Bobcat with forklift mast, or without, vs Hummerbee!!!!!!!!

[Chip Euliss]

Keith. If I lived where you do and only needed a forklift, I might have bought another Swinger too!

[JoshJames]

I am guessing they will tell us more about it at the CA bee convention next month. If they dont then I agree a fantasy lift.

It exists, we just test drove it this morning.

[jim lyon]

Yeah I follow you now but as you say there is probably no reason that the Hummerbee attachments couldnt be plumbed to work. I do know that the loader conversion is about 7 grand for the Swinger and they claim about 20 minutes to a half hour switchover time. That gives you your universal mount for any Bobcat accessory but in the real world is probably a real PITA. I get frustrated having to take the time to put a barrel attachment on the forklift in the honey house and that takes all of about 2 minutes.

[Trevor Mansell]

I dont know I think if I wanted a machine that took Bobcat attachments I would just buy a Bobcat .

Why would anybody buy a machine that is just a knock-off of the 1K . I don't understand , these guys at Swinger make machines for the military , they make equipment for the Coast Guard . Heck these guys have been making loaders for around 40 years , the Hummerbee is a copy of there old 1600. Why would you spend your hard earned money on a second rate machine when you can have the original for allot less. Also think about this, do you think A and O actually gets there machines tested for ANSI certifications ? Somehow I just cant see them spending that kind of money, maybe Im wrong but I doubt it.

[EastSideBuzz]

Keith. If I lived where you do and only needed a forklift, I might have bought another Swinger too!

You can put a plate on a swinger and run Bobcat implements also if you want to go that route. If I were to compare the Swinger and the Humberbee for running implements I would go swinger. The motor is much more powerful and the joints are designed to last. I would be afraid to use the hummerbee to do some of those rough tasks. You also can get a front end loader for the swinger so I know it is built tough.

They build machines that run in the desert of the middle east so those things are military grade also.

[Keith Jarrett]

.

Why would anybody buy a machine that is just a knock-off of the 1K .. Why would you spend your hard earned money on a second rate machine when you can have the original for allot less.

Trevor, Trevor... ease up, your starting to make too much sence here. lol

[benstung]

or you could take your 30 grand and buy 2 used bobcats and a load of syrup.

then with all the time you will save loading semi's you can spend more time on beesource

[HarryVanderpool]

I think the idea of hooking up snow blowers or mowers on a forklift is goofy.
Here's what it sounds like you might need:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...n/DSC00435.jpg

And yes, it is also EXCELLANT for moving bees.
3 pallets on the back and 2 on the front.
Skidsteer attachments on the loader.
And guess what? $20,000.00 including forks and bucket, NOT $33,000!!!!
40 HP turbo 8x8 FWD
Ever heard of a power shaft? Oh yeah, it also runs our bailer, sprayer rake, rototiller, posthole digger etc....
Maybe Hummerbee needs to offer a 3pt hitch on the back so you can do this with your forklift:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...n/DSC00431.jpg

Or this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...n/DSC00823.jpg

[odfrank]

You can argue this forever.

A sledge hammer won't do the work of a brad hammer or rubber mallet. Those six way screw drivers have two Phillips heads, two slotted heads, and two sockets, but won't work on screws or nuts much larger and smaller than what it comes with. Forty years ago when I started my business I bought a carpenters hammer, but it was too small to hammer in headerboard stakes, so I bought a mallet. But it was too small to hammer a stake into hard ground, so I bought a sledge hammer. I got a few concrete removal jobs so I bought a bigger sledge hammer. I wanted to split firewood so I bought a maul. I got some masonry work so I bought a brick hammer. I wanted to drum bees out of boxes so I bought a rubber mallet. I needed to flatten a bunch of nuts so I bought a ball peen hammer. I had a few hundred frames to wire so I bought a brad hammer from Kelly.

I started with a 3/4 ton pickup but added a 1 ton dump truck, then a 28000 gvw dump truck, later a 15000 gvw toolbox dump truck, then a 20000 gvw drop box truck. Now I drive Subaru Baja. It is perfect for most of my beekeeping efforts but I harvest the crops with a bigger truck.

I have two skid steer Bobcats, a Massey skip loader and several trenchers, none of them do the work of my mini excavator, and it isn't real good at loading trucks.

No one tool or piece of equipment will serve all uses.

[Chip Euliss]

Harry. The cute little red tractor looks like it serves your needs well. I have a John Deere 2640 and an 8 foot snow blower that I've used for years. Ever blow snow in an open cab, going in reverse when it's -30 and the wind is blowing 40 mph? IMO, that's goofy but to each his own. I'm happy blowing snow from the comfort of a cab and the mower is a lot easier to haul to my Beeyards than the 2640 and it's quicker. I'm happy with my set up and I'm happy you like yours!!

