Bee Equipment quality?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A shout out for National Bee Supplies ..........if a little more expensive than some.

A little!!

 

[Swarm]

They are expensive, agreed but the best frames you will get.

 

[madasafish]

A shout out for National Bee Supplies - I've always used them and rate them very highly. Their stuff is always high quality, especially hives, if a little more expensive than some. Their customer service and delivery speed are excellent too.

+1
(just started using them)

 

[Newbeeneil]

A shout out for National Bee Supplies - I've always used them and rate them very highly. Their stuff is always high quality, especially hives, if a little more expensive than some. Their customer service and delivery speed are excellent too.

I agree, I have bought several WBC's off them and they have always been very good on quality and customer service. Did I read that they are no long part of Suttons?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I had a very interesting afternoon, I had to make up some brood frames so I knocked up some boxes to store them in. I needed six so since I had them in my seconds stock I took 2 each from Bee Equipment, Thornes and Maismores. I took them at random from the piles so the ones I did might not be a representative sample but these are the notes I made on each.
Thornes - some small knots and neat machining but some of the joints needed a hefty clump with a hammer.
Maisemore - large knots with some bending of parts. Very loose machining.
Bee Equipment - very small knots, extremely good machining, very good fitting joints.

I realised that I had probably had never had Bee Equipment boxes before because I had never seen boxes with drilled holes ready for the nails. Picture below.
I know they they are all seconds but I was a bit shocked by the size of the knot on the Maisemore box. Picture below.

I must say from discussions in this thread I was expecting the Bee Equipment boxes to be inferior but found them to be the best of the bunch. I would certainly buy them again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

what's the point of nailing into end grain?

 

[Newbeeneil]

what's the point of nailing into end grain?

I agree, I didn't use the nails, just used them to illustrate the holes. I use stainless screws down through the joints.

 

[benjamind]

I’ve never had a problem with the quality of kit from bee-equipment. I did have a long wait while they were unhappy with the quality of wood they had and sourced alternatives.

 

[mbc]

what's the point of nailing into end grain?

Keeps it firm while the glue dries

 

[Somerford]

I had a very interesting afternoon, I had to make up some brood frames so I knocked up some boxes to store them in. I needed six so since I had them in my seconds stock I took 2 each from Bee Equipment, Thornes and Maismores. I took them at random from the piles so the ones I did might not be a representative sample but these are the notes I made on each.
Thornes - some small knots and neat machining but some of the joints needed a hefty clump with a hammer.
Maisemore - large knots with some bending of parts. Very loose machining.
Bee Equipment - very small knots, extremely good machining, very good fitting joints.

I realised that I had probably had never had Bee Equipment boxes before because I had never seen boxes with drilled holes ready for the nails. Picture below.
I know they they are all seconds but I was a bit shocked by the size of the knot on the Maisemore box. Picture below.

I must say from discussions in this thread I was expecting the Bee Equipment boxes to be inferior but found them to be the best of the bunch. I would certainly buy them again.

Isn’t the answer in your script ? The Maisemore’s are seconds therefore you can expect knots large or small. I’ve had 1st, 2nd and 3rd quality boxes and they all vary - indeed some 3rds are actually pretty good as long as you glue them as well.

were the beeequipment ones cedar or pine ?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Isn’t the answer in your script ? The Maisemore’s are seconds therefore you can expect knots large or small. I’ve had 1st, 2nd and 3rd quality boxes and they all vary - indeed some 3rds are actually pretty good as long as you glue them as well.

were the beeequipment ones cedar or pine ?

I only ever by seconds so they were all the same. They were all cedar so I think the comparison is valid.
I know some timber varies but it was the bad machining on the Maisemore ones that surprised me. Maybe they were using worn out blades when they produced my samples?
Don't get me wrong I'd buy from any of these manufacturers again as the boxes are perfectly adequate for the bees needs.

 

[Swarm]

I'm surprised to be honest, I buy my boxes from Maisemore particularly for the joinery because they fit together nicely, without the need for a mallet and/or chisel.
I've put about fifty brood boxes together recently and they were all sound. My landlord had a Thornes brood box lying around so I offered to put it together for him. Different story and a fair amount of mucking about involved because frames would fit in on one side but would jam solid at the other side. Nearly every joint required attention with a chisel or file