Hummerbees Hiveclamp attachment?????

[Mathispollenators]

OK according to our Swinger thread we have picked the lift we all like our Swingers & Hummerbees. I agree with that what I'm asking is about the Hummerbee hive clamps. Anybody use one, how do you like it, will it attach to my Swinger, is it worth the upgrade cost that's the questions I have. I saw the film on the website and it's impressive but how will it work in the field.

I'm making my lottery list when I hit for millions I'm expanding the bee business for tax deductions. Until then trying to earn a extra dollar for the ticket. Any and all ideas are appreciated stupid ones are also reviewed & filtered. Because it may not be stupid to the Edison that created that light bulb. :)

[jean-marc]

MTP:

I once rented a forklift from another beekeeper when I was out of province. All his forklifts were equipped with clamps. It drove me crazy. I had not used one before and was not used to it. So when putting hives on the truck you need to remember to release the clamp (works better that way). I found it to be a real inconvenience and eventually took it off.

If someone were just learning then I suppose it could be OK, but I've managed fine without one so far and don't found it frustrating having to relearn a task that I thought I was pretty good at.

I could see it being useful if you had to bring pallets into the field at some distance from the truck that's being unloaded. A fellow may want to double stack the pallets in an attempt to save time. A clamp could be useful if the road were rough. You could probably drive faster with the clamp than without one. Other than that application I don't see much use for one. Generally speaking if I can't drive up to the hives I don't place hives there. I don't really have time for getting stuck.

Jean-Marc

[Keith Jarrett]

I agree with JM,

The only advantage I ever had was you could unload four pallets at a time off the truck.

Two pallets high & two pallets wide.

I took my hold down off years ago.

[high rate of speed]

The only thing a hold down clamp is good for is headaches,and picking up equipment when you forget to unclamp a stack of hives off the truck..;)

[Tom G. Laury]

30 years ago when a lot of people were palletizing, lots of machines had clamps. Now you never see them.

[WOpp]

I have used clamps on my swingers for many years, but since I quit doing applesm in washington i have removed them. If you move a lot of hives in a night and need to road them down orchard rows on ruff ground they are a real time saver. No more spiled hives,, Unless u forget to open the __?>"{+_ thing up and oh what a mess you can make. Goodluck

[Allen Dick]

I got rid of my clamps once I filled the tires with salt. I just did not need them and they were always in the way.

Salt corrodes the rims, though, and now there is foam. Is foam as good? The salt water absorbed shocks and made for a very smooth ride compared to air.

[jean-marc]

The foam is such a rough ride. The body feels every pot hole , molehill etc... Even the vibrations feel harder. Before I got the foam filled tires my body used to know that I had moved bees all day, now it unmistakingly knows it has moved bees all day. I suppose my fears of a flat tire are greater than my fears of an even soarer body.

Jean-Marc

[Nick Noyes]

We have 2 hummerbees with foam filled tires. I don't think they are any rougher than our swingers without foam.
Never used a clamp.

[johng]

If you can use salt why not sand? I a complete newbie. Was just wondering it is about the same consistence. And would not corrode like salt. I know about salt here in Fl.

[Beeslave]

Salt water solution. Sand doesn't dissolve in water.

[EastSideBuzz]

My tractor tires are filled with calcium chloride inside a tube so not to rot out the rims. Keeps the weight always on the bottom keeps you from tipping over.

[Chip Euliss]

I bought a new Hummerbee this past November and ordered mine with a suspension seat that dampens the vibration felt by the operator when the machine hits bumps--it was a $225 option. It is a very comfortable seat and is adjustable for all the "normal" things plus the weight of the operator--just turn a knob until you get the "softness" that feels good to you. They also offer a hydraulic accumulator for the mast/forks that dampens the shock for the load you carry--it was a $450 option. In hindsight I wish I had added that because it was fairly inexpensive and I hear it works well for not bouncing the bees around too much on rough ground. Hive clamps were $2,150 and I didn't get that option either. My logic was that I'd rarely use it because most of my use is on fairly smooth and level ground. I did foam-fill my tires but opted to do it after I took possession of the machine since I can get tires foam filled here locally at a discount. Dean Voss delivered the machine and I asked him about it and he pointed out that foam comes in various densities and you need to be careful not to get the real dense stuff or the tires would be overly hard and make the ride very rough. Turns out, the "local deal" was a little more expensive than getting them filled at A&O because it wasn't a foam that they carried locally and had to be ordered. I got the 12 inch tires and each tire took 120 pounds of foam, so nearly 500 pounds of foam in total. I ran the machine for 40 hours before filling the tires; I can't tell any difference in the ride after the tires were filled with foam. The fellow who filled the tires said it was best to fill the tires when they are fairly new. Swinger comes standard with a suspension seat and they offer hive clamps as an option; they don't advertise nearly as many options as the Hummer. Relative to this thread, they advertise hive clamps as an option but not the hydraulic accumulator. Good luck with your purchase! Chip

