# Purchasing Maxant Equipment



## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

I know I am past the point of getting any equipment for this year, but I am looking ahead to 2023 and need to upgrade some equipment. Planning on the Maxant 20 frame radial extractor, 25 gallon bottling tank, and the MUTT. Any difference in ordering from a Maxant rep rather than direct from Maxant?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

call and ask them, I have heard if discounts, last person said they are a few monts behind


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> I know I am past the point of getting any equipment for this year, but I am looking ahead to 2023 and need to upgrade some equipment. Planning on the Maxant 20 frame radial extractor, 25 gallon bottling tank, and the MUTT. Any difference in ordering from a Maxant rep rather than direct from Maxant?


I placed an order for exactly what you are looking at MUTT, 25 gal bottling tank, and 20 frame extractor in December and am still waiting...in December they weren't offering any discounts because they couldn't keep up with their demand. Based on my experience I doubt that has changed.

To get them on the phone...you probably will have to try a few times.


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

ErMurazor said:


> I placed an order for exactly what you are looking at MUTT, 25 gal bottling tank, and 20 frame extractor in December and am still waiting...in December they weren't offering any discounts because they couldn't keep up with their demand. Based on my experience I doubt that has changed.
> 
> To get them on the phone...you probably will have to try a few times.


What was the initial time estimate they gave you? 6 months from your order seems a bit extreme. Their website currently says 8-12 weeks.


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> I know I am past the point of getting any equipment for this year, but I am looking ahead to 2023 and need to upgrade some equipment. Planning on the Maxant 20 frame radial extractor, 25 gallon bottling tank, and the MUTT. Any difference in ordering from a Maxant rep rather than direct from Maxant?


They must be having some problems other than supply issues. I finally went with a Dadant 20 and am very pleased. I received it within about a week or so.


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> What was the initial time estimate they gave you? 6 months from your order seems a bit extreme. Their website currently says 8-12 weeks.


The initial estimate was ten weeks. I've called them several times since that 10 week mark and am told 2 weeks pretty regularly...


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

ErMurazor said:


> The initial estimate was ten weeks. I've called them several times since that 10 week mark and am told 2 weeks pretty regularly...


Thats a bummer. I may have to go a different direction then, or place my order now for next year.


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> Thats a bummer. I may have to go a different direction then, or place my order now for next year.


I will say, they have always been pretty transparent that they're having supply issues and it's a bit out of their control. All of the Maxant equipment I do have I really love.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

The Thorne 20/36 frame extractor out of Wisconsin is going to be a better option soon I believe. The Dadant 20 is a good option it is just frustrating that the standard reels don't let you place 36 mediums in them.


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> The Thorne 20/36 frame extractor out of Wisconsin is going to be a better option soon I believe. The Dadant 20 is a good option it is just frustrating that the standard reels don't let you place 36 mediums in them.


I really likely my new Dadant that I have used for one season. I only use it for small frames from my honey supers so it meets my needs. It is also very quiet and it does not shake like my smaller Maxant. I have always had excellent service from Dadant for all of my supplies but I do use other companies as well. I also have a total of 6 Mxant machines and bottlers and they'll work very well, Maxant and Dadant are excellent companies.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Plannerwgp said:


> I really likely my new Dadant that I have used for one season. I only use it for small frames from my honey supers so it meets my needs. It is also very quiet and it does not shake like my smaller Maxant. I have always had excellent service from Dadant for all of my supplies but I do use other companies as well. I also have a total of 6 Mxant machines and bottlers and they'll work very well, Maxant and Dadant are excellent companies.


I too liked my Dadant 20 and Maxant's Quality on some things and love supporting USA made. However, I will have to respectfully disagree on the term "excellent companies". Both of them were once upon a time excellent companies but now they are losing market share by the trailer load a year. This is not just (due to covid) and I am not guessing, I know they are losing that much business. This has left US beekeepers in a even more compromised position, and many are purchasing lesser made foreign extractors as a result. 
These companies are not always lesser though! Lyson is 100 miles ahead of both companies in regard to diversification and innovation of product and it should not be so.
Many, many, many, beekeepers are canceling orders with Maxant due to lack of production and to a lesser degree their lack of innovation.
Dadant's service (as a whole) and innovation feels like it is being run by Methuselah or Joe Biden. (old and out of touch)

I tried to order a custom 4-5k unit from Maxant and was told it wasn't likely available for years out. So I went to Mann lake,  after 5 months of waiting I went elsewhere. Dadant doesn't even try to keep my business. 

