Put up my first tubing

[heus]

Ran three different 5/16" lines yesterday and today. Each has 8-12 taps each and will gravity feed into rubbermaid totes. One mistake I realized today is that my spouts don't fit on the T plugs. The reason is that the spouts are CDL 19/64 that I got in Ontario last summer. The T's are leaders with plugs that are designed for 5/16 and 7/16 spouts. Instead of plugging them in until I tap in a few weeks, I had to just let the drop lines stay coiled up and hanging. I will either ream the ends of the spouts out when I pull the taps, or just replace them with 5/16" leaders for next year. I plan to have 60-75 taps on tubing and the rest on 5 gallon buckets and drop lines. I really like the way the end ring fittings allow you to tighten the lines, but still don't like the fact that the sap has to go all around the tree. I hope I don't end up liking this tubing thing too much. I could have between 1500-2000 possible taps on my land, about 98% of those being sugar maples.

[farmall h]

Heus, you say you don't like the fact that the sap has to go around the tree? Well if you bought the double-ended open end rings, like it sounds like you did...what is the big deal with the sap going 3 more feet through tubing. Those are better 'cause the sap doesn't sit there and turn sour. Also more effective when flushing the lines at the end of the season. The sap tends to hang in the tubing from the T to the dead-end endring.
When you are finished for the season just tuck the tubing underneath itself against the tree...providing you hung your drops close to the tree.
I think that if you went all tubing in the future and set it up properly at the start you'd really appreciate how easy it really is. Just think..that's 75 less buckets to gather! Good luck:)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Haven't used the CDL spouts but the I have went solely to using Lappierre spouts and "T's" as I like them the best and they are 19/64 and fit inside a leader "T" great and no problems. Lappierre spouts have the best design and biggest inside diameter of any spouts I have seen and function the best of what I have tried.

[Sugarmaker]

heus,
Nice web site. I leearned to boil on a Warren a 3 x 10. My guess is that not many folks have even seen one.
Hey if you have time come to the maple meeting Sat in Edinboro Pa.
Glad the tubing is working I use the Green tees ( one blind barb) from CDL for the last drop on the lines. no sap in the short line.
Regards,
Chris

[PerryW]

I don't really like the end ring fittings either. I don't mind the sap having to go around the tree, but you always seem to get one spot where the sap has to run uphill and sap seems to accumulate.

[Russell Lampron]

I didn't like the end rings on gravity tubing either because there was always that uphill spot on the back side of the tree that was impossible to make into a downhill. I use "Y" fittings on my end trees and with vacuum don't have any problems.

[PerryW]

I was thinking that the cleanest and cheapest way for an end tree is to just just a straight-thru 5/16" connector hooked to the drop line. Then just use a 15 gauge wire through the nail hole in the connector and wrap the wire around the end-tree. Just put a scrap piece of tubing around it to protect the tree.

[heus]

Got 3 more gravity lines run today. 55 now all together on 6 different stations. Will a 5/16"leader spout fit ok in a hole made by a 19/64 bit?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Got 3 more gravity lines run today. 55 now all together on 6 different stations. Will a 5/16"leader spout fit ok in a hole made by a 19/64 bit?

I use both 5/16" Leader taps and 19/64" Lappierre taps with a 19/64" bit.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I was thinking that the cleanest and cheapest way for an end tree is to just just a straight-thru 5/16" connector hooked to the drop line. Then just use a 15 gauge wire through the nail hole in the connector and wrap the wire around the end-tree. Just put a scrap piece of tubing around it to protect the tree.

For single taps on the end of the line tree, a "Y" fork does a nice job and you can keep the tap away from the tree so it is less likely to get damaged by rodents. I agree with Russ as I only use a "Y" or sometimes a "Y" fork at the end tree and don't worry about any sap sitting in the line. End of the line rings are the worst thing you can use for gravity making the sap travel around the tree. Been there, done that, and threw them all away.