sn4 or sn5 ?

[Dadnlad]

Presumably the wider topbars on sn5's allows for less propolising ?

 

[drex]

Supposedly less brace comb. I use sn4 and never have a particular problem

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Supposedly less brace comb. I use sn4 and never have a particular problem

Never had an issue with brace comb - anyway, they don't do SN5's in second quality!

 

[Dadnlad]

they don't do SN5's in second quality!

http://www.thorne.co.uk/2015-sale-days/sale-frames?product_id=5150

It was this that made me wonder whether the extra cost of sn5's was worth it

And I only buy second quality frames

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I prefer Maisie's frames - they don't often do SN5's in seconds

 

[itma]

The wider top bars should make for less comb between the topbars - IF the frames are at hoffman spacing.
Which indicates to me that their place is in the brood box.
However, IF you run brood and a half, then it might indeed make sense to run SN5s in the half and DN5s in the deep.

But the advantage of the wide bars disappears the moment that you put crop super shallow frames on a wider spacing, like 10-slot castellations.

I run 14x12s - which get the wider topbar (though it doesn't actually strengthen the frame - the weak point is the same-size 'neck' where the sidebar attaches).
And some Manleys (10 to the box) which also get the wide topbar ...
And I bought some SN5s, so that I only had one type of topbar in stock.
Nowadays, for crop supers I'm buying SN1s, and using 9,10 and 11 slot castellations. And using the Manleys principally for Cut Comb.

Your mileage may vary ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The wider top bars should make for less comb between the topbars

I don't use SN5's
I never get comb between the top bars

 

[REDWOOD]

No difference in my opinion, maintaining the correct bee space above them IS

 

[enrico]

I actually think it is supposed to stop brace comb between the brood box and the wire excluder. It keeps the excluder cleaner.
E

 

[Swarm]

I've used both and there is no difference regarding any of the above, except the frame feels a little sturdier. Waste of time and money using wide top bars for super frames.

 

[itma]

I don't use SN5's
I never get comb between the top bars

Emyr, what I said was -

The wider top bars should make for less comb between the topbars - IF the frames are at hoffman spacing.
Which indicates to me that their place is in the brood box.
However, IF you run brood and a half, then it might indeed make sense to run SN5s in the half and DN5s in the deep.

But the advantage of the wide bars disappears the moment that you put crop super shallow frames on a wider spacing, like 10-slot castellations.
...

The wide topbars (of the type 5s) when on hoffman spacing leave an 8mm gap between the topbars.
The narrow (type 4) topbar plus hoffmans gives a 12mm spacing.

Using a proper beespace (8mm) between the bars "should" give rise to less comb in the wrong place, but as has been noted, you need all the other spaces to be right as well.
Which is probably why so many just use type 4's on hoffmans in their brood box.
And the moment you go away from hoffman spacing (as is usual in supers) any theoretical advantage disappears.

So the only place I'd advise SN5s would be in a half brood above a deep that has DN5s. And since I don't favour brood and a half ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

quite - don't use type 5 top bars in my brood boxes (Hoffman spacing) and don't get any brace combing between top bars, then again use SN1's ten to a box in my supers and dn't have any issues there either