot better as there was no wind. This afternoon, I was putting some staples in a couple of the maples (to maintain elevation of the mainline), and when they cut into the south facing sides of the trees, the sap was pouring out of the holes! Almost enough to get me excited except my work is far from over before I'm ready!

[mapleman3]

Yep Belchertown, actually my north bush is in New salem just a few miles south of Athol.

[7810hunting]

I put in a 400' 1/2'' line the other day which consist of 48 soft maples and
18 hard maples. Does anyone think I wasted my time and money by tapping
so many soft maples.

[Maplewalnut]

No, you'll find lots of people on here that tap reds. I for one get just as good sugar content from reds as I do for hard maples although reds do tend to bud earlier.

[Russell Lampron]

If it is what you've got tap em. I have a lot of reds in my woods and am in the process of adding more taps now. Commercial syrup is bringing good money these days so even if the trees bud and you make some off flavored syrup there is a market for it.

[maple flats]

If you need to make a tank I think you will be better off using a 6 or 8 mil clear poly sheeting rather than a blue tarp. Those tarps in my experience do not hold water for very long, they start to leak between the woven wide threads in short order. You will also find the poly sheet will likely be just as reasonable if not cheaper.