You will find the need to clean the front pan will vary each season, and what someone else needs, may not be what you need.
I determine if I need to clean the front pan, when either cold or at least not at a rapid boil, by using a nylon spatula. Facing the blade about 45 degrees away from you , push down lightly and pull the spatula towards you, if it slides without drag, no cleaning, if you feel a drag, clean it. I think I will finally need to clean the pan for the first time this season and I have put about 2500 gal of sap thru it, boiling 4 days. I will not know til I get to the sugarhouse in about an hour. I had a big draw near the end of boiling yesterday (auto draw), which brought a good amount of lower density from the back pan to the front, sometimes just that will loosen the sugarsand on the bottom but a long draw near the end of a boil doesn't happen very often. Some years I need to clean every day. I also have a flue pan washer, I use that about 2-3 times a season.
The cleaning interval often changes thru out the season too, what you need this week can change and often does later in the season.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.