I think it was in the spring sale period (of 2012?) I got prices from Leader to get a new set of pans for my 3x8 arch. Leader came in at about $15,000 for raised flue pan 3x5 and a 3x3 same side draw syrup pan. Then another producer (Thad Blaisdel, no longer active on MT) suggested I check out Thor. I had them price a 3x5 raised flue pan with 10" tall flues, and a 3x3 syrup pan, cross flow, same side draw. I had the sides made 4" higher than standard to minimize sap jump over the sides. There price came in at just under $8,000 US. Thor's price included all of the valves and fittings/SS piping. At that time I also priced a SS hood, but they wanted $1850 so I said I would make one. I had made my previous 3 hoods.
I drove up to the factory to get it. When I got there they asked if I had made my hood yet, (I was waiting to build it to fit the pan). I asked why they were asking. It turned out they had a ready made hood from a demo 3x8 that had gotten dented in the factory. I looked at the hood and they had to show me the dents, they were not immediately evident. The 2 dents were very minor. I asked how much, they then only wanted $800 US, so we loaded that too, along with the steam vent pipes, 2@ 15" SS take offs, welded on, and the first 3' of 15" stack for each, one had a lockable damper to regulate the steam in the flue pan hood. My wife and I talked it over for about 5 seconds and said, load that too.
I had a 2001 F250 super cab at that time. We filled the 6.5' long box, with the tailgate down and as many smaller parts as I could fit went in the back seat. I could not fit the 2 lengths of 15" steam pipe. The man I had dealt with over the phone (the only one that spoke English at the time {Arnold Raymond, he is now retired}) said he was driving to Fla in a few weeks, and he would bring the 2 stack pipes, which he did deliver on his way to visit his brother in Fla.
Their quality is very good as are I suspect most full time pan manufacturers.
A year later I found one weld that had come loose, on the end of one partition. I called them, they said they would repair it, at the factory. I asked if that same guy was going to be driving to Fla again to transport it, and he was not, I would need to pack it to ship it or drive it there. They then said I could just take it to a local welder and they would pay the invoice. I did that and they re-embursed me quickly.
I have a hard time finding the dents in the hood, they were very minor.
The only issue I ran into with Thor, turned out to be a Leader Evaporator issue. My old pans were labeled 3x2 syrup and 3x6 flue, I took them for accurate rather than measuring. When I set the new pans, a 3x3 and a 3x5 on the arch they were too long. The old pans had a 1" thick FG gasket between them, the new had a 1/4" woven gasket, but the new pans ended up being 1.5" too long for the space. I had already sold the old pans so I could not measure them, but the old Leader pans combined were almost 3" shorter, the 1" gasket space and then at the back I had about 1/2" space before the base stack collar. Thor build their pans exactly 3x3 and 3x5, Leader had not. I ended up removing the original base stack and made a new one that gave me the needed room.
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.
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Originally Posted by tcross
