Abelo's new hive colours

[BMH]

In general what I'd really like to see is an option offered of a poly underfloor entrance for a national hive and maybe some sort of plug built into the floor for those that use sublimox style devices.

Funny you should mention that! Keep an eye on the market!

 

[BMH]

The Abelo / Lyson hives are the most dense at 160g/l of the poly hives so feel a bit more solid and durable than the others.

It's the only poly hive that I'm aware of that have the internal and external dimensions right for the national hive ie 11 frames and still compatible with wooden parts externally.

Pre-painted and pre-assembled is a great convenience; I've used them straight from the box. I like the hard plastic edges as well so the boxes are not as easily damaged with the hive tool.

Have a few drawbacks such as the over-zealous amount of ventilation holes and the floor could be better.

In comparison I've had a negative experience with the Swienty with its shoddy quality so I'm getting rid of all that kit next year and replacing with the original style Abelos.

The swienty boxes arent perfect in design but I havent had any quality issues with them. Care to expand?

I personally like both Abelo and Swienty offerings. Neither are perfect. A simple combination of the two would be ideal.

11 frames (abelo)
Somewhere to slide the castellations (Swienty)
160g/l vs 100g/l pros and cons to each. Lets settle in the middle 130g/l ;0
Rebated bottoms to stop any squished bees/frames sticking together (abelo)
Pre painted and assembled is convenient but self assembly is so much cheaper when factoring in shipping costs from the EU
Compatible with wooden equipment/floors/excluders etc (both)

Abelo are definitely ahead in design but also way ahead in cost.

I bought 20 x full swienty hives for £78 inc vat last year. vs around £120 for a similar unpainted version from Abelo. Big difference.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The Apiarist review Flawed floors may be useful, Murox. Also fair to point out that the Abelo poly varroa tray is fragile and breaks easily.

As Ian and AM suggest, a £29 poly floor is not essential and it's cheaper to make your own; I reckon that underfloor entrances offer benefits and aim to make some; the design is based on heather floors (I have a couple in use via eBay that must be at least sixty years old) as it reduces wind and enables efficient closing for travel. The Apiarist plans are here, modifications here, and the JBM floor here. True heather floors have the entrance slot half-way back.

 

[Erichalfbee]

In general what I'd really like to see is an option offered of a poly underfloor entrance for a national hive and maybe some sort of plug built into the floor for those that use sublimox style devices.

It’s how I make my wooden ones. A plug at the back over the omf. A poly version might be interesting

 

[Erichalfbee]

Funny you should mention that! Keep an eye on the market!

Are you saying somebody has one in the pipeline?

 

[BMH]

Are you saying somebody has one in the pipeline?

That's my understanding.

 

[Murox]

Thank you gentlemen. Seems as though homemade floors are in order.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's my understanding.

Come on then.
Spill the beans.
Who?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Are you saying somebody has one in the pipeline?

Well, before they cast the expensive mould, pray they trial the prototypes for at least a season with a range of beekeepers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, before they cast the expensive mould, pray they trial the prototypes for at least a season with a range of beekeepers.

Yes. The floors get a bit of a bashing.
I do like the underfloor entrance and have used JBMs two that he gave me as a template. I just make the entrance slot a bit further back.

 

[BMH]

Come on then.
Spill the beans.
Who?

I'd feel a bit bad broadcasting it, without permission and im not 100% sure its going ahead but a big poly player was certainly looking at it.

 

[BMH]

Well, before they cast the expensive mould, pray they trial the prototypes for at least a season with a range of beekeepers.

Yep. Fully agree.

I love the idea but i also love how easy and cheap it is to make up a few wooden underfloor entrances, that seem to hold up pretty well.

 

[Wildyorkshirehone]

The swienty boxes arent perfect in design but I havent had any quality issues with them. Care to expand?

I personally like both Abelo and Swienty offerings. Neither are perfect. A simple combination of the two would be ideal.

11 frames (abelo)
Somewhere to slide the castellations (Swienty)
160g/l vs 100g/l pros and cons to each. Lets settle in the middle 130g/l ;0
Rebated bottoms to stop any squished bees/frames sticking together (abelo)
Pre painted and assembled is convenient but self assembly is so much cheaper when factoring in shipping costs from the EU
Compatible with wooden equipment/floors/excluders etc (both)

Abelo are definitely ahead in design but also way ahead in cost.

I bought 20 x full swienty hives for £78 inc vat last year. vs around £120 for a similar unpainted version from Abelo. Big difference.

I've got both designs and find the Abelo stuff to be genuinely better. So I guess how much do you value your time and it's a case of you get what you pay for.

Sweinty: The amount of times I've cracked between the brood boxes or supers for inspections and the edge of the box where the lugs rest against has broken is quite annoying. The floor grids also have to be assembled and i'm not sure how good they are for allowing Varroa to drop through; I think the mesh holes could be a bit larger. you also need to put it all together and then paint it, which when you have a large amount to do is time I would rather spend doing something else, even in the winter.

