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Author Topic: Extractors - Need an Opinion  (Read 4523 times)

Offline Parksguyy

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Extractors - Need an Opinion
« on: June 27, 2013, 02:38:17 pm »
Hello everyone,
Second year Cdn beek here, the girls are well on their way to providing me with honey this season.
I only have 4 hives, may increase that alittle but not big time ... purely just a hobby.  Its time to get an extractor and living on the other side of the border seems to cost awhole more  when it comes to beek supplies, such as this.  I've come across a company called Kinghoney which also has a Cdn office in Vancouver.  They have an extractor, the Rotoblast H1000 which holds 2 deeps or 6 shallow frames.  Its a hand crank model, 18 gauge stainless steel (Mann Lake ones are only 26 gauge, Maxant are 20 gauge but pricey), SS basket, conical bottom and comes with legs.  The few reviews there are, are good.  Price is good at $350.00 including tax ... free shipping as well.  Just wondering if anyone has ever heard of these and/or had the chance to use one.  To order something that has to come across the county not really knowing the product is alittle worrisome.  Any advice anyone has regarding this extractor or others please let me know.
Thanks 

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2013, 03:42:38 pm »
IMO 4 hives does not warrant the expense of an extractor...

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My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Parksguyy

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2013, 04:03:47 pm »
Thanks Michael,
It is a debate I'm having with myself to be honest.  I can borrow one our local club has purchased for their members .... but I'm thinking when I want/need it, so will every other member whos thinking the same.  I don't mind spending the money so long as I'm getting a good product that will last my lifetime of beekeeping, I just won't spend more than I need to either.  I can see myself having more hives to be honest, I absolutely love this hobby, and love the interaction with the bees.  It really is nature at its best!
Kerry

Offline D Coates

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2013, 05:56:53 pm »
I thought I'd not need more than a 2 frame radial and expected to stop at 5 hives...  I've got 20 something hives now and a Dadant 28.  Use the club unit the first couple of years to get a feel of what you'll actually need.
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Offline BrentX

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Extractor decision
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2013, 07:50:56 pm »
I recommend crush and strain or using the club extractor.

You have an upcoming decision to make: how deep do you want to go into the honey business.  With four hives you are likely looking at 200 to 300 pounds of honey.

You will find crush and strain, bottling and labeling this amount of honey to be easy.  Depending on your situation you may find selling this honey easy, or possibly difficult.    If this time next year your honey crop was long sold out you will likely want more hives, and could readily justify an extractor.  You will find the revenue from the honey will pay for a nice motorized extractor.

If however you find that selling the honey wasn't that much fun, or all that easy, or with the benefit of this years experience you decide four hives is plenty, then you select the hand crank extractor, or possibly just continue crush and strain. 

If you go with a hand crank extractor you will find it somewhat laborious, but maybe not so bad for a few hives.

Offline Jim134

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2013, 09:18:00 pm »
Hello everyone,
Second year Cdn beek here, the girls are well on their way to providing me with honey this season.
I only have 4 hives, may increase that alittle but not big time ... purely just a hobby.  Its time to get an extractor and living on the other side of the border seems to cost awhole more  when it comes to beek supplies, such as this.  I've come across a company called Kinghoney which also has a Cdn office in Vancouver.  They have an extractor, the Rotoblast H1000 which holds 2 deeps or 6 shallow frames.  Its a hand crank model, 18 gauge stainless steel (Mann Lake ones are only 26 gauge, Maxant are 20 gauge but pricey), SS basket, conical bottom and comes with legs.  The few reviews there are, are good.  Price is good at $350.00 including tax ... free shipping as well.  Just wondering if anyone has ever heard of these and/or had the chance to use one.  To order something that has to come across the county not really knowing the product is alittle worrisome.  Any advice anyone has regarding this extractor or others please let me know.
Thanks 
Do you now how many colonies you are going to stop at ???
Personally I would buy a Maxant  If I was buying an extractor it would have a motor
Hint:
Hand cranking gets old fast..



