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Spin Float Seperators

26K views 62 replies 16 participants last post by  Roland 
#1 ·
Im looking to buy one of these machines,

Is there a difference in performance between the old spinners and the new spinners ?

does this machine take alot to run it? What I mean is, can you start it in the morning, and run it all day without baby sitting? What usually causes trouble?

Thanks

Ian
 
#29 ·
Purchased the maxant this year. I have run the cook and beals in Florida the past few years. Did a great job. Only problem I have with it is you need the temperature of gthe honey at 102 and a little higher if dry to keep the air out. Since I. Bottle everything foggy honey is a issue...it is easy to run and use. I purchassed the maxan tbecause it is smaller and takes up less room. My honey extracting room was designed for a 44 frame Hubbard when I had 150 vpnies and was buying three semi loafs to bottle. So space is a issue. Also I didn't need to buy a heat exchanger shock is 6k or more. Down side is since its smaller around it is easier to get out of balance at start up.haven't used it much yet as it took me 3 times as long to make my room larger move electric and plumbing install drain under system fill pit and move drain then install a 60 frame cowen. End result is I have about 1200 boxes on the bees and another 600 I just pulled. I have used once...must start up at about 60 percent speed with a small stream at constant flow until it is full with honey coming out. Then speed up and let her go. Easy to operate u just have a learning curve. U
You must have a sump or tank for the honey to run into and pump it out to your tanks. So far honey is not foggy. And is ready to bottle. And yes if electric goes off hit dump valves. Best situation would be a two floor building with honey running down below. Will finish pulling this week...in two more weeks I should be well experienced. Both companies build great equipment.
 
#31 ·
I realize this is wandering off topic, but does anyone know if the spinfloat style separators remove ant pollen? It is important in light if the lawsuits in Florida and California over honey that has been ultra filtered. I can see the defense claiming that "Everyone" removes some pollen with a spinfloat type device.

Crazy Roland
 
#34 ·
Well I can say the maxant is definitely worth its weight in gold. Maxant does need a veido to help you learn how quicker. A fellow been in NY was of great help to me . Just gotta fine tune it. Start with pencil size stream at 60% speed. Honey I was running with was about 80 deg. When honey starts to come out outlet move cutter knives to about 25 percent cutting. (25% over from none). Speed up spinner to wide open...mine vibrates a little over 80 % so I'm running it there...need to figure that out. At end of day let machine run 15 minutes then cut wax by moving lever one notch at time all the was over AFTER closing to 55 %. Once wax is cut I slow spinner to 30% and open dump valves slowly then speed to 60 % to 80%. . Let run about 5 minutes and turn off. I turn water on knives when it starts cutting wax...turn off 30 minutes before shutdown. If you leave water on ...well its a mess...got watery honey so don't forget! Wax is dry ad powder...awesome
 
#35 ·
The C&B I have is 40 years old I have rebuilt once. On a good day we can run 22 barrels. This year was the worst in 40 years ran 22 barrels all year. Make sure knives are sharp and the heat exchanger is up to temp and run! It cuts wax all day. The capping are put straight into the wax melter to melt the next day. I check through out the day to make sure the cappings are dry and adjust the knives accordingly. If the honey temp is right and RPM on the is correct not much air in the honey. I run the water only when the knives are cutting. All the honey and cappings goes through spinner i have a sump for the honey and cappings then to a 2" moyno pump to the heat exchanger to the spinner. finnished honey to a small sump to the holding tank. I clean spinner every day.
 
#37 ·
No, just reach in with your hand becareful not to get cut with the knives. And be sure to cut the wax down before you dump the honey at shut down. Then you can clean out the remaining wax. Only take the drum at the end of the year. Any wett capping you can rerun the next day.
 
#46 ·
I am pulling this old post back up from a search I was doing.

To update, I have bought a spin float and ran it for one season now. It is the best honeyhouse investment I have made.

Reading through this old post and noticed a comment from David... how the heck to you reach in and clean the drum??? LOL you must be more agile than I :)
 
#41 ·
There is no better seperator than the spin float. The new ones seperate much better than the old ones. I have had both. Get the electronic speed control. Mount a second spray nozzle inside pointed directly at the wax cake and your wax will come out like saw dust. Put the wax in a container with tiny holes in the bottom to drain off any excess liquid. I don't have to pull the drum all season since bought a new one. Invest in a drum puller. Save you from a broken arm.
 
#47 ·
A while back someone posted a pic of a catch pan they made up that went under the spinner to catch the wax. I would be interested in seeing that pic again.
I want to make something that will help keep the area around the unit clean! Also when things in the honeyhouse go wrong and the spinner is turned off..., it would be nice to have a pan under to catch the honey and drain into a holding tub so that its not wasted on the floor... :)

I have plumbed in a solenoid which only runs the knife cooling water when the pump is actually cutting, wired to my honey pump. That was a great tip!
 
#56 ·
A while back someone posted a pic of a catch pan they made up that went under the spinner to catch the wax. I would be interested in seeing that pic again.
I want to make something that will help keep the area around the unit clean! Also when things in the honeyhouse go wrong and the spinner is turned off..., it would be nice to have a pan under to catch the honey and drain into a holding tub so that its not wasted on the floor... :)

I have plumbed in a solenoid which only runs the knife cooling water when the pump is actually cutting, wired to my honey pump. That was a great tip![/QUOTE

What did you use for the solenoid? I used fridge type and it didnt last very long
 
#48 ·
Interesting post by David about lubrication. The new machines have labels on them stating (I think) they should be lubricated every 40 hours. We give all the bearings a couple grease pumps per week. They have been trouble free but then it's just been 2 seasons. Is there really a downside to too much lubrication?
 
#55 ·
Yes, what David did is pretty much exactly what we have been talking about doing....but have never done. We just slide a large storage type tote under it which catches maybe 90% and do a thorough hot water spray at the end of each day.
 
#60 ·
OK, I am feeling stupid here. What changed? Back in the late 60's, ours had a deflector cone, and sat high enough to fit a 55 gallon drum underneath. When it was full, you slid it out and slid in a new one. Are the new units lower to the ground? From memory, the top of the drum was almost 8 feet off the ground, with just enough room to pull the drum once in the fall.

Crazy Roland
 
#61 ·
They have always been the same heights but some beekeepers put leg extensions on to raise it up. The one I have was built in the early 60' I remember seeing it when I was 10 years old then my dad and I bought it out of a junk pile 20 years ago and rebuilt it.
 
#62 ·
Trying to scrape out the drum on my machine from underneath would be quite the task. Not to mention sticky! Lol. I have enough room to slip a tote under.

Roland, I think you mentioned a while back about building a seperate room for the spin float, the only way we can hear if the machine is running is when the honey pump turns on and the knives start cutting wax. These new machines are quiet
 
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