Lapierre 2x8

[PARKER MAPLE]

Whos running one of these, looking for some feed back, im going to have apprx 400-500 taps next season and need a rig big enough to handle this.
cross flow front pans or reverse flow pan.

thanks maple rookie

[tuckermtn]

unless its really souped up, I think it would be too small...we had 475 taps on our 2.5 x 8 and it was too many - thats with three guys available to run it-

hence the RO...

[trackerguy]

I have an oil fired 2x8 with preheater - it'll do about 60gph. I wouldn't want to boil sap from 500 trees on it - getting close to that 24 hour mark on a good run if cleaning, switching sides, and general sugarhouse mayhem is included. Add an RO and it's perfect.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I run 625 on a 2x8 Leader reverse flow. I would go bigger if you can. Mine handles taps fine, but on a heavy week, it will lead to a lot of boiling. I run about 60 gph with wood fired and I would recommend a reverse flow. I can go at least half the season before cleaning the pans and maybe the entire season some years, but I reverse flow at least ever 4 hours, whether it needs it or not.

[markct]

alot depends on your trees and the season, i had 480 taps on my 2x8 airtight wood arch and with this crappy maple season only had one boil that lasted longer than 8 hours. seems usualy my luck is that a good day is followed by a so so day and i manage to catch up on sap either way

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Last year, in 2009, I had one day when we had open house and over 100 people thru that day and fed them, we boiled off 930 gallons and one day this year, we boiled off 900 gallons.

[PARKER MAPLE]

was that like a 10 to 12 hr day?? thanks

[tapper]

HaHa this season my 2 1/2 x 8 is WAYYYY too big on 600 taps.

[northwoods_forestry]

Not that this season is great to go by, but I am a one man operation running a wood fired 2 1/2 x 8 lightning with a preheater for 511 taps. At best I'm doing maybe 45 gal /hour. On that one good run we had back at the beginned of the month I was pretty quickly overwhelmed with sap and was boiling 10+ hours/day. If the the run had kept up I'm not sure I could have kept up!

I would definately go bigger, at least 3x10, unless you plan on adding an RO right away. The 3x10 should handle the 500 taps and if you go with more taps in the future you can then add an RO.

[tapper]

A 2 1/2 x 8 can be enhanced to handle 1000 taps easily without an ro. The only problem is it is too short. Too much heat goes up the stack. After 4 seasons with this rig I think 12 feet long would be perfect for an evaporator this size. If you are 12 feet long might as well be 3 feet wide as well.

[backyardsugarer]

You will go out of your mind with a 2 by 8 and 500 taps even during a bad season I could not keep up. I have 600 taps on vac and a new 2 by 8. The one week it did run I could not boil fast enough if there were 30 hours in a day. Go bigger or get an RO. I am adding an RO for next year.

Chris

[Amber Gold]

2.5x8 would be too small unless you can take time off to boil. This was a below average year for sap, and with 400 taps on high vac. I averaged 30 hrs per week boiling at 60 gph +/-...too much.

Northwoods forestry, you might want to get your rig checked out. 45 gph is pretty low on a 2.5x8. I'm getting about 60 with a blower and no hood/preheater.

[oldtimesugar]

The lapierre 2x8 is a good looking rig. Year ago I had ordered one from farm yard in derby. But it was not deleiverd on time. So I called leader and they had a 2x8 with a max flue. For a couple hunderd dollars more I bought it.
Last year I tapped 400-450 and had no problem keeping up. This year tapped 600-650. I get about 60-65 gph on wood with no blower or pre heater. It also has the revolution front pan so it is really easy to reverse flow.
So you may want to check with leader.

jason
2x8 leader 600 taps
few beef cattle
1000 taps to go (2011)

[PARKER MAPLE]

Hey thanks for all your imput, im thinking of a 2x8 with the reverse flow pan. i will probably try 400 taps on it next season. then in a few year might move to an r.o. addition. i dont know the plan. but i think the 2x8 would fit great for the amount i have available right know..

maple rookie

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If a 2x8 gets to small, you can always add a RO or a steamaway. I may add a steamaway to mine and hope to get it up towards 100 gph next year. Be nice to have one of the high efficiency arches and a set of max revolution pans with a steamaway, I could probably get it close to 150 gph.