WARING!!!!!!!!!!!! Tree saver taps

[wcproctor]

I have bought 100 Lender tree saver taps 5/16 and found that some off them are not made right! How you ask? The hole in the tap is not free flowing a defect from the manufacturer, you can't blow through it so that means Sap will not go through the tap. This Stinks or better yet it su##s. We have over 450 of these tap on the state farm the we have to check now. We bought the 100 this year.Good luck

[Clan Delaney]

Hoo boy! My first thought was, how many guys out there who've said they've had low yield years might have installed these? I installed some newly purchased tree savers this year, and I'll sure be checking them when I pull 'em.

[fred]

i smell conspirousy :)

[MaplePancakeMan]

errr...thats really bad! time to go check the 100 i bought this year! Thanks for the heads up. Think they could be drilled out with a smaller bit?

[Jerome]

thr problem with drilling is the scratches left over for bacteria to grow in.

[wcproctor]

Send them back,with a note

[maple sapper]

were the spouts the leader stubby spouts or the one piece? OR was it the stubby fitting that goes in the tree if it was the stubby model? maple Sapper

[emericksmaple]

We bought 1000 of them. We found out on the side of the spile is a number and the number 4's are the only bad ones.

[wcproctor]

This is the part # from Bascoms. Remember it's not Bascoms fault! (LASPTS)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I bought 250 of them this year to experiment with and I see basically little if any difference using them on sap production, sap quality or extending the life of the taphole over 5 year old spouts that were sanitized with alcohol in the same bush. Needless to say, I don't expect to ever use them again.

[Jeff E]

Same problem here is WI.

It seems to be a random problem in the manufacture. I bought 2000 of them last summer. In making up droplines, I had bags of 100 that had no problems, and other bags that had 27 faulty. I was a bit fired up, as I had already installed 1000 before realizing the problem. I have checked 3/4 of the woods so far. Some areas ok, other area I have had to drill out the tap, from the tree side of the tap.

When pulling taps later on I will leave the vacuum on and carry a drill and recheck the whole woods.

I have notified my dealer and Leader. No word directly from Leader about it. My dealer said Leader had not heard of this problem. Well, they have now, and I would suggest anyone who has experienced this drop them a note, so they know it is a real problem. I am sure they are not looking for any Federal bail out money, and the Maple industry seems to be solvent these days. I would think they could offer something for the problem they have caused by lack of quality control. A credit of some sort, as we sure are not going to go pull all the taps and send them back. It is easier to fix it.

I would estimate on the 2000 I have there were at least 120 bad taps.

[Homestead Maple]

Let's see, 120 taps at a Quart of syrup per tap on a normal season, equals 30 gals. of syrup not made but they are health spouts, so they flow roughly 85% of a 7/16 spout, so that could mean 25.5 gals. not made, unless they were on vacuum. Anyway, that could hurt.

[Mac]

I have 100 or more I bought this year... maybe thats why I had some nice trees that never ran...much.. I figured it might be bacteria.... Guess I'll find out when I pull em. Any word on tubing being mismanufactured? LOL

[KenWP]

These spouts don't have a triangular head by any chance do they. I have no idea what kind of spouts I have.

[Jeff E]

No, they are a 5/16 tree saver with a cross pattern on the 'hammer' surface.
I will look at them tonight for any other identifying marks, maybe take a pic.

Here is a pic of what one of the releaser's looked like at about 11am today.
This helps me feel better about life...

[Father & Son]

I had a few that I noticed a leak when I was flushing the tubing. They were shooting a small stream out by the cross on the hammer surface.

Jim

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

All of Leaders spouts are manufactured by one of the Canadian manufactures to my knowledge or at least they were in the past. Just thinking out loud is this manufacture trying to hurt Leaders reputation???

[fred]

like i said earlier. funny in a time where there is a shortage of syrup, big increase of taps, but alot of people not making much this year.NOT A GOOD SITUATION.

[maple flats]

Were these all bought in 08 or 09 but after the 08 season? I switched to stubbies in 09 but had all tree savers in previous years.

[Jeff E]

Bought mine last summer, 2008

[wcproctor]

Got mine in 09

[casecrete]

I tapped 1100 this year fpr the first time.500 buckets and 600 tree saver spouts.My first time using tubing.However tapping 1100 i was hopping to make 175gal my goal was below average due to aprox. 300 softmaple.I made just 103 gal.was it the soft maple bad spouts or maybe a bad year. quess i will check spouts when i pull them.

[Sugarmaker]

I don't have a lot of taps but I just ought some additional 5/16 spouts from local Leader dealer. and All my previous spots are Leader also. I flush all the taps at the sugar house and did not find any that were closed off and or restricting flow.
Sounds like a manufacturing defect at the location where the two mold cores come together. Someone noted that all the bad ones are marked cavity number 4. I would watch those as suspect problem spouts.

Regards,
Chris

[Jeff E]

Agreed, all the taps I had trouble with were marked with a 4.

When I pulled the taps I had vac on for flushing, and carried a drill for opening up any faulty taps. Out of about 1800 taps, I would say I had about 60 or so that were faulty in the woods.
I had corrected many when putting drops together after discovering the problem. So I dont know the actual # that were bad. I know I will check every one from here on out.

[maplecrest]

cdl had the same problem. out of 7000 i had 130 bad spout adapters that leaked out the side. was a pain to go find them all. and i was still finding them when i washed. i used stubbies and adapters