First time buyer for EVAP - Next year!

[BHMC]

I have been looking for an evaporator. In looking at this site it would appear that a person will buy a 2x3 or homemade barrel setup...then the next year they sell it for the 2x6 or a little bigger 2x8. Is it worth the few extra bucks to buy the 2x6 and be done with it and then if you want to go big, the sky's the limit. Also for a new guy what are the advantages of a few things. 1. raised flu versus drop - 2. cross flo vs standard flo - 3. Is it better to have the valves to swtich for reverse flo or is it better to turn the pans around. As a side note, I could get up to 150 + taps right out of the gate. Thanks for the help

[Dill]

Just buy the 2x6 if you have the money or a 2x4.
Valves are the better way to reverse. Drop flu is easier to setup I think.
Now that I have a cross flow I prefer the standard.

[ADKMAPLE]

You are in the same same boat as I am however I am looking at it from a time poit of view also. All of this takes a heck of alot of time, obviously the more trees you tap the more labor intensive. I also think it all depends on what your gonna do with the syrup. Are you thinking about making alittle extra coin or is this a mere hobby. For me, I think its more of a hobby thing and making enough syrup for my family. right now, if I were to make 5-10 gallons I would be happy. also, as far as the size of your evap, if you go with a larger evap, your obviously gonna be able to make syrup faster, but, you also need to keep up with it with a large amount of sap. And, overall, I dont want to have to fire up my evap to only boil for two hours..The fun part is boiling! But hen again, I also dont want to have to come home from work every night and boil until 1-2am!

[Brokermike]

I had a lot of fun and made some great syrup this year on a 2x4 flat pan with dividers. It is really nice on a flat pan setup to have two draw offs so you can switch sides. The other nice thing about a 2x4 setup is that you can always upgrade if you can find a nice set of pans (drop flue and syrup). I had about 80 buckets and kept up with everyhting easily, of course this year was a real stinker for sap in my area

[Father & Son]

I started out with a 2x6 drop flue (one float box), reverse flow Leader. Was easy to set up and run. I did get into some long boils on big runs with 125 taps. I now have a 2x8 raised flue (5 ft), cross flow (two front pans). I like the raised flue because of the 2 float boxes and the responsiveness when drawing syrup. The cross flow pans have to be switched (10 min) as compared to just changing a valve and a plug or two to change flow in a reverse flow syrup pan. It all comes down to personal preference. If you think you are going to start with 150 taps and you want to expand, I'd lean toward at least a 2x6 if not a 2x8.

Jim

[maplefarmer]

i started out with a 2x6 leader,drop flue, with intentions of up to 100 taps, was told a half pint evap. would work,but should lean towards a 2x6 in case of expansion, and i wouldn't have any problem getting my money out of it in the future as the price holds up well. next thing i know i order more taps before season and end up with 220 taps out. my 2x6 did a great job.

[Brent]

Don't worry about reverse flow on anything less than 30" wide. It appears that reverse flow help by re-dissolving some of the sand and depositing back near the new draw off. On small rigs there is not enough flow to make that worth while.

If you're talking 150 taps, absolutely forget anything with a flat pan. Surface area in the flues is the key to time to boil and wood efficiency. Everything about a bigger rig is good news except for 2 things (well maybe 3)

1 Price if you can afford it go bigger
2 space in the sugar shack (garage, carport etc)
3 it takes a bit more sap to get enough for the first boil on a bigger rig. A 2 x 6 for example needs 35 - 45 gallons depending on the number and depth of flues. Then you need some more to replace what you boil off, so you have to store up about 100 gallons to start a 2 x 6.

Sucker, you're hooked before you knew it.

[PerryW]

I prefer raised flue because:

1) You have independent control over the levels in each pan (1" in flue pan and 2" in syrup pan).

2) Being exactly level is not as important.

3) You are less likely to damage the flues when you chuck wood in there.

Don't know about cross flow, but I never have to clean my front pan as long as I reverse the flow with each boil.

For the record, I started out at this location on a 2x6 grimm raised flue with 275 woods trees on gravity and it was too small. Now I have 800 on a 3x10 and a typical good run (450 gal) can be boiled up in 4.5 - 5 hours.

[GANGGREEN]

I started with a Half Pint and I'm glad that I did. I needed to learn all this stuff and started with only about 20 taps. This year was my 3rd year and I ran 42 taps and boiled 4 gallons of syrup. I'm not convinced that I would have wanted to run 100 taps and boil 15 or 20 gallons of syrup and if you start with a 2X6, you almost have to have a sufficient number of taps to keep you busy or you end up buying sap.

Most people end up upgrading but not everybody has the time for an upgrade and some are perfectly happy finishing just a few gallons of syup a year for decades.

Now me? I'm hoping to move up to a 2X4 with drop flue or something similar for next year but that's as big as I'll ever get, I swear.

[BHMC]

Boys, Thanks for the info...The rig I have a family option (Family member) is a Leader Vermonter 2x4. older Tin pan. I spoke with Bill Mason and he said he could build a set of Raised Flu pans for 1500.00. The arch on this rig is fine and the tin is clean as well. I would be into the whole deal new pans, old pans and arch and alot of misc. equipment buckets tanks, nick nacks for 2300.00. All and all I feel its a good deal. So I ask, would that 2x4 be a good start-up and learning rig. Then in the future, either keep it or trade or sell off for a bigger rig. Thanks keep it coming

[TRAILGUY]

I was surprised to here how many people destroy there first set of pans. Start used and then upgrade. The first year you well learn a lot.

[maplemark]

I was in the same predicament years ago. Got the barrel thing , frustrated, went bigger the next year, 2 x 6. For your # of taps a 2 x 6 will be fine. Personally I like the raised flue. Gives you 2 floats and more control. Also draining the back pan is easier. Defiantly be able to switch sides , much cleaner

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I run a 2' wide evaporator and wouldn't run it without reverse flow pans. I can usually boil at least 2500 to 3000 gallons of raw sap without cleaning them, but I reverse the flow about ever 4 hours whether it needs it or not.

[ADKMAPLE]

I am leaning now more towards a WF Mason 2x4, those are nice rigs