Which type of honey extractor???

Hi,

I have a small amount of honey to extract from my hive, so need to get an extractor.

Soes anyone have any advice on:

Plastic vs stainless steel?

All in one or seperate extractor to settling tank?

Radial or tangenital?

Thanks

Let us know how many hives you want in the future, we will double it and then we will make a decision! Without that info I would say go for the best you can afford!
E

I am thinking, no more than 3 hives - so I guess that means 6!!

VixyB said:

I am thinking, no more than 3 hives - so I guess that means 6!!

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Ha, ha! I don't believe you.

Initially hire one off your local association until you know that you're in this for the long term. The drop out rate is high, so even if you are super keen now it is possible you may change your mind over the coming year or two. I'm not trying to be negative but really you shouldn't buy an extractor at start-up in my view. Your money would be better spent on another hive so you can artificially swarm them next Spring - especially if 2015 turns out like this year!

What have you done so far? Things to bear in mind are, do you prefer extracting a few frames every so often as the season progresses or all of it once in the season? What may affect that is how much OSR you get which most prefer to extract as soon as possible and could be starting to crystallise where tangential extraction can help. Another factor is what you intend to do with it for the rest of the year, passing it through a loft hatch regularly argues for small and light.

The big step really is having your own extractor. In practice small scale extraction spends much of the time uncapping and scraping the frames, your set up and cleaning afterwards rather than actually spinning. While large extractors, electrical power and sophisticated controllers are great, they don't actually save that much time. With a few frames in a large extractor, you spend time trying to balance the thing with odd numbers of differently filled frames. And more honey is lost (or washed for mead) every time it's used. If you haven't used one before, try borrowing or renting an association one first to find out what it is you like or don't like.

Going to stick my neck out here - if your target is 3-6 hives, 4 frame tangenital is fine (gives you the option of extracting brood frame size if needs be on occasion) go for the stainless steel with integral settling tank and filter - means you can extract to your hearts content withou stopping every five minutes to empty the extractor, but remember you have to lift the settling tank up a bit to get a bucket under it at the end of extraction and it does get very heavy (just have a hulking great lump of muscle around to lift it for you) Maisies usually have one in their autumn sales so if you can, loan one for now and get one for next season (as with Mogget - try before you buy!)
Did a time and motion study this year using a 4 frame tangenital and a 9 frame eclectric radial - no real difference in time spent, just the radial allowed me to be doing this while it does its thing!

I too am looking to buy has anyone used a WABEN

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless...Air_Tools_and_Compressors&hash=item5664f92c95

VixyB said:

Hi,

I have a small amount of honey to extract from my hive, so need to get an extractor.

Soes anyone have any advice on:

Plastic vs stainless steel?

All in one or seperate extractor to settling tank?

Radial or tangenital?

Thanks

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I could have borrowed an extractor from my association but having been at the sales I came home with a stainless steel 4 frame tangential unit brand new £105.00
It's adequate for extracting 2 full supers in a session. The washout and wastage is the same whether you extract a few frames or a lot so keep your losses down by doing big runs if you can. Having my own means I don't have to schedule around other people.
I can also sell it on when I need to move up

Moggett said:

Initially hire one off your local association …

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Used extractors sell for quite a high proportion of new price.
So, buying used and buying at the right price SHOULD mean that you needn't lose money when you sell on (to upgrade, naturally).

This isn't the best time of year to buy - new or used.
If determined to buy new, sales and shows provide the best opportunity.
If buying used, this (peak extracting season) is obviously when prices are highest.


Capacity (by frame number) is one criterion - but it isn't the principal one.
Frame type is a subtle one. Manley super frames really need to be extracted in a radial. But even some radials don't take Manleys. So extractor choice might limit your frame choice. Then there's brood box frames - do you have the possibility of extracting them? (Particularly a question for users of larger frame sizes - like my 14x12s.)

The extractor type advocated by JBM really requires the assistance of a musclebound hulk (or two) to lift the large tank so that it can be drained. Mind you, others manage with their extractor on the floor, lifting it after each load or two to drain it. My extractor sits on legs, so a reasonable-sized bucket (and double strainer) can go under the honey-gate whenever I fancy.

I chose a motorised radial extractor - not so much for speed, more as not being a test of my stamina. I'm pleased I did.

But start with your Association extractor. That's what its there for. And one of the reasons you joined.

I've owned the type of extractor + integral settling tank (recommended by JBM) and now own a 9 frame radial. The former are certainly convenient but are far less stable than those with splayed legs. Secondly, the filters are usually pretty coarse, necessitating the honey is filtered again (and certainly before selling).

I'd recommend you go for one without the settling tank but run the gate open (directly through a double strainer as recommended by itma) and get one with legs to provide stability. By the time you reach 20 supers you'll probably wish you'd bought a radial …

itma said:

Frame type is a subtle one. Manley super frames really need to be extracted in a radial.

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Can you tell me why?
I have a four frame hand crank tangential (as well as the motorised eight frame radial) which I use for small batches. The bigger one is such a pain to clean. Manleys seem to extract the same as any other frame......or am I missing something?

Ordinarily in a tangential the comb rests on the 'screens', which therefore support it.

With Manleys, the sidebars support the frame with the comb not touching the screens. Therefore you are much more dependant on the strength of the comb!


I found an online calculator the other day. 200 rpm round a 20 cm radius equates to 9G. So I found a second different online calculator (lazier than doing the maths myself) and got exactly the same result. (The radius was my guess at my own extractor's radius.)
Our centrifuges are capable of generating quite a considerable force …

Thanks for the explanation. I do give the first side a very gentle spin and have extracted wireless Manleys without mishap. Nice to know why I shouldn't though.

Erichalfbee said:

Thanks for the explanation. I do give the first side a very gentle spin and have extracted wireless Manleys without mishap. Nice to know why I shouldn't though.

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Likewise - have extracted unwired Manleys without incident in my tangenital - better stop doing it now though

Buy a good big one and rent it out..

jenkinsbrynmair said:

Likewise - have extracted unwired Manleys without incident in my tangenital - better stop doing it now though

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Please. This is a family friendly forum.

Dusty

VixyB said:

I have a small amount of honey to extract from my hive, so need to get an extractor.

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You've only got one colony which swarmed in July, so you won't have much honey at all. Crush and strain might be quicker and easier for you than using an extractor, but if you do decide to use one it's probably best to hire from your BKA for now.

Dusty Rhodes said:

Please. This is a family friendly forum.

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I see I'm not the only one who spotted the typo, whether it was deliberate is another matter!

BeeJoyful said:

I see I'm not the only one who spotted the typo, whether it was deliberate is another matter!

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I presumed it was