[Keith Jarrett]

I'm I the only guy that bought a machine(1k) with loading... ahhhh bees in mine???? I could give a hoot about if it chop hay, blows snow, wins the indy( sorry Harry had to get that one in there ). Gees lou wees. Buy a tool for the job. There is no one size fits all.

The size that fits loading BEES is 1k swinger

[HarryVanderpool]

Ever blow snow in an open cab, going in reverse when it's -30 and the wind is blowing 40 mph? IMO, that's goofy but to each his own.

No, but I did ride out the blizzard of '66 in Crookston, so I understand your winters.
The worst I have seen here is 17" but many years we don't have any snow at all.
Certainly machine requirements are just like beekeeping; regional!
Anyway, I was mainly just yanking everyones chain. They are all fine machines.
You take 1st place for the best summation:
"I'm happy with my set up and I'm happy you like yours!! "

[Chip Euliss]

Harry. You are a gentleman and a scholar; I tip my hat to you! My daughter is a professor at the Crookston campus of the University of Minnesota so she knows the winters there too. The first year she was there, the snow drifted into the outside doors of her house and she had to call a neighbor to dig her out! We moved here in 1990 from CA so she's seen all kinds of weather, including the foggy winters of CA. Be Good, Chip

[jim lyon]

Great, just when it was getting interesting everyone starts agreeing on everything. Suppose this means I have to stop picking on Keith and giving Harry the business about that race car he drives.

[Keith Jarrett]

just when it was getting interesting everyone starts agreeing on everything. Suppose this means I have to stop picking on Keith and giving Harry the business about that race car he drives.

Yep... lol

[Chip Euliss]

Jim. You could work on me for not having sense enough to keep my bee habit reasonable; I think we could all agree that someone with 800 hives and a full time job is a little 'goofy' from the get go!

[HarryVanderpool]

Sorry to dissappoint, but don't give up yet.
My buddy, Nick VanCalcar (7000 hives) has five towables kinda / sorta like mine, and we have a drag race scheduled when we meet in cherries this spring. All of his are 350 Chevys. Mine is a 351 Ford W-HO 4V.
If I can get my daughter out there with a camera we will post a Utube.
Then we can argue Ford v.s. Chevy and forklifts at the same time. Stay tuned!!

[EastSideBuzz]

Part of getting a swinger etc is having the tool. No everything makes $ sense.

I got a kubota 15 years ago and just hit 400 hours on it. So if you do the math of a 30k tractor, 2 clutch jobs, 1 front dif rebuild and my tractor is like a boat (hole in the water you throw money into). It is a fun thing to have and useful also.

Jim. You could work on me for not having sense enough to keep my bee habit reasonable; I think we could all agree that someone with 800 hives and a full time job is a little 'goofy' from the get go!

I have 150 and growing and a full time job and having a real tough time with it. Please share how you do it. PM if you like. But, I need the full time job to fund this thing. I think 30k each of the last 2 years into this could not do that with the profits from the girls.

[EastSideBuzz]

You can argue this forever...................No one tool or piece of equipment will serve all uses.

Just remember what a wise man once said "He who dies with the most toys wins. "

Like your list. Need to get a dump truck also need some gravel and dirt for the yard. Like your toys.

[Chip Euliss]

Buzz. I'm 61 and the goal was to do something I enjoyed that was more physically demanding than my day job; I'm a biologist but mostly work behind a computer screen all day. Since I had a day job, I put all the profits back into the bees. I started 12 years ago and owe no money on anything I have for beekeeping. My second goal was to stop recycling all profits into the bees when I had enough colonies to ship to CA for almonds. I try to send 680 (1 double hive per stack with the rest singles) for the 34 4-way stacks that will fit on a semi trailer. I reached that point about 6 years ago and have been paying myself ever since. I split here in ND in mid-May so I have to split them heavy to have strong hives by late June when the main nectar flow begins. My main issue was time management to have time to do the bees justice. I harvest my honey but pay a friend who is a large commercial to process the honey. I get my hives back the first of May and split them over 2 weeks; this time of year, I haul them here, cull the weak, medicate and pump syrup in them 1-3 times (more for singles). By the time November rolls around, they're ready to ship and the cycle starts over. I send them to a great beekeeper in CA who takes good care of them through almonds (we share the profits). Due to the volume, it cuts into my hunting and fishing but I do fish 2 weeks on summer vacation and hunt most of the things I want in late fall. Our LONG winters give me time to do maintenance and odd chores to make the next year run smoother. I have a Ford bee truck so I'm rooting for Harry in the upcoming drag race!!!

Bottom line is, no secrets---just not enough sense to have a more leisurely lifestyle!! Actually, I enjoy the bees and the hard work.

Chip