Gathering sap

[3rdgen.maple]

Well while sitting in a treestand I was mentally drawing up a bush that I wanted to put on vac but was gonna start it with gravity for 2010. Here is my thought. I want to cut down on time and not to excited about sticking a pump in holding tank in the bush just to pump it in a gathering tank and then turn around and pump it into the holding tank. Seems like alot of wasted time. So my though is get 2 tanks for the woods and put them on skids. Hook up forks to the 3pt hitch. Drop the empty tank and haul the full one away. Anybody else do this? Pro's and Con's?

[PARKER MAPLE]

My Grand Farther Dose Something Simulair, But He Has 1100 Gal Tanks On Individual Trailers That He Moves With His Bull Dozer On The Skid Road. Works Good, When The Tank Is Full He Will Pull The Empty One Up Beside The Full One, Unhooks The Trailer And Hooks On To The Trailer With The Full Tank And Off He Goes. Dosnt Have To Pump 1100 Gal From One Tank To The Other.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Sounds like a great idea. Start looking for some of the pallet tanks they hold 270 gallons. MAKE sure that you find out what they were used for. The one I gat was used for cooking oil and was clean with a small amout of oil so I was confident thats all that was in it. They have a total drain at the bottom with a ball valve. Make sure that if you get one that the valve is intact and working.

[Haynes Forest Products]

One last thing on the pallet tanks I would strap them to a good wood pallet that will take the constant pounding of a rough road or muddy ground and the missed stab with the forks. The metal cages can only take so much before they start to fall apart.

[3rdgen.maple]

Thanks guys I think I would build the pallets with pressure treated 4x4 stingers and 2x6 planks. I was looking at new tanks at TCS I could strap on them. Would like the lowest profile I can fit without sacrificing holding capacity.

[nas]

I was planning to do the same sort of thing with 50 gal rubbermaid totes. I was thinking about screwing some baffles into the totes to reduce the sloshing.

Nick

[Haynes Forest Products]

NAS Making any kind of hole in the side of the tote will only cause it to fail. Go on Craigs list and under the wanted section put in a add for plastic drums. You can also get food grade drum liners that are heavey plastic that will stand up in the drum (not a plastic bag)