Extractors

[Charlie]

Hello, This is my second year of beekeeping. I live in northern Illinois and started with two hives. The bees made it through the winter just fine and I was able to capture my own swarm so now I have three hives. I'm now ready to buy an extractor or an extractor/kit. I want a radial extractor but I'm undecided on a hand or power extractor. The two models I'm leaning toward are the Maxant 3100 and the Dadant ranger. Does anyone have an opinion on hand crank vs. power and what is the best built extractor, Dadant or Maxant?

Thanks, Charlie

[Deeptime]

I'm in the same boat as Charlie, only a year behind him.
I started this year with two hives and am throughly enjoying the challenges of my bees (2 hives). I see this as a hobby and doubt if I ever grow past 6-8hives. I would appreciate input/advice on small scale extraction equipment. I prefer to buy quality rather than be guided by price alone. Unless electric drive is prohibitive, I probably need to go that way as I'm 57 with shoulder issues.

Deeptime

[mlewis48]

Charlie.
We started out with a 4 frame hand crank model from Dadant, which was a fine piece of equipment but we out grew it fast. We got a 20 frame powered extractor from Maxant and life got easier and then some. It basically depends on what your plans are, how many hives that you plan to get to and how much money do you want to spend. Nothing wrong with a hand crank extractor and a lot cheaper than a powered model. With 3 hives to extract, it would be a breeze but when you get over 20 hives, that cranking can get old fast. Good luck in your choice and enjoy it when you get one.
Marc

[Troy]

I'm in my 5th year beekeeping now, so I think my timing might offer some perspective. I started out a short enough time ago to remember, but long enough ago to have a little perspective.

For me, I hated hand cranking so much I belabored the issue time and again about what to do about an extractor. I didn't want too many hives, so hand cranked makes sense economically, but I hated it - so I was looking at the electric extractors and they were just too expensive.

I finally put all the pros and cons down on paper and here is the thought process I went through.

1. I will not hand crank. I will do crush and strain if I have to instead.

2. If I do buy an extractor, I will have a plan in place to recover the money.

It took me all winter and into the spring to make the choice and I finally decided to buy a 9 frame radial electric from Brushy Mountain. It is a Swienty, rebranded for Brushy as far as I can tell.

It was almost $900, so I divided it out. How much honey will I need to get to have enough revenue to pay for it in 2 years. I decided to sell my honey at $4 a lb plus the cost of the glass (almost another dollar so rounded to $5 a lb jar, and that was 4 yrs ago).

I then needed 225 lbs of honey to sell and began splits and swarm gathering to reach a goal of 10 hives. I don't remember how many hives I built up to that second season, but I gathered enough to make about $1100 - and that was more than enough to cover the extractor and I felt real good about being able to do that.

Now each season I use any monies from honey sales to buy more or better equipment. It has become a business area for me. It doesn't make much money, but it doesn't lose any either. It is still fun to do and if it becomes too much like work, then I'll just scale back as all my equipment is paid for anyway.

[StevenG]

I think your choice of extractor would be determined by your ultimate number of hives. After I moved from two hives to 16, I sold my two frame hand crank extractor, and bought Kelley's 2 frame reversible, motorized, extractor. For years I extracted 1400-1600 pound of honey in one day. I'd uncap, put the frames in the machine, extract one side for a few seconds, reverse, then completely extract the other side. While that was happening, I was uncapping the next frames. Then I'd stop it, flip them, finish the first side.

For me that was cost effective and efficient. The machine did the work while I did other things. Now that I'm moving to 40 hives, I'm getting a 20 frame radial. But for years I was well pleased with the two frame motorized reversible. If I was staying at 15-20 hives, I wouldn't spend the extra money. Just my opinion.
Regards,
Steven

[Deeptime]

Wow! Lotta experience out there, thanks.
As a hobby-beek, I'm not quite under the ROI constraints as would normally be the case. As an empty nester, I realistically have to consider very little labor help, and with weak shoulder, motorized is probably the way I'll go.

