Dadant Plastic Extractors

[Matthias Smith]

I was wondering if anyone knows how well the dadant plastic extractor works? I need to get a cheap extractor and you just can't beat $105 but I don't want a piece of junk.

[Ben Brewcat]

Do you have a URL for the product? Sounds priced right for a hobbyist...

[Joel]

We have one we used years ago for 2 seasons when we were running about 10 hives. It worked well as long as you didn't crank too hard. The nylon gears tended to slip if you got too wild extracting. It is also a tangential unit and you have to extract the 1st side of the comb slowly, turn it extract the other side and then turn again to avoid blowing out combs. Having said that it was easy to take apart and clean, light to set up anywhere and I though a pretty good deal for the price. Since I was a hobbyist with just a few hives I didn't care that it took a little longer because I enjoyed it. We still have ours although we have removed the guts,which we kept. It makes a great 150 lb bottling tank.

[Matthias Smith]

My computer won't let me get there URL . If you go to the dadant website its under there extractor heading.
I think I'm going to get one just because its so cheap and because all I have are four hives right now and I have lots of spare time.

[artic]

I think this (http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=355&osCsid=ff6d820aba894bca06db2cbab126c592) is the link you are talking about.

[Phoenix]

It works great for being all plastic. Perfect price for the hobbiest. Will work fine until you have to extract a dozen supers quickly. Hand cranking will get old fast though, I had to machine an adapter to hook up a drill motor since my child labor wimped out on me.

[Ben Brewcat]

...you have to extract the 1st side of the comb slowly, turn it extract the other side and then turn again to avoid blowing out combs So you do one side to partial completion, flip and repeat, and then a little more vigorously repeat on both sides to full extraction? I'll be wiring my frames for extracting, and don't mind taking the time; this sounds like a good idea for me!.

[George Fergusson]

At $105 it's tempting... I'm looking for one too, but a) I try not to buy anything plastic that has moving parts- it ain't environmentally sound and usually doesn't hold up over time and b) there have got to be 1000's of old extractors sitting in garages, barns, or attics in any given area just waiting to be dusted off and haggled over. I've got a few months before I have to worry about extracting any hone, I'm going to post a few WANTED ads and see what pops up. There's a neighbor down the road in fact that has an old hand-cranked metal one he said I can borrow.. and I got more time than money these days :-/

George-

[LET]

Thanks to all for the info on the Dadant extractor. I've kept a single hive for several years and decided to increase my numbers this year (3) but have always just scraped everything into a big pan and slowly heated it until the waxed melted. Not the best way to harvest honey, and certainly not efficient for the bees. I just called our regional Dadant office and am going to pick up one of the plastic extractors for my personal use.

[Michael Bush]

>but have always just scraped everything into a big pan and slowly heated it until the waxed melted

I wouldn't heat it. Just scrape it off into a double bucket strainer and strain it.

http://brushymountainbeefarm.com/products.asp?pcode=365

[Joel]

Good product especially for the price. We used one in the early 90's and it served us well. You need to have the time as it is tangetial and sometimes the nylon gears will slip if you get to Cranky! We still have ours 12 yrs later and it is used as a 150 lb bottling tank. ( guts removed) I bottle from it weekly and fondly remember those days when I had time to really enjoy every phase of this craft.

[Ben Brewcat]

Thought I'd bring this forward again; did they discontinue this product? I can't find it.

[scsasdsa]

http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1249
this is what I use and I have four hives, a couple of hours is all I need.

[GaSteve]

In my opinion, splurge and get the stainless model. I bought the plastic one from Dadant about 10 years ago that I used one year. The next year I pulled it out of the garage to dust it off and the bearings were frozen solid with rust. I used it for an uncapping tub after that.

Actually after using a 2 frame hand crank tangential (stainless) for several years, I would go with the advice that a lot of experienced folks give on this topic: Take your supers to a friend or local club member for extraction until you have the hives and the money to support buying a 9 frame radial. You can get a whole super done with one cranking session with no frame turning. That will be my next big purchase.