Bodo says.... Geesh, you are as politically incorrect as me
Well, I've got ya beat.
Deeps are for MEN. Mediums are for women, pansies, and old folk.
Shallows are for comb honey.
Whether you use all mediums or all deeps, your equipment will be interchangeable.
OK, I've got my flame proof undies on, so go for it. :-P :-D
Just because someone CAN lift deeps does not mean they SHOULD be lifting them.
I have had 3 back surgeries and would never risk screwing with my back for the sake of saving some money on a hobby.
My husband is built like a brick house and is the strongest man I know. He has spent years doing a job that requires heavy lifting, all that heavy lifting has also wrecked his back and he has had 4 surgeries and a spinal fusion.
I don't care how you lift or wear a back brace etc. lifting heavy objects on a regular basis causes wear and tear on your back and doing it for a living may be necessary but to keep bees?
Can he easily lift 100 lbs, sure. Should he be lifting 100 lbs over and over after a spinal fusion?
I made the decision and ordered all mediums for us so I guess that makes my husband a pansy, but I'll let YOU tell him that or I guess I could tell him for you. :evil:
I chose mediums because I don't want to have to rely on him to lift them for me and I hope to be able to use this equipment for the rest of my beekeeping years and not stop because I can't lift the supers anymore.
How many people are going to be in their eighties and going to lift deeps all day in the summer sun?
I don't see anyone doing that, unless they want to rely on someone else to do all the lifting for them and then its not really much of a hobby anymore if you can't be self reliant.
It seems to me that some people go with the deeps due to the cost of the mediums but then you hear people saying they are switching over to all mediums because of the weight, so you are buying equipment twice in order to keep up a hobby, not very cost effective.
There WILL come a time that everyone will have some trouble lifting deeps all day unless they get out of beekeeping before their old age, so anyone who is not 20 years old and hopes to have their equipment see them through for the rest of their beekeeping years should consider 8 frames, mediums or 8 frame mediums.
It makes sense to think ahead when you are investing time and money like this and tunnel vision can be expensive.
While mediums may not be everyone's choice, it is very unhelpful to discourage people from considering all their options or risk being labeled a pansy when they are making an expensive decision based on someone's advice and its further unhelpful to make people feel they have to explain themselves or defend their choices.
Also, your equipment is NOT all interchangeable if you use deeps and mediums since you have different size frames.
All mediums are truly and completely interchangeable.