Brushy Mountain Frames

[NasalSponge]

I would like to say how pleased I am in the greatly increased quality and quality control of Brushy Mountain frames....finally someone taking some pride in their frames! Up to now I have not received an order of frames from anyone that had all the cross wire holes drilled straight. Built 70 and everyone was perfect.

[beecrazy101]

I bought a starter kit from them. Everything was assembled and was glued together. Had no problems with putting in the foundations. Wood was top quality and very nice. I would deal with them again and again. They shipped in a very propt timeline and contacted by email the shipping dates.

[BeeCurious]

I recently got 100 top/bottom grooved frames from BM.

I like the ruggedness of them...

I don't like what I consider to be excessively wide grooves.

I don't like the top set of wiring holes being less than 1/2" from the top-bars. It makes crimping very difficult.

It's not a big deal, but I don't like having to run my embedding board through the table saw so it will accept the BM bottom-bars.

I like being in shipping Zone 1 from their PA location.

The only other wooden frames I have came from Kelley...

As you can see, I emphasized the positive.

Overall, I'm neutral at this point, but I'm influenced by shipping costs.

[coopermaple]

We have a couple 1000 BM frames (shallow, med , deeps) this year and they did not fit the BM embedding board we bought. Had to run it thru table saw to fit frames.

[NasalSponge]

Hummm...haven't wired any yet...I shall watch for that.

[BeeCurious]

One more observation:

Compared to my grooved top/bottom frames from Kelley, the BM frames are 3/16" higher and 3/16" shorter.

[bmcmahon]

I use all mediums and the new frames from Brushy have caused me some problems. I bought all new equipment from them in March and was given one type of frame and then I ordered additional supers and frames a month or two later and got the new frames.

The form board I bought from them fit the old frames but not the new. They shipped me a new form board. The new one works -- sort of. The new frames have 3 holes per side where the old frames had 2. When wired, one of the wires lines up with the groove cut for short frames. I have to embed 2 wires and then shift the frame to rest the bottom bar in that short frame slot and prop the other side to embed the last wire.

It seems to me that the solution is not a different form board but to position the wiring holes as they had them on the old frames.

[annamw]

I've been having fits over Brushy Mountain's changes to their medium frames. I've found that the three holes in the sidebars make it so the top and bottom holes are too close to the top and bottom bar so crosswiring through these holes is a waste of time. And I think three crosswires in a medium frame is excessive and a waste of wire.

I've also found that the new frames are slightly shorter so I've had to trim the foundation to keep it from buckling in the frame. It's very time consuming to trim the wax and clip all nine crimp wires.

I contacted Brushy Mountain because I'm a long-time customer and would much prefer to continue ordering all of my equipment from them. They claimed that the side bars were the same size as they had been previously and said that the foundation was too big. I have ordered medium frames from both Betterbee and Dadant and the same foundation that I've had to trim to get into the Brushy Mountain frames fits perfectly in the medium frames from both the other companies. I even had a few old Brushy Mountain frames laying around and the foundation fit them without trimming, so I know that the problem is NOT the foundation. I prefer the Dadant frames because they are exactly like the frames that Brushy Mountain used to carry--same size, quality and two holes drilled at the proper places in the sidebars. I do hate to have to switch companies, but I've got to go with what works for me.

For anyone who's experiences the same issue with the new BM frames, I hope this helps.

[wbee]

** nm **

[wbee]

I even had a few old Brushy Mountain frames laying around and the foundation fit them without trimming, so I know that the problem is NOT the foundation. I prefer the Dadant frames because they are exactly like the frames that Brushy Mountain used to carry--same size, quality and two holes drilled at the proper places in the sidebars. I do hate to have to switch companies, but I've got to go with what works for me.

For anyone who's experiences the same issue with the new BM frames, I hope this helps.

Dadants and BM used to get the same exact frames ..............BM doesn't anymore, by their own choice, effective early this year.

As Paul Harvey would say.......Now you know the REST of the story......

[bmcmahon]

Dadants and BM used to get the same exact frames ..............BM doesn't anymore, by their own choice, effective early this year.

Good to know. In the future, I'll get the medium frames from Dadant and use the original form board I bought from Brushy.

I didn't have any problems with the foundation not fitting the new frames but having 50% more work to do (and 50% more materials to use) wiring the new frames and getting a replacement form board that still wasn't correct has soured me on the new frames from Brushy.

Maybe the better question to ask in this thread is whether anyone was having problems with the old frames from Brushy (and Dadant)?

[oldenglish]

My only complaint with Brushy is how slow they are to process orders, I placed an order on thursday and today (monday) it is still in order recieved status. And this for an item that just needs picking off a shelf and putting in the mail.

[NasalSponge]

OK....after wiring some I will agree the hole placement is BAD!

[BeeCurious]

OK....after wiring some I will agree the hole placement is BAD!

I remembered this post and was curious to know your final opinion...



I don't think I would buy more of the Brushy Mt. medium frames. I guess the next I would buy would either be Kelley's (again) or Dadant .


Shipping costs matter to me, but wiring the BM frames is such a pain that I'll pay not to go through that hassle again.

[blueskybeesupply]

Dadant makes Brushy's frames and wax foundation.

[palmerbee1629]

Dadant makes Brushy's frames and wax foundation.

Not true. Western Bee used to make them. Dadant owns Western Bee, but Brushy dropped them, just like they dropped Wilbanks for the package bees. Either they make them themselves or they're getting them elsewhere. Couldn't get to the bottom of it from the meeting

Little birdy told me at NC state meeting

[blueskybeesupply]

As of the end of May, I was told by Brushy that the frames were from Dadant and that they had recently been redesigned by Dadant. I inspected them, and they were a little beefier than what they had previously and better crafted.

If Brushy does now make their own frames, they are quality frames. I thought the frames seemed fine, myself. I was actually impressed with them.

It seems as if all the frame manufacturers upped their game in the past couple of years. I can't think of a supplier that doesn't now make quality frames.

[PuebloCO]

I am glad for the feedback since I have been REALLY considering buying my first starter kit (the English Garden) from BM. I'm still leaning toward it right now, even considering what I've read. I still have a couple months...

[BigDru]

I personally have 3 of the english garden hives. Love them. I have purchased and use both dadant and BM frames. Also have a few frames from rossman. For me; BM works. I like them and have had no problems with them. And the garden hives look great in the back yard.

[Card's Honey Farm]

I have used 4 suppliers and BM are the best. Shipping costs were fantastic. Quality unmatched.