                               BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
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"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
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Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline millipede

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2013, 10:30:41 pm »
As a hobbyist I like the idea of crush and strain or comb honey. I also like to do frames individually. I like the idea that all my honey will not be an amalgamation of everything the bees made. Each frame can be subtly different in flavor and color depending on when I harvested it and what the bees have been visiting. With 4 colonies, that is still doable. If I had 8 or more, I would likely borrow the club extractor for selling bottled honey but still extract single frames and cut comb for myself.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2013, 09:52:48 am »
When I finally bought an extractor (after 26 years of crush and strain), I bought a 9/18 motorized radial because I had a lot of honey to extract, some money to spare, and it was on sale....
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Oblio13

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2013, 10:45:13 am »
Storing and cleaning an extractor seems like more trouble than it's worth for only a few hives.

We tend to harvest honey one frame at a time, when the wife says we're out or we need a hostess gift, and we use a potato ricer. Cut out a chunk of pretty comb and plunk it into a jar, squish the rest of the comb through the ricer on top of it, toss the pucks of wax into the melting pot, and off you go to dinner.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2013, 01:04:29 pm by Oblio13 »

Offline mikecva

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2013, 12:45:21 pm »
I use frames with a foundation, tried foundation less for four years and I thought there might be another way. I used the club extractor for two years, fell in love, went out and purchased my own Maxant with motor. I have not regretted it a bit (you do need to learn to balance the load). MY bees got their drawn out supers back each year and only had one off year (I think that was in 1988). -Mike
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Offline blanc

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2013, 05:00:27 pm »
The problem with crush and strain is that you lose valuable comb that takes them a bit to build and that is energy they can use to repair and refill extracted comb. I checked out the Extractor you asked about and purchased one for $300 with free shipping.
Blanc
Psalm 19:9-10
The fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea ,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Offline Oblio13

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2013, 06:19:45 pm »
The advantage is that you harvest wax, and that you don't keep reusing dirty, contaminated comb.

And there's no compelling reason for hobbyists (or maybe anyone) to squeeze every ounce of efficiency from hives. If you need more honey, maybe you need more hives.

Offline Jim134

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2013, 07:27:27 pm »
The advantage is that you harvest wax, and that you don't keep reusing dirty, contaminated comb.

And there's no compelling reason for hobbyists (or maybe anyone) to squeeze every ounce of efficiency from hives. If you need more honey, maybe you need more hives.


:th_thumbsupup:  X:X X:X X:X



                  BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline sweet bee

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2013, 11:05:51 pm »
 I helped my aunt with hand crank one and that was just too much work!  :roll: I decided to purchase a Maxant motorized extractor a few weeks ago and I love it!
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would
not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything You gave me"

~Erma Bombeck

Offline beehappy1950

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2013, 01:28:01 am »
I have Mannlakes 9/18   . I like it and if you ever get bigger then motorize it.

Moots

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2013, 05:24:00 am »
Do you use foundation...Or are you doing foundationless?

I'm a first year Beek, had planned on doing 3 hives this first year.  I got a little carried away with the whole "Bee thing" and curretnly have 9 hives...Being year one, not sure exactly how much honey I'll be pulling off of some of those, if any. 

Regardless, I've been going back and forth on the extractor issue myself.  I actually built one earlier in the season that I think could get the job done, would just need to put some finishing touches on it.  I also have the option of borrowing one through my LBC.  However, I'm really toying seriously with the idea of just buying one, because I feel like that's where I'll wind up eventually anywaay. 

Currently thinking about the Maxant....The Kinghoney that you are looking at looks nice, however, I'm thinking I waant to go radial and not tangential.  I've never extracted honey before, but having to flip frames sounds like twice as much work to me.  I'm also back and forth on whether to go motorized from the start, or get a crank model that can be upgraded......Decisions, decisions, decisions...... :)

Offline Jim134

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Re: Extractors - Need an Opinion
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2013, 09:18:32 pm »
IMHO After about 3 minutes of hand cranking you will know you made a mistake




                      BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/