Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: GSF on October 29, 2013, 08:28:40 am
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This question would probably fall along the lines of what is the best bee. However, I'm looking towards spring and I want to purchase a honey extractor. Probably a manual one because of the price. A 2 or 4 frame one would probably be fine. What would you recommend as far durability? Or what do you use and how has it held up? Thanks
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I bought a 2nd-hand manual reversible 2-frame Kelly as I didn't know how addictive beekeeping is. It worked like a champ until I got too big for it at 5 hives. Sold it for what I paid for it. It was rock solid and the design doesn't appear to have changed ($860 new). Upgraded a couple years ago to a used electric 20 frame (36 if they're supers) Dadant that I completely refurbished. Now that's a time saver!
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GSF,
Not sure of your particular situation....# of hives, plans of expansion?, etc. etc.
I jumped straight to the Maxant 9 frame motorized, because I figured I'd end up there anyway, so I just bit the bullet and went for it. :-D
However, it looks like the tank is the same on the 2 hand crank model, which with a basket upgrade you can make a 9 frame crank...and even convert to the motorized option if desired. Not sure how much money you leave abandoned on the side of the road stepping through those options. :?
LINK TO MAXANT EXTRACTORS! (http://www.maxantindustries.com/extractors.html)
Anyway, this extractor is made in the good ole USA and from what I understand, one of the big advantages are that you can always get parts when needed. I've only used mine twice, summer harvest in early August (10 - 8 frame mediums) and fall harvest this past weekend (3 - 8 frame mediums). So far, I've been very pleased with the extractor.
Good luck!
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You definitely need to look into what your future plans are. You can outgrow your extractor fairly quickly if you really get into the hobby. On the other hand, many other beekeepers outgrew theirs, too, so you can score some deals on second hand ones.
For me, I went with the 9/18 motorized model from MannLake. Too many shoulder and wrist injuries in the family to tempt fate with a hand crank.
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Gary,
To me this was a question of time, money and expansion. Where do you want to be in the future, how much time do you want to spend extracting and finally how much do you want to spend.
Right or wrong, I chose one from Brushy Mountain. It will extract 21 mediums or I think 9 deeps. The extractor has a DC motor and is powered by a small drive. It does the job for now.
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Everything depends on performance. For little or small apiaries (near 30 hives) I would recommend mechanical 3-frame extractor made from stainless steel. Great machine! Lightweight, comfortable and fast. I have used it for years and fully enjoy it.
Do you consider extractors with electrical gear?
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You definitely need to look into what your future plans are. You can outgrow your extractor fairly quickly if you really get into the hobby. On the other hand, many other beekeepers outgrew theirs, too, so you can score some deals on second hand ones.
For me, I went with the 9/18 motorized model from MannLake. Too many shoulder and wrist injuries in the family to tempt fate with a hand crank.
GSF,
I with Merince. On my first extract I went over JohnG's place and extracted 30 frames. He had a small motorized extractor (not a radial) and it took a long time. This year I processed 1100 pounds and I am really glad that I have my 9/18 Mann Lake motorized extractor.
Jim
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Hey all, I appreciate your experience and comments. I'm not sure but I think I will probably go up to around 10 hives (or more). I'm afraid of having more than I can handle. I would like to have a yard full of bees but to give proper care to them I'll just have to take it one hive at a time. I will say no less than 5 hives.
I would like an extractor with the option of manual or electric. I figure one day the electrical grid will be hacked and it may take a while to get it back on.
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The MannLake ones definitely can be switched from manual to motorized with the add on motor. I recently saw that somebody mounted a bike to a radial extractor.
Here is a link to the picture: Picture of bike powered extractor (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9AuzKk00_Eo/UjNUAxFlaDI/AAAAAAAAUl4/gV8JSdMf9vA/w958-h719-no/P1270956.JPG)
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Hey all, I appreciate your experience and comments. I'm not sure but I think I will probably go up to around 10 hives (or more). I'm afraid of having more than I can handle. I would like to have a yard full of bees but to give proper care to them I'll just have to take it one hive at a time. I will say no less than 5 hives.
