Wood Pallets

[backyardsugarer]

I just got a connection with all the wood pallets I could burn. My question is does anyone out there burn pallets and if so, how many can I expect to go through. I imagine that I will burn hundreds of them in my 2X6. The great thing is they will burn hot and the price is right. Free!

Chris

[syrupmaker]

Chris...Pallets are awsome for hot heat for sure. Plan on cuttin tons and tons.Only downfalls are the nails leftover in the fire box and the need to seperate the two sizes to get a nice stackin pile.Pallets are perfect for splitting small and getting the fire started fast and getting a nice boil going.

Rick

[brookledge]

Chris
I used to burn pallets ocasionally in my 3X8 and it burned about 4-5 per hour. Most of the time I would use them when my wood supply ran out. I to could get them for free. They definately burn very hot. Only draw back is nails as Rick said. If you do use them make sure you keep an eye on your grates. If I boiled for a long day I would have to keep pushing the nails around so they didn't restrict the air flow. You can ruin your grates if you don't get good air flow.
Keith

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[mapleman3]

free is free in my book!!!!!

[syrupmaker]

Chris....Don't let Kevin scare ya.

Truck load of logs $450 8O
6 month waiting list down this way :cry:
20 cord of wood cut and split in a weekend ? ? ? ? :roll:
(if your geared up for it)


Truck load of pallets :)
haul anytime you want :D
circ saw or electric chain saw :idea: (if you don't already have a saw)
couple a freinds :lol:
case of beer :twisted:


PRICELESS :wink:

Rick

[brookledge]

I also knew a producer who no longer makes syrup (just sells sap) that had 2 6'X16' side by side and he burned pallets. He had a company that would bring him pallets by trailer truck just to get rid of them. The nice thing about a wider evaporator is that he did not have to cut them. He would feed it every 10-15 min with about 4 pallets. He had a fork lift so he didn't have to move them by hand.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[wdchuck]

Personnally, I wouldn't touch palletts- too much work breaking them up, too many nails cutting your hands up every time you touch them. And free is not necessarily free!! No matter how you look at ity,time has a value. Find a small sawmill or a portable mill and have one of their truckers haul you a load of slabs- much easier to get cut up!

pallets are easy to cut.lay them down ,zip with a saw four cuts each side of the heavy supports and flip to do the same. ?syrupmaker? he is correct in seperating them in two piles. flats stack nice and nails stay in the bigger boards so they cant poke your little paws. or if you have a chain saw stand it up up and cut both sides at once.four cuts instead of eight. lot faster

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[themapleking]

Did someone say fuel oil. **** shame I can't tap into all this natural gas under my land. Thankyou very much national fuel & U.S. gov. and their leases.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have refrained from this conversation but I guess I can't any longer. Here is the positives and negatives. There is no doubt you are going to get a higher gph with pallets because they are so dry and seasoned and there is plenty of room for air to circulate to increase combustion. Also, they are free which is good.

The disadvantages are they take a ton more room to store, they are full of nails which is help clog the grates on long boils and fill you ashes full of nails. They are dangerous to handle without gloves due to nails, splinters and ect. They will also burn up really fast, so you will have to fire more often.

If you are thinking of trying them, then go for it this year and this will give you a good idea of what you want to do for the future. You will get increase gph and they are free! :D

wow sounds like brandon is sick of us killing this section of the forum

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Kevin,

You are right there, as we have all been to the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS many times in maple syrup. I did mention in my post that you would have to fire a lot more often as they burn up a lot faster. I guess the one positive to firing more often is that due to the fast burn of these pallets, the fire would hardly even slow down. :D

[backyardsugarer]

Wow, that is a lot of info on pallets. I have decided to go with a mix. I am not gonna turn them down since I can grab a load daily on the way home from work, but I am also grabbing a lot fo regular wood to supplement it. OK, now here is the million dollar question. How long should I cut them? 2 feet and just feed the firebox or cut them to 4 feet and shove them way up in there?

Chris

[mapleman3]

woah easy there big fella.. don't shove them in "all " the way.. . firebox only!! so thats only 18" - 24" long... you will find that 18" is plenty long for a 2x6

[JohnM]

The place I get my pallet wood they have been thru a vertical band saw that cuts the nails/slats off of the runners, no nails exposed. Slats and runners are in boxes that go on my trailer.

I cut once or twice with circular saw then burn.

Works fine for this backyarder.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris,

Like mapleman said, 18" is long enough because they will burn so hot and fast you will have flames going up the stack without a blower. If they are 4 x 4, you may even cut them three times each way and that would give you 16x16 pieces and you would get 6 each pallet.

[michaelh05478]

When i used wood i had a guy with a portable saw mill down the road...If you can find one close buy they usually give the scrap slabs away...mix with your pallets and your in buisness.........Mike.......

[Russ]

I just joined the forum as a member today. My 2 younger brothers and I started making syrup in 1989. The first year we tapped and sold sap to a commercial producer in the area, but held back the last 40 gallons or so and cooked it down to about a gallon of syrup. That was the start of a hobby that has gotten out of control; since then we have gotten bigger every year.

We've burned a lot of wood over the past 16 years; the best advice is to go with a mixture of flat wood (pallets/slabs) and some round wood. Pallets burn too fast; slabs can tend to pile tight the firebox and reduce the air flow between them (and if there is too much bark, do not seem to make a hot fire, just a lot of smoke), round wood lasts longer and promotes the clean-up of the deadwood in your sugar bush. We dig a pit for the ashes and nails so we're not puncturing truck/tractor/ATV tires.

[mapleman3]

Russ, Welcome to the forum, from reading some of your posts you have a heck of an operation!, you should enjoy it here, if I can speak for others here,we look forward to your input and will try to help if we can. there is a great bunch of sugarers here from the very small to very big all with the love of the "Hobby" of maple 8) :wink:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Russ,

Welcome and all you input is greatly appreciated and makes enjoyable reading for all.

I am curious to know about the evaporator?? 5x18 custom built?? Care to shed some more info on it?? Sounds interesting and with the piggyback might get 600+ gph?? :D :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Russ,

I found out the info on the evaporator in the next post! Sure sounds like a swell rig and can't wait to see how it does. Keep us informed after the test boil! :D :D :D

[DougM]

I just caught up on my reading and noticed Brandon's post a few back regarding flames up the stack. I was burning palletts last season when I got the stack too hot and caught the sugarhouse on fire. They do burn hot and fast. :oops: :D

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[syrupmaker]

Kevin....Thats the bad news in our area :!: Shaumbach's is all closed up. Went out of bussiness at seasons end last year. :cry: Great place he had too. Not sure what happened to the burners he had either.

Rick

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[DougM]

Kevin,
thanks for the input on the propane gun. I talked with the mfr. last week and he faxed me a bunch of info. Says it should run on std. 11" W.C. pressure, so I just need to get the fittings to get it hooked up, make sure there are no spider webs inside and fire it up.

Doug