Tubing tool ice up [Archive]

Thompson's Tree Farm

01-06-2009, 05:30 AM

When using the two handed tubing tool at this time of year, I have a constant fight with ice forming in the jaws as a result of snow from the line or when I set the tool down. Does anyone have any easy ways to help reduce or eliminate this problem other than getting my woods work done in more friendly weather?
Thanks,
Doug

Dave Y

01-06-2009, 06:06 AM

Thompson,
I carry my tools in a pack basket or bucket. When I am done with it I put it back to keep it out out the snow. As far as the snow of the the lines go, I just clean the snow off the line before i clap the tool on. I haven't had any problems.

gator330

01-06-2009, 07:14 AM

A little off the subject but I am new to tube. Of all the tools Which one is the most "must have" tool for making it easy. I have spent way to much this year but may have room to by a tool. Going to run 1,000 feet of main line and try to pick up as many Maples as I can. All Gravity.

Thompson's Tree Farm

01-06-2009, 07:20 AM

Gator,
I went for 4 years with no special tools. Just hot water and a thermos bottle. I thought the tool was too expensive. Bought the two handed tubing tool last year and would not be without it. It was spendy but quickly made up for the cost in saved time and frustration. My opinion, get a 2 handed tool today!

gator330

01-06-2009, 07:40 AM

I'll look one up! Where is Dekalb N.Y. I'm east of Rochester 30 miles.

Dave Y

01-06-2009, 07:53 AM

Gator,
I agree with Thompson. I started tubing last year and i bought a two handed tool to start with and would never do tubing without one!

gator330

01-06-2009, 08:05 AM

I justed looked one up. Looks to be the thing to have. I'm shure tubing is like any thing else. Easy if you have the right tool for the job!! I Like the bucket idea to keep ice off it when working. Better yet maybe I can't get some good Father/15 year old daughter time and she can stand there and hold on to it as we work! I so don't see that happening any time soon.

jason grossman

01-06-2009, 08:11 AM

Gator, everyone is right!, get a two handed tool, then if money permits i would look at a mainline saddle tool, you can use a cordless drill, but these are 10x less the weight and you can never drill through your tube. lastly a mainline tool is nice but i do most of this work with a benzomatic and a push.

Doug, i carry my 2 handed tool around my neck on a rope through each handle.

Maplewalnut

01-06-2009, 08:17 AM

Doug,

I hear you about the ice build up. My kids were the tool carriers until the kept putting it down in the snow. Sometimes it took a minute to find it let alone melt the ice out of it. I also carry the tool around my neck now.

Amber Gold

01-06-2009, 08:29 AM

I also recommended a 2-handed tool. Not sure how you'd maintain tight laterals without it. Also a 1-handed tool for putting drops together and the tubing onto the saddles.

To date I haven't had any problem getting mainline fittings on. I don't use a torch becuase I'm on vacuum and just use a deadblow to get one side of the coupling on and just muscle the other end on. It takes some work but I can get them on there. For as often as I'm putting mainline fittings on it'd be hard to justify the cost of one of the tools. If I'm working on a mainline that's already up I just remove the surrounding wire ties, release the ratchets which hold the mainline tight, and go from there. It's worked so far.

The tools are expensive, but they make the job much easier.

Dave Y

01-06-2009, 09:10 AM

I would not put mainline together with out a mainline tool. I have a 3/4-1" tool and am going to buy one for larger pipe. They eally shine when in the middle of the winter or during a run one of your couplers comes apart. with the mainline tool you are back in business very quickly.

Thompson's Tree Farm

01-06-2009, 10:10 AM

Gator,
Dekalb is about 50 miles North East of Watertown. I have a sister in Webster and my in laws are in Wolcott.

gator330

01-06-2009, 10:20 AM

Your in laws and I are in the same county.

dano2840

01-06-2009, 12:42 PM

ennismaple

01-06-2009, 01:38 PM

ive got a 1 handed tubing tool it makes things much faster but im thinking of going for a 2 handed one, as you can only do one side of the fitting at a time with mine, is it that much quicker than just going and getting the pipe and pulling them both together?

