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In my personal experience bigger is better. I am using a 5' x 16' that we used to boil 2500 taps on, now down to 1000 taps, and with a long sustained run, I am still in the sugarhouse way too long. Might also have something to do with the fact I'm not 19 years old any more. Seriously, I would not consider anything less than 3'x8', and I think that's a little small. If you are looking for a used rig, you might get a better deal on a 3'x10', 4'x12',or even a 4'x14'. These are a little bigger than most backyard guys want to deal with, and are being sold by guys that are either upgrading or going larger. My next door neighbor, who is 78 years old is still using a 4'x13', even though he has cut down from 1000 to 350 taps. He is generally done boiling in about 3 hours. Another friend of mine spent a lot of money on a 40"x10' with all the bells and whistles, he's tapping a little over 400, and still boils it in about 3-4 hours. You can get away with a smaller rig if it's oil fired, more consistant and steady burn makes it boil faster. With a wood burner, if you go with a newer rig with all the bells and whistles, preheater, steam-away, insulated, airtight firebox, and forced draft, you can use a much smaller setup. However, in that case be prepared to spend real money. Quality of wood makes a BIG difference in boiling time, and syrup production per cord. With good split hardwood, I can expect around 5 gallons per hour, and 25 gallons per cord of wood. With the absolute junk I am burning this year it is more like 3-1/2 gallons per hour, and 15 gallons per cord. My email is open if you want to ask me more.
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