Ok, Lets talk EXTRACTORS one more time...

[TonyGotaTruck]

First year Beek... Only 2 hives (doing well) have never taken honey off. Was going to leave it for winter mainly because I dont have an extractor... I plan to split next year and have 4 or 5 hives... Working on a trap out as we speak...

Mann lake has a 2 frame extractor (Plastic) for $160 delivered... I was hoping some of the experienced guys would look at the ad and tell me if its what I need. I bet I could hook a drill to it if I wanted to but I dont think its designed to do so..

Not sure how big I will let my Beekeeping grow.. Only time will tell..

Here is the website... http://www.mannlakeltd.com/publicati...tractorweb.pdf

I cant wait to hear back from you.. btw: Our Sagahatchee Beekeepers meeting is Tuesday and I will be asking then if we have a extractor I can use as a member...Also, I just joined Alabama Beekeepers Association this week so, havent been to one of the meetings with them yet...

[msapostol]

We have the Mann-Lake three frame metal extractor with the hand crank. For us it seems to take a better part of the day to harvest 5 gallons of honey and there's two of us. I'm not sure about the plastic extractor, sorry about that.

[ken rice]

Maxant (all stainless steel, made in usa) Priced a little more, but if your obsession has you growing in the future it will more than pay for itself over and over.

[TonyGotaTruck]

Wow,

I hate to spend $800 on an electric one but, may just have to... I guess I will surf the net on home built kits but, I dont think thats going to satisfy me (or my wife)...

Hope to hear more on this subject to see if anyone has tried the Mann Lake HH130 model that is in the advertisment below... http://www.mannlakeltd.com/publicati...tractorweb.pdf

[mrsl]

If you can stand to wait you can get some real deals on craigslist. One of the guys I work with found some beekeeping equipment on craigslist about an hour from where I live, and I wound up with a 12 frame radial extractor, capping tank, electric planes (left and right hand), electric capping knives, regular capping knives, refractometer, 3 bee suits, gloves, buckets, smoker, hive tools, etc. etc. - all for ~$600. It pays to wait if you can; I didn't need any of the equipment when I got it since I did not even have bees at that point, but I figured I could always get my money back if I needed to; glad I jumped on that deal when I did I didn't even use the extractor last year; just did crush & strain since I only had a few frames to harvest; it wasn't as messy as I thought it would be.

[TonyGotaTruck]

I will check CL everyday from here on out.. (Hey, noone else do this OK???) Cant ya buy a manual one is just add a motor that laying around? Doesnt seem impossible to me...

[muskratcreekhoney]

I have that model. It has worked well for me, but I am gentle with it. The handle on my model is the most annoying thing, it slides off too easy and bends (metal is too soft).

[TriJim]

If you're talking about a dozen frames - why not just crush and strain this year? See where you are going and give yourself time to investigate options before you decide to buy and quickly outgrow a 'starter' extractor. Good luck.

[TonyGotaTruck]

I crushed & strained the cut outs I did... I am ready for a extractor now. I have enough info to start my search for a good extractor.. Thanks

[Vance G]

Used is good. I paid $2000 for a 30 frame dadant extractor with automatic speed advance. I would have paid well over half that for a cheap 10 frame. So what if I only have a few loads. It is quick and easy and I am covered for extractor should I decide to expand my colonies ten times. Think out side the little tangential piece of junk box! This one takes up a whole foot more floor space! I can live with that.

[indypartridge]

... I plan to split next year and have 4 or 5 hives... Mann lake has a 2 frame extractor

I borrowed various extractors for several years before buying one. Borrowed one of those 2-frame plastic ones once. It was adequate for what I had at the time (one hive), but wasn't something that I would want long-term. In my opinion, if you're thinking 4-5 hives, a 2-frame extractor is too small.

I bought a Maxant 3100H (handcrank) this year when it was on sale for $379. It's easily convertable to a motorized, which I may do in the future.

[Michael Bush]

I would buy the biggest extractor that will fit through your kitchen door. Probably a 9/18 motorized. Anything smaller is just a waste as it's not that much more money for a larger one. It takes just as long to extract 18 frames as to extract 2 in a similar (i.e. both radial) extractor and LESS time than it does in one where you have to reverse the frames (tangential).

[StevenG]

Listen to Michael. Spend a little more now, save a bundle in the future. If you buy plastic, you will regret it in the future.

[Charlie B]

Maxant 3100p, you will be very happy with it.

[EastSideBuzz]

Maxant 1400PL. It is a fantastic machine. Cant say enough about it.

[TonyGotaTruck]

Someone sent me a message saying go to kinghoney.com and I looked at it.. 4 Large frame Extractor for $529 w/ free shipping.. Wish some experienced guys would look and tell me what you think...

As for now I am ok.. Went to Beekeeping meeting last night and older man told me to bring frames to him and he will let me borrow his extractor... Cant beleive how nice beekeepers are.. Wish everyone was a beek...

[tommyt]

TonygotaTruck look here then back to dot.com you posted, I don't think it would be hard to see the differance
http://www.maxantindustries.com/extractors.html

JMHO

Tommyt

[Batman]

Wow,

I hate to spend $800 on an electric one but, may just have to ]

If you hate to spend $800, than you will really hate to spend $1800 when you realize you need something bigger, or more importantly BETTER. I bought a Mann Lake extractor and HATED IT! I talked to people on here and and basically there are only a couple of names you should be looking at, Dadant & Maxant. I ended up getting rid of the ML and bougth a Dadant. The quality difference was night and day!

I have enough info to start my search for a good extractor.

You said it right there, "good extractor", ML and "good extractor" do not belong in the same sentence. I have NOTHING against ML, I have spent thousands of dollars in things from them in the past few years, but their extractor was garbage! Not only will I NOT recommend their extractor, but I WILL advise against them.
I have no ties to any of these companies, I am just trying to inform you.

Good luck,
C2