Please remind me, why use hoffman frames?

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richardbees

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I've just inspected a brood box on hoffman frames - created from a nuc that was supplied on hoffman frames.

It needed a hive tool to seperate each frame whereas with straight frames and plastic spacers I can seperate them by thumb pressure alone. Also, when reassembling the box there's an awful lot of cutting edges so it's hard to avoid crushing bees.

What have I missed? Why are hoffman frames now in general use - and more expensove too!
 
I find spacing frames infinately easier using DN4 (Hoffman) frames than using plastic spacers, which tend to move and / or get in the way when lifting / inspecting frames...

if you take your time and a little care, the bees move out of the closing gap of the Hoffman spacing part of the frames

wasn't there a thread on here where a beek had experienced a frame slip out of the plastic spacer and land on the floor next to the hive?

just my thoughts....
 
I've just inspected a brood box on hoffman frames - created from a nuc that was supplied on hoffman frames.

It needed a hive tool to seperate each frame whereas with straight frames and plastic spacers I can seperate them by thumb pressure alone. Also, when reassembling the box there's an awful lot of cutting edges so it's hard to avoid crushing bees.

What have I missed? Why are hoffman frames now in general use - and more expensove too!

i use 14x12 so the only frames i can find are hoffman, dont mind them as i found i also crushed bees when the spacers moved and missed each other as i pushed the frames together
 
On good quality frame's made to the correct dimensions the plastic spacers are a good fit, and don't slide out of place.
No problem with hoffman spacing regards crushing bee's....smoker.
 
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Hoffmans are better if you plan on migratory beekeeping.

Spacers are just old fashioned and a way of the sellers to make more money from the innocent.

PH
 
With Hoffmans you can take an edge frame right out and put it to one side. Then as you remove a frame for inspection, you can ease it towards you so that it is well away from the adjacent frame - then lift it out. No chance of rolling bees across frames if they have built a projection.
 
Spacers are just old fashioned and a way of the sellers to make more money from the innocent.


How do they do this?
 
With Hoffmans you can take an edge frame right out and put it to one side. Then as you remove a frame for inspection, you can ease it towards you so that it is well away from the adjacent frame - then lift it out. No chance of rolling bees across frames if they have built a projection.

Even better if you use 11 frames and a thin dummy (3/8" / 9mm)

Then there is never any reason to leave a frame with bees on it outside the hive during an examination.

Move the dummy out sideways and remove, then move the end frame sideways, lift, examine and then replace it hard against the hive wall, then there is space for the next frame in to be moved sideways and examined. Finally replace the last frame and dummy frame at the opposite end to where you started.
 
As you muist know Hivemaker they get lost they fall off the get damaged during extraction and so on. I take it you make money from selling them, well fair enough, but please do not try and defend them as the best thing out there as they are not.

Ya buy Hoffman and you have a frame that is made up and lasts.

Sorry but I consider them very old fashioned and by far the lesser of the (far too many) frames we have in the UK.

As for complaining that 2nds are not good for keeping spacers on well... buy cheap and pay dear comes to mind.

Again taking advantage of the innocents. And I have stood in a well known hive making company and heard the sales spiel and the poor folks staggered out to their car with a bunch of stuff they probably will never need.

Spacers... bah. Rubbish.

PH
 
We make both types of frame,so makes no difference to me,but they both work out at around the same price....if anything we would make more from hoffman frames, as we don't manufacture plastic spacers,don't use plastic spacers in supers,but i would generally remove them when extracting if i did...easier than trying to fit a frame into the extractor with spacers on.
As regards lasting....no difference at all between the two.
 
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I think it really comes down to your preference, I only use DN4's and SN1's which suit me and my style of inspection.Now whether it is as easy for me to extract as those useing Manley's is a totally different matter.
I am happy,I have not (as yet) been stung this year,so may I suggest that perhaps my Bees might also be happy.
 
crickey PH,you refuse to use plastic spacers and wooden hives !
You need to ask father xmas for a Beehaus :rofl:
 
Now whether it is as easy for me to extract as those useing Manley's is a totally different matter.

I guess it depends on de-cap method. If you are on a hot air gun then makes no odds! I would still use castelated spacers irrespective of frame type. You can rely on the SN1s when on 11 frames for spacing but if you reduce to 10 then 9 to minimise the no of frames you handle per Kg of extracted honey then SN1 self spacing becomes redundant.
 
How long you had bees Admin?

Long enough to remember tinplate spacers?

PH
 
That's a good idea M100. I never even gave it a thought to remove the dummy board - durrrrrrr!!!

I was the one whose spacer slid off the frame and dropped the frame - chaos! I am wondering if my spacers are ok. I have got a mish mash as my nuc frames had spacers on and my frames are self spacing. The nuc frames spacers were right at the end of the 'lugs'. After the episode of the spacer slipping off I tried to move the spacers to butt up against the frame but only managed to move two frames, the rest are stuck fast. When I replace the frames it is a bit of guesswork as to how to space out the frames in the hive. Any ideas or does this not sound very clear?

fb
 
Thanks for your varied replies.

However, I think you've been brainwashed by the suppliers as Hoffman BN frames are more expensive than BN standard frames.

I closed a brood box with Hoffman frames this afternoon and each frame took me ages to ensure bees (AND MAYBE THE QUEEN!) were clear of the cutting edges when I slid the frames together.

Extracting etc is irrelevant - I'm only talking about using hoffman in the brood box.
 
Even better if you use 11 frames and a thin dummy (3/8" / 9mm)

Then there is never any reason to leave a frame with bees on it outside the hive during an examination.

Move the dummy out sideways and remove, then move the end frame sideways, lift, examine and then replace it hard against the hive wall, then there is space for the next frame in to be moved sideways and examined. Finally replace the last frame and dummy frame at the opposite end to where you started.

Whats wrong with leaving a frame outside ? Makes a lot more room to avoid squishing bees.
 
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