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Thread: cost and availability of used vac setup for under 100 taps in connecticut

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Broad Brook, Connecticut
    Posts
    540

    Default cost and availability of used vac setup for under 100 taps in connecticut

    I am curious as to the cost of a used vacuum setup would be. I am guessing all i would need (besides lines and fittings) is the releaser and vac pump? Is a moisture trap needed? If anyone in connecticut is growing out of their smaller vac setup please let me know i may be interested. Thanks!
    -dave
    2011-8 Taps on a very crude block arch
    2012- 38 taps 2 X 3 with blower.
    2013- 70 taps total-50 on tubing, 20 on buckets
    2014- 75 taps- Low vacuum, 2X4 drop flue
    2015- 100 taps-2X6 Mason Drop Tube, low vac
    2016-115 taps high vac, 60 taps buckets
    14X20 post and beam shack with attached 10X14 wood shed
    12 beehives and an avid waterfowl hunter.
    Wishing I can quit my day job, keep bees, farm, and make syrup!
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moshe...40072296064422

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
    Posts
    1,116

    Default

    you could build or buy one like a bender, then get a small pump for around $100, or you could spend the money up front and buy a pump like the maple guys guzzler, so you wouldnt need a releaser or moister trap(which are cheaply made), but that pump is around $600 where a releaser and pump would cost around $3-400
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Springville, NY
    Posts
    134

    Default

    I have also been thinking about vacuum for the last two years on around 50-75 trees on flat land but not sure it would be worth it, can be done, and what exactly I would need as far as pump, releaser, etc. I'm kinda of lost when it comes to the terminology of the items needed for a vacuum system.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Bow, NH
    Posts
    622

    Default

    Guys - I'm just finishing a 120 tap 1/2" gravity system on a new bush. Ran the numbers for putting a "guzzler" system in. The numbers say, that the gravity system, averaging .25 g of syrup per tap per season over a 5 year period has a lower unit (sap) cost than the "guzzler" averaging .45 g of syrup per tap per season. I'm pretty confident my gravity system will average over .25 per season. No idea if a guzzler would increase the average yield to .45 per season over 5 years. Happy to send you the spreadsheet. Bruce
    Bruce Treat
    825 Sugar Maple Taps
    3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
    H2O RO
    H2O 2.5 X 8
    Bow, New Hampshire

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Sandstone, Minnesota
    Posts
    483

    Default

    Last year my gravity system on 400 foot of 1/2 inch mainline 30 taps gave me around 25 to 30 gallons a day. The catch was the season was only about 3-4 days long. So not much to judge by.
    It worked very well and at least gave me someting to measure by for a normal year, which I hope this year is.
    Woodsman
    Scarlet Jewell Sugar Shack LLC
    Sandstone, MN 55072
    16 x 24 sugar shack
    crescendo auto drawoff,

    Home built ro with a Dow xle 4040 membrane.
    1 1/2 hp motor on 220 drawing 8 amps
    Gravity feed


    300 taps on vacuum

    2 x 6 Smokey Lake Corsair arch with blower and pans and preheater
    1529 Massey Ferguson, Yamaha Wolverine

    https://www.facebook.com/ScarletJewellSugarShack

    Instagram. Mapleshack

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOnmFMBgU10

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
    Posts
    1,116

    Default

    also a gravity system is quite a bit different that a vac system, you use about the same amount of tubing etc. but like last year, when it was very bad most people on gravity got a quarter of sap they usually did, while people on vacuum got half of what they usually did. ive heard several people say several people say that vac saved there season, and one the really good years you will get even more
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Waddington NY
    Posts
    144

    Default

    We struggled with this for many years ! There is NO way were going to suck the sap out of the tree, but as times change so does the demand for more maple products ! There is no more trees to tap then guess what you'll be doing adding vacuum system and managing your woods a lot better , and yes vacuum saved our season last year. We now have 3 systems set up on vacuum. We only run 18 -20 inches and the return last year was .4 gallons syrup per tap. We still had syrup to sell all year:-)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Broad Brook, Connecticut
    Posts
    540

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    So is it feasable to get a used pump, releaser, new 500 feet of mainline, new fittings etc for less than $500? $750? Where do i find used setups? I have heard dairy farms but i am uneasy (perhaps without cause) of merging used equipment from different places and make thd system up myself. Is this an unjustified concern? Where did you all get your firstvac systems?
    2011-8 Taps on a very crude block arch
    2012- 38 taps 2 X 3 with blower.
    2013- 70 taps total-50 on tubing, 20 on buckets
    2014- 75 taps- Low vacuum, 2X4 drop flue
    2015- 100 taps-2X6 Mason Drop Tube, low vac
    2016-115 taps high vac, 60 taps buckets
    14X20 post and beam shack with attached 10X14 wood shed
    12 beehives and an avid waterfowl hunter.
    Wishing I can quit my day job, keep bees, farm, and make syrup!
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moshe...40072296064422

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Waddington NY
    Posts
    144

    Default

    We bought the released from Leader ($ 900.00) a new CONDE vac pump and new tubing had about 8.00 a tap invested. I know that is more than you want to spend,but you,ll be glad you did in the end when you have product to sell year round. This equipment should last at least 10 years so 5000.00 would only be 500.00 a year. Or about 12 gallons syrup a year.
    Last edited by SWEETER CREATIONS; 02-01-2013 at 07:17 PM. Reason: forgot total amount of syrup

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Broad Brook, Connecticut
    Posts
    540

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spencer11 View Post
    you could build or buy one like a bender, then get a small pump for around $100, or you could spend the money up front and buy a pump like the maple guys guzzler, so you wouldnt need a releaser or moister trap(which are cheaply made), but that pump is around $600 where a releaser and pump would cost around $3-400
    Curious as to why a releaser would.not be necessary for the guzzler. Just checked it out online. What makes it unique?
    2011-8 Taps on a very crude block arch
    2012- 38 taps 2 X 3 with blower.
    2013- 70 taps total-50 on tubing, 20 on buckets
    2014- 75 taps- Low vacuum, 2X4 drop flue
    2015- 100 taps-2X6 Mason Drop Tube, low vac
    2016-115 taps high vac, 60 taps buckets
    14X20 post and beam shack with attached 10X14 wood shed
    12 beehives and an avid waterfowl hunter.
    Wishing I can quit my day job, keep bees, farm, and make syrup!
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moshe...40072296064422

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