Extremely happy with my 5 gal buckets with drop lines

[heus]

I know its early and I haven't had a "real" run yet but I am very impressed with how much sap I am getting in my 5 gallon setups. Two drop lines through tight holes in the lid. Most of my taps are on gravity tubing systems into totes. Its been easier to empty the 5 gallon buckets than bailing out the totes. For me it may even be easier than hauling around a bilge pump and pumping out the totes. I also have 29 taps on old galvanized buckets and 7/16 spiles. I am even considering going with all 5 gallon pails next year on my 2 tap trees and galv buckets on my 1 tappers and take down my tubing after the season. Am I crazy? Has anyone ever actually switched from tubing to buckets?

[Father & Son]

It's really whatever works best for you. The piece of woods that I put tubing in this year I ran the mainline away from the road to a cage tank. I then put in a 200 ft pump line back to the road. This allowed me to grab alot more trees.

Jim

[Jim Brown]

Jim: Our main bush is that way.Remember that big yellow pump in my sugarhouse?Thats what pumps sap up a 100foot lift and 850ft line from the bottom collection tanks to the top of the hill into the truck transport tanks. It will save you a lot of trouble


Jim

[tessiersfarm]

I took down my tubing and went to 5 gal buckets. My grove is dead flat and I had a lot of trouble with sagging and frozen lines. Buckets never freeze and they are a little more work but I can empty them faster than frigging around with pumps and tanks. I drill my holes in the side because I was getting lots of rainwater, now hardley ever.

[PapaSmiff]

My wife thought I was nuts when I put 5 gallon buckets with tubing on our trees. She thought it looked to much like "The Matrix". But it's been great, since I don't really have enough "standard", "traditional" buckets.

I like the idea of putting the hole in the side of the bucket. Didn't think of that. I had to throw out two days worth of sap because it was pouring rain for two days and it seeped into the buckets.

[pelz]

drill your holes near where the bail attaches you"ll be happier

[maple sapper]

I use quite a few fives as collection on trees. What I have done is drill a hole and put a 3/8x3 or taller stainless nipple threaded into the hole. I size the hole smaller then the threads of course so it threads in nice and water tight. This way the lid can pond water and it never makes it in the bucket. I also built bases for my buckets and use them each year. I made them out of 2x6. four pieces that when screwed together on end it makes a square large enough to fit the bucket but not to tight that when you pick it up it stays on. When to tight it makes bucket twice as heavy. This way I dont find my buckets spilled over after heavy wind. We just had a NASTY wind storm = to a winter hurriane and none of my buckets got knocked over. THe buckets stay when there is snow. But once late season comes those buckets are vulnerable on windy days between runs. Also what I do, is on a day that it running good I hold up my line on a tree with more than one tap and let it collect above the Y or TEE fittings. This makes a pocket of sap in the line so air is not getting to the tap hole. Sort of the same Idea as a trap on a sink. If you pull the tap out it will be vented and drain out quickly. Experimenting with this to see if it keeps holes open longer.

[TF Maple]

I'm happy to hear people like the tubing and buckets because I switched from gallon jugs hanging on taps to 5/16 line going into food grade plastic pails from local bakeries. $1 each including covers and hold 3 1/2 to 4 gallons, I drilled the hole in the cover so small I have to squeeze the tube to get it in, so it is water tight. Also drilled the hole off to one side and set the pail with a slight slant away from the tube just to keep water from pooling around the tubing as added insurance that no water will get in.
I like that idea about the 2x6 bucket holders, I had one out of six test tap pails take off already.

[Grizz747]

I drill my hole near the top on the side of the bucket and run the tubing in the side. I do not have to worry about water collecting on the lids and running into the bucket. The buckets work great.

[mchasal]

I drill my hole near the top on the side of the bucket and run the tubing in the side. I do not have to worry about water collecting on the lids and running into the bucket. The buckets work great.

That's what we do as well. Been working well. The one downside is that in the recent snow storms we've had down here, we had to dig out our buckets from under 2' of snow. ;)

[Ausable]

Good Idea - In my part of Michigan sap pails are hard to come by and quite expensive when you do. So I have always used coffee cans with the lids cut to keep out snow and rain and shied away from hanging 5 gallon pails on my hooks for fear they would pull out the spiles when starting to fill. Never thought to put 5 gallon pails on the ground with plastic tubing. Have used 5 gallon pails for years for sap storage etc and they are usually inexpensive. Ha - The downside of coffee cans is they don't hold much and when the sap finally takes off - you are a running - and I'm getting too old for that. Now - they changed the design of coffee cans and I'm being forced into an alternative. I'll miss the stares of people driving by slowly and wondering why that crazy old man is hanging coffee cans on trees and no one ever asks - thats how I know they think I'm nuts -- have a lot of fun though. - Mike

[BoarsNest]

This is my first year and I too am using tubing with 5 gallon buckets. Many of the buckets I have the lids snap on extemely hard. Do you snap them on or leave them loose? Other than a pickle bucket lid remover have you found a quick way to get the lids off?

[On the ledge]

I work in a supermarket woohee free supply of 5 gal. buckets except my district manager taps too, and told the bakery to save all the buckets for him. i talked to him and said I tapped too and he was cool , he said take all I want from my store he would ge the rest he needed from other stores. him and his buddies have 100 taps invited me to check out there setup they just built a sugar house and bought a 2x 6 and invited me over to check it out. but if they open the buckets right the lids should just snap right off and on. Now when he comes in all we talk about is making syrup and he doesn't look at my department. I guess all addicts have a connection!

