Hoffman Frames

[ainsie]

Hi just compiling a list of equipment for this year and was wondering if there is any real advantage using hoffman frames with wide top bars DN5 ie 1 1/16" as opposed to DN4 with 7/8",given the extra cost, and are they worth it.Have read somewhere that they help stop brace comb.Your thoughts please.Ainsie

 

[plumber]

I belive they are worth the extra cost, self spacing no fannying around with end spacers top bars are stronger at 1&1/16 th and I just bought £250 worth so hope I'm right

 

[jezd]

I belive they are worth the extra cost, self spacing no fannying around with end spacers top bars are stronger at 1&1/16 th and I just bought £250 worth so hope I'm right

£250's worth of frames for 3 colonies, hope they are gold plated!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Never noticed any advantage of the slightly wider top bars at all.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi just compiling a list of equipment for this year and was wondering if there is any real advantage using hoffman frames with wide top bars DN5 ie 1 1/16" as opposed to DN4 with 7/8",given the extra cost, and are they worth it.Have read somewhere that they help stop brace comb.Your thoughts please.Ainsie

better , i think less brace comb and proplis in my hive that uses 14x12 S-DN5 rather than my standand brood hive with DN4s,,and on 14x12 they warp less as i use seconds

 

[thurrock bees]

i use hoffman brood frames in all of my hives, i find it easy to work the hives and no spacers to worry about, im now looking at hoffmans for a supers now

 

[Frisbee]

i use hoffman brood frames in all of my hives, i find it easy to work the hives and no spacers to worry about, im now looking at hoffmans for a supers now

I think the OP was questioning the difference in spacing between DN4's or DN5's rather than use no self spacing in DN1's.........

I use DN4's, but cannot comment on the difference as I haven't knowingly used 5's. I space by eye when everything is going back in......using DN4's gives a slight "breathing" space for getting everything back in without potentially squashing anyone.

Everyone to their own though. If there was no market for the varieties then they wouldn't be sold

Frisbee

 

[thurrock bees]

the difference between the dn4 and dn5 is the top bar, on the dn5 its very slightly wider, i used to use dn5's but have now moved over to dn4's, ive found that dn4's fit better in a nat deep box and i can get 12 frames per brood box.

TB

 

[plumber]

jezd

not gold plated just enough for 5 14x12 B B and 15 Supers all 1&1/16 top bars hofs in the B B & Manlys in the Supers, just following advice on here to have some spares.

 

[DanBee]

One important point about the DN5 is that the gap between adjacent topbars is one beespace. DN1 and such like with the narrow top bars give more space than beespace - hence the bracing.

Secondly, Hoffman sidebars stop frames slapping or swinging when the hive is moved, or even when brood boxes are lifted. Why crush bees unnecessarily?

The standards are not perfect. Following them slavishly results in dimensional and practical problems, and they have not been updated since the British Standard status was allowed to expire without renewal at least 25 years ago (IIRC).

Another example is that the external dimensions given in the standards generally assume a certain thickness of timber; these days timber is planed below the nominal measurements hence 18mm timber may well be even thinner when measured, and of course 18mm is already thinner than 3/4". There ain't many mm in a beespace, so each extra one you end up with is important!

DN5 is definitely an improvement over standard frames. Worth the extra given that you expect 10-15 years of service from them.