Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: slacker361 on June 24, 2011, 10:03:01 PM

Title: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: slacker361 on June 24, 2011, 10:03:01 PM
To the powered maxant 3100. I have the shoulder powered one, but am ready for the power upgrade....
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: AllenF on June 24, 2011, 10:08:20 PM
Last year the joke was my wife spun on side of the 4 frames and remembered that she had laundry that needed to be done.   

One day I will get to upgrade to an electric one also.  One day  :)
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: Dave360 on June 24, 2011, 10:17:38 PM
I had same experience and upgraded to powered unit do not regret it at all
it was taking about 20-30 min to radial spin out a load honey very thick and sticky this year I guess the drought

Dave
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: L Daxon on June 24, 2011, 10:34:31 PM
I talked our bee club into purchasing a six frame powered extractor for us all to share!!!!!  I think I am going to get to be the first one to use it.  I've crushed and strained for years.  Can't wait to use a real extractor and be able to save some wax for the girls for next year! :pinkelephant:
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: Kathyp on June 25, 2011, 05:49:12 AM
i still do mine by hand.  just don't get in a hurry to get it done and drink a little while i'm at it.  :-D  i think it took me two days to do 10 supers last year....not all were full...did it in the kitchen and that was my excuse not to cook for a couple of days.
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: L Daxon on June 26, 2011, 02:10:48 PM
Kathy,

Have you ever used an extractor.  I would think being able to save at least some frames from year to year (I will always use up some frames making cut comb honey) would boost your actual honey take since the girls don't have to put in some much time making wax.

Crushing and straining is kind of fun.

(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/9131/dsc04978d.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/dsc04978d.jpg/)

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Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: VolunteerK9 on June 26, 2011, 04:00:40 PM
Quote from: ldaxon on June 26, 2011, 02:10:48 PM
Kathy,

Have you ever used an extractor.  I would think being able to save at least some frames from year to year (I will always use up some frames making cut comb honey) would boost your actual honey take since the girls don't have to put in some much time making wax.

Crushing and straining is kind of fun.

(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/9131/dsc04978d.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/dsc04978d.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

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Crushing and straining is perfectly fine for the small keeper (like myself-15 hives) but it sure was nice to throw on supers of drawn comb this year. I lucked out and got a 20 frame motorized from my uncle last year.
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: Kathyp on June 26, 2011, 06:46:00 PM
i do both.  my extractor is a hand crank and i crush anything that is funky.  someday i may buy an electric extractor, but not yet.       
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: AllenF on June 26, 2011, 10:43:39 PM
Extracted a super and a half tonight.  Might could have finished the second box but luckily supper was ready.  A powered extractor would have made it much easier.   Might could have finished 4 boxes tonight.   Just so hard to spend that kind of money.
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: slacker361 on June 26, 2011, 10:46:36 PM
anyone ever hook a drill to a maxant 3100?
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: slacker361 on June 27, 2011, 01:38:42 PM
Quote from: slacker361 on June 26, 2011, 10:46:36 PM
anyone ever hook a drill to a maxant 3100?

ok never mind I just did it, fitted a 1/2 drill on the extractor and empty it works great shouldnt be a problem .......
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: VolunteerK9 on June 27, 2011, 01:47:34 PM
Necessity is the mother of invention :)
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: slacker361 on June 27, 2011, 08:54:23 PM
Quote from: VolunteerK9 on June 27, 2011, 01:47:34 PM
Necessity is the mother of invention :)

I always changed that to ..... "laziness is the mother of invention"...    LOL
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: slacker361 on July 11, 2011, 04:12:12 PM
ok I tried the 1/2 drill on the extractor......Not a good idea.... if you miss calculate the slow down...the drill is ripped from you hand.....after almost breaking my wrist 3 or 4 times.... I used a cable to keep the drill from being ripped from my fingers only to have the drill then failing....I just wish that the upgrade to power wasnt 350.....any body know of a discount place?


Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: AllenF on July 11, 2011, 05:21:22 PM
Cheapest way is to go back and put the hand crank back on.  I have hand spun almost 30 gallons in the past 2 weeks and it makes it go faster to dream of that motorized extractor as you spin.    :-D  I dream and dream and spin and spin.   One arm is looking better than the other now.   

Back on the motor, have you looking into a mounting a ceiling fan motor?   Seen them around on the net. 

A grand is a lot of money to spend on a new extractor.
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: Kathyp on July 11, 2011, 06:31:56 PM
QuoteOne arm is looking better than the other now.   

switch cranking arms  :evil:
Title: Re: One super and I am ready to upgrade
Post by: mikecva on July 11, 2011, 06:53:04 PM
My first year I cranked and crushed. Switching arms only made both shoulders sore (pl note, I am not in the best shape and am 60+ a few) younger and better fit beeks might do well to crank a small number of supers in an evening. I switched to a 3100P and have not regretted it. My bees clean the extractor after I am finished.   -Mike