Best smoker in aus

Lone · October 12, 2014, 11:54:20 PM

Hello folks,

It's time to upgrade as the little bronze smoker my father gave me won't stay smoking long enough. What is the best smoker available in Australia?

Lone

hotdog · October 13, 2014, 01:51:10 AM

Hi Lone, I have a beeco smoker. Australian made and good quality. There are cheaper imports available - but I chose to buy Australian.
I am only a novice, so some of the more "seasoned" apiarists may have a different view...

Anybrew2 · October 13, 2014, 03:48:16 AM

Beeco

Lone · October 13, 2014, 03:54:25 AM

Thanks, Hotdog.

I was made aware a little while ago that some of the cheaper smokers don't have an extra valve, or something like that. I'm not sure how it works. There is another larger smoker here, but I think it has the problem of only the one inlet/outlet hole and doesn't seem to ever work too well. (My brother is a physicist and took all the brain cells before I was born so my brain has empty space in the physics department).

Looking around on the net, I've come across these smokers with an internal stove. http://www.bobsbeekeeping.com.au/product/listProduct/id/12/page/3 Does anyone know how they work and if they are any good or better than a regular smoker?

My other trouble is my Smoker person, and I want to make things as simple as possible for him. I have to instruct him on how to use a smoker every single time: not to blow flames or hot wind onto the bees, to smoke the bees when I need it where I am actually working and not over his shoulder out bush, to limit billows of smoke into my airways so there is a break for breathing, to smoke the opening when I lift the lid or super, to stop touching the hot smoker onto my hand, and to keep the thing going especially when working a hive with attitude. I keep him around because.... he loves his job.

It sounds sensible to buy a large aussie made SS smoker, so I'll look into that in the absence of a better working model.

Lone

Lone · October 13, 2014, 03:55:13 AM

OK Anybrew, 2 votes for beeco.

amun-ra · October 13, 2014, 07:29:03 AM

buy from the club lone you missed a great meeting on the island hope to see you at the next one Mick

BeeMaster2 · October 13, 2014, 08:13:11 AM

Quote from: Lone on October 13, 2014, 03:54:25 AM
Thanks, Hotdog.

I was made aware a little while ago that some of the cheaper smokers don't have an extra valve, or something like that. I'm not sure how it works. There is another larger smoker here, but I think it has the problem of only the one inlet/outlet hole and doesn't seem to ever work too well. (My brother is a physicist and took all the brain cells before I was born so my brain has empty space in the physics department).

Looking around on the net, I've come across these smokers with an internal stove. http://www.bobsbeekeeping.com.au/product/listProduct/id/12/page/3 Does anyone know how they work and if they are any good or better than a regular smoker?

My other trouble is my Smoker person, and I want to make things as simple as possible for him. I have to instruct him on how to use a smoker every single time: not to blow flames or hot wind onto the bees, to smoke the bees when I need it where I am actually working and not over his shoulder out bush, to limit billows of smoke into my airways so there is a break for breathing, to smoke the opening when I lift the lid or super, to stop touching the hot smoker onto my hand, and to keep the thing going especially when working a hive with attitude. I keep him around because.... he loves his job.

It sounds sensible to buy a large aussie made SS smoker, so I'll look into that in the absence of a better working model.

Lone

Lone,
Sounds like you are not packing your smoker tight with fuel after you get it lit. Here I use pine needles. When packed properly my smoker will burn un touched for about 5 hours. I would bet that I could pack that small smoker and have it last for at least 3 hours. When you pack it tight, the un burnt fuel acts like a cooling filter and stops any ashes and high heat from hitting your bees.
Schawee and, I think, maybe Hardwood that did a great video on this site on how to properly light a smoker. If I can find it I will post it on this site.
Jim

Lone · October 13, 2014, 08:23:18 AM

Mick, I've got a feeling those club ones are the cheapies without that extra hole. I was working the day before maggie island unfortunately, but I can't understand why you went ahead and held the meeting without me :'( I'm going to try hard to make the next one.

Jim, I might have to go about 1500km to find a pine tree. I'm going to get new bellows for the small smoker too and then I'll have a standby for when my smoker man gets distracted and starts chatting with someone. My supply of hessian dwindled so recently I've been using coconut palm. I need to cut some up. I'd like to see that video (not sure it will help smoker man though)...

Lone

prestonpaul · October 13, 2014, 09:29:01 AM

Beeco all the way. High quality, Australian made and works way better than the cheap Italian one I had previously.

jayj200 · October 13, 2014, 11:02:51 AM

try coconut husks they work well too

and they come compressed

prestonpaul · October 13, 2014, 08:08:54 PM

If we are talking fuel as well I use sugar cane mulch with bits of torn up egg carton to get it started. :-D

Culley · October 14, 2014, 02:20:33 AM

I'm not sure on brands, but for buying one, I'd definitely recommend a large one.

I've occasionally worked with an assistant to work the smoker, and I ask them to just keep it going properly. Then I point and show them where and when to smoke. Too much smoke can really upset things and get everyone stung :-D

I like to put green grass in once the smoker is going well - makes for a nice cool smoke.

Lone · October 14, 2014, 02:27:41 AM

GREEN GRASS?? You have GREEN GRASS there??!! :tumbleweed:

Culley · October 14, 2014, 02:34:11 AM

Haha. Most of my beekeeping experience was in the Northern Rivers, NSW. Gets some of the highest rainfall in NSW.

Pretty dry here west of Brisbane, although it rained last night.

amun-ra · October 14, 2014, 07:20:54 AM

lone I went to bunnings and bought one bale of sugar cane mulch it starts easy packs down and burns for a long time and for $17 its worth it. wet is on the way you should see some green grass soon .

jayj200 · October 14, 2014, 09:31:38 AM

what do they spray sugarcane with now days?

Geoff · October 14, 2014, 06:45:30 PM

Come and visit the COOL state Lone and I'll send you home with a smoker and a chaff bag full of pine needles to keep you going for awhile.

Rmcpb · October 14, 2014, 07:06:18 PM

Best smoker when the bees are crNky is the one you are puffing like mad. Seriously, I just use a cheapy ATM and it works fine but is not going to last. Will upgrade to a more sturdy one when I have to.

Dave86 · October 15, 2014, 07:12:09 AM

I bought the imported one off quality beekeeping supples, paid $65, then I looked on ebay and saw the same smoker for $24 with free postage from hong kong.

its a great smoker, packed tight with paperbark iv had it going for an hour in use and then It was still smoking 3 hours later and burnt all the bark out.

Would I get another one, yep, but id buy it from overseas.

kanga · October 16, 2014, 07:04:59 AM

Quote from: Dave86 on October 15, 2014, 07:12:09 AM

I bought the imported one off quality beekeeping supples, paid $65, then I looked on ebay and saw the same smoker for $24 with free postage from hong kong.

its a great smoker, packed tight with paperbark iv had it going for an hour in use and then It was still smoking 3 hours later and burnt all the bark out.

Would I get another one, yep, but id buy it from overseas.

Why go all the way to Hong Kong when you can drive up the road to Kingaroy and pick up an imported one for $28.50?
Burnett Beekeeping Supplies

Lone, I have a Beeco and I also have one of the Italian Brands from Penders and they both work okay, the Beeco is many years old and I have replaced the bellows a couple of times.

I agree re the sugar cane mulch but if I need to keep it going for a while I place a little bit of bloodwood bark in the bottom.

Kevin

Kev