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Where to buy woodenwear

7K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  wbee 
#1 ·
I have 4 used deep boxes but they are pretty old and I'm thinking rather than use them I should prob just get new ones. They are pretty grey inside and I'm worried they've had mold. Also they are pretty thin wood compared to new boxes I've seen. so....

Where, in your opinion, is the best place to buy woodenwear from. I only plan on starting with one hive so, obviously, I'm not looking to buy in bulk.

Also...

Is a "start up kit" the best way to go for starting with one hive or is it better to buy things individually to customize your purchase?
 
#2 ·
Mannlake seems to have the best prices I have seen so far. Walter T. Kelley also has very good prices as well. I got started with the deluxe starter kit from Mannlake. If you are just wanting one hive, I think they are worth the money if you cannot find someone locally who makes woodware.

I have since found a local Amish farmer who make cypress woodware not far from my place that I buy just about all of my woodware except frames from. I originally started off with one hive but kept expanding so buying from Mannlake or Kelley is not cost productive for me.
 
#3 ·
The first thing I would suggest is to find out if you have a local beekeeping equipment supplier in your area. They can provide what you need without delays or shipping costs.

Assuming a local person is not an option, I would consider the following suppliers:

I bought all of my woodenware from Brushy Mountain and have been very pleased with the quality of their products.

I bought all of my hive-top feeders from Miller Bee Supply and think they have one of the best designs I have found from any of the companies.

Just my $.02. Hope it helps.

Carl

PS: Some of the companies listed above have free shipping programs if you purchase over a set amount of merchandise. Make sure to ask when you do your research.
 
#4 ·
From my POV I never buy starter kits because they always seem to contain stuff I don't need or like. If you have a place local or within driving distance I would check there first...shipping is horrible right now and getting worse due to hi fuel prices. Personally I really like, and get all my woodenwear from Brushy Mountain. The joints are tight and I really like the beefiness of their frames. Word of advice when possible find a supplier and stick with them, they all seem to make their equipment a bit different. There was a article in the last BC or ABJ about who's frames do and don't fits who's boxes.:)
 
#5 ·
Hey S Toast! Please do not feel persecuted because of the comedians. Just people wanting to have fun and absolutely no harm intended. I concur that a starter kit is not the best way to go. Your order is going to be over $100 so Mann lake and it's free shipping are probably worth checking out. I say that because of the free shipping! Read the beginning beekeeping section and figure out what you need from that. There are a number of people on this forum who have really good websites that they have put a lot of time and effort into so they can answer every question you may have. If you have any wood working acumen at all, you can make covers and botom boards easily and cheaply. The argument rages on this forum about whether you should use 9 5/8" hive bodies with 9 1/8" frames and foundation, two of those are needed for a start. Or many advocate using the little 6 5/8 boxes and frames because they are lighter to lift individually but you should probably just start out getting at least four or five of those per colony. So with the boxes and the frames and appropriate foundation and a bottom and cover, you have a bee hive minus bees. I assume you have bees ordered, if not you better start looking for a supply. Now you need a veil to protect your head and neck, a pair of gloves with long sleeves that you can tuck under a light colored jacket or coveralls. You need a smoker and you need a hive tool to pry open your beehive and loosen the frames that are glued together so you can look at your bees. Now that is all you really need to start! Mostly you need to read and ask questions and ignore the smart alecs and figure out who you want to believe. Search the forum or elsewhere for the fatbeeman. He is a great teacher and you need to listen to his podcasts. Michael Bush on this forum has a great amount of information laid out for you to take advaqntage of. By mentioning only those two, I insult a lot of fine people who have just as good a supply of the information you need to absorb. Just make yourself at home and start reading and have fun. I see you are in Utah, Western Bee in Polson Mt has good woodware and the frieght might not be too killer.
 
#14 ·
Hey S Toast! Please do not feel persecuted because of the comedians. Just people wanting to have fun and absolutely no harm intended.
None taken at all. I don't get ruffled real easily and I am here to learn so I'm taking everything for what it's worth :)

I assume you have bees ordered, if not you better start looking for a supply.
I don't have bees ordered because I'm trying to get all my research done and my supplies ordered this season. That way I'll be fully prepared next season. I didn't want to just jump into beekeeping without knowing anything. I would hate to get a colony going just to have it die this winter because I didn't know any better.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I've been looking at the sites suggested and am starting to get a feel for pricing and all. I think I'm going to start with the deep boxes. Hubby can lift them for me if they get to heavy for me.:thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
I buy from Miller Bee Supply. Their Commercial Grade stuff is just a slight touch crude but the price is right. I just spend a slight bit more time putting things together. (Glue etc.)
One thing I like is they are fast.
One thing I learned really fast.When you start beekeeping you enter a constant upward spiral. Most starter kits give you about half the woodenware you're really going to need that first year. I'm adding 2 hives this year. I ordered 2 complete deep hives plus 2 more deep supers for brood plus 4 mediums and all the frames and foundation needed for that configuration. Plus I made a few Imirie shims for ziplock feeding and upper entrances. (Handy little items.) Even now I figure I'm probably not ready for all the variables I may encounter. (Emergency splits etc.) On the other hand I have medications I've never used. Welcome to the wonderful, wild, wacky world of beekeeping.
 
