New UK (US) supplier

[madasafish]

Hmm I looked at their catalogue and their equipment at Beetradex..

If you want to enter a new market selling a non standard (to the UK) hive, you have got to have a price advantage..As far as I see, they don't.

I hope they do well... but I have my doubts... Will be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Some items do seem a little expensive but there are also good deals to be had as well

For example


Langstroth metal queen excluders for £5.85 (or £4.85 if you buy 500+ !)

 

[itma]

Hmm I looked at their catalogue and their equipment at Beetradex..

If you want to enter a new market selling a non standard (to the UK) hive, you have got to have a price advantage..As far as I see, they don't.

I hope they do well... but I have my doubts... Will be interesting to see how it goes.

Patrick is a commercial bee farmer - running Langstroths.
He has also sold various bits of kit (inc Mann Lake mating nucs) for a few years.
Perfectly reasonable that he should take it one step further, and take on a role as UK distributor for a large manufacturer without representation here.


If anyone really thought, after the "trade in your Nationals for Langstroths" campaign, that that indicated that Mann Lake were about to start making Nationals, then ... good luck looking for Chintz in Ikea!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Some items do seem a little expensive but there are also good deals to be had as well

For example


Langstroth metal queen excluders for £5.85 (or £4.85 if you buy 500+ !)

CWJ - National slotted queen excluders - £5.72.

 

[REDWOOD]

Some items do seem a little expensive but there are also good deals to be had as well

For example


Langstroth metal queen excluders for £5.85 (or £4.85 if you buy 500+ !)

If you have langstroth hives

 

[alanf]

CWJ - National slotted queen excluders - £5.72.

That's from where? On the web site they are 5.17 plus VAT which would be around £6.20. The ML product is a wire grid which is steel framed (as well as Langstroth size), not a punched sheet. Different products. They're both decent value but there's a choice.

Slightly disappointed that the ML UK outpost isn't doing some of the more unusual items such as their US honey valve selection. Not that I want one at present, but it could be useful to stock additions to the range of what's already available rather than just directly competitive products.

 

[ROACHMAN]

CWJ - National slotted queen excluders - £5.72.

Slotted isnt the same as wire, wire is far superior (in my opinion)

 

[Hivemaker.]

wire is far superior (in my opinion)

Reason...

 

[oliver90owner]

Reason...

Could be a mis-guided assumption drawn from comparing previous UK products.

Are these comparable? Not looked, so don't know. May be thinner wire, so more likely to bend/deform/get damaged. I just compare Th*rnes wire and slotted steel, and keep to the same sizes too.

Razor wire is not so thick, but is better for some things.

It might make a difference, dependent on wire rigidity and thickness. Of course, thickness is not always a measure of quality buf it does help when measuring some attributes.

 

[domino]

"Given that 3 of the 9 supers I recently ordered had defects in them from a supplier"

did you order in the winter sales?

I ordered them in the new year but not from the seconds bucket. I paid full fat prices.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I ordered them in the new year but not from the seconds bucket. I paid full fat prices.

Were they from Thornes?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Slotted isnt the same as wire, wire is far superior (in my opinion)

But he didn't say wire

Langstroth metal queen excluders for £5.85 (or £4.85 if you buy 500+ !)

If he wanted to make a point shouldn't have been so ambiguous

 

[REDWOOD]

£125 for a bee suit made in USA, our country had the finest rag trade in the world and produced the finest materials, I still have faith in all things made in the UK and our bee suits are second to none.......and cheaper

 

[Michael Palmer]

I still have faith in all things made in the UK and our bee suits are second to none.......and cheaper

As you should. I used to buy kit from Mann Lake. No more. Too many cheap knockoffs. The smokers fall apart, the bellows skins crack, the excluders leak bees.

 

[domino]

Were they from Thornes?

I've bought products from suppliers beginning with M, T and P and they all have outstanding customer service and bend over backwards to sort out problems. I think the UK we're lucky that all suppliers know they are in a niche industry and provide a level of customer service that accommodates their market.

My overall point is that any new, large, company may drive more quality and value across the people we buy stuff from.

On a side note, next year I'm going ploy

 

[alanf]

As you should. I used to buy kit from Mann Lake. No more. Too many cheap knockoffs. The smokers fall apart, the bellows skins crack, the excluders leak bees.

We'll call that a one star review then...

This is obviously a commercial venture, and at least partially supported by ML in the US. They must be at least loaning their online software for adaptation, the postal address registration of the co.uk site is in Kent but the hosting is in the US; Florida as far as I can see alongside the US site. That doesn't tell you who actually owns the name, but I'd be surprised if it's not the US parent. They are almost certainly giving extended credit for the stock. There are other positives in that there is an established brand in ML, even if it's not known here. Downside is that using the ML name you're tied to the ML inventory and importing from the US. That's a serious long term tie to the currency exchange rate if nothing else.

Even if you put a lot of work in expanding the Langstroth market locally, somebody else could take advantage with cheaper wooden goods from Eastern Europe. You can't offer poly or any other innovation until the parent adopts it. You don't have the flexibility of other European agents operating under their own name who can pick and choose which ML items to stock in tandem with their own sources.

We all play the "if I was starting now" game. If I was in that position with a completely free choice of format, not influenced by any contact with the neighbours, one of the options I'd probably consider is poly Langstroths. Not really ML territory where the main offering is just another size of wooden box. As no more than a potential customer I don't wish them ill, genuine competition is usually helpful. But I can't help thinking the venture is unlikely to thrive as it is.

 

[beebopalula]

As you should. I used to buy kit from Mann Lake. No more. Too many cheap knockoffs. The smokers fall apart, the bellows skins crack, the excluders leak bees.

Their frames are good though.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Reason...

According to my reasoning -

Slotted and plastic are floppy and are prone to sag when installed. With the Langstroth being top bee space formai this can be an issue.

The wire ones are rigid and therefore maintain the correct bee space.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Slotted and plastic are floppy and are prone to sag when installed.

The heavy duty short slotted steel ones are not floppy, unlike the thin version...but those can be framed.

 

[Norton]

I have just received my first order given to Mann Lake UK. I very happy with their service, prices and shipping rates and time. As the items are within the EU, I can import them without VAT and import duty and messing around with the paperwork in claiming the VAT back.