Nik's Poulan Thread

[redunshee]

It's the keeping up with boiling down the gallons of sap you get that is hard. I used to do just one BIG tree in my front yard every year. Dang, that was a lot of wood to cut for a few gallons of syrup at the end. Did it all on top of my heater in the cabin..no worries about the air being "too dry" in the cabin in the winter! HAHAHAHA

It was the smallest most low tech syruping evah....delicious stuff though.
I imagine there must be some youtuber vids of doing it small scale. I just bought a few taps and went for it, spaced around the tree. Hung buckets from them..when she flows look out! You'll be hopping to keep up! Gallonsandgallonsandgallons... You boil it down and it takes a lot of sap boiled to get one gallon of syrup!

the big operations use tube feeds down to the sugaring house, and the dealie they use looks a lot like a gold sluice thing, a washboard sorta. ripples in it. Mass quantities of wood in short log length to keep it going.

I just used a big pot.

Yup. I've helped a friend in Vermont tap and boil. He installs taps in mid to late Feb. expecting the first run.(Warm days , cold nights). Normal ratio is 48/1 sap to syrup. He uses an RO to remove alot of the water first, thereby reducing boiling time. He made 1200 gallons last year. Its the only maple syrup I'll use.
Bob
PS Boiling indoors will leave sticky stuff all over your kitchen.

 

[zogger]

Yup. I've helped a friend in Vermont tap and boil. He installs taps in mid to late Feb. expecting the first run.(Warm days , cold nights). Normal ratio is 48/1 sap to syrup. He uses an RO to remove alot of the water first, thereby reducing boiling time. He made 1200 gallons last year. Its the only maple syrup I'll use.
Bob
PS Boiling indoors will leave sticky stuff all over your kitchen.

Back then I just had an old cabin. I opened all the windows. And by old cabin I am being polite to myself, it was a shack. It wasn't even as well built as one of those backyard storage barns you get today.

Only did it for a few years, the wood I cut wasn't worth it really, just did it for a hoot and to be more self sufficient in my eats department. I grew around 90% of my food then, that and fishing and some cluckers was my primary fare.

Ya, sticky. I liked to chug down partially boiled sap, always wondered why no one offered "maple pop" in the can or bottle with that stuff. Wouldn't need to be boiled down very far at all to qualify as sweet and tasty. I mean right from the tree it is pretty sweet as-is.

 

[OhioGregg]

Haha, This brings back memory's, making maple syrup on a hobby scale. Been probably 15-20 years since I made syrup.
I first tried boiling sap in a pan on top of a wood burning box stove. Was hard to keep it hot enough, since the flame doesn't touch the pan. The next year, I used a LP gas grill. Took out the cooking grates, and set the pan down near the flame. Worked OK, but was expensive and a pain to keep getting the gas refilled.

The next year I bought a stainless steel syrup finishing pan from one of the major suppliers, and built a wood burner from a 55gal. drum. Cut & made a frame to hold the pan. It worked very well. At least was getting the flame directly to the pan, and could use wood.:msp_tongue: Would spend all day out in the shop boiling sap, slow process on a small scale like this. When it was close to being "ready", I would transfer it to a pot, and take it in the kitchen to finish.
Would put it in pint & quart jars.

Been so long, I don't even remember what I did with all my stuff. Thermometer, test cup, hydrometer, filtering papers & felt.:msp_confused: I used to use saved up 1gal. milk jugs to collect sap. Would cut hole in jug so could hang them on the spiles. Would have to collect twice a day when it was flowing good. Used a 32gal. trash can as a sap storage container. Was a lot of work, but fun just the same. Wish I was into saws then, like I am now. Would have had something to occupy my time out in the shop, while making syrup. LOL Old Poulans & Maple syrup make a good combo.


Gregg,

 

[zogger]

This economy is rough on many of us anymore. Lots of people being forced to work long hours for little pay. Thanks for checking in with us, we got quite a bit of info from you last time and although I didn't comment before I was there listening in. I hope your friend comes out of this with as little wear and tear as possible.

The big companies are stacking the deck against the little guy. Look at how they are harassing the raw milk folks like the amish now, dang armed goons and raids and so on.

--anyway, got my first WT up and running yesterday, just need to dial it in better. Dang, how many turns out does it take..ha. Seems like a lot compared to the older ones.

Instead of using two sizes of lines and the tank nipple, I just drilled out the smaller hole and used the same size.

That one I will muff mod, then see about a new cheap ring and do my first amateur filing and grinding on the intake and exhaust, just a little widening, see how that goes.

It started and ran much better once I got the right line on the right carb tube Lucky for me the purge valve still worked.....

