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Thread: To buy a mainline drill or not to buy a main line drill...

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Sault Ontario
    Posts
    1,016

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    I didn't even know a mainline bit existed until this year.
    I drilled holes with a cordless last year by hand and had no issues, never went through the other side. I do not dill hundreds of holes , so maybe if you do many holes the jig idea may be the way to go, cant hurt.

    I may even set up a jig this year as I hope to run a much longer mainline.

    Gotta love this site.

    Terry
    2011- 35 taps, ,,,milk juggs and buckets-propane turkey fryer !!
    2012 -75 taps,,,,, 40 on tubing into buckets, and 35 buckets - 3nd hand Homemade arch, brutal.
    2013- Just over 115 taps and still adding more.
    2014, new SS flat pan and new arch built, guessing 75-100 taps this year.
    2015, 50 taps on Shurflo pump.
    2016- Getting a line across my creek this year.
    2017-took a year off, Jamaica was fun !
    2018- 45 trees tapped, keeping it fun !

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Hoosick Falls
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    2,000

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    Having chased a leak for several minutes over three days, just to find it was a saddle with the gasket that slipped on a cold day. I use a tool. I would suggest that at the least you use a block of wood to keep the hole as perfect as possible. The leak that can start from a less than perfect hole will hurt your production over the life of the mainline.

    Yes I am a micro manager...Watch the Pennies and the Dollars will take care of themselves. if you prevent just one leak it will payback large dividends over the20-25 year life of that mainline.

    Ben

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    South Colton, NY
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    I realize the main point of your question was cost and the quality of the hole and I think the replies so far have addressed that. What I would to add is that the mainline drill is my favorite tool to use in the whole operation -- it is just plain fun to use.
    3,100 taps
    60 cfm flood
    HC2
    5 by 14 oil

    Brian

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
    Posts
    5,807

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sunday Rock Maple View Post
    I realize the main point of your question was cost and the quality of the hole and I think the replies so far have addressed that. What I would to add is that the mainline drill is my favorite tool to use in the whole operation -- it is just plain fun to use.
    I bought one last year because I was replacing a mainline and didn't want to have to carry the drill around to put in the manifolds. You are right, it is fun to use!
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hopkinton, MA
    Posts
    1,795

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    I sucked it up and bought one the day before this thread started. I was going to make a block/jig and it probably would have been fine, but this is my first of hopefully many more mainlines and I figure getting it at the beginning would give me the best return on it. I also thought that if I screwed up even just one hole, I'd be living with it for the next ten years.

    The cost is no joke, though. When it came, I held it up to my wife and played the game, "Guess How Much I Paid for This?". She started at $20. At $60, she was laughing.

    It was the longest game of "Guess How Much...?" we've ever had.

    Sean
    Woodville Maples
    www.woodvillemaples.com
    www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
    Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
    Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
    2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
    Deer Run 250 RO
    Ford F350
    6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
    Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Adirondacks
    Posts
    2,786

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    Depends on how many saddles you have to put it. When I first started I was in the same situation and almost bought the actual mainline drill. Then I came upon the mainline punch. It cost $12 and takes about 10 seconds to put a perfect hole in your mainline. I bought it through leader. It's blue
    FIRST GENERATION SUGARMAKER
    First boil 2/22/2012! Went Pefect!
    3,500' of laterals
    1,000' of mainline
    2012 - 105 taps on gravity, 12 sap sacks.
    2013 - 175 taps on gravity, 25 on sacks = 200 taps for 2013! Second year.
    2014 - 250 taps on gravity, 25 on sacks
    Tapped on February 16, 2014
    2015 - adding vac sap puller no more gravity for me!
    275 gallon holding tank for 2014
    20'x30' Sugarhouse

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,675

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    I made a jig and used it for 12-13 years, it was OK but cumbersome. Last year I saw a mainline drill bit (use in a cordless drill) and bought it. Cost $16-17, it is a super stubby, that cuts super clean holes and is too short to reach thru to the other side of a mainline even if you use 1/2" mains. It is made by DSD, our sponsor carries them, The Maple Guys. It worked so well, I bought 2 more just to be sure if I lost one I'd have another. To use it you need nothing to hold it in place on the main, just push it against the main where you want the hole, support the mainline from under it, and pull the trigger. perfect, neat hole, every time.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought 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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