#9 ·
I buy from Miller Bee Supply. Their Commercial Grade stuff is just a slight touch crude but the price is right. I just spend a slight bit more time putting things together. (Glue etc.) One thing I like is they are fast.
I have been ordering from Brushy, but the thing about them is they have very high prices for beekeeping "commodities" such as supers, frames, foundation, etc. I checked out the Miller website and the prices on the budget supers can't be beat! I don't really care too much about the crudeness, because it is SUCH a lower price than Brushy. Would my Brushy Mountain supers/frames be consistent with the Miller stuff?
 
#16 ·
S Toast, if you are just starting out, I would strongly suggest you do some research and consider standardizing on all medium hive bodies. I can tell you from having just gone through that decision less than 18 months ago that I am very happy I did.

Not only are the mediums weight-wise easier to manage, but I am able to move frames freely from brood hive bodies to honey supers to nucs, and that has already come in handy for me many times in my 2 short years of using them. There is also research to suggest that the bees do better in them, although I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions on here. Most all of the long-time beekeepers I spoke with in my area, even those that used deeps, said they would use all mediums if they were starting over from scratch.

Just my $.02. Hope it helps.
 
#18 ·
I bought a deep and frames and entrance feeder from Miller last week

Ordered on the 2nd
Billed my card on the 4th
Arrived on the 6th

I did go with the budget just to see how they where, shipping was fast, communication was great(3 emails),, and I guess you get what you pay for.
The finger joints did not fit all that great but the boards where fine, not all full of knots.
I glued and nailed then sanded the finger joints. Now it looks just fine (the joints had all been different heights) with the 3 coats of paint you could not tell it from any other.

$20.75 +shipping for a deep, frames and feeder, figure I did not do to bad.

And just for the record there are two Millers
I bought from
Miller Bee Supply

There is also
Miller Bee Supply
 
#19 ·
I've been sending a lot of money to Mann Lake this past year...they have pretty good products, better customer service, and free shipping....that's a deal maker for me....but after saying that, I don't buy any woodenware other than frames. any longer....I make all my own hive bodies, screened bottom boards, tops, inner covers and anything else I need....a complete wood shop helps, and its all part of enjoying the entire thing....Mann Lake is the best for me....I've used Dadant, Western Bee, and Brushy Mountain also...but i'm sold on Mann Lake.
 
#20 ·
Here's my input. Having purchased a Master Pollinator starter kit from Dadant I am not disappointed. It was a nice touch getting the American Bee Journal year subscription and two other books with it. I have used everything that came with the kit. Found some things I replaced with bigger or better stuff but its all good usable stuff. I also bought some woodenwear from a couple of different local and non local sources. They do not all fit the same, some have more/less bee space between boxes. I have some frames that are a little different too. Don't get me wrong it is not a catastrophe by any means. I recommend that you figure out where you are going to purchase from and stick with your decision for your future purchases. For the sake of similarity.
 
#21 ·
When everything is said and done it comes down to shipping. I have a Dadant's Branch 130 miles from me. Because I'm having a somewhat overwhelming population problem with my girls I needed a full hive setup fast. Ordered through e-mail, a day later it's ready to ship but.......................................................................
that 130 miles is costing me $40.
As far as Miller's goes,they're fast, their low end stuff is servicable, cheap and the bees don't really care.
 
#24 ·
You might want to check with your local bee club. You might find someone who builds equipment and/or can deliver it to your next meeting. I am lucky in that our Vice President is also a queen producer, package distributor, nuc and hive producer, and a retailer/builder of hive equipment. I had 20 unassembled medium boxes delivered to our club. Cost for the boxes was $5.99/box. These have rabbit joints and part of the reason the cost is lower than others. However, they went together easy and should give years of service. Just remember to order well in advance to make sure products are in stock and available when you need them. I try to order my equipment at least 6 months in advance.

The two online suppliers I have purchased from are Brushy Mountain, and Walter Kelley. Both are excellent companies. I shop other vendors as well, and look for the best price and quality I can get for my money. This includes shipping and free is always good if an order is large enough.
 
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