 

[jerrycmorrow]

... Dang, how many turns out does it take.......

that IS the question of the decade. always been a crap shoot for me and even when i think i got it dialed in i'm still not sure. i be curious to know the answer when you get it dialed in.

 

[kujo]

Poulan people!! I have a old 2300 and I think the manual tells me to run 32:1 mix in it. I should look again, I have all the paperwork for it, even the receipt and original warranty card! It looks real blue burning but I always tend to go rich on my mix rather than light. Anyway I'm getting a new Stihl saw and I haven't read the manual yet but I would think that its going to take modern 50:1 synthetic. So can I run my old Poulan on the same mixed fuel?

Thanks-

 

[crowellmachine]

I know how I can put a "poulan" spin on the syrup gig! I will find grampa's drill attachment for
micro's. That is what he used to tap trees with.

On the syrup thing, we are just on a hobbyist level. Purely for novelty, memories and fun. I think we made 4 gal. last year. Had 9 trees tapped at dads house. Our farm is 60 miles away....There
is an unreal potential for syrup over there. But I think gram is probably a little too old to be a sap
tender.........she turned 80 in december. Still mows the hayfields though.....7 ft rotary mower, 584 International.

KJC

 

[kujo]

I used to go help my aunt make syrup at her place. I was too young to really know what was happening technically but it was fun. I remember we needed a HOT fire when cooking it down. Years later I poured her a new pad for the cooker and then moved a year latter so no more fresh maple syrup for me:frown:.

 

[crowellmachine]

Hey Karl, that is a tough place for him to be in. My grandfather was a retired dairy farmer, and even though it was a long time ago, being a little guy in that industry is tough. I hope things look up for him soon.

I need to learn how to tap maples. I have a few nice sugar maples on my property and would like to try making some syrup, but don't want to drain the entire tree because of my lack of knowledge.

Nick

Nick, here are some rough guidelines:

10 min. tree dia. =1 tap
around 14"-16"= 2 taps
around 20"= 3 taps

Three taps is generally enough on big trees, adding a 4th will usually just put less sap per bucket.
I use a 5/16 wood spade bit. It drills a cleaner hole. Drill at an upward 10 deg. angle,
1.25-1.5 deep. If you see dark wood, you went too far. When you get dark chips, sometimes
its a dry hole, sometimes not. The warm humidty combined with the sweet aroma is something
every god fearing man should experience in life. It is quite amazing that that sweet juice comes
from a tree.

A plug for a friend...... Look up "the sweetest drip" on youtube He is the most knowledgeable
maple guru I've ever met and heard of. Also look on malpetrader.com

My family has done it off and on since mid 1800's the knowledge has been passed to
me, and I will pass it on when its time. When I retire, I would like to have a good sized operation
over at the farm. Not every generation has been "into it" , but they know how, just the same. If used to its potential, our farm in ulysses could produce 4-5000 gal of syrup per year. using only
our own trees.
I'm pretty sure that I will still have things to do the day I peel off! It will have been
a fun ride though.

KJC

 

[jerrycmorrow]

Nick, here are some rough guidelines:

10 min. tree dia. =1 tap
around 14"-16"= 2 taps
around 20"= 3 taps

Three taps is generally enough on big trees, adding a 4th will usually just put less sap per bucket.
I use a 5/16 wood spade bit. It drills a cleaner hole. Drill at an upward 10 deg. angle,
1.25-1.5 deep. If you see dark wood, you went too far. When you get dark chips, sometimes
its a dry hole, sometimes not. The warm humidty combined with the sweet aroma is something
every god fearing man should experience in life. It is quite amazing that that sweet juice comes
from a tree.

A plug for a friend...... Look up "the sweetest drip" on youtube He is the most knowledgeable
maple guru I've ever met and heard of. Also look on malpetrader.com

My family has done it off and on since mid 1800's the knowledge has been passed to
me, and I will pass it on when its time. When I retire, I would like to have a good sized operation
over at the farm. Not every generation has been "into it" , but they know how, just the same. If used to its potential, our farm in ulysses could produce 4-5000 gal of syrup per year. using only
our own trees.
I'm pretty sure that I will still have things to do the day I peel off! It will have been
a fun ride though.

KJC

so when you're done tapping and drawing what do you plug the holes with? or do you use the same holes every year?

 

[Eccentric]

I never start the bidding that low on a Poulan because I figure that's all they'll bring! I start mine at least at 25.00 and if it doesn't sell, who cares? I'd rather keep the saw than sell it that cheap. With a Stihl, Echo, or Husky you can start the bidding at 50 cents and not worry because the bidding will be up to 100 dollars in no time!

