ordering from more than one supply house.

[bluegrass]

Does everybody do the same thing I do? I order what I need from the cheapest source, so I end up ordering one item from one place and another from somewhere else because its is cheaper.....

[Hampton]

Many times I end up buying things from one or two places. The club I belong to will get together and put in orders so we can take advantage of quantity discounts. Also I pick up items at the State meetings to save on shipping.

[mlewis48]

Yes, I do all the time. When the group that is up the road from you is too expensive, I will go to Kelley's or Brushy Mountain. If I can save a dollar I will.

[bluegrass]

Yes, I do all the time. When the group that is up the road from you is too expensive, I will go to Kelley's or Brushy Mountain. If I can save a dollar I will.

I have never seen kelly cheaper than anybody on anything.. I most frequently deal with Mann Lake and Better Bee. Last year I got my frames from mann lake because they were the cheapest, this year I am ordering frames from better bee because they are now cheaper than Mann Lake, but Mann Lakes supers are cheaper so I will order them from there.

[Michael Bush]

I buy things from each that no one else has.

[jeff123fish]

shipping usually makes the biggest difference for me. a dollar here or there is lost if the shipping is double.

[soupcan]

What kind of price do you put on service?

[MapMan]

shipping usually makes the biggest difference for me. a dollar here or there is lost if the shipping is double.

Yep, shipping is the killer of deals - especially woodenware.

MM

[bluegrass]

What kind of price do you put on service?

Only one I haven't delt with is Brushy Mountian. The only one I have been unhappy with is Dadant.

[Ravenseye]

I buy from more than one. Sometimes it's due to shipping, sometimes because of the equipment I'm looking for. Unless I'm in a big hurry, I don't worry about service too much so long as the product is as described. If I need it within a certain time frame, shipping service is important.

[Jeffzhear]

I buy from many places primarily because some suppliers are the only ones I have found that offer a particular product. I tend to buy locally to cut down on shipping costs also.

[justin]

i get everything i can from western bee.they are about 65 beautiful miles from me, and remember me by name and know where i live,even though they have only seen me a couple times.i also know which trees on the log trucks going by will end up as woodenware.plus ups wont drive my road all winter even though its fine.

[kopeck]

I try to get my stuff from one place just to keep shipping down but sometimes I need things that one supplier just doesn't have.

I mostly use Kelley's, their product numbers never changes, if I run out of something I just look at the box and order some more!

K

[Da Yooper]

I'm wondering if everything from the different suppliers is interchangable. We have ordered 3 medium hive nucs so we are going with all medium super hives. However, we haven't decided on 8 or 10 frame yet. Although we are leaning towards 10 frame from Dadant because we can drive to the Wisconsin location for pickup. Lately I've been poking around the Brushy Mt site and like their 8 frame.

My question is if I buy 8 frame supers from Brushy mt will the frame nucs from Long Lane Honey farms fit these supers. And will a screened 8 frame bottom board from a different supplier fit the Brushy mt super and what about a top cover from somewhere else.... and so on. Is it all interchangable or am I better off buying from one source? :scratch:

Thanks for your help.
Fred

[Michael Bush]

Mann Lake and Betterbee's eight frame equipment is 14" wide. Brushy Mt., Miller Bee Supply, and I believe Rossman's are 13 3/4". Of course if you put a 14" wide super on a 13 3/4" wide super there is only 1/8" slop on each side, so it will work.

[Ishi]

Call Dadant the Chico office caries 8 frame hives.

[Allen Dick]

Maybe things have changed, but in the past, I have found that mixing woodenware between suppliers results in bad fits, inconsistent bee spaces, and mismatched frames. Some suppliers may put the bee space on the top, some on the bottom, and some half and half. Some Frames have wide top bars, some narrower ones. Some have high handholes, some lower ones. Some use scoops and others us slotted handholes.

I don't think the bees care much, but for a beekeeper who is equipment proud, this can be annoying and devalue the equipment at resale time. It also can make mechanised operations a bit more difficult.

[bluegrass]

The only woodenware I buy is frames and I get them from Mann lake. I have some that I got at Dadant and they are exactly the same. When Robin Mountain was there he said that both companies get their frames from the same manufacturer.