Leader Supreme float box/attachment

[DrOriginal]

Ok, I've fought with this thing all season. Has anyone ever gotten the float attachmemt for the Supreme pan to work properly? Its not an actual box on the side, it attaches into the 1st channel. The problem I have is I want to run the pan about 1.25". If I do that the float is on the bottom of the pan. So when I draw off nothing extra runs in. I still have to go over and let more sap in.
And the 2nd question. Are inlet ports a standard size? If I wanted to attach a float box. I have two 1/2" ports. Are most float boxes 1/2" inlets?
Thanks for all your help. Learned so much from this forum!

[mol1jb]

On my 2x6 the float inlet is 2”. Most pans are around that size so they can respond quick if the float needs to add a lot of sap. On a smaller pan setup smaller would work but 1/2 inch seems too small.

[buckeye gold]

I have a smokey lake full pint hybrid and it has a float box, the inlet is 1" I believe. I have seen pictures of the float on the supreme and never thought it looked like a good design

[steve J]

I got a 2x4 supreme pan and have same issue and to get the syrup to flow out of the center properly its needs to run between 1 inch and 1.25. I also have two gates to reduce the size of the openings between channels due to all the back washing. And like you when I am ready to draw I have to release the float which than pushes the syrup thru and gives me enough depth to than draw syrup. its poorly designed.

[DrOriginal]

The Smokey Lake being 1", I might be able to take that down to 1/2" and make that work. Might not look good but can't work any worse then the one I have. I didn't want to buy a 3rd party float box not knowing the sizes.
And my pan ends up running at 1.5" and then I never get syrup because it's so deep. And yes, 1" to 1.25" seems to be ideal, but I just can't hit it. This expensive float is just a fancier version of the cheap hose I used last year. It's frustrating! Nice to know it's not user error on my part.

[pete3046]

I have not actually run a Leader supreme pan, but was considering getting one at one point. I have 2x4 SL hybrid pan with an external float box with 1” inlet and it does work very well. But I had one question/thought for you, why do you not run the pan at 2”? It will take more time/sap to get the pan sweet, but once the pan is sweet at 2”, and you leave it sweet, the pan might run better. That’s what I’ve found with my pan. If I try to ‘force’ syrup out with a 1” to 1.25” fluid level, it does not run well at all and potentially sets me up for a problem. Next year I may actually increase the fluid depth to 2.25” and then run as much sap as I can through it. At the end of session, I’ll drain/collect all the sweet fluid in the pan and finish it separately for about 1.5gal of syrup. Also, have you talked to Leader about your float issues? They have been using an internal float arrangement for over 40years on their smaller evaporators and I’m sure they know how to work it correctly.

[steve J]

Pete once you go over 1.25 inch in the pan on a 2x4 your boil rate drops considerably it defeats why you upgraded to the pan in the first place. I this this company does really well on making equipment for large producers. But companies like Smokey Lake appear to make better designed pans for the smaller producer. But thats just my opinion.

[maple flats]

On my 3x8 Thor the inlet to the cold sap float box is only 1", but with my head tank bottom at 18" above that it has never failed to be too small. The interesting part is that the 2 float boxes on the syrup pan are 1.25", while the sap inlet is only 1".

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Our 2x6 has 1.25” float inlet and 1” from there on down.