That's wise, and the right thing to do. Also much more ethical than the guys that start an auction at $.99 with no reserve, then end the auction early when it doesn't bring what they "really wanted" (giving the "item is no longer available" reason)........then relisting it AGAIN a few weeks or a month later (with the same description and pics). If you want to drum up bidder enthusiasm with a $.99 starting bid, no reserve auction (and that DOES bring people in).........................then at least BE A STAND UP GUY and let it sell for whatever it brings. All auctions are a roll of the dice. Set it where you're comfortable. Don't pull the rug out from under the bidders.

Ending it early and relisting just because you ain't gettin' what you want is CHICKEN-####. If you're not willing to risk selling the item for peanuts, then start the auction (and or set the reserve) at or just below the $$$ that you're comfortable letting it go for. You CAN'T have it both ways. Sorry guys. That one's been bugging me for a while. I've been top bidder on many auctions where the sellers ended the auctions (stating that the items weren't available anymore), then relisted them again a month later. A few guys have done the same #### SEVERAL times (ending early and relisting) with the same item over the course of several months. Unethical people chap my ass. Sorry again. Rant off....
:angrysoapbox:

I just shipped a 245A with a 21" bar. 23 dollars. My fault anyway. I should have looked at the shipping.

Joe your doing it wrong, we don't ship 245's we recieve them. :msp_rolleyes:

Try to rembember that ok? :hmm3grin2orange:

I didnt sell this one Mark! I dont sell my Poulans. I passed it along to a member here. :msp_thumbup:

O boy, you had me worried there for a minute.

Yep. Don't worry Mark. It's staying 'in the family'!:msp_thumbup:

 

[crowellmachine]

so when you're done tapping and drawing what do you plug the holes with? or do you use the same holes every year?

If you use the 5/16 spiles, they will grow shut surprisingly fast. Drill new holes each year. 6" away
from prev.years hole. No plugs. If you tap too early a tree will start to heal and dry up within
the 6 week sugar season. If you leave your taps in the full season(6 week), it is a good rule of thumb, that you will end up with 1 gal. of syrup per tap. As soon as trees bud AT ALL pull em,
you're done.

 

[zogger]

Poulan people!! I have a old 2300 and I think the manual tells me to run 32:1 mix in it. I should look again, I have all the paperwork for it, even the receipt and original warranty card! It looks real blue burning but I always tend to go rich on my mix rather than light. Anyway I'm getting a new Stihl saw and I haven't read the manual yet but I would think that its going to take modern 50:1 synthetic. So can I run my old Poulan on the same mixed fuel?

Thanks-

Yes, absolutely..although I prefer echo mix oil. 50:1 is fine for any saw. Oils got better, they don't need the old heavy mix anymore like when they were made.

 

[zogger]

that IS the question of the decade. always been a crap shoot for me and even when i think i got it dialed in i'm still not sure. i be curious to know the answer when you get it dialed in.

--I'll let you know, didn't work on it today, did gardening and chores....one member has told me his is out 2.5 on the H side.

I have my GF (artiste...) talked into painting it! hahaha this should be cool....pics when it happens.

 

[nick 55]

OK, now that I have to replace the crank seals on my 4000, how do I get the old ones out without splitting the case?

Nick

 

[redunshee]

OK, now that I have to replace the crank seals on my 4000, how do I get the old ones out without splitting the case?

Nick

I use a Lisle seal puller. Others have taken a small screwdriver, heated the tip and bent it 90 degrees. You can then fit it between the crank and the rubber portion of the seal lip.

 

[nick 55]

I figured it out. I just had to make a small seal puller/hook out of a pocket screwdriver.

Nick

 

[nick 55]

Here's a few pics with the bar and chain on. I went ahead and replaced the crank seals while I had the clutch off to replace the sprocket. I ended up buying an Oregon rim drive sprocket, a 24" Powermatch bar, and an LPX chain. It is dark now, otherwise I would probably go cut some wood with it.

I will be sanding and polishing the clutch cover and replacing the decals on it whenever Joe Salva gets them to me.

Nick

 

[zogger]

Here's a few pics with the bar and chain on. I went ahead and replaced the crank seals while I had the clutch off to replace the sprocket. I ended up buying an Oregon rim drive sprocket, a 24" Powermatch bar, and an LPX chain. It is dark now, otherwise I would probably go cut some wood with it.


I will be sanding and polishing the clutch cover and replacing the decals on it whenever Joe Salva gets them to me.

Nick

Nice pretty job!

 

[nick 55]

OK, I grabbed a big flashlight and went out to try it. My back yard is SO MUDDY, I nearly lost a boot, but it pulls nicely. I noodled an 18" piece of elm, and cookied another piece. It bogged a little when I really leaned on it, and I think I need to make a couple mixture adjustments but WOW. That thing is a real saw.

Nick