chainsaw tapper

[doug foran]

I am looking for ideas or instructions on (how to build one ) as far as how do you attach the drill chuck to the saw?

[SUGARSMITH]

I once had one many years ago, probably still do actually. If I remember correctly it required a reverse drill bit, and only held the larger size tapping bit

[sweetwoodmaple]

I bought a new Echo gas tapper for a great price off of ebay.

Also saw some used Tanaka's for $100-$125.

Personally, due to the weight and ability to use the smaller tapping bits, I would try to snag one of these vs. converting the chain saw.

Brian

[mapleman3]

for only 200 taps.. cordless, if they are all in different areas.. Cordless... on the roadsides... Cordless, all in one spot.. maybe Gas. I sold mine after 1 season.. too noisy for tapping neighbors trees at 8 in the morning 8O

[gmcooper]

Doug,
Years ago I made a tapper out of an old minimac saw. I had to weld a threaded rod onto the center of the clutch housing. Then turn the chuck onto the rod. You do need a reverse bit which might be hard to find in some areas. The problem was to keep the chuck dead center and staight. A tiny bit off and you get major wobble and egg shaped holes.
Bet we spent 10 hours making the thing and threw it out next year. Bought gas drill from Northern Tool an dused it for several years. Got very tired of the weight and gas smell while tapping. Went cordless and never looked back.
Mark

[sweetwoodmaple]

Ok, I must have owned a crap drill, but how do you guys with battery powered drills tap in cold weather? 10 batteries? Can't be less expensive than a used gas drill?

My battery drill worked ok for last year @160 taps and three batteries, but you had to keep the batteries warm or you were done for. Also, the 5/16 taps make a huge difference as well.

With my Echo this year...less than 2 tanks of gas for 360 taps!

Go gas and tell the neighbors to plug their ears! :lol: :lol:

Though, mapleman is correct in that my taps are all in one 5 acre area.

So, see, there you go. Opinions from both sides!!! :?

[brookledge]

Bascom's still sells left hand drill bits for chain saws They might have a used setup that you could use for your saw. As most everybody is saying though go cordless. I use a 24 volt craftsman which has alot more torque than the 18 volt I have two batteries and I get about 100-125 taps per battery even though the bateries are 7 years old
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Be careful with the chainsaw tappers as they are very dangerous. Another problem with them is that they run too fast and will singe the hole unless you can slow them down some.

If you watch Sears, they will run the 19.2 volt EX drills on sale for 79.99 from time to time. You can get about 75 to 80 taps on 1 battery. I had a Tanaka last year and loved it, but they are loud and a little harder to lug around. :)

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I can get about 200 plus or minus a few with my 19.2 volt EX Craftsman. I love it because it is quiet and fairly light, but that is with the 19/64 hole. But like Brandon said, 75 to 80 is about all it'll do with the 7/16 hole.

[Russ]

Had a chainsaw tapper that we picked up in package deal of used equipment. Used it two years and then sold it... too noisy, too many RPM, expensive drill bits that were prone to snap off or wobble, and too dangerous.

This was our first year using cordless drills... I liked the lighter weight and less noise, no extra spinning... instant on, instant off. The cold weather did cut down on the longevity of the batteries, but we had enough drills and batteries to keep one guy working all day. The other two of us used gas. Might add a 18V or better drill and some spare batteries to the Christmas list

I don't think that the gas tappers come with straps, but my brother made harnesses that go over your head and one arm to help support the tapper. They are made from seat belt material; they were likely safety harnesses from hunting tree stands. Adjustable for comfort, they allow you to let go of the tapper in order to use both hands for squirting the holes, adjusting tubing, and tapping in the tap. Using a handy tool belt holding the hammer and your spray bottle, we pretty much have an efficient tapping process.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Russ- Funny thing-I made up a support strap/Sling for my tapper about 12+ years ago with the Brass gourmets and a canvas type woven belt-unscrewed the side handle and inserted the threaded handle bolt through the gourmet and screwed the handle back into the gear base. The other end i made a big enough loop to go back over the rear loop handle. I didn't really like the tapper close to my chest walking and trippin' on snowshoes. I still have it.

