I have 500 of the BME straight stainless spiles and like them alot.
Printable View
I have 500 of the BME straight stainless spiles and like them alot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Groves
I'd like to know if this is true as well. I'm looking to buy new spouts tomorrow and I'd rather spend the extra $$ on metal than to have to throw away the plastic at the end of a season. What's the life expectancy of the plastic spouts?
Also, seems to me that in a 'natural' business/hobby such as this they would make the spouts out of recyclable plastic. The few that I have seen don't have a number on them. Anyone have spouts with the recycle symbol on them?
Keith
Keith,
The recycling ag plastics program (RAPP) is now recycling used tubing. The newer stuff at least. You don't have to remove the fittings when you recycle it so I assume the newer spouts and t's are recyclable.
I think the Lapierre seasonal spouts are recyclable.
I know this is a little off subject but what is the differance between the 5/16 and 7/16 taps. They say in the leader catalog they have comparible results. This year Im tapping a new bush that has my tanks in the middle. I decided to run one half 5/16 and the other 7/16 because thats what I had left over from the other bush. There will be about 10 extra 5/16 on one side. i didnt really plan on this being an experiment I just did not want to have to change bits every other tree. It will be interesting to see if there is a differance. By the way the 5/16 are from leader and the 7/16 say maple power on them. Ive never had a problem with either but its much more difficult to install line on the leaders big barbs.
Jeff;)
Hey Wanabe,
Not an answer to your question but I had 7/16" taps that I got rid of and replaced with the 5/16". I liked the idea of the smaller tap size but wanted to see if the reduction in size would mean a reduction in sap collected. As it turns out most of the info I found says that there is no reduction in the amount of sap collected by going with the smaller tap.
I'd be interested in your results after this season... and possibly next season in comparison if you were to use the same taps in the same trees.
Small world, I grew up just north of you in Lake Luzerne. Moved down to Altamont for work. Sure wish I was back up there as I love the mtns and the snow... something that we are lacking down here!
Keith
I am looking at a stubbie right now and it has a 3 stamped on the side. All it has for a maker is a maple leaf. I would have to say they are PCV most likley.Quote:
Originally Posted by stoweski
Colored spouts are food grade nylon....very recyclable.Quote:
Originally Posted by stoweski
Most current 5/16" tubing formulations are some type of polyethylene and therefore is also easy to recycle. If it is very old tubing, it is probably PVC, and thus less desirable for recycling. You should NOT mix the two types of tubing when you bring it for recycling.
I think with gravity, you are probably going to get at least 20% more syrup with 7/16. I have another producer close to me that has high tap counts on laterals, sagging laterals, etc and he always gets significantly more sap than I do and he uses all 7/16" spouts on gravity and I have all my laterals stretched tight, use mainlines which he doesn't and etc and he still gets a lot more sap.
Vacuum, I don't think it will make much of a difference.
I used the BME stainless spouts this year on gravity tubing, and they worked awesome. I can't compare them to 7/16 tubing spouts, but compared to 7/16 traditional ss bucket spouts, I got more sap from the 5/16 BME spouts on tubing. Most of my mature trees produced at least 20 gallons of sap/tap. But then I had ideal weather this year also. But I'm hooked on the BME stainless spouts.