I have the 4 strole briggs 2" and all I ever do is run it dry at the end of the sap season and put it away till next season:)
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I have the 4 strole briggs 2" and all I ever do is run it dry at the end of the sap season and put it away till next season:)
yea i would love to have something that pumps a bit faster too, but one of my tanks is about 60 ft down in a valley from where i can park the truck, and about 20 ft elevation rise so to pump out this tank i carry the pump down to the tank and connect it to the pump line i have laid up the hill and then pump that way. i can easily carry a 1 inch pump and short hose with me, but i would have a struggle carrying a 2 inch pump that far alone so the small pumps do have there applications. and i wouldnt want to try and prime a pump sucking sap up that far if i left the pump on the truck as some guys do with the largerQuote:
Originally Posted by maplemat1
pumps
Same reason I use a 1" pump, it is a lot lighter and easier to transport as I have to carry it to tanks to pump to the tractor up to 50 yards away and easier to transport on the tractor too.
If you can drive right up to a bulk tank(s) with your collection vehicle and you have hundreds or even a thousand gallons of sap to move, then yes, the larger pumps would be more practical.
On the other side of it, if your a smaller producer, with smaller collection vessels, in hard to reach areas, possibly a bad back, with a smaller maple budget, with children who like to help with collecting, etc., etc., then the 1" pumps are ideal.
I have the opportunity to purchase, from a friend, a fire truck with a 500gpm pump. That set-up would make all you guys out there with 2 and 3" pumps look like they came with some Barbie & Ken dolls.
Am I going to buy the truck for sap? Probably not. (But it would be neat!) Just trying to say that everybody's situation is different. Theres no need to try to brow beat someone into a large engine and pump if they don't need it.
Steve
I have the same 1" 2-stroke pump from TSC. It worked great last year without any issues...even when my wife left it outside full of sap and it froze solid. All it did was leak a bit and it finished out the season like that...a little RTV sealant and good to go. It is a bit loud, but it weighs nothing, pumps great, simple, easy to fix, and cheap. I like 2-strokes because they're simple. If something goes wrong, it's usually the rings. Put in a new set of rings and you're all set. As far as fuel effiency, I pumped about 6000 gallons into the truck then moving it around the SH and I don't think I went through more than a gallon of gas. Unless you're moving 10's of thousands of gallons of sap, I don't think fuel efficiency is much of a concern. If they're properly tuned and wide open, they don't stink. Did I mention it didn't weigh anything. I think it's rated for 9 lbs and I haven't found one close to that.
Happened to be in Tractor supply picking up a couple of things today and noticed the pump Josh referred to had been reduced to $ 219 from $ 239 and it looked like a very nice pump.
I've got a Wajax fire pump that you've got to lean into the when it's pumping.
It's high compression so I don't think the wife has been able to start it for 10 years.
I've used a Honda mower for 25 years. Starts 1st pull every time. With all the extra taps we getting this year, the wife will be doing a lot of the collecting so easy starting is #1. And then we only fill a pair of 35 gallon tanks on the Gator so a 1" will do fine. The hose weight will be easier for her too. Honda here we come.
Brandon, I think when I bought it last year it was $269. That's cheap money for a pump. Aren't the honda's in the $400 range?
Another thing. You don't want a pump that's too big. They're heavy and you don't need to be able to pump 100 gpm unless you're emptying a 1000 gal tank every day. The TSC pump pumps 37 gpm which fills/empties my truck tank in about 6 minutes. It gives you time to check the tanks over, releaser, some taps, and etc. The 1" pumps are a good all-purpose pump.
Josh,
I think it had a Mitsubishi engine on it and was a nice looking pump.
That is correct. It runs and pumps great.