I would like an extractor with the option of manual or electric. I figure one day the electrical grid will be hacked and it may take a while to get it back on.
Gary,
Are you a prepper?
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I would like an extractor with the option of manual or electric. I figure one day the electrical grid will be hacked and it may take a while to get it back on.
There's an answer for that...It's called a generator. :-D
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RHBee <prepper> I don't and do consider myself a prepper. We are anticipating an economic upheaval as more and more countries pull away from the dollar as the world's reserve currency, and recently Japan/China will buy no more "additional" debt from the US. Now, "I think" Saudi Arabia is considering not using the US dollar solely to trade for oil?
We first started a few years back (before natgeo) being somewhat concerned with the Madrid earthquake fault lines/splinters that run through our county. The tectonic plates in the S.E. US are more solid than the west coast. They've had so many quakes out there the plates are broken up. Therefore when Madrid hits again instead of a couple of cities being effected it will be a large portion of the S.E. US.
In the seventies AL Power Company bought up hundreds and hundreds of acres to build a nuclear power plant up here on the lake (a mile or so away). They discovered multiple fault lines and didn't even break the ground on building. A decade or two later they came in again with more advanced machinery and found even more fault lines/splinters(?). I think they are looking at coal or natural gas. It's on hold now because of money and the demand isn't there.
I could go on and on but I just want to be prepared.
People around here bought up tons of guns and ammo recently. Instead of preparing for a ban it seem they were preparing for a war. I can go to flea markets and different places and just about guess who's prepping or not, and at times guess what stage they are at. Yesterday at a flea market/outdoor sell I talked with a seller who told me that someone had bought 12 boxes of medical supplies from him. I would say they are well prepared. Water, food, shelter, defense, and first aid. Then comes the books, cards, games, ect.
I meet a lot of preppers when I sell goats. The good thing about a goat around here is you can herd them in the winter and they can live off of the privy hedges and winter grasses. Not much meat on brush goats but if we had to we could use some for milk and some for meat.
In today's world being prepared is the smart way to go. If you are not prepared you're either ignorant (lack of knowledge) or stupid (the inability to use knowledge). If someone thinks that folks are going to sit around and starve while they eat then there's a rude awakening coming for them. Now that's a whole different subject.
Oh yeah everybody, thanks again for your advice about the extractors. (I guess I'm still on topic :-D)
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I couldn't agree more. Chance favors the prepared.
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Hey folks I just wanted to clarify. I'm not saying if you don't prep you're stupid. Look around, if you feel like you ought to then do it.
People work, get paid, pay bills, save and/or invest. I'm not losing a penny by having a few extra groceries around. It's much like money in the bank.
Thanks again for the great advice on extractors.
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...In today's world being prepared is the smart way to go. If you are not prepared you're either ignorant (lack of knowledge) or stupid (the inability to use knowledge)...
...Hey folks I just wanted to clarify. I'm not saying if you don't prep you're stupid....
:lau:
GSF,
Sure glad you "clarified" things...because it sure looked like that's what you were saying... :-D
Any closer to a decision on the extractor? Keep us posted...
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Yeah Moots, I got to thinking about it and thought that probably didn't come across like I wanted it to.
Still doing some reading on the extractors, thanks.
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Hey all, I appreciate your experience and comments. I'm not sure but I think I will probably go up to around 10 hives (or more). I'm afraid of having more than I can handle. I would like to have a yard full of bees but to give proper care to them I'll just have to take it one hive at a time. I will say no less than 5 hives.
I would like an extractor with the option of manual or electric. I figure one day the electrical grid will be hacked and it may take a while to get it back on.
Good way of thinking, I wish you the best!
Regarding honey extractor, in that case I highly recommend to start with 4-frames mechanical extractor. It will be enough till that time when you will reach 50-70 hives. Afterwards, you can think about something with electrical gear. I vote against 2-frames extractors because I had a very negative experience in the past connected with vibrations and destroying of wax.