[On the ledge]

I meant to add get the icing buckets from the bakery there is a smaller lip on them easy to get off and on. just a heads up if anyone wants buckets from there supermaerket start asking in august or sept. because everyone wants then in jan. and Feb.

[SeanD]

I've had good results putting the baker's buckets right on my 5/16 taps. The only trick is dealing with the rigid plastic rings at the top especially for the trees that have big shingles for bark and the tap is set further in.

My solution was to use a jigsaw or Sawzall to take about 6" inches of the rings off the top. I think it took me an hour to do about 30 buckets.

The icing buckets are ideal for size, rings (removed with utility knife), and easy on/off lids, but I take whatever they have available.

Sean

[Banjo]

I've been using plastic buckets and tubing for 4 years now and it works great. I drill a 3/8" (I think it is) hole in the side just below the lid and the tube is a snug press fit through. I snap the lids on and even if it rains the sap is just fine. I put a rock or brick on the top to stop them blowing over when it's windy.

When I empty I take an empty bucket out and just pull out the tube and slide it into the new bucket. Then I can take the lid off and empty it at the collection tank. Then take that bucket back as an empty to the next tree.

All my buckets are freebees. My fav's are the square Miracle Whip ones. Close second are round ones that pie/donut filling come in.

I usually use drops with two 5/16" taps and a tee in them. As I was cleaning out the drops before tapping today I decided to go with single tap drops and drill an extra hole in the bucket for two tap trees. The single tap drops would be much easier to clean. I use my gun cleaning rod to brush out the inside of the tube. I figure I need to get another one so I can have a longer rod.

All in all, I've been mighty happy with this set up. Not worrying about wind, rain and bugs is just great.

cheers,
Andrew

[maple sapper]

the more you take the 5 gal covers off the easier they get. I definitely snap them tight. If not the ponding water has found its way into the sap and made it rusty looking. I prefer threading the nipple on the lid so I can use the bucket anywhere I need it. If its in the sugar house, transport of small batches of sap, tree to tree collection, bulk transport to Bascom etc. It does not limit me for what I use the buckets for.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Heus Make sure if you drill the hole small so the tube is water tight and you pound the lid on tight that you put a vent is someware:)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Usually the five gallon bucket lids have several areas that snap all around the outside. I would only snap them on one place and then lay a 4" cinderblock on top of it. When you empty the buckets, lay the cinderblock off and pull up the lid a little and dump.

[Buckshot]

Yes i will be tapping 15 taps into 20 ltr pail for the first time this weekend. Tubing will go under the big lip my pails have with a hole just big enough to vent. I think it should work. Alot cheaper then the other 70 pails lids spiles I have. Besides thats how it all starts pails this year next 12 to 15 trees on one line and so on. Where does it end?
ha ha:)

[heus]

Still getting a decent amount of sap from my 5 gallon setups. Even with less than ideal weather they have run well. They thaw out fast in the morning and seem to keep running under 32 degrees. I'm still thinking about going to all of these next year. When we get a real run I'll probably appreciate my tubing though. Galvanized buckets haven't run much at all except 3 trees out in the yard.

[heus]

Usually the five gallon bucket lids have several areas that snap all around the outside. I would only snap them on one place and then lay a 4" cinderblock on top of it. When you empty the buckets, lay the cinderblock off and pull up the lid a little and dump.

Brandon,
I have been snapping my lids down at 9 and 3 o'clock. Even being empty not a single one blew over in our wind storm last week.

[cabinetcap]

This is my first year and I too am using tubing with 5 gallon buckets. Many of the buckets I have the lids snap on extemely hard. Do you snap them on or leave them loose? Other than a pickle bucket lid remover have you found a quick way to get the lids off?

Lids have eight tabs on them, I carefully cut every other one off with a sharp utility knife. If done right it still leaves a lip so water stays out. They come on and off much easier and i do not lose any sap in transport. Ive done this for two years now, works great for me.

[barkeatr]

i have been using a supply of 5 gallon bucket from a hardware store. #2 HDPE plastic.

i notice quite a few of you have food grade buckets from scrounging. I will start doing this but

shoudl i be concerned about my existing stock of 5 gal buckets...i suppose its hard to tell. any comments?

[PapaSmiff]

I am also using Home Depot 5-gallon plastic buckets. Since I'm not selling the syrup, just using it for friends and family, I'm not concerned. Especially since the sap doesn't sit in the bucket for very long.

In preparation for next season, I'll try to acquire some used food-grade buckets from the local bakeries. What does everyone else think?

[maple sapper]

what type of grade is a food grade bucket made of anyway. I use the translucent 5 gal pails. that way I can see at a glance when they need attention or not. They are a bit more money but worth it to me when doing a drive by along roady trees.
The milk we drink in plastic jugs as well as water comes in HDPE #2. Why would it not be safe for sap? The HDPE stands for high density polyethylene. Thats all the same stuff they recommend for drinking water as well. Its the #3 6&7 you want to avoid I believe. Someone may know more on this and Im no expert.

[barkeatr]

as has been said, it TURNS OUT grocery stores with bakeries have lots of these food grade buckets and my local store throws them out. I got ten today and he said he can keep them coming. thanks to this forum I scored!!

To answer your question the food grade ones were also HPDE 2 and another type. I think it MIGHt come down to the manufacturing..but I dont know. What I do know is that I dont trust what comes out of some countries...so Im going to replace my fleet of hardware buckets with food grade buckets over time.