Another thing not to do is drill over your head with an auger bit in a tapper using 1 hand. Pulled on the drill when i was in approx. 2" into the tree to extract the dit from the tree and when it let loose from the tree i slipped and the tapper was still spinning and the auger bit caught my wool jacket-Wound it right up and tore a good hole right through it near my chest/Almost a deadly mistake. That was when i was a kid though-Now i'm all grown up! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[gmcooper]

When we tapped this year the boys and I each took a cordless drill and 2 batteries. Between the 3 of us we tapped 600 plus that morning. all were 5/16" bits. One drill was my old 14.4 craftsman. one was my dads 14.4 Portacable, and I took my new 18 volt Ryobi. When we finished we had tapped nearly the same number. The old craftsman had just started bat #2. the Port. was well into # 2 and the Ryobi was about 1/2 done #2. it was cold and the spares were with us in the woods. The Ryobi was $119 with a light and skillsaw and 2 bat. with charger at Home depot.
Mark

[Brian]

This year tapping, My step son Garrett took a 12v drill and all 7 batteries. I took a 12v booster pack and wired it up to another drill and the booster pack was still full of power acording to the idiot lightat the end of the morning.We tapped about 600-625.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It was briefly mentioned above that the chainsaw tappers are not drills and the bits sometimes do wobble due to the makeshift shaft that holds the bit which would wollow out the hole. :?

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Part of the problem with tapping is the drill bit gets dull and tears the tissues in which it is cutting while going into the tree instead of clean cutting the vessels of the wood."crushed vessles" produce less sap then a clean cut vessel/. Speed does not matter.

[nmerritt]

Drill works the best. Much easier to lug a small drill around with an extra battery than a gas tapper. I use a dewalt 14v. If I had to guess, I got 60 taps or better per battery.

[MapleCowboy14087]

my grandpa had a good idea he took a 12 volt dewalt and a batery that was not good and modified the battery so that their was a cord comeing outa of it with a plug and the plug just plugs into a plug on the front of his threewheeler you have to pull the threewheeler close to the trees but if you but a long cord on it you can still have so monverablity sometimes a cord can be a pain in the butt but so is carrying around alot of batteries it worked really well

[Jim Brown]

I use a small generator and about 100 feet of cord. The gen has wheels and you just put under the main line and go out to the last tree on the lateral and start in .When you get back to the main just cross over and go to the one on the other side. You would e suprised how many trees you can tapp with out moving the gen
Just a thought
Jim

[Rob Harvey]

While a generator might work in the fine state of Pennsylvania I would love to see someone move one up some of the ravines that mainlines are run up in Vermont or New Hampshire.

[Jim Brown]

Point made and taken!

[mapleman3]

Can't beat cordless!!!

[Fred Henderson]

Yes you can, gas powered Tanaka 2 cycle, or an Echo or a Stihl. Myself I have a Tanaka.

[Teuchtar]

I used a Tanaka and hated the 2-stroke stink and noise. Sold the darned thing on eBay, and was surprised by how much I got for it.
Now I use Makita 12 volt and get 80 taps per battery. Just using two batteries, one charges while the other drills.
I never regretted selling that stinking Tanaka.

[lew]

You must own a lot of batteries. I wouldn't be caught dead without my trusty tanakas. On a decent day without snow shoes, we average over 1000 holes a day per tapping crew. According to your 80 taps per battery, that would be 13 batteries (per crew) to lug around the woods, not to mention all chargers you would need at night for the next day. I'll take my tanaka any day. I realize for smaller operations the battery operated drills are great, but I don't have the patience to drill 150 to 200 holes a day. When I want my trees tapped, I want them tapped NOW.