I hope that Maxant or Dadant can get some new tenacious leadership before we start using their names in the past tense. We can ill afford to lose anymore more quality producers of American Bee equipment.


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> I too liked my Dadant 20 and Maxant's Quality on some things and love supporting USA made. However, I will have to respectfully disagree on the term "excellent companies". Both of them were once upon a time excellent companies but now they are losing market share by the trailer load a year. This is not just (due to covid) and I am not guessing, I know they are losing that much business. This has left US beekeepers in a even more compromised position, and many are purchasing lesser made foreign extractors as a result.
> These companies are not always lesser though! Lyson is 100 miles ahead of both companies in regard to diversification and innovation of product and it should not be so.
> Many, many, many, beekeepers are canceling orders with Maxant due to lack of production and to a lesser degree their lack of innovation.
> Dadant's service (as a whole) and innovation feels like it is being run by Methuselah or Joe Biden. (old and out of touch)
> ...


Respectively disagree. These are not technology companies and overall I have had good service for over a decade.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Plannerwgp said:


> Respectively disagree. These are not technology companies and overall I have had good service for over a decade.


Walter T. Kelley was an excellent and loved company too. Renown for customer service and innovation at one time. Then they lost their leadership, they stayed the same (or got worse), lost their connection to the average beekeeper and got out of touch with.... technology. 

Mann lake's technology took them from nobody's to revolutionaries. Now look at them.... and the cycle continues.

Kudos to Dadant for lasting as long as they have.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

The money offered by Private Equity Companies is often too much for Boards of Directors to resist.

Alex


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## Outdoor N8 (Aug 7, 2015)

Competition is good ! (except when it comes to $2/lb honey) right?!
How many companies, not just in the Apiary world, get lackadaisical over time?

I know this though: the reel in my Maxant 1400 (20 frame) is welded just slightly off, it was made by a human like me. No matter how diligently I load it, it will 'walk'. BUT I can replace every part on it from my local, middle -of-no-where, farm shop.
Because it had to travel 2,224 miles, I ordered it straight from Maxant.

As it was pointed out to me recently, by a raw sheet steel user, the way the steel industry is in the U.S., most people in fabrication are taking it in the teeth!


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Outdoor N8 said:


> Competition is good ! (except when it comes to $2/lb honey) right?!
> How many companies, not just in the Apiary world, get lackadaisical over time?
> 
> I know this though: the reel in my Maxant 1400 (20 frame) is welded just slightly off, it was made by a human like me. No matter how diligently I load it, it will 'walk'. BUT I can replace every part on it from my local, middle -of-no-where, farm shop.
> ...


I have a Maxant 1400p too. It runs pretty smooth. I'm a computer guy but really appreciate the simplicity of the machine - no computer or sophisticated electronics, only a motor, pullies, a bearing or two, and stainless steel. A real "workhorse machine" just like it's described on the Maxant website. It's only four years old but seems old fashioned, in a good way.


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

e-spice said:


> I have a Maxant 1400p too. It runs pretty smooth. I'm a computer guy but really appreciate the simplicity of the machine - no computer or sophisticated electronics, only a motor, pullies, a bearing or two, and stainless steel. A real "workhorse machine" just like it's described on the Maxant website. It's only four years old but seems old fashioned, in a good way.


Your reasoning above is what points me towards Maxant above all others. I want something that is simple, durable, and will last. I can easily replace a motor, pullies and bearings, and I know the parts will be availble until the end of time. I have no desire to replace the chinese speed controllers on the other brands every few years.


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## HTB (Aug 12, 2020)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> These companies are not always lesser though! Lyson is 100 miles ahead of both companies in regard to diversification and innovation of product and it should not be so.


Are you aware the new Lyson extractors are built too low to the ground so that a 5 gallon bucket won't fit under the honey gate? So much for innovation.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

If you want to get technical, they are Polish so a 5 "gallon" bucket isn't a priority to them though that is a issue for hobby US beekeepers if that is indeed the case. (Another reason we need strong USA made companies) Beekeepers put them on 2x4's and bolt the whole thing to the ground and a 5 gal bucket will work fine.