[Tom G. Laury]

The hydraulic accumulator (load shock dampener) is most certainly available on the Swinger 1K. In fact it is a simple device and can be retro fitted on any existing machine. You could install one yourself Chip after the fact.
Load clamps are also available. I suppose some people still use them and keep them on, but 40 some years ago when bee outfits were being palletized many clamps were built, almost none of which were left on for more than one season.
Swinger Co. also offers the air ride seat with fold down arm rests.

[EastSideBuzz]

Now if you don't want to use clamps and want to go way rad install one of these.

http://www.bba-us.com/index.aspx?m=53&did=712 4 pallets

http://www.bba-us.com/index.aspx?m=53&did=242 3 pallets with side shift

Wow would this unload a truck quickly.

[Tom G. Laury]

C.F. Koehnen and sons have the two pallet set up on all their machines.

[Chip Euliss]

The hydraulic accumulator (load shock dampener) is most certainly available on the Swinger 1K. In fact it is a simple device and can be retro fitted on any existing machine. You could install one yourself Chip after the fact.
Load clamps are also available. I suppose some people still use them and keep them on, but 40 some years ago when bee outfits were being palletized many clamps were built, almost none of which were left on for more than one season.
Swinger Co. also offers the air ride seat with fold down arm rests.

Thanks Tom. The brochure I downloaded a year or so ago didn't list the accumulator as an available option but I just looked at their website and they have an updated brochure that does list it. Also noticed that Swinger had dropped the hard cab option from the brochure--guess they decided not to do with it after all.

Any experience adding the hydraulic accumulator? I'd be interested in adding that to my machine.

Chip

[jim lyon]

Eastside: Checking the specs on those double pallet units show them starting at about 1600 lbs. Then if you are grabbing a double set of pallets.............I think you know where I am going with this.

[Keith Jarrett]

....I think you know where I am going with this.

Very well said Jim, What one can do is, with a hold down clamp, stab one fork in one pallet an the other fork in the other pallet got to use your hold down clamp though, & don't lift up on the clamp until all pallets are on the ground. :)

[Nick Noyes]

Wow!! You guys must really be pressed for time unloading 2 stacks at time.
How about a hoist on the truck and just leave the forklift in the stockpile. Wouldn't even have to get out of the truck to unload.

[EastSideBuzz]

Well I guess you can unload 2 pallets of deeps at the beginning of the flow and only one at the end. :)

You are right though the way I work I would find the max. Blew all the hoses on my Kubota the first month when I bought it 10 years ago. Apparently no one had ever Benn able to do that before so they fixed them for free.

I dont know the price yet. I am looking at a forklift that does not have side shift yet as my starter lift so I would get the 2x one and just use one set. I can always use the second set when I am moving nucs or singles. Really struggling with the HummerBee or Swinger for a fist time bee keeping lift. Need to get contracts and year over year income to justify I think.

[Mike.Pollen]

It looks good. I only saw a picture of it. Is it controlled by a ram or do you have to manually raise and lower it?

[jim lyon]

I am looking at a forklift that does not have side shift yet as my starter lift so I would get the 2x one and just use one set.
If you have a bobcat or a similar skid steer you can get by without a sideshift just fine. Articulated loaders like the Hummer or Swinger without a side shift would be a challenge.

[Mtn. Bee]

One of the major tire chain stores in the Pacific Northwest told me when he fixed my flat on my tractor and filled it with Calcium Chloride that they are switching to a non-corrosive fluid for tires.
When I asked what it was, I was really shocked to find out that it is bee feed (good old sugar syrup)
I almost burst out laughing in his face! :)
He made a really good point that it is not corrosive and that it won't freeze if you add enough sugar, even in cold climates (like ND) and it is cheaper.
All very good points!
That would probably smooth up the ride for the beek and the bees both!
Mtn. Bee

[EastSideBuzz]

He made a really good point that it is not corrosive and that it won't freeze if you add enough sugar, even in cold climates (like ND) and it is cheaper.
All very good points!
That would probably smooth up the ride for the beek and the bees both!
Mtn. Bee

The ride would be even better when it ferments into liqueur and the beek drinks from his tires. He would not feel the bumps that is for sure.