Pros & Cons of WF Mason vs Leader or Others?

You have better be careful. I retired a few ago with the same idea. I am now at 500 + taps and a 3x8.

Wow, planning on retiring in the summer congrats. I bought a canner from Bill this year & I am very happy with it. I also agree you realy need to evaluate,health,who is helping,money,how many trees you have,place to cook, to try to determine where you will be in a few years. It might save you money in the long run if you only buy one bigger rig rather than updating in a year. I cooked for too many years on a small setup. I could have tapped fewer trees but, ITS AN ADDICTION!!!!!!!!!

Dill,

I have a mason 2X4 evap with raised flu's. Not sure how that might compare to dropped tubes, but I love it.
This season after getting the evaporator up to temp, I got mine up to around 25 gallons per hour with dry pine that I split last august. Granted, it went back to 10-15 gph when I got into the pine I cut and split in november.... still kind of damp. Can't wait to see what it does this next season with pine slashings from a saw mill.
Tim

I guess my question is the same as Dill's, does anyone have one of Bill's Drop Tube Evaporators and how has the unit performed?
I emailed Bill several weeks ago and got a very prompt response, he sent it at like 2 AM in the morning.
I recieved his brochure and the 2x6 Drop Tube really has me thinking for 2010. The evaporation rates look fantastic for a small operation like mine.
I'd just like to hear from someone that has been using the unit for a year or two and get some feedback.
Everything I have read about Bill's work & equipment is very good.

I would like to know what a drop tube evaporator is also.

How does a drop tube allow sap to flow throughout the flue pan? Wouldn't it restrict the flow? Instead of being pushed through the flues to the syrup pan seems like it would just stay in the tubes. Please explain.

Wow , haden't been here a a while , was shocked to see my name mentioned with Leader or Phaneuf , I have bought and resold from both and the quality from either is far superior to what I make,Thanks, but my work can't be compaired to either, theres no lazer cnc here , just a well worn path at the end of a welding bench. Some people have that engineering math skill built in , and some just get by like I do.
If you want the best equipment made, you've got four good choices to choose from and WF Mason isn't one of them.

I know a fellow trader here in NWPA that has one. He does not post though. I'm not sure if it is a WF Mason. It's a 2X4 and he likes it very much. Think of the flue pan as a dropped open pan. The flue gases actually go through the stainless tubes. Heat is radiated 360 degrees through the sap in the pan. It was last year when I saw it and can't remember if there was dividers to establish gradiant in the flue pan.

Bill you're not giving yourself enough credit. Your pans my not be quite as pretty as the ones made by the big guys but they are every bit as functional and far superior to the ones made by GMB and Wes Fab.

In the 7 years that I have been on this site I can't remember ever seeing a complaint about you or your equipment. I can't say that about some of the competition.

I am looking for an evaporator and on ebay their is a 3x8 made by Patrick Phaneuf out of Quebec Canada are they any good. I have been looking at the Dallaire 3x8