Thoughts on used extractors.

**juzzerbee** · 04-25-2012, 07:33 AM

As a newbee I always need opinions from others. I am currently looking for an extractor. I am planning on buying a used one(serves the purpose and saves some money). Is there anything that I should specifically look for(styles, name brands, etc..) when I find some for sale in my area. I have been asking if the extractor still works, how many frames does it hold, is it clean enough for use with honey(some are more antique-like sitting in barns). Galvanized versus stainless steel, what are the extra steps needed for extracting if it is a galvanized extractor? Are there any names/kinds of extractors that I should stay away from. Any words of advice or caution that anyone may have is appreciated. There is a "farm master" extractor for sale in my area, is that any good? Also, how much would be a average price for a used extractor? Thanks, juzzerbee.

**sweetacres** · 04-25-2012, 09:02 AM

I bought a used Dadant Ranger extractor a couple years ago and I'm happy with it. It was about half the price of a new one. I would personally go with stainless steel as you are dealing with a food product, and that would be the safest route. I would also recommend getting something that is more than you need now. I probably would have been fine with at 2 frame crank model, but I know this extractor is going to cover any decent amount of growth I may have for the next few years.

**Batman** · 04-25-2012, 09:08 AM

I'll let some other people chime in with the other thoughts, but I will only give you the advice I was given and my experience.

Originally, I dropped $1000 on a Mann Lake radial 9/18 framer in 2009. It was the worst purchase I had made working with the bees so far and ABSOLUTELY HATED IT! If you're looking for something of the modern generation, I was told to buy a Maxant or Dadant. I decided on the Dadant 20 frame radial (new), I drove 2.5 hours one way to get it from their Chico store and feel it was worth every penny as well as the drive.

**justinh83** · 04-25-2012, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Batman

I'll let some other people chime in with the other thoughts, but I will only give you the advice I was given and my experience.

Originally, I dropped $1000 on a Mann Lake radial 9/18 framer in 2009. It was the worst purchase I had made working with the bees so far and ABSOLUTELY HATED IT! If you're looking for something of the modern generation, I was told to buy a Maxant or Dadant. I decided on the Dadant 20 frame radial (new), I drove 2.5 hours one way to get it from their Chico store and feel it was worth every penny as well as the drive.

What did you hate about it? What did you like about the other one in comparison? Content.

**berkshire bee** · 04-25-2012, 03:39 PM

I'm the third owner of my Maxant extractor. The two previous owners stuck with the Maxant brand, but just wanted a bigger size. I've been using it for the last 7 years myself, and have also had other club members over to extract. If I remember correctly, I got it for $150. It has belt and pulley drive so thereare no gears to break or wear out. With occasional lubrication, it will still be running well 100 years from now. If you can find a used one, snatch it up and you'll have a top quality American made product.

**juzzerbee** · 04-26-2012, 06:40 AM

I bought the farm master hand crank extractor. It is a really nice working piece with a nice aesthetic look to it. The new stainless extractors are probably really nice, but this thing has some character to it and many years of history to it. The seller said it is about 50 years old. It works well and with a little cleaning, it should be as good as new. It takes 4 frames, should be just right for a "bee"ginner like me. For 50 dollars I have a great investment. Thanks for the feedback. juzzerbee

**StevenG** · 05-02-2012, 09:00 PM

Good for you juzzerbee!! Sometimes those older machines are the "bees knees!"

As you clean it up, it may need a coating on the galvanized steel.... Walter T. Kelley sells such a coating for galvanized equipment used in food handling.
Regards,
Steven

**Batman** · 05-03-2012, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by justinh83

What did you hate about it? What did you like about the other one in comparison? Content.

The Mann Lake one was a 9 deep frame/18 small or medium. It was hard to get it balanced. I rearranged the frames so many times it wasn't funny. The next thing was that the basket was nylon, not metal and you could actually see it flex, that may have been part of the reason the balance was such a problem. But the thing that was the final straw? IT DESTROYED EVERY FRAME IT TOUCHED! It blew the center out of every frame. I use deep frames only and I could not get to thing to spin slow enough when first starting out. The adjustment on the speed control had a point that it was either spinning and too fast at that, or it wasn't running at all. It seemed like it needed a lower gear ratio than it was given. I even tried it empty and it still clipped along at what appeared to be too fast.

The Dadant is a 20 deep frame unit. It feels like a better build, the motor and speed controls are much nicer and can easily be removed for cleaning purposes. I think the overall machine looks nicer too. I have never had a hard time getting it balanced, and have not blown out any frames (yet). The gear ratio seems to be set good a set up, I can almost spin it so slow you could put your hand between each frame as it turned without getting hurt.

Oh! the legs. On the ML unit, it had 3 legs that attached with one bolt on the top of the unit that IMHO wouldn't take much imagination to as the metal was not very thick. On the Dadant unit the legs are sold seperately, but are heavy duty and the only way you're going to bend those legs is to do something VERY stupid. You could probably hit it with a car and do more damage to the car. The Dadant unit sits on top of the stand and then you chain the 2 together.

Hope that helps.

C2