poor and junk equipment

[Jowlpost]

Where is all this junk, called bee keeping equipment, we are being supplied coming from? Just took delivery of some castellated spacers from Wynn Jones and they were not much thicker than bacofoil.

I put my calipers on some in a box i repared last year and those were .86mm thick. These just delivered at great expense were .46 mm thick and you could bend them with your fingers. On top of that they were sharpe enough to slice through your finger.

I am sick to the teeth of junk held together with the thinnest staple you have ever seen, boxes with knots all over them and frames made out of sap wood. We have all just go to start sending this junk back .. we spend a lot of time controlling varroa but some of these suppliers to the industry are out of control milking what has become a major hobby in this country.

 

[pargyle]

Like in everything ... get what you pay for most of the time - the key to it is to cherry pick the items that really DO represent good value - viz: cost vs performance. Wynne Jones generally have very good product at fair prices ... not one of the rip off merchants IMO.

Bear in mind that all beekeeping suppliers are facing price competition from all over the world and most beekeepers are price tarts ... I have a degree of loyalty to a few suppliers but I tend to buy in the sales ... and I buy some things from ebay - but only when I'm sure of what I'm getting.

Always always ... Buyer Beware ...

 

[chrisb]

you are correct in a way, yet it is all price orientated

people want lower prices while materials, wages, Taxes, general overheads etc go up, no one can have it both ways. so there has to be something somewhere to make the difference

when you can buy boxes either soft or red wood for less than it costs for the timber from the timber yard who is complaining !

 

[Swarm]

Castellations you get from Maisees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think that's an extreme exaggeration about the CWJ castellations Maisie's have the best, the difference being about 56p so an uncalled for rant on that point. nothing wrong with CWJ's though - I have both.
As for the rest of your rant, I'd like to know where you've found all this 'junk' I use Maisie's and Big T for my boxes and frames and find them excellent VFM. I buy 'Second quality' so I expect the odd reject frame and as the cedar is the more sustainable British grown variet you would be a fool not to expect a few knots.

 

[REDWOOD]

The only bit of rubbish i have bought is a plastic crown of thorns which went straight in the bin and straight on the phone to Thornes and ordered a proper one. Castellations are a bit sharp and have cut myself on them, perhaps a revised pattern with rounded corners. Express your concerns to the supplier.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I am sick to the teeth of junk held together with the thinnest staple you have ever seen, boxes with knots all over them and frames made out of sap wood. We have all just go to start sending this junk back .. we spend a lot of time controlling varroa but some of these suppliers to the industry are out of control milking what has become a major hobby in this country.

As for the rest of your rant, I'd like to know where you've found all this 'junk' ...

To be fair JBM I've seen some absolute rubbish equipment bought by new beekeepers from some 'local' suppliers - NOT Paynes, Maisies, Thornes, CWJ etc or any of their agents, I hasten to add.

These are unscrupulous people who bulk buy in the sales and then pass the stuff off at equal to or higher than 'book' prices, with no indication that the items are seconds quality. They can make a financial killing by selling to new beekeepers who don't know any better.

 

[For want of a better word]

most beekeepers are price tarts
Speak for yourself luvvie!

But then who in their right mind would buy a Flow's hive!!!!

Nos da

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Wynne jones like everyone has to compete on price with all the other online stores and I agree that the metalwork is not as thick as it used to be and a bit sharp but just cut the corners off they are still fit for purpose and a decent price and maybe if a complaint is to be made it should first be raised with Wynne jones not on a open forum. I myself have had the odd issue which was swiftly rectified as for some other suppliers T-----s hive straps I bought in the winter sale were rubbish I have had to weld extra metal on to stop them bending but they were cheap so no complaint.

 

[chrisb]

most beekeepers are price tarts
Speak for yourself luvvie!

But then who in their right mind would buy a Flow's hive!!!!

Nos da

 

[oliver90owner]

Too thin? Glue two together? Or rather let the bees glue them together? Simples. Knots? Buy first grade from big T. Simples.

Big T spacers should be thicker, but ask before you buy if you are that concerned. Their first quality timber is selected. You pay for what you get.

 

[Obee1]

I was feeling similarly miffed about some seconds brood boxes I bought from Mann lake. Lots of knots and warped wood. However when I stumbled across the invoice for them and realised I paid £6 each for them I decided that they were not so bad after all! They hold a colony of bees perfectly well - I had to spend a little time filling the knots and clamping the wood to make it all fit together - but you get what you pay for. Next time I will buy better quality but it's good that the option of really cheap kit is out there for those on a really tight budget.

 

[nantmoel]

We bought 20 supers from the big T sale, I must say the were excellent, I would say I managed to make 12 of them without a knot in sight, we paid £12.50 each and free P&P. Same as frames we bought 100's of them, all 'seconds' and again out of all the ones I have made up I think there has been a problem with two, a little glue soon sorted those out.

 

[Brian Bush]

Like in everything ... get what you pay for most of the time - the key to it is to cherry pick the items that really DO represent good value - viz: cost vs performance. Wynne Jones generally have very good product at fair prices ... not one of the rip off merchants IMO.
Always always ... Buyer Beware ...

I have always had the most superb helpful service from C Wynne Jones. I think you may just be unfortunate with these castellations.

 

[tonyofarr]

I always buy the second quality frames from the big T sale. I used to clean and sterilise all my old frames and then reuse them, but it used to take ages and it was a job I hated, the sale frames are so cheap that I just use them now and save a lot of time. I have also bought loads of supers etc in the big T sale, you just need a set square, spirit level and wood filler. I find that Thornes are helpful if you have a really dud component, they will send a replacement if you contact them.

 

[BMH]

I have always had the most superb helpful service from C Wynne Jones. I think you may just be unfortunate with these castellations.

they are great!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have bought well over a hundred second quality boxes from either big T's or Maisies, one needed a knot glueing back and one needed a very minor bit of filling. At the price much better VFM than canadian importred timber and also much less of a 'carbon footprint' Bought thousands of frames from them - I don't count dead knots in wedges as all that is needed is an extra nail or two - but of the lot I reckin less than a dozen whole frames rejected (usually down to a weakness in the top bar.
For the price, you can't go far wrong.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

For what it's worth; my experience of C.W.Jones has also been positive.

 

[REDWOOD]

Bees don't really mind knots in their home and if you ask them nicely they will glue them in for you to stop them falling out

 

[iand]

I find that Thornes are helpful if you have a really dud component, they will send a replacement if you contact them.

After finally finishing putting hundreds of their 2nd quality frames together. I found I was some side bars short after discarding a few over a period of time. They (Big T) happily sent replacements within a couple of days. I would have waited to collect at the next sale but no problem.
Result happy customer.
Similar result with M Lake, knots on a few components in a strategic place. Replacements again sent no problem.
Result happy customer.
In both cases I had purchased quite a few items, all as per this thread at the cheaper end, but with a little customer service all perfectly ok to use.
I have not yet had to contact my other suppliers for this kind of back up, but I'm confident the reply would be the same.