Cowan handyman or Maxant chain uncapper?

[MichaelW]

These two units are priced about the same, which is better?

Kelly's handyman knives are electric heated while the Unit from
Dadant or Cowen is steam heated. Is it worth the extra money
to go steam heated compared to either the maxant or the electric
knife handyman?

Are there other options for uncapping with severe carpel tunnel
with about 50 hives. Either uncapper seems like overkill for
50 hives, but I don't know if I can physically uncap the honey from
that many hives with my uncapping plane, once I get everything
established and stabilized. I plan to stop expanding at 50 hives.
Also I'm extracting on 4 different occasions this year, and will likely
continue to do that. So ease of cleaning is an issue, if I have to do it
4 times a year.

I'll be extracting at around 80 degrees F.

[BEES4U]

http://www.beesource.com/forums/arch.../t-206035.html
Regards,
Ernie Lucas Apiaries

[The Honey House]

I have a Maxant Chain Uncapper. I modified it slightly for better comb width adjustment.
PM me if you have specific questions.

[Tom G. Laury]

See if you can find a ( Rose ? ) hand plane uncapper. It is much easier on your wrist. The Maxant flail uncapper disguises drone from worker comb.

[MichaelW]

Honey House, thanks. I may have some more specific
questions about the Maxant later on.


*** I think I'm deciding on the Handymand from Kelly's with the
electric knives. Has anyone had problems with the electric knives
not being hot enough while extracting in the summer?


Larry, I have the maxant plane uncapper, but it will be too much
for my wrist even for the 30 hives I have now,
when I get more drawn comb and honey supers.

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

I've tried electric knives, including those from Kelley, and now use the water-heated uncapper from Cowen. I would not go back to electric. Any chain uncapper does a better job than any knife system at uncapping because the chain uncapper will get all the low spots. However, the chain uncapper also pushes wax and other inpurities into the honey and it must then be removed by either settling (a long process) or filtering (which I prefer to not do). I suggest spending the money and getting the water heated knives.

But consider steam. I know nothing about steam, except that the even heat provided is admirable. Dadant sells a neat little steam jenny.

[MichaelW]

When you say water heated Cowen, do you mean the Handyman?
If so how do you have water running to it? Does it come with
a means to do that from Cowen? Like a water reservoir and heater?

I'll be getting the Kelly Multipurpose Tank which has a 3000 watt
heated water compartment in it. I suppose that should work for water source
as mentioned in another thread? I'll need to run it anyway to melt capping's
and separate honey.

How does the chain uncapper handle new foundation?
Will a nylon filter clear the honey from a chain uncapper?

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

Yes, I am referring to the Cowan Handyman. It uses a water reservior and a heater. The chain uncapper has to be set to 'barely do the job' to handle new foundation. Nylon filters come in all kinds of mesh sizes and 'some' of those will clear the honey from a chain uncapper...but the higher mesh counts fabrics will not let honey pass through unless the honey is heated to 120-130 degrees.

Don't misunderstand me, the chain uncappers are great for commercial beekeepers who will always heat their honey to 150 degrees and higher so their filters work as designed (in other words, they'd heat their honey to this extent regardless of whether they used a chain uncapper). They are also great for those commercial beekeepers who run their spinners 'correctly', which very few do, as the spinners will remove the wax pushed into the honey. Finally, those few commercial beekeepers who will let their honey 'settle' for a minimum of 3-4 days will not put into barrels the various debris that comes with honey chain uncapped.

All others will put a lot of 'other stuff' into their honey. The buyers of commercially produced honey quickly learn who has 'clean' honey, and who not. Those buyers who buy by the trailer load do not care as they process all their honey as if it arrives very dirty. Others, like myself, care a great deal and will pay premiums to those few commercial guys who 'take care'.

I guess it comes down to the fact that chain uncappers allow all beekeepers to do their job easier and faster. The guys who care will take the time to clean up the extra debris and still come out ahead. The guys who don't care will just plain speed up their operation.

[Keith Jarrett]

They are also great for those commercial beekeepers who run their spinners 'correctly', which very few do, as the spinners will remove the wax pushed into the honey. Finally, those few commercial beekeepers who will let their honey 'settle' for a minimum of 3-4 days will not put into barrels the various debris that comes with honey chain uncapped.
.

Ouch ouch !!! those's silly commercial keepers. lol

[MichaelW]

Thanks again Lloyd. How does the Cowen handle 10 frame honey
supers? Do you need to use 9 frame supers with that?

I suppose I would order the 'old style' knives from Cowen as their
website says they work best for frames with new foundation. Any
thoughts on 'old style' verses 'new style' knives?

I'm leaning towards the water heated Cowen, but I want to make
sure it will work for my needs. I don't heat honey, but letting chain
uncapped honey settle for a week or two before I
bottle is not a real problem, but it could get inconvenient once my
honey tanks are full. I don't sell bulk honey, just bottled honey.