Anybody try one of these? Pros/cons?
Anybody try one of these? Pros/cons?
Tim Whitens
Willow Creek Farm
Fulton, NY
3000 on vacuum, 3hp 3ph Busch pump, 2567 Gast
30X8 Leader oil-fired evap. w/ steamaway
Airablo 1000 RO
6 Alpacas
I heard the newer units have ss pumps that do not contain heavy metals.
2x6 Smokey Lake raised flue w/AUF
16x30 Sugar Shack
7" SL SS filter press
Smokey Lake water jacketed finish pan & bottler
350 RO
517 taps and I seem to keep finding more!
Heres my thoughts. I love the concept but the odd size papers concern me a little bit i know they are same price now but down the road if these arnt popular they could be hard to get and cost more. Second thing is that a sugarmaker not far from me had one plate break and blow out the side. Luckly he had just stepped out of the room and heard the pop and looked back to find syrup all over. Maybe just a bad plate etc but imagine the severe burns had him or a customer been watching the syrup flow thru the nice clear plates. Maybe just a one in a million thing, maybe leader updated plate design now i dont know but still would concern me a bit.
11x29 sugarhouse
2x8 airtight arch homemade with waterloo flue pan, welded syrup pan and parallel flow preheater hood
250gph cdl ro
1100+ taps for 2014, approx 1000 of them vac
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crowh...5582993?ref=hl
I appreciate the input. That busted plate sounds suspect to me. Never know with new concepts like this.
Thanks
Tim Whitens
Willow Creek Farm
Fulton, NY
3000 on vacuum, 3hp 3ph Busch pump, 2567 Gast
30X8 Leader oil-fired evap. w/ steamaway
Airablo 1000 RO
6 Alpacas
Yea that worried me too. Now that was maybe 2 years ago so maybe improvements have been made or just a casting flaw etc but i gota admit a blown paper is dangerous and messy enough i hate to see a plate itself blow out.
11x29 sugarhouse
2x8 airtight arch homemade with waterloo flue pan, welded syrup pan and parallel flow preheater hood
250gph cdl ro
1100+ taps for 2014, approx 1000 of them vac
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crowh...5582993?ref=hl
I don't recall the exact specifics, but I think after a few of the early models had problems, Leader redesigned the clear press frames and added reinforcement to prevent such occurrences. I'm pretty sure they replaced all the early presses free of charge once this change was adopted.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Good to know thank you Dr Tim
11x29 sugarhouse
2x8 airtight arch homemade with waterloo flue pan, welded syrup pan and parallel flow preheater hood
250gph cdl ro
1100+ taps for 2014, approx 1000 of them vac
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crowh...5582993?ref=hl
I personally will never stray from cast iron due to the dependability, but it retains heat for such a long time.
I've heard those plastic plates dissipate heat extremely well; sure beats being quick-fingered though!
I'm glad leaders got that sorted out. Sounds like a nightmare, markct.
Buck Hollow Maple
tech.BuckHollowMaple.com
www.BuckHollowMaple.com
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2,500 'taps over 150 acres of Maple woodland
Mostly pipeline & some buckets
first year with 15 frame clear pres with air pump .wow! this thing rocks !!
Same over here, got a Leader Clear Press from Richards in Chardon this year and used it for the first time last night (if 11:59 PM still qualifies as night)
Never having run a plate press; I wasn't too sure what to expect and checked and re-checked everything twice. The pneumatic pump is a thing of beauty...easy to control speed and was able to empty the press of all but a few drops of syrup.
Clean up was a piece of cake (pun intended) as that's all that was left in there...
I spoke to a Leader rep in Albion last year. He said that they had re-called all of the early plates to be exchanged with the new design and new orders were on hold until that campaign had been completed. THAT is customer service!
John Allin
14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.