[Brian]

All the big guys around here use 18 volt dewalt. One guy can go all day with 2 batterys. :o

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have an 18 volt Hitatchi and I could get around 150 taps per battery with the bit I got from Bascoms. If I tapped all day, I think I could easily do 600+ taps and where I tap it is very steep and some places almost impossible to stand up. :?

[wdchuck]

I'm going to side with the gas tapper folks. First, I already own 2 of them that have some years on them , so the expense is a wash. I tried my small cordless 14 volt, but just never got the numbers out of them that I'm hearing about. I almost bought one of those Ryobi combos at Home Despot, but for my regular work, I dont need anything that big and clunky. Also I didnt like the grip on the Ryobi (too thick) and I really didn't see as it was much lighter than the Tanaka. As for the exhaust smell, it really doesn't bother me much- I actually kind of like it- reminds me of snowmobiling when I was a kid back in the 70's. ....When tapping I keep my gas can kind of centrally located and work in a cloverleaf sort of pattern coming back to it every so often, That way, I can also get a snack and something to drink when I fill up the gas tank. Gas, electric , whatever,........... my system works for me.

[brookledge]

I never really kept track of how many taps I got on a battery before so I decided to count. I have a 24 volt craftsman and I get about 175-180 health spout taps per battery. Works good for me but I still have my tanaka, haven't used it for a while but I do know that when you need to go out in the deep woods and are not near anything I would definately use my tanaka. Carrying a little extra gas would be lighter than a bunch of batteries. I never have tried it but maybe the newer synthetic oils that are smokeless would be good to use so they don't stink as bad.
Keith

[lew]

The newer smokless oils are much better than the older oils as far as smoke and smell go. We take one of the empty oil bottles, rinse it with gas well then use it for a spare can of gas. Fits right in your pocket, and you have a spare tank of gas handy. Makes the decision of where to leave the big can of gas less critical.

[220 maple]

Hey folks,
I saw Stihl chainsaws retro fitted with a drill where the chain and blade should have been. They use them at Milroy Farms in Salisbury,Pa. I asked about them and was told they work great. I mentioned the mapletrader site hopefully they join in and share.

mark 220 maple

[treefinder]

i have a chain saw tapper for sale . and its not heavy or bulking does need a left hand bit. mine has no wobble to it and it is quick . you can snap off a bit as quick in this as you can with a new tapper. i think i bought a bit that goes either way. i will sell for 50.00 or trade somthing else. thanks

[maple flats]

Go cordless, quieter and safer. Last year I used a DeWalt 18V and did 160 taps on 1 battery, This year I did 300 taps but only 75 one day 1 and 225 on day 2. This year's drill was a Ryobe 18V. I never switched to the second battery, first was just starting to slow a little. The DeWalt was 2 spd and the Ryobe is 3 speed, in both cases I use high speed which cuts cleaner and faster, I only drill about 1.5" into wood, not bark but wood. I do carry my drill tucked into my coat with battery in and bit out which likely keeps battery warm.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Speaking of cordless drills, I was in Lowes a couple of days ago and saw a 36 volt dewalt. 8O Sure was a beast and probably could do 300 taps on a battery, but quite heavy too. Probably not as heavy as a gas tapper, but I sure like the lighter weight drills that will fit in the drill holster on my side. :D The 18 volt Hitachi the wife got me for Christmas is very lightweight and compact and I got almost 150 taps on 1 battery and even got a mail in rebate for a 3rd free battery and drill has a 5 year warranty! :D :D

[sweetwoodmaple]

Are you guys who get 150+ holes drilling 5/16 or 7/16 holes?

My drill doesn't care about temperature or size of holes, it will do 250 holes on a tank on about a pint of fuel and I don't have to lift weights that week after tapping! :lol:

These days, I would not recommend a chain saw tapper. Either go with a regular engine drill from Tanaka, Echo, etc or go cordless.