The roofs are annoying as when you are using them to place over stored equipment, the over hang on the boxes wastes a lot of space. This same issue is also the case when you want to palletise your hives in Apiaries... granted not a huge issue but if they were more flush, it would be better.

 

[BMH]

I've got both designs and find the Abelo stuff to be genuinely better. So I guess how much do you value your time and it's a case of you get what you pay for.



Sweinty: The amount of times I've cracked between the brood boxes or supers for inspections and the edge of the box where the lugs rest against has broken is quite annoying. The floor grids also have to be assembled and i'm not sure how good they are for allowing Varroa to drop through; I think the mesh holes could be a bit larger. you also need to put it all together and then paint it, which when you have a large amount to do is time I would rather spend doing something else, even in the winter.



The roofs are annoying as when you are using them to place over stored equipment, the over hang on the boxes wastes a lot of space. This same issue is also the case when you want to palletise your hives in Apiaries... granted not a huge issue but if they were more flush, it would be better.

Never once had that issue with Swienty boxes. Are yours the old or the new style?

Abelo roofs were the same with the overhang?

I like the swienty floors. Probably the best bit but I now make wooden UFEs as they are so much cheaper.

Painting is no issue for me. I do 100 boxes at time. Takes about 90 mins plus I get to choose my colours. Assembly is about 30 secs a box.

Dont get me wrong, if they were the same price and I could only choose one, I'd go with the Abelo but I do think the swienty is a viable option and roughly 40% cheaper.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Wildyorkshirehone]

The Sweinty I have are 7ish years old. So not sure whether that is the old or new design. Doesn't have the slide in Castellation option.

I agree the old Abelo hive does have somewhat of an overhang, but I've seen the new roof and that issue is alleviated. I also use a Wielkopolski design and this roof is the same as their Langstroth and new National design. With it being very similar dimensions to the National, it has meant I can use the roofs which then site flush on the National hives and on any stored equipment.

Do you use a Wagner spray gun?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'd feel a bit bad broadcasting it, without permission and im not 100% sure its going ahead but a big poly player was certainly looking at it.

Looking at your kit I can probably guess

 

[Beefriendly]

As Eric touched on above the floor is chunky, really if the landing board was removed it would be a great improvement.

The new Abelo floor has a very reduced landing board and much better plastic varroa tray. The ventilation of the old floor was changed to a much stronger mesh a while ago, looks like a small queen excluder but with much thinner bars.
I'm about to bin my last Swinty hives, as they only take 10 frames....okay for my local bees but not for the strains I keep. I sold off nearly all my old Paynes hives as their incompatibility with anything else was driving me nuts.
I'm going to trial some of the new Abelo ones....(when I have some spare cash) as they are designed to be interchangeable with all the old stuff and might be an improvement for moving bees to the rape/borage/moors etc with their smaller roof and lesser footprint.

 

[thorn]

...... and it's cheaper to make your own

if you have the necessary skill.

I do get fed up with the arrogance of keen diyers in assuming that everyone has their ability.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Swienty: The amount of times I've cracked between the brood boxes or supers for inspections and the edge of the box where the lugs rest against has broken is quite annoying. The roofs are annoying as when you are using them to place over stored equipment, the overhang on the boxes wastes a lot of space. This same issue is also the case when you want to palletise your hives in Apiaries... granted not a huge issue but if they were more flush, it would be better.

I tried four Swientys about six years ago (luckily paid for by a project) and discovered the same: base of boxes lifts frames below. Reason is that Swienty designed the hive as TBS with frame lugs resting on the shelf. Some years later they must have realised that either this was too easy a way to kill bees, or that their hive might sell more if it fell in line with UK National use - BBS - so they included runners but not rebates at the bottom of the boxes to match, because that would have meant an expensive change to the mould.

At about that time they also decided to improve the location of box tops and roof, so re-designed both to have matching curves. The roof was a masterpiece of disaster: the curve meeting points must have led to a significant loss of heat, and the lip of the roof always chipped easily. After a while they realised that it was no good and went back to supplying the old square-cut roof, even though they sell it with the new curved-lip boxes. The 'new' roof (what a waste of a mould) works well as a floor, though...

What this reveals is that ideas ought not to be put into production without sufficient trialling and modifying, but that in reality, they prefer to rush to produce and regret later.

 

[Angry_Mob]

The swienty boxes arent perfect in design but I havent had any quality issues with them. Care to expand?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=633681&postcount=91

When I contacted them I was told it was a rare occurance so they didn't seem overly helpful or concerned. I'd have thought a replacement brood box would have been the proper thing. There is a few posts on that thread with similar issues.

The new Abelo floor has a very reduced landing board and much better plastic varroa tray.

I've seen it definitely a large improvement but could still do better. Wondering if Abelo would do the complete orignal hive but with the new floor and crown board.