Cheapest frames

[MathJ]

Hi
Where is the cheapest place to get frames from?

 

[Rosti]

Given their weight and the fact you'll want foundation I suspect that your nearest Thornes agent will be (assuming close to you!). They normally quote the cat price but you save the postage which can be significant and probably out weighs the headline price reduction from any 'cheap' web seller!

 

[BKF Admin]

Thornes in the winter sale if you can wait.

 

[hedgerow pete]

poland , but the quality can be a bit iffy

 

[Chris B]

poland , but the quality can be a bit iffy

I hope not as I've just ordered a batch from Lyson based on some very good samples! Less than 50p a frame depending on exchange rate at the time. Langstroth mind, I don't imagine you'll find National frames easily anywhere outside the UK.

 

[roche]

I think in the UK you get pretty much what you pay for. I saw some frames from a cheap supplier recently, and decided that it was well worth paying a little extra for decent ones. And that was without even trying to put them together...

 

[hedgerow pete]

if i was dealing with a new beek , i always tell them to buy first quality frames for the first two hives , because of the small amount they need and the hassel some times.

if you know what you are looking for and more important are able to salvage and or repiar /replace then buy seconds, ( the cheap ones at the shows etc.)

but if you want several hundred or like myself last year 6,000, it is always best to look abroad, before buying either at home or away.

we went to poland for four days last septmber, two cars and one caravan , ferries cost £200 total and petrol was four tank fulls each, ( two each way) roughly £360.

the two families had a great long weekend break at wracow, ( south west poland) and saved enough money to buy the frames at english prices and have four days holiday and a load of booze and fags, we were paying in total per frame 60pence per frame including the wax foundation sheets unmade up £3,900 in total

the best price we could get in the uk was near to 90 pence inc wax (£5,400)

total saving was about £1,500 minus the holiday

 

[MathJ]

Like the idea of the Poland trip but will have to work on the missus! Will go to thornes again, they've been reasonable in the past.
Reckon there must be a Chinese supplier out there somewhere.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you go Langstroth the world is your oyster regarding supplies.

The converse of course is also valid............

At the risk of a thousand advocate sticking a thread in, if you go with standard UK sizes you are very limited.

PH