Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

Maxant 1400

7K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Intheswamp 
#1 ·
Well i just said the heck with looking for a used extractor and bought a new Maxant 1400PL plus a bunch of other things i added like queen rearing supplies which i'm going to try to get into next year and i absolutley can't wait until it all gets here !!!!:banana:

is there anything special i need to do before using the extractor? like wash it with something special other than water and dry it out?? belt adjustments or alignments?

Wahoo ! i wish i could have got a shirt from Maxant or something, but i couldn't figure out the customs broker ect and it was just as easy for me to get it from a canadian dealer.

Do they sell shirts?

p.s. did i mention WAHOO !

Ben :D
 
#8 ·
i don't have a refractometer , do i need one? i though as long as it was capped and didn't drip after you shook it, it was okay + Keith Delaplane said to put it in a room with a dehumidifier and a fan if it looks a little too wet ? or i can just buy one i guess: )

Buckets i ordered 3 5 gallon and a 180 lb storage tank for bottling, it is my first year and i don't have many supers of honey , about 6-8 ready, i don't know how much that is ?
i have lots of containers, and i even designed my own labels : )

Ben
 
#6 ·
You may also want to track down a long-handled (~36") spatula or paddle. Scraping the sides after that last spin gets a ton of honey back down to the bottom of the extractor quicker than waiting for gravity. Using a short paddle works, but it's a bit of a reach...
 
#9 ·
A stiff plastic spatula is good for the bottom. BUT for the sides I find that a really stiff 8-10 inch window squeege works MUCH better and faster.

You indicate that you have 6-8 supers. If they really are full then you will get a bit more than 2.5 gallons per super. So you would need at least 4 buckets to contain your extracted honey.
 
#11 ·
Are there any beekeepers nearby who might test your honey for you? It is hard to buy all the things you might need at the outset. If you sieve into those buckets as you go, and you find yourself out of space, pour them into the storage tank and you'll be OK. I just extracted another 24 gallons today.
 
#12 ·
okay so a refractometer is a must.
i found a place near me that sells them, but i don't know if a refractometer is a generic tool or you buy them according to what you want them for.
here is a link to Lee Valley for a refract. is this one i should get?
http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?cat=2,2120&p=46784

Ben
 
#14 ·
That one doesn't measure moisture content. I think that ones more for wine making and fruit buying. :)

The major bee supply houses sell the correct type. I have see a few on eBay that measured moisture. Also get one that has a fine resolution and automatic temperature control (ATC). I bought this one off of eBay and it seems to work well and hold it's calibration.... eBay refractometer. It requires the oil and "stone" to calibrate, but it's no biggie.

Here's a shot while looking through the eyepiece of my refractometer...


Ed
 
#13 ·
Ben, I bought one for about the same price of Ebay and hated it. It wouldn't seem to hold a recalibration; Retesting with the same calibration fluid gave different results. I am sure there are reliable models out there, but I can't tell you if this is one of them. Also the one I had it said it had to be calibrated at 20 degrees C, and all tests had to be at 20 degrees C. Perhaps a new thread asking what people have and are happy with may help?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top