Ok, spring is about to start and in a month or so i guess people will be extracting? So as a hobbyist i am not that ken on buying a $600+ extractor.
Last year i made one and it worked well, for 8 frames. Not sure how good it will be on the 32 frames i be extracting before Christmas (yes i am optimistic :) ) so i need to find a better compromise. I thought it might be useful to list all of Aussie the extraction options in one place?
1. $300 Cheap extractor on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Bee-Equipment-Set-Honey-Extractor-Smoker-Tools-Suit-CD-/320570863825?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Farming_Agriculture_Farming_Agriculture_Equipment#ht_2056wt_893). Looks ok, 2 frame and comes with loads of bonus stuff.
2. $80 Backyarder. (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,26611.msg209066.html#msg209066) Simple and cheap to made, little bit messy to use, sort of needs 2 people.
3. $33per day .Hire One (http://www.redpaths.com.au/4619/Products/HONEY_EXTRACTOR_HIRE/)
4. ... Post up some ideas and links and i will add them [HERE]
Cheers
Pete
Hire one/Borrow one? until you get enough to justify the expense of buying one
Crush-and-Strain!
I did crush and strain it the first year or two. I inherited the extractor I got now. It does wear your arm out for a hand crank. If you can afford it, look for a motorized one.
I bought a used 2 frame hand crank for 125.00. I can always find a newbie that wants to learn how and will crank if for free. :-D :-D
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm#crushandstrain (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm#crushandstrain)
You can pick up a mesh strainer pretty cheap at wal-mart (about $6?) (the one with a handle and two "fingers" on it, so it has 3 resting points on a bowl or pitcher.) I did that this year, and even got a fine mesh spatter cover , but the really fine mesh takes wayyyyy too long. the little bits of wax that get through the flour sifting sized strainer just float up to the top after an hour or so (no effort) and then you can just skim them off, or tap crystal clean honey off the bottom of a bucket with a valve on it.
(I just realized I was replying to a down under query. - My answer may not be as cheap as I thought, a round trip to wal-mart may be around $1800 US unless we've given you those too, if so I apologize)
I wish 2 framed extractors were that here...seem to be more like 450.
I am going to remake the basket in my own one using this guys ideas...looks pretty simple. http://www.myhomeamongthehills.com/honeybees/equipment/ (http://www.myhomeamongthehills.com/honeybees/equipment/)
Crush-n-strain is slow.
Centrifugal extractors are expensive and high maintenance (relative to next).
Presses are simple and cheap. Either use an old fruit press or build your own. Alternatively, put together a strong frame and use a car jack to squeeze two boards together.
Pete,
I have a 2 frame extractor but lately have been doing crush and strain as I have been pulling a frame or 2 here and there, and it's not worth the time & effort to get it out, clean it, run it and clean it & put it away.
If you plan to extract all of your frames in 1 hit I would just hire one for the day.
Paraplegic Racehorse,
I have been doing crush and strain & I find the main bulk is done pretty quick, but the last part takes AGES and there's still alot left in the cappings/wax.
I have been thinking about getting a press to extract the last out of the cappings.
Do you use a press? If so any pics/links?
Thanks
ML
Would like to use a press, however, I am apparently in an anti-melliferous area. In four seasons I have lost 34 of 35 total colonies, only three of which ever even glimpsed their first winter. My problem? A super-short (three months) season and the rains and cool weather come with the major nectar flow.
Next season, I have a spot picked 20 miles away where the weather patterns are just different enough.
That said, I used to work commercially in Washington. My boss, at the time, rented time on another beekeeper's extraction line. Usually took us about four half-days to extract near 100 barrels using Maxant centrifuges. The old comb was crushed and strained and used to fill quart jar barter vessels. Centrifuges are faster and less labor intensive, but lose a magic something on the palette. Have only seen video of a proper press operation. It appeared more labor intensive than either centrifuge or gravity-strain (crushed) but much faster than the latter.