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Yeah Moots, I got to thinking about it and thought that probably didn't come across like I wanted it to.
Still doing some reading on the extractors, thanks.
GSF,
Perfectly understandable, we've all done it. :) Just having a little fun with you, thanks for taking it in stride. :lol:
I noticed that first post was at 04:30ish...those early morning post can be tricky, I've made a few of those myself and later in the day wondered, exactly what was I thinking? :lol:
As for for extractor issue. I will offer one more piece of advice that hopefully will prove helpful. This is my first year, the plan was to have 2 to 3 hives. Well, next thing you know, I'm all in...loving the new hobby, catching swarms, getting swarm calls, doing a cut out or two, etc. etc.
By late summer i'm at 10 or 11 hives and actually end up pulling honey from 6 of them...10, 8 frame mediums of capped honey.
The point being, when I bought my 6/9 frame electric extractor, I thought it was overkill, more extractor than I would ever want or need. While I love it, and it performed great during that extraction, and I'm sure me being a newbie slowed down the process more so than the extractor...It became obvious rather quickly that more extractor capacity sure would move the process along...
Point of my story....When it comes time for you to make your decision...If you find yourself torn between two options. I'd suggest going with the larger capacity. While your thought process might be telling you it's overkill and more extractor than you need, my limited experience is telling me that probably won't be the case.
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You're right, I'll probably go ahead and bite the bullet and get something I can grow into. I can also see me with a ton of bees by the end of next summer - I can also see me scratching my head wondering what went wrong.
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If you have a few hives and can afford it a six frame extractor is pleasent to use because they are not prone to vibrations and dancing across the floor.
It will eaven run smothly if you forget to fill all the baskets or have frames with a lot of pollen :-D
mvh Edward :-P
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I don't see that preparedness is anything unusual myself. But back to extractors. Every extractor wears out a number of beekeeepers. If you put a wanted add on craigslist and kept it current and watched a couple forums, I think you can come up with a good used extractor pretty easily. I bought a 32 frame radial with an automatic advance for less than a new ten framer. So what if it only has to run a few times. Used old handcrank extractors can be had even cheaper. But unless you are just into being hard on yourself get a manual for a primary. You can always use them to brew sour mash in if they are stainless.
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Just something for you to think about. My schedule does not allow me to pull all my honey in a day and extract the next. I have a 20 frame extractor and what I do is pull 20 frames cap it put it in the extractor, spin it, then leave the frames to drain till I have time to pull 20 more. then repeat the process. Having the 20 frame extractor cuts the days spent in the process. And the electric motor makes the job much easier.
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If you buy one you can grow into, you'll probably never have to buy another one. If you buy a small one, you'll probably have to buy another one. You know how this addiction is. Heck, it made Moots buy a truck! :-D
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If you buy one you can grow into, you'll probably never have to buy another one. If you buy a small one, you'll probably have to buy another one. You know how this addiction is. Heck, it made Moots buy a truck! :-D
GSF,
Just in case you think RC may be joking...He's not! I did! :-D
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Update;
Okay, after comparing and reading a couple different threads I bought the Mann Lake 18/9. HH 170 Extractor and HH 166 Motor Conversion kit.
These things must be heavier than I thought. They are sending it out freight.
I loved the Maxant story on You tube, however they didn't offer (or I couldn't find it) what I was looking for. I wanted one with the choice of a motor or manual. I plan to retire in about 7 more years for the second time. I'm looking at all this as an investment. It'll be supplemental income or yard sale items :-D
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I have my first hive, got it last year with it being very weak. Had a great summer and got me some honey! Was wondering how I was going to extract the honey, just happened to find at an antique place in a local town, a small hand driven, galvanized machine. I guess it is a two framer. Added the valve to the bottom and she works great for $65 !
Do you guys strain your honey through any cheese cloth or what? I just used a kitchen wire strainer, seemed to work OK.
Glenn