4 gallon square buckets

[glfisherman]

I just picked up a dozen square 4 gallon pails with the lids on them from a local bakery. Anybody out there just hang them right on a spile with a hook, or would a guy be better off running a line to them.

[3rdgen.maple]

You are good hanging them off the tap. Did that with the same ones for a few years with no problem.

[Dan W]

I had some of them for a few years that were pre drilled for spiles. If you do a little figuring, the hook will attach where to a lip and where the spout goes in drill a hole above and you are good to go

[TF Maple]

Will a spile stay in the tree with 4 gallons of sap hanging on it? I would be worried about that I think. But everyone does their own thing.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

The old standard galvanized "Wheeling" buckets are 4 gallons and I have seen very few pull the spout from a tree.

[brookledge]

One thing that I learned along time ago is that with plastic pails you will ge a stronger hole if you melt it out instead of drilling it out. I will either use a big spike or a punch, heat it up hot and push it through from the inside outwards. It will build up the plastic around the hole.
Keith

[ADKMAPLE]

Well, before I pull the trigger on the 100 sap sack and holders I was planning on getting this year as a start I noticed when I was picking up my kids birthday cake at a larger grocerie store near us that they were scooping out frosting out of looked to be 3 or so gallon buckets? they definatly were not 5 gallon buckets, might have even have been two gallon buckets. They had lids. They didnt look like there were real sturdy though, but I am sure they were free! Might grab one sometime and ask the status of them in the future or if they had different types..thoughts? I wouldnt be able to do them on all of hte trees due to the side hill issue, some of the trees are on a prety steep bank but maybe 40 or so I could using drops.Would be less expensive overall. Will still gather using two 5 galllon buckets though for now

[maplehound]

I used to work at a grocery store. The backery used icing from a 2 gallon pail as well as from 4 and 5 gallon pails. the first couple years that I made syrup I used the 2 gallon size to hang from the trees, just like you are thinking of doing. They worked great but during large runs they did sometimes overflow, that is to be expected though. the other problem I had was that the lids where hard to get on and off. I ussually had to empty them through the spile hole or just leave the lid partly on them. Storage is also a real problem with them as they stick together very easily and then are a pain to get apart.

[C.Wilcox]

I used a quite a few icing buckets from the bakery this year. Did they work? Sure. Were they ideal? No. I would have preferred metal pails, but the price was irresistable (free). They held up just fine on the tree. No tearing of the bucket and thanks to a crappy year, no overflows. As maplehound said, the lids can be a bear. I left mine partially off so I could pour the sap out through the space between the lid and the rim of the pail. If you can get a good supply of them I say go for it. When you're done with them for the season just wash them out and stack and store them on their side. That will help keep them from sticking together so much.

[TF Maple]

I left the smallest pails at the bakery, I didn't want them. Most of them here don't have 5 gallon pails, they are three and a half gallon and some are 4 gallon.
I like having them on the ground so I don't have to try and get them hooked on a spout after emptying them. I also don't like clamping the lids on because sometimes they are tuff to get off, especially if your hands are a little cold. I like to get one side against the tree and then put the handle up to hold two other sides of the lid, then it usually stays put. Fast and easy to empty out and with the hole for tubing in the lid, I could swap out the pail if it starts growing mold.
Last year I didn't have to swap any pails because my wife came along every other week with a pail of bleach water and another with rinse water. We washed and rinsed them instead of swapping pails.

[adk1]

I was not planning on attaching them to the tree. I was going to use drops to them on the ground? thoughts?

[Rich Berg]

I had the same problem so I just laid the lid over the 5 gallon bucket
and thankfully nothing got into it. Instead of hanging them, I would
drill a hole slightly smaller than tube and work it in so it acts like
a stabilizer, boy did I need it when the 18 inches of snow melted
and my buckets were suspended in air (had two taps, one on each side)
half full of sap!

[adk1]

yeah, I will do spa sacks on the trees that have a really steep grade and then thinking backery buckets for the rest. Will save alittle up front money to start off.

[maple flats]

On really steep slopes I would run mini tubing runs to a tote or bbl big enough (if you can get to the bottom to empty them) I ran tubing into 15, 30 and 55 gal bbls in the past. Just use the 5/16 tubing. On a steep slope you can easily have 20-25 taps on a line but it is not ideal. I have even heard of some over 50 taps but I am sure they lost some sap from the lower taps because of pressure towards the tap from a full line and taps higher in elevation. Then use the free buckets on flatter or easy to walk areas.

[ADKMAPLE]

all of my trees are on a slope, basically ideal fo gravity tubing but I cnat afford to install tubing the first year, probably never have tubing since it will be a hobby

[maplefrank]

i use grommets .......#4's.....but am thinking about going to a bigger size so i can use hookless spouts.......i have 5,6,6 1/2 gal.plastic pails......a guy in carthage sells them.$3 for a 6 gal

[Homestead Maple]

I was not planning on attaching them to the tree. I was going to use drops to them on the ground? thoughts?
I used drops to 5 gallon round containers like the ones people use to put syrup up in. I had enough of the round containers that I would switch out the container each time I gathered so that I didn't have to dump sap until I got back to the sugar house. These type containers had the round caps and I drilled a hole in the cap just big enough for the tubing. I thought they worked very well for the two years I tapped that way.

[ADKMAPLE]

Hey Homestead Maple, I maybe stealing your name in the future, but not on this board though. When we bought our house, it was the "Homestead". THere is a block of granite out front with Homestead carved into it, a sign on the garage and one on the house...When I get into the making of my own syrup, I will be adding a few new signs titles "Homestead Maple"!

[Ausable]

Hey Homestead Maple, I maybe stealing your name in the future, but not on this board though. When we bought our house, it was the "Homestead". THere is a block of granite out front with Homestead carved into it, a sign on the garage and one on the house...When I get into the making of my own syrup, I will be adding a few new signs titles "Homestead Maple"!

So there is no war going on - call yourself -- (Homestead Maple - Mountain Branch) or something like that ------

[adk1]

:lol: Now thats funny. Seeing as how he lives in NH and I live in NY I dont think its gonna make much difference. I wont change my name on this forum

[Homestead Maple]

Hey Homestead Maple, I maybe stealing your name in the future, but not on this board though. When we bought our house, it was the "Homestead". THere is a block of granite out front with Homestead carved into it, a sign on the garage and one on the house...When I get into the making of my own syrup, I will be adding a few new signs titles "Homestead Maple"!

I think you got a point there. It's obvious to me.