Does anyone know of Australian Manufacturers of equipment like extractors, smokers etc?
Most decent metal fabricators will give you a price if you have a specific design and specifications in mind. Stay seated when you hear their prices though. This is the main reason imported extractors are used.
Thanks mardak, I'm sensing that costs to build here would be prohibitive (which i reckon is stupid! I'd happily buy an australian made extractor/equipment if the costing was competitive) - so what are the main brands of extractor available in australia and what would people recommend? I know of Maxant and Lega - i'm ideally looking for one that i can purchase as a manual but retro-fit with an electric motor later... preferably a kit supplied by the manufacturer. Obviously once i get to my initial goal of 200 hives i'll need something a little bigger than a four frame motorised extractor and an electric knife though