Choosing an extractor

[Ginger19]

Hi, looking to purchase an extractor and associated kit. I can get a complete package of 2 frame plastic tangential extractor, settling tank/bottler, filter and uncapping fork for £135 or the same kit in stainless for £220. Can anyone suggest what the advantage stainless has over plastic, apart from the obvious build quality and strength of material.

Cheers Ginger

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Save your money and get one from
Arganova the bee supplies I think was the name drill driven

 

[masterBK]

If you have five colonies you will find a two frame extractor a tedious way of extracting the honey. Suggest you look for an extractor that takes a minimum of four frames.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Giordan from Clive at Agri Nova

 

[garlicpickle]

I recently bought the 4-frame tangential from T's. It's hard to tell from photos but their budget one looked rather flimsy and I wasn't convinced it would stand up to much use.
I can't link to it but it's their BS table top extractor, it has a stainless steel cage, will take 4 super frames or 2 deep frames. I also paid the extra and bought a floor stand.
I used it to extract a super the other day and it seemed good and quite sturdy, it also comes apart easily for cleaning.

 

[BeeJayBee]

If you have five colonies you will find a two frame extractor a tedious way of extracting the honey. Suggest you look for an extractor that takes a minimum of four frames.

Two frames at a time, each one will have to be turned round firstly to balance the extractor and then to finish extracting each side. You've got five hives, presumably at least one super on each. How many frames will you be extracting altogether? You'll want to sell the thing at the end of the season!

You can get settling tanks, strainers etc cheaper from Simon on ebay - and they're just as good. You don't need an uncapping fork if you've got either a bread knife or a carving knife, you don't need a special uncapping tray.

Find out if your BKA has an extractor you can hire or borrow, and put cash to one side to buy at least a four frame extractor. You might drop lucky and pick up a bigger and better one from somebody on this forum.

 

[Ginger19]

Thanks for the input, I think the local BKA has one but in all honesty I haven't heard a peep from them since I joined and so I don't actually feel part of the set up. Would sooner buy one I think. I take on board the hassle with the 2 frame one, the Agri Nova one looks more than what I need and so the 4 frame one from T's looks favourite at present.

Just a thought, is there any reason why the handle can't be removed and a battery drill with variable speed couldn't be added to the shaft to reduce the effort?

 

[itma]

Thanks for the input, I think the local BKA has one but in all honesty I haven't heard a peep from them since I joined and so I don't actually feel part of the set up. Would sooner buy one I think. I take on board the hassle with the 2 frame one, the Agri Nova one looks more than what I need and so the 4 frame one from T's looks favourite at present.

Just a thought, is there any reason why the handle can't be removed and a battery drill with variable speed couldn't be added to the shaft to reduce the effort?

Yes. If you let go of the drill while the drum is rotating ... and if you've ever seen an out-of balance extractor ...
Which means you don't have a free hand.
Agrinova can supply a drill-powered extractor, but the drill is properly secured and the drum connected by a drivebelt. They even offer proper speed control.

There are not many 4-frame radial extractors (no frame turning like a tangential).
Most of the stuff on eBay is frightful rubbish.
The words decent, extractor and bargain rarely go together.

High time you made contact with your association anyway.

 

[crazy_bull]

An extractor is certainly one of life's things where bigger is better, go for the biggest and best quality you can afford at the time, you will not regret it.

Stainless does not guarantee better quality, I have seen plastic extractors that are far superior to some stainless ones.

Un-capping tray wise I use one of those black plastic plant trays the garden centres sell to hang my un-capped frames over, and uncap into a Th@rnes cold uncapping tray (might as well be a storage box from staples). If I was you i'd spend 90% of the budget on an extractor, nick a bread knife to uncap with, and get cheap settling tank (large bucket with a honey tap on) one of those 2 in 1 strainers, and then as time goes on upgrade the ancillary bits of equipment.

C B

 

[Jimmy]

CB

Where did you get the steel rack frame from that goes in the plastic tray?

Thanks

 

[crazy_bull]

CB

Where did you get the steel rack frame from that goes in the plastic tray?

Thanks

It came as a package with the white uncapping tray in the background from Th@rnes, I only wanted the metal frame but at Stoneleigh they had a deal on for the package, I wouldn't go back to a heated tray, but then I do have an Api Melter to deal with all the cappings.

C B

 

[dpearce4]

CB

Where did you get the steel rack frame from that goes in the plastic tray?

Thanks

I see your tree is nice and happy Jimmy.

 

[dpearce4]

I was very lucky, last year while at the stockbridge sale my wife saw a note in a car offering a 20 frame dadant electric extractor for sale.

Went and looked at it 2weeks later and bought it on the spot cost me £400 plus petrol. managed to get it in my C4 so didn't need to hire a van. Best purchase I have made so far works a dream and it happily takes 32 super frames at one time so can do all my extracting in 1 day now. where as when I used the BKA hand 8frame last year it took me 1 day just to do seven supers.

 

[Jimmy]

I see your tree is nice and happy Jimmy.

It's CB's Mum's tree actually, borrowed from his thread here

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24933

 

[barratt_sab]

Save your money and get one from
Arganova the bee supplies I think was the name drill driven

We bought an 8 frame Giordan radial extractor from Clive at Agrinova (http://www.thebeebusiness.co.uk) and have been really pleased with it. It costs more, but I wouldn't go back to a tangential extractor now.

We got a manual one, to save money, but after 6 hours of cranking the Sunday before last, I contacted Clive to see if he had a motor conversion.

I've always found him helpful in the past and, true to form, he ordered the kit for me from the manufacturer. He also offered to install it for me if I brought the extractor over to him or to show me how to do it if I didn’t fancy carting the extractor around. The kit arrived from the manufacturer yesterday and I’m picking it up tonight.

I’ve no connection with Clive, Agrinova or Giordan, but would recommend them all without hesitation. If you search the forum for Agrinova you’ll see what others think.

 

[local_beekeeper]

I bought my 20 frames radial extractor form Abelooo in 2012 and still so far best quality and price on the market.