Best Quality Woodenware

[BoroughBees]

Looking through my collection of catalogs, I noticed that every single company states that their hives are the 'best-made' and the 'strongest'.

They can't all be the best, right?

I'd like to know where all of you get your hive bodies, who you think makes the best hive furniture, and why!

I added a poll with the biggest ones that I know about (on the east coast), but feel free to chime in with options that aren't there!

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Always get the same brand as you have. I have equipment from most of the major suppliers and it doesn't always fit just right!!!!
mike

[honeybeekeeper]

Well i pretty much build my own woodware, this way here i know exactly what im getting, everything fits perfectly and i dont have to pay for the expensive shipping & Handling charges!......

[BoroughBees]

Always get the same brand as you have. I have equipment from most of the major suppliers and it doesn't always fit just right!!!!
mike

This is a good point, but I'm interested in finding out who makes the best woodenware in general. If someone was starting from scratch and buying all new equipment, who would you recommend they buy it from?

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I go to the place that is closest, Dadant. Their commercial grade is soso, I started with select which is good. I think some of the companies you listed sell the same "brand" of wooden ware.

mike

[wdcrkapry205]

I go to the place that is closest, Dadant. Their commercial grade is soso, I started with select which is good. I think some of the companies you listed sell the same "brand" of wooden ware.

mike

I prefer Dadant, which comes from Western Bee in Montana; mainly because I like Ponderosa Pine better than any other wood.

[Roland]

Although we have purchased several hundred deeps w/ frames from Dadant, and the quality was generally good, we have since strayed. Christian likes the hand holds in the Deeps we got from Lapp's in Reesebille, Wis. He has long arms, and they are lower on the box than Dadant's. The wood seems to be a little straighter and less knotty also. The fit up for both was about the same.

We purchased a few Kelly frames, but prefer the thicker top bar(where it meets the end bar) of Dadant over the 3/8" Kelly. The top bar ussually is what breaks, it splits where it meets the end bar. A few years ago Dadant, went to a thicker bottom bar, which is not at all to our liking. That is one less row of cells for the same cost, and more weight to lift all day. I realize it is a small point, but Why change? We see very few broken bottom bars. The foundation did not fit well, so we ended up driving to Kelly for foundation, and shearing it to a custom length to fit the Dadant frames.

I will be looking at building the CNC equipment needed for in house production this winter. We will probably copy the A.I.Root deep and frame.


Roland

[honeybeekeeper]

If someone was starting from scratch and buying all new equipment, who would you recommend they buy it from?

I would recommend that they buy from one supplier of their choice! If you want to know who i think has the best frames?...I would say Dadant has the best frames!

[valleyman]

Walter T Kelley has 3 grades of woodenware. I have not tried their cheapest. I have 8 hives from them ranging from cypress to their commercial hives. I personally believe that no one makes any better products than they do. I have had absolutley no problems. their frames hold up much better than most that I've seen. I really like their SGX frame for the plastic foundation as I use wax coated Pierco. I have other brands in used equipment that I purchased which is not as high quality as Kelleys, especially the frames. They have free shipping 11/22-23-24. www.kelleybees.com

[gstephan1981]

MANN LAKE.........All the way!!!!

[BoroughBees]

Walter T Kelley has 3 grades of woodenware. I have not tried their cheapest. I have 8 hives from them ranging from cypress to their commercial hives. I personally believe that no one makes any better products than they do. I have had absolutley no problems. their frames hold up much better than most that I've seen. I really like their SGX frame for the plastic foundation as I use wax coated Pierco. I have other brands in used equipment that I purchased which is not as high quality as Kelleys, especially the frames. They have free shipping 11/22-23-24. www.kelleybees.com

Are their cypress hive bodies rabbeted or box jointed?

[sfamous]

Walter T Kelley has 3 grades of woodenware. I have not tried their cheapest. I have 8 hives from them ranging from cypress to their commercial hives. I personally believe that no one makes any better products than they do. I have had absolutley no problems. their frames hold up much better than most that I've seen. I really like their SGX frame for the plastic foundation as I use wax coated Pierco. I have other brands in used equipment that I purchased which is not as high quality as Kelleys, especially the frames.

Ditto....I have felt MLake, Dadant, BMBFarm and Kelley's.......Kellies wins, no debate, You can feel the quality of their wood during assembly, driving nails through it and you can't beat those extra heavy, slotted top bar frames with grooved bottoms for ease of use and to switch up for comb honey foundation.....