What about converting a used manual to electrified? Any cost savings going that route? I have cheap access to machine shop and Master Machinist skills.

[StevenG]

You can convert most hand crank extractors to motorized. Things to consider:
- Cost of used manual extractor
- Material it is made of... how has it held up, will it hold up for the time you want to use it.
- Any shipping involved?
- Cost of conversion kit and motor.
- Ease of use. For example, a two frame reversible is easier to use than a two frame, and perhaps even a 4 frame non-reversible. Centrifugal is better yet, depending on cost and the size of your operation.

Then compare that with the cost of buying a new motorized extractor that you've been drooling over. :)
If you're handy with metal working/machine shop tools, consider the pleasure you'd get from making your own setup, versus time involved in trial and error fabrication, plus the cost of the motor.
Good luck, and have fun!
Steven

[My-smokepole]

A friend just bought Bushy moutain hand crank 9 frame radial extractor. It took forever and is now looking at converting it to power. In the club I know that there is a couple power one that they are happy with.

[bnatural]

A friend just bought Bushy moutain hand crank 9 frame radial extractor. It took forever and is now looking at converting it to power. In the club I know that there is a couple power one that they are happy with.

I bought one of those units years ago and converted it to power using the old system they had, after a friend 'helped' me extract and blew out a bunch of frames, because he revved it up too fast and jerky (back when I still used wax foundation). I still have it and love it. Works great. He will not regret motorizing it.

Bill

[phil c]

I run 6 hives and usually get 70-80 lbs. per hive. I use a 4 frame hand crank and it works well. I wouldnt mind trying a powered type but there is nothing wrong with a hand crank. I will extract over a couple of nights just taking my time.
If I ever went with more hives I would seriously consider a motorized.

[terri lynn]

I'm going through this same struggle right now as well. I've been trying to decide whether to stretch the budget right now and get equipment I'll use from now on (while I have the money in savings even if I do need a lot of it for home renovations) or to start modestly and move up if and when needed.

Even once you decide what size, it's tough to know which actual extractor is the best made for the least money. Is that what you're getting at, Charlie?

Finally, what's the difference in ease of cleaning? I'm thinking the one good thing about not being able to afford a 20 frame is they would take longer to clean being larger and possibly waste more honey. Maybe it would be better taking longer with extracting and less time cleaning. I'm at 14 hives and might go to 25 or 30.

[beyondthesidewalks]

I have a little 4 frame tangetial extractor I bought used a long time ago for $100. It's great for starting out. The beekeeper I bought it from went whole hog, kept bees for a few years then got out of it. I think that if you've been keeping bees 5 years or less, you're better off buying a used extractor like mine. Once you're sure your committed to beekeeping for the rest of your life then spend the big bucks.

[Rohe Bee Ranch]

I started out with 3 hives 9 years ago and an old Kelly reversable hand crank extractor. It took quite some time to extract 9 supers in that old extractor. I purchased a Motorized Radial 18/9 Frame Extractor from Mann Lake. Best investment I've made so far. Speeds things up big time especially now that I have 30 hives. :D

[terri lynn]

I was interested in getting a used extractor from the get go. Figured I could get much higher quality for less money that way. And after the 1st time, it's not new anymore anyway! The problem for me is FINDING used equipment. :lookout: I would think these days with Craigs list, ebay, etc. there would be some available, but I haven't seen it. The only extractor I've seen used was priced at $1500...just a bit higher than it was new at Dadant! :no:

[mlewis48]

I found mine in the classified adds in the American Bee Journal, for a fraction of the price of a new one. Got lucky I guess. As far as taking longer to clean or extracting longer. It only takes a few more mins. to clean my 20 frame as it did my 4 frame extractor. Hot water and the power washer do the trick. I am like the rest of you, I would rather turn on the motor and let it do its thing, while I do something else than crank that bad boy around. Time is money.