Small home made releaser.

[NH Maplemaker]

I have a small bush of about 150 taps. I want to put it on vacuum this year! My question is has anyone built a small releaser that would work well for this ?
I have looked through all the old post but didn't find were anyone had completed one ! Has anyone got any idea's or plans for one? Pitures would also be great! Thank you. Jim L.

[red maples]

I haven't made one yet but I would like too. yoou can make homemade floats out of a PVC pipe with caps and a 5 gallon bucket. once I get everything else done(like that will ever happen) then I will tinker around with it and see what I can come up with. still want to "try " to come up with a homemade vacuum too. after some research ideas are starting to flow. If I can't figure it out I will buy one next year. but want to try first. hit local salvage places and see what kinda stuff I can find!!!

[Gary R]

A few guys have built homemade releasers. I think alot of them said it was not worth the effort. Look at the milk releasers. Dennis H. recently set one up for his vacuum system. Looks real nice.

[Dennis H.]

Try and find an old Milk Receiver. I am playing around with the idea of making a releaser but I am a little short on time this year and the milk receiver wil do the trick.

I have 2 small Bender Milk receivers and they look like they will will good for me. They also make larger ones which are the ones that you want as they will work with more trees.

[NH Maplemaker]

Yes I agree that a Bender would be perfect for that small bush!! But I can't seem to locate one around here. Any leads on a good one would be greatfully excepted.
We have made a large releaser that we have been useing for about 10 years and it works very well ! But it is electric and that is not and option in this small bush. Jim L.

[caseyssugarshack93]

here you go, just what your looking for

http://cgi.ebay.com/SURGE-BENDER-RECEIVER-MILKER-MILKING-MACHINE-WASHER_W0QQitemZ360194023744QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53dd3ca140

[caseyssugarshack93]

here is a picture of my big milk releasers

[jrthe3]

i built mine and it worked great if i get to sugar house this weekend i will take some pics and post them i also built my moister trap withc worked great and glad it did cause it could of been ugly when the trees where running faster then the realeaser could dump leason learned to many taps to small realeaser

[NH Maplemaker]

Casseyssurgarshack, Now the one you have would be the size that I would like to find!! Those are really nice units!! Jim L.

[michelle32]

Maplemaker, Don't be bashful stop at all the old farms in your area. Theres alot of them over that way. Ask the farmer if he has any old milker stuff kicking around. They tend to buy new and just stick the old stuff in a corner and forget it.
Keith

[NH Maplemaker]

jrthe3, that would be great if you could get a chance to do that!!
Michelle32, That is a good idea,but there are really not that maney farms left around here!There is only one working farm here in this hole township. (SAD) But I will start asking anyone I know that was in farmming.Would much rather build something!! Thats part of the fun JimL.

[michelle32]

Yes I understand most farm land has been sold off but the farms them slves are still there. Stop at them and ask. Any place with a big old barn is a potential gold mine. So keep digging. Maybe we should start a new thread to give to Santa for xmas. Whats on your wish list .Wishes can come true.
Keith & Michelle

[red maples]

yes!! I need to start going to the farms near me. there are like 4-5 dairy farms in a 10 mile radius around my house. have to check them out and see what I can find.

I like the x-mas list idea.

Dear santa,

For x-mas....

[maplemat1]

lappierre makes a hobby releaser i bought one last year works ok i only had about 300 taps on it . A friend has built a few but the on e i bought was cheaper than what he was selling them for . cost was about 550 dollars . not a big fan of lappierre equipmentbut was in a pinch had already tapped.

[NH Maplemaker]

Some of the other traders on here had hobby relaser and were unhappy with them and returned them. They were hanging up and not dumping !! That would have been the perfect size if they worked right ! JimL.

[tuckermtn]

Jim- I have heard reports that Lapierre has re-worked the hobby releaser mechanisms so that there is a new and improved version- I have not seen the changes, but plan on looking into it. I traded my hobby in last season and bought a full sized lapierre releaser- now I might consider being the guinea pig a second time around as I want to put vac on one of the bushes I'm picking up but don't want to buy another full sized releaser- (both bushes will be around 160-180 taps- so well within the "hobby" range)

looks like they will be around $520 per hobby- so if I get two, I'll be at 1040. If I can trade back in my full sized one, I should only need to spend 300 or so more to get two bushes on vac.

but the hobbys better come with a guarntee...

[NH Maplemaker]

Thanks Eric, I didn't know that Lapierre had reworked the hobby modle!!That unite would be the perfect size for that bush as there is very little growth there for maney a day! Just trying to get as mush out it as posible!!