I'm new and green

[mike_belben]

Wow.. Thats a big operation for buckets.  Is plumbing in a gravity collection system not feasible?

[Cub]

They just never wanted to make the investment. And once the plumbing is in you can't do much logging. Although I haven't helped in years they have decided to start slowly going to plumbing and a vacuum system simply because they can't find help to tap and gather anymore.

[lopet]

Yeah , a lot of the bigger producers up my way are milking the trees with vacuum pumps.  ;D  A big tote here and a big tote there, pull up with your even bigger tank and transfer. Seems to work pretty slick but I have no idea of what kinda investment it takes.  But then when I was told by one guy who put in a new evaporator  for 22K I thought there must be money in it to be made. Maybe you just have to go big. :D

[mike_belben]

Food grade totes are $75-150 usd used.  Chinese vacuum pumps start at $100.  Good hvac grade units probably go up to $1000 or so.  Tubing probably isnt that bad by the pallet. 

Id bet a vac setup is cheaper than wages and workmans comp for manual collection in the first year.

[Corley5]

  A high vacuum pump capable of 25"hg on a tight tubing system will double your sap output.  A complete unit ready to hook up, sized for 1,500-2,500 taps costs in the neighborhood of $4,000.00
  Average production with buckets is around 2/10 of a gallon of finished syrup per tap per season.  Average per tap with high vacuum is 4/10 of a gallon. 
  All maple equipment must be certified NSF.     

[celliott]

Food grade totes are $75-150 usd used.  Chinese vacuum pumps start at $100.  Good hvac grade units probably go up to $1000 or so.  Tubing probably isnt that bad by the pallet. 

Id bet a vac setup is cheaper than wages and workmans comp for manual collection in the first year.

We have two $25,000 Busch screw vacuum pumps. A typical vacuum tubing installation will run $12-18 per tap. That's just the tubing system, less tanks (SS sap tanks upwards of $2-3 per gallon) releaser, vac pumps, transfer pumps, on and on and on. It is not a cheap game and you have to do it right. It's a food product you are selling.
We are installing a 200,000 tap operation, we built a 75x150 sugarhouse on site. Sap is piped upwards of 4 miles before it hits a tank. Tubing is $45 per 500' roll, we did 2000 rolls this year, that many again the next 3.

That many buckets is just too much work. Like Corley said, you want a 2/10 of a gallon per tap (maybe a good year on buckets) or 1/2 gallon per tap (good year on vac/tubing)

[Corley5]

  My new Leader set up with evaporator (pans, hoods, arch, stacks), vacuum pump (3hp 1,500-2,500 taps ;) ;D), reverse osmosis machine, tubing, fittings, tools and accessories for 2,000 taps, filter press and other necessary stuff, along with renovation to an existing farm building to house it all is about equal in value to a new extended cab 4X4 diesel pickup.

[celliott]

M wife and I are looking at buying our first house (150-180k) and my boss said the RO machine that just arrived costs what your house does 

[mike_belben]

Yikes.  Canada better keep those prices stable.

[Cub]

Finally figured out the picture thing. So as requested here's a picture of the old iron mule for you guys. Not fancy or pretty but works good and does the job

[coxy]

them things always crack me up when looking at them  they all look like there going to brake in half the way the front goes down hill like the center pins are long gone   remember most things with fancy paint makes a fancy payment  :D

[Firewoodjoe]

Those center pins are bad I'd say. They shouldn't sit like that 😋

[thecfarm]

Thanks for the picture.
I always like to see pictures of it working too.

[loggerman1959]

Welcome cub , love to hear about a young guy not afraid to work . Its getting to be a rare,thing these days. This is a great forum and you will learn a lot from these guys

[Cub]

Yeah horizontal pin needs replacing. Vertical pin is good yet. But I have to work it a little bit to make some extra money to get it replaced. All in time. 

[Cub]

 

[Firewoodjoe]

If you can catch it before it wears into the pin. The bearings aren't that much money. What's the other mule?

[Cub]

I know the parts aren't very expensive. It's the labor to have someone do the job. I don't feel confident enough to do it.
The other mule is my buddies 4510.