YES!!!! With a 2 handed tubing tool you can install a dropline in under 10 seconds once you get good at it! I stretch the laterals from the head tree back to the mainline and can barely keep in front of my brother as he installs the droplines.

And back on topic - I second keeping your tools in a pail while you work. It definitely keeps them snow-free and it beats trying to find it in deep snow!

dano2840

01-06-2009, 05:25 PM

ive always kept mine in my bucket, but i wear wool pants and i can compress the handles of my tool and stick it right in the pocket of my woolies, the other thing ive started doing is wearing a carpenters tool belt out in the woods, it also works well in the hammer holder, i have a "MONSTER HOOK" for holding my drill come tapping time which can be moved any where you want to on the tool belt and that also works too

caseyssugarshack93

01-06-2009, 05:32 PM

I have a two handed tubing tool and i love it it makes things alot easyier, I take a peice of wire with a peice of 5/16 tubing and put the tubing though the wire then tie othe ends of the wire to the holes on my tubing tool and then i keep the tool around my neck works good for me.

Nate

maple flats

01-06-2009, 09:30 PM

I just stand the two handed tool up in the snow, handles down. I very rarely get snow on the clamping jaws. If I do I just push it off with the end on a piece of tubing, seems to work for me. I just have the 2 handed tool for 5/16 tube, I just hand push the mainline fittings on and double clamp, using the blue mainline I have no problem. It used to be real hard when I used black poly mainline, it is harder plastic.

sapman

01-06-2009, 11:28 PM

I also love my two-handed tool. My dad is usually pretty cheap, but I think he agrees that it is worth the $240. The ones with the jaws on the end are also so much easier to use than others. I use mine for assembling drops in the living room, too. Perhaps it's more cumbersome than the one-hand tool, but works very easily.

Tim

Chad802

01-07-2009, 05:18 AM

I took the two handed tool and welded a homemade hook on the backside
of the tool.Then I just slide it on my tool belt.

maple flats

01-07-2009, 08:39 AM

I had not had problems so I never tried any way to carry the tool. After reading some ideas i might make a shoulder strap to carry mine, Hanging any more on my belt will surely rip the suspenders on my bib overalls I wear when it gets nasty. I carry everything but the kitchen sink now. Might be I should decide if I use any of it too seldom to warrant carrying what I do.

mapleack

01-07-2009, 08:49 AM

I never want to work on tubing without a two handed tool again, preferably the self tensioning ones. Worth every penny. I carry mine with a 1/8" rope tied to each handle, which goes over my head and under my right arm. With the length set so the jaws are about waist height. This lets me swing it around to my back when not in use and also lets me use the tool like a "third hand" when repairing downed lines. Invaluable!

sawyer40

01-08-2009, 02:42 AM

ennismaple

01-08-2009, 02:33 PM

Do these tools work for taking 5/16 lines apart? I have a lot of repairs on the lines after something chewed almost all the tubing I had on the trees. Any suggestions for what tool to get to do this work? I always used hot water to put things togeather but it don't work for taking things apart.

It would work for taking them apart too. If you've got to remove a tee or other fitting you clamp on either side of it with enough room to cut the tube using your pocket knife. The tool will keep the line from dropping to the ground while you cut out the bad fitting. Then you use the tool to insert the new one.

There's lots of uses for a 2 handed tubing tool. I use mine to make 2 droplines at a time. I put the tube in the jaws, flare it, insert 2 tees, flip the tubing over, insert 2 spiles and you're done. It maybe takes 30 seconds to put the 2 droplines together.

3% Solution

01-08-2009, 02:37 PM

ennismaple,
Never thought of two at a time!!!
I'll have to try that!!

Sawyer,
Once you get your tubing up in the air, never let it fall back down.
Use your tool!!

sawyer40

01-08-2009, 08:16 PM

My problem is that the fittings are good and the lines have been chewed by bears or coyotes. I need to remove a lot of spiles and replace the tubing on the drops and where I streched it from tree to tree a lot is down. Probably damaged lines to at least 100 trees this was all new lines and fittings last year.I looked at leaders website and I'm just not sure what tool to get there are several with quite a price range any suggestions?

ennismaple

01-08-2009, 10:11 PM

ennismaple,
Never thought of two at a time!!!
I'll have to try that!!

