Truck Mounted Cranes

**LSBees** · 10-18-2010, 03:36 PM

What other truck mounted cranes are being used for beekeeping? If a Ezyloader cost $25K I need to find something more in my price range.

**Ian** · 10-18-2010, 04:33 PM

its worth the money,

easy to use. the auto level is a must

**BMAC** · 10-18-2010, 06:13 PM

for 15K I pull around a trailer and skid steer with forks! The other 10K is still in the bank!

**hpm08161947** · 10-18-2010, 06:27 PM

The Ezloader must be for a rather specialized use.... one that I am not familiar with. I know our 10K trailer + 753 cost more like 12K. But then again there may be some specialized reasons for the EZloader these days... maybe Ian would like to list a few - I am sure he has his reasons.

**LSBees** · 10-19-2010, 04:55 PM

I am actually shopping around for a trailer and skidsteer, then I saw the EZloader and thought maybe that would be cool until I saw the price, I am back shopping for my skid steer

**jjgbee** · 10-19-2010, 07:10 PM

There are a lot of Payne loaders in back lots. All of their parts are available or buildable. A truck mounted loader has its place in small operations. A used Payne would be worth $1 to 3 thousand.

**Ian** · 10-21-2010, 08:32 AM

I have switched to the escape board to clear bees, the loader allows me to lift the honey over the board, and then off the hive on to the truck without any effort.

I have a guy that has worked with me for a number of years. At the end of the first pull, he told me , "Ian, kinda feels like we are cheating"

No lifting, no blowers, no fume boards.
just a bit slower running escape boards as compaired to 5 guys and fume boards

In stead of hiring off shore help this year to take off my honey, I bought in the esyloader and hired a couple of kids. Works for my operation. We run 750 hives for honey

**BMAC** · 10-21-2010, 03:36 PM

I dont have off shore help either. Instead its just my leaf blower my skid steer and my back. Bee escapes for 750 hives is interesting. Not to get too off topic but tell us how long does it take to set that up and get all the bees out of the supers?

I can see the nice funcationality of the truck lifts and considered buying a truck with a lift a few years back when I lived in KC but I never did it, bought the skid steer instead. I guess we all make our business decisions based upon what we expect out of it.

**jjgbee** · 10-21-2010, 11:18 PM

I only ran 300 hives and a truck loader worked fine for me with 5 moves per year. I started in bees with a weak back (not smart) and would set my yards where in the spring and fall I could sit on one hive and work the next. During our heavy honey flows I found if I Under supered, I would make more honey. With the crane, I could lift 2,3 or 4 supers off with no exertion and slide an empty under. For inspection when they start getting heavy in the fall, I can pop the top box off and inspect and medicate. Push the button, no lifting.
Those are my reasons for a truck crane. Try that with a fork lift. My loader loaded 2 hives at a time on the truck, so it took 4 times longer than a fork lift to load the truck. BUT on California's poooor highways, I am not restricted to the destroyed right two lanes with truck and crane.

**Ian** · 10-23-2010, 08:52 PM

>> leaf blower my skid steer and my back

ya, thats was my set up

>>tell us how long does it take to set that up and get all the bees out of the supers?

I set four yards of 32 one day, pull them off the next, extract the following. The avaliability of boxes restricts how many yards I can pull each day. IF I get into a good rythem, I can have supers in the honey house for rain days. As the pull progresses, and I accumulate more boxes, I will set until I run out of equipment, pull till the hot room is full, and extract. This year I extracted 120000 lbs in twenty or so days during the pull

I change over one box, and leave the hives over the escape boards 1 or 2 nights. At the beginning I needed 2 nights, but as things went on, I found most bees had left after one night. And by that I mean 85-90%

The escape boards follow all the same rules as puling with other methods. If there is brood up there, no bees leave. Also any cracks in the upper supers will cause problems with robbing. I found out the hard way.

ONe point to mention, if your honey supers have had brood in them, even as far back as last season, the bees will be slow to clear

**Allen Martens** · 10-23-2010, 09:05 PM

Ian

How many supers are you pulling from 4 yards?

**Ian** · 10-23-2010, 09:19 PM

average 3-4 per hive, probably much the same as you supering habits
change over one during the first pull, add another, and pull 1-2 on second pull, and one on third if there is a late flow

**LoganV** · 11-01-2010, 06:00 AM

I searched on CraigsList and found a used AutoCrane for $3K. Mounting cost another K. Mounted it right front (rather than rear) so I can still pull a gooseneck.

**irwin harlton** · 11-01-2010, 10:48 AM

Can you please supply more details of your crane, pic's would be nice

**API-CULTURE** · 11-15-2010, 08:03 AM

Try the new crane made by a small company in France.
It's a reliable engine, easy to handle.
www.materiel-apiculture.fr/la-grue-api-culture

Ask them for a translation of their brochure, they speak English

**swatkins** · 11-20-2010, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by API-CULTURE

Try the new crane made by a small company in France.
It's a reliable engine, easy to handle.
www.materiel-apiculture.fr/la-grue-api-culture

Ask them for a translation of their brochure, they speak English

Here is a video of that crane in operation... Looks very easy

http://www.materiel-apiculture.fr/videos