$500-range radial extractor: Mann Lake a no-brainer?

[Ben Brewcat]

I'm looking at hand-powered radial extractors, which seem to start in the $500 range give or take. Options are:

Dadant's Ranger: 6 mediums, 3 deeps tangentially only with additional basket, no stand, $466

Brushy: 9-frame, 3 deeps tangentially with included basket, stand presumably included, $425

Mann Lake 18/9: 18 mediums or nine deeps no modification needed, stand included, $500

So:
Dadant's Ranger, why bother, because:

Brushy 9, more affordable with greater capacity than the Ranger, but:

for only $75 bucks you get double the capacity with the Mann Lake model over the Brushy model (more'n triple-capacity for only $44 more than with the Ranger).

Has anyone actively compared these? Wish I could see them all side by side. Am I missing something?

[beemandan]

I use the Brushy Mtn 9 framer. Doubling the capacity to 18 frames might get to be a bit of a load for a hand cranker. By the way the Brushy Mtn one does include legs.

[dcross]

If you have a Little Wonder you could upgrade it to a Ranger pretty cheaply like I did. It will hold 9 med. or shallows nicely, but I couldn't get it up to speed

[Ben Brewcat]

Dcross how'd you do that? I think the Ranger is 2" broader than the LW. I have an older 2-frame tang. but don't find baskets small enough to convert it.

And my plan is to convert the radial to bicycle-powered eventually. But mainly it'd be for mediums and the occasional deep.

[michael-bees]

I have a 9 framer from brushy. Not sure if it is the same one you are looking at but the one I have is the one with the tank on the bottom. It works ok for the medium and shallows but not so good with the deep frames. It is only because the deeps wont go in radially, too much speed and they blow apart. Also it is better with two people as you chase it around some. I like the built in screen on top of the tank. I am going to put legs on or get a bigger extractor,not sure which just yet.

[beemandan]

Not sure if it is the same one you are looking at but the one I have is the one with the tank on the bottom.

I think they're basically the same but come in a couple of different configurations.

Also it is better with two people as you chase it around some. I am going to put legs on or get a bigger extractor,not sure which just yet.

I bolted mine to a wooden pallet to keep it from 'walking' so much.

[Ben Brewcat]

Yeah, I had a question about those too... they must not have a floor but a screen? Meaning you can't use it without the tank/stand?

[michael-bees]

The bottom of the extractor is cone shaped with holes around the outside diameter so you could use it without the tank but it would need legs and some sort of a catch pan. The screen is on top of the tank and just pulls out. This extractor is actually built fairly good for the price.

[dcross]

Dcross how'd you do that?

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...ghlight=ranger

It was a cinch, but I'm not going to bother extracting deeps until I upgrade. Love the bicycle idea!

[Ben Brewcat]

Yeah, I'm noodling over details. Not sure whether to put a sheave right on the bike's axle, or to try to pulley off of a stationary "trainer" setup. Motorizing isn't my strong suit obviously and I'm not a bike mechanic but it can't be that hard.