I meant to post a video of me making droplines when I was preparing for our new bush last winter. I made 900 droplines in a few evenings listening to some country tunes and enjoying some dropline sodas!

Pete33Vt

01-09-2009, 04:52 AM

ennismaple

01-09-2009, 12:21 PM

Sounds like you are looking for a tubing remover tool. Maple Pro has them. Item number 664963 in there 2008 catalog. Price was $34.15. It has a blade on it that is used to cut the tubing off of the tee or spout and can be used to pull damage spouts out of the tree. They work really good and are safer than using a utility knife to remove the tubing bits off the tees.

Once you've cut your thumb several hundred times over a 25 year span you don't even feel the cuts anymore! I definintely couldn't be a criminal because my fingerprints are pretty unique after all the wounds I've inflicted on myself.

Get the right tool and save your blood for a good cause - like playing hockey!

sawyer40

01-09-2009, 12:40 PM

Maple pro is that the maple guys?

dano2840

01-09-2009, 12:54 PM

Once you've cut your thumb several hundred times over a 25 year span you don't even feel the cuts anymore! I definintely couldn't be a criminal because my fingerprints are pretty unique after all the wounds I've inflicted on myself.

Get the right tool and save your blood for a good cause - like playing hockey!

i use some good old garden pruners that i took from my moms gardening box
you put the flat part in the end of the spout and the blade comes right to you, its alot safer than a knife and your wife probably has one allready
works well, just if your planing to reuse the fitting MAKE SURE YOU DONT GO TO DEEP AND DAMAGE THE BARBS!!!

dano2840

01-09-2009, 12:57 PM

There's lots of uses for a 2 handed tubing tool. I use mine to make 2 droplines at a time. I put the tube in the jaws, flare it, insert 2 tees, flip the tubing over, insert 2 spiles and you're done. It maybe takes 30 seconds to put the 2 droplines together.[/QUOTE]
what do the other side of the tees push on? do the 2 tees push on eachother? i will have to try that

ennismaple

01-10-2009, 12:38 AM

The 2 tees push on each other. I put the first tee in about halfway and then insert the 2nd and drive both all the way home. I've found that moistening the barbs a bit really helps it go more smoothly.

Haynes Forest Products

01-10-2009, 02:15 AM

When I put drop lines together I put about a 1/6 " of veggy oil on a plate and you dip the tube into the oil and push it on the tee or tap QUICKITY FAST and you dont have to worry its food grade.

Pete33Vt

01-10-2009, 05:22 AM

Sawyer40 no maple pro is not the maple guys. You could e-mail them and see if they could get the tool. Im sure they could.

ennismaple

01-10-2009, 11:45 AM

Sawyer40 no maple pro is not the maple guys. You could e-mail them and see if they could get the tool. Im sure they could.

FYI - Maple Pro is CDL.

sawyer40

01-10-2009, 12:05 PM

The CDL site I found on a search is in french. Can someone give me a link to an english site.

brookledge

01-10-2009, 09:30 PM

sawyer
http://www.cdl-dallaire.com/index.php
Try this
Keith

brookledge

01-10-2009, 09:33 PM

SAwyer
The first time i tried it it came up in English then the second time in French.
But I noticed that if you scroll down on the left side you can change the language
Keith

Sugarmaker

01-11-2009, 07:48 PM

Friend of mine bought the tubing removal tool and allowed me to use it to design and build a similar tool. they work very well on removing tubing mistakes or in your case chewed lines. well worth the 40 or 50$.

Chris

Acer

01-12-2009, 04:30 AM

When I put drop lines together I put about a 1/6 " of veggy oil on a plate and you dip the tube into the oil and push it on the tee or tap QUICKITY FAST and you dont have to worry its food grade.

Ever have any trouble with critters chewing up fittings done with veggie oil?
They sure do go on nice, but I worry that squirrels might think the oil is yummy.
First year on tubing for me.

Dean