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Author Topic: Extractor justification  (Read 7949 times)

Offline wd

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #20 on: May 11, 2011, 01:28:32 pm »
Sounds more like you're now officially justified to expand your operation

Offline manfre

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #21 on: May 11, 2011, 04:25:10 pm »
It's like buying a new car.  You can't justify it with only a few hives.  But if you want to spend the money, go for it.

"All this seems obvious enough, and yet time after time I have seen novice beekeepers, as soon as they had built their apiaries up to a half dozen or so hives, begin to look around for an extractor. It is as if one were to establish a small garden by the kitchen door, and then at once begin looking for a tractor to till it with. Unless then, you have, or plan eventually to have, perhaps fifty or more colonies of bees, you should try to resist looking in bee catalogs at the extractors and other enchanting and tempting tools that are offered and instead look with renewed fondness at your little pocket knife, so symbolic of the simplicity that is the mark of every truly good life." --Richard Taylor, The Comb Honey Book


It's very easy to justify with only a few hives. You may not agree with the justifications of others, but thankfully they don't control your wallet. We all put different values on the less cost quantifiable aspects of our lives. The convenience of owning an extractor, plus the actual current expenses from renting are enough for Mason to justify his purchase.

I only have 10 hives and still crush & strain. I'll probably get an extractor eventually, but my lack of storage space is a larger factor than the price or my relatively low number of hives.
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Offline The Bix

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #22 on: May 11, 2011, 04:48:39 pm »
Mason, too bad, could've saved quite a bit:

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,29880.0.html

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #23 on: May 11, 2011, 05:20:43 pm »
I looked at home built extractors.  Decided against them.  Even this guy admits his material cost alone was $200.  It's not stainless steel,  you have to scrounge up all the parts,  it's harder to clean.  It's a multi day project to pull one of those together.

The extractor from Brushy was only $95 more than the material costs of this homemade model.

I see why some people build their own.  If I were retired or not as busy with work I might have considered it a better option but it just wasn't right for me at this time.
Former beekeeper until March....maybe next year...RIP

Offline The Bix

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #24 on: May 11, 2011, 05:44:01 pm »
I understand the cost factor and effort needed to build an extractor.

I just looked at the Brushy website and see that it's the hand-crank 4 frame extractor, unless I'm mistaken it's a tangential extractor.  The homemade version is an 8-frame radial (no flipping) with a motor (drill).

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #25 on: May 11, 2011, 06:00:40 pm »
They are not hard to crank.  I don't see a need for a motor on an extractor this small.  It would be nice not to have to flip the frames but it only takes a few seconds to flip them and less than a minute to crank it up.

You don't want to spin the frames too fast or too long.  It will cause the wax to separate from the foundation. 
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Offline AllenF

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2011, 07:51:13 pm »
I have been hand spinning for years.   Last year I talked my wife into it because she wanted/ needed honey that night.  She got through one side of the frames and she was done.   You can do it, but 4 frames at a time takes a while to do and is hard on the arms, shoulders, and the elbow.  One day I will get to upgrade.

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #27 on: May 12, 2011, 06:31:52 pm »
I got my stuff today.  Nothing on back order and it went out quickly.

Brushy overcharged me for shipping.  The credited me back $44.  They have more than doubled the shipping weight.  I matched it to the UPS shipping charts and called them out on it.  There as no problem and they gave me my credit.

It's not a triangle shaped basket.  It's a large rectangular basket that will hold 2 deeps or 4 medium frames.

Saturday is the day........  I'm so excited to get to play with my new toys.
Former beekeeper until March....maybe next year...RIP

Offline Shanevrr

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #28 on: May 12, 2011, 09:41:41 pm »
let us know the quality, and i like your reasoning.
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Offline AllenF

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #29 on: May 12, 2011, 10:01:55 pm »
So Saturday you are starting extracting honey.   You are going to love the exercise. 

Offline slacker361

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #30 on: May 12, 2011, 10:04:38 pm »
can we count on a video being posted?

Offline wd

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #31 on: May 13, 2011, 12:59:42 am »
congrats mason!

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #32 on: May 15, 2011, 11:29:06 am »
SUCCESS!!!!!

60lbs off one hive.  The other looks like it is producing too but we left it alone for now.

Everything worked as advertised.  Turns out my plan was pretty solid and everything went far smoother than I expected.  What a great day.  I slept like a baby last night.  Pheww! All really fun things are exhausting.

Time to cash in on the liquid gold and recoup my expenses....at least some of them anyway. 

Capping bucket-  invaluable piece of equipment.  I could see how it could easily be homemade but would suggest looking at the Brushy model before trying reverse engineering one.

Extractor-  Worked well no complaints.  The better you have it anchored the easier it is to use.

It's ideally a 3 person job.  One capping, one extracting and another bottling.

Former beekeeper until March....maybe next year...RIP

Offline slacker361

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #33 on: May 15, 2011, 11:38:09 am »
congrats Mason, glad that everything went as planned and even better, that rarely happens....

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #34 on: May 15, 2011, 11:44:37 am »
Quote
congrats Mason, glad that everything went as planned and even better, that rarely happens....

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. 
Former beekeeper until March....maybe next year...RIP

Offline AllenF

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #35 on: May 15, 2011, 03:57:02 pm »
Where da pics?    On bottling, I always do it later after letting the honey sit for while to get the air out of it.   It gives me an "excuse" to do it later. Bottling can be just as hard on your back and arms as spinning the extractor.  I have 4 shallows in the freezer I pulled Saturday ready to go as soon as I wash out everything.

Offline ronwhite3030

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #36 on: May 16, 2011, 02:36:51 am »
I justify an extractor as saving the drawn comb is like saving gold opposed to destroying it after each season, plus I have never crushed and strained purchased an extractor my first season which was 10 years ago and what cost me 350 then would cost me 650 now so in my thought buy one as soon as you can. it will one save you time, two save you the inflation prices and two if you sell your honey, make you more money in the seasons to come because your bees can get right to filling ur frames with honey from the get go because they wont have to build so much wax before willing the combs, just my .02.

Offline Mason

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #37 on: June 14, 2011, 05:19:56 pm »
Just and FYI follow up.

I sold almost all of my honey.  $5 for 8oz and $10 for 16oz.  I would have sold it all in one day if I had taken it to the local Farmers Market.  It was not EASY money but paid for my extracting supplies.
Former beekeeper until March....maybe next year...RIP

Offline AllenF

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Re: Extractor justification
« Reply #38 on: June 14, 2011, 05:23:05 pm »
Extractor paid for?      I have 6 supers in the freezer.   Just can't get my butt up to extract with the old hand crank.   Orders are piling up though.   May have to go downstairs and wash everything up to start. 

 

anything