Dadants extractors don't drain properly, Maxant extractors are tiny, slow to load, and can only hold 10 deep frames.
Lots of nitpicking to do if you want to look for it with any one company.
- The primary concern is Dadant and Maxant keeping up with the times and production.

Meanwhile at the Hive Life Tradeshow 2022, Lyson shows up and sells over $30,000 in products, has a 36 gallon live honey creaming demo, and could have sold more if they didn't sell out of most everything. Maxant and Dadant couldn't produce enough product to even show.
Maxant has lost 100% of their dealers who are now selling Civans, SAF, and other foreign extractors.

Anyone who thinks I am anti-American made you are mistaken!
EVERY extractor I have owned, clarifier, honey pump, bottling tank, wax melting tank, uncapping system etc. are all American made by Kelleys, Dadant, Thorne Mfg, or Cowen.

However, I am concerned about what little options we have and how well the companies are performing.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

At the trade show he (Lyson) sold everything but the manual uncapper and the small extractor.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

ErMurazor said:


> The initial estimate was ten weeks. I've called them several times since that 10 week mark and am told 2 weeks pretty regularly...


Out of curiosity, did you already pay them? Or do you pay when they're ready to ship?


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> If you want to get technical, they are Polish so a 5 "gallon" bucket isn't a priority to them though that is a issue for hobby US beekeepers if that is indeed the case. (Another reason we need strong USA made companies) Beekeepers put them on 2x4's and bolt the whole thing to the ground and a 5 gal bucket will work fine.
> 
> Dadants extractors don't drain properly, Maxant extractors are tiny, slow to load, and can only hold 10 deep frames.
> Lots of nitpicking to do if you want to look for it with any one company.
> ...


It doesn't seem like the manner in which Maxant or Dadant run their operation is any of your business. What do you do for a living, how long have you been in business, and how successful are you? Why not review gas and oil companies and their price points. Time time on.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Plannerwgp said:


> It doesn't seem like the manner in which Maxant or Dadant run their operation is any of your business. What do you do for a living, how long have you been in business, and how successful are you? Why not review gas and oil companies and their price points. Time time on.



Well,

I run one of the largest (if not the largest) beekeeping conferences in North America and helped beekeeping companies sell over 1.5 million dollars last year.

Reviewing bee products actually is part of my job and I actually have gotten paid to go into a bee company and train new employees on what the products are for and the variables of beekeeping.

I personally run a few hundred hives with my wife and am currently in Maryland giving some lectures about our operation but none of that really matters.

What does matter is that I am a beekeeper of 20 years, their target customer (who loves American made bee gear), and I am not satisfied, and I am not alone.


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

e-spice said:


> Out of curiosity, did you already pay them? Or do you pay when they're ready to ship?


They don't take anything until they're ready to ship, which is a good thing!

The problem now is I'll be done with my harvest before I get anything for sure and may cancel or push my order...


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

ErMurazor said:


> They don't take anything until they're ready to ship, which is a good thing!
> 
> The problem now is I'll be done with my harvest before I get anything for sure and may cancel or push my order...


Keep us updated on how long it takes to get the equipment or if you cancel.


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> Keep us updated on how long it takes to get the equipment or if you cancel.


Will do.


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## Western (May 29, 2016)

For you folks that waited, when they charged your card, was it the price the same as at the time you ordered?

Asking since I ordered a 16 gal bottler in April, price then iirc was around $1200, now it list for $1650. BTW , I was told then it would be 6-8 weeks


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## ErMurazor (Jan 28, 2019)

Westerfeld Bee Farm said:


> Keep us updated on how long it takes to get the equipment or if you cancel.





Western said:


> For you folks that waited, when they charged your card, was it the price the same as at the time you ordered?
> 
> Asking since I ordered a 16 gal bottler in April, price then iirc was around $1200, now it list for $1650. BTW , I was told then it would be 6-8 weeks



Just as an update to this. I ended up deciding that if they honored prices from when I actually placed my order, I would proceed with taking it and storing everything until next season. I received all of my equipment this week and the original prices were all honored by Maxant even though just about everything is quite a bit more expensive on their site now. I debated reordering again in a few months; but I can't imagine prices are going to be going down anytime soon so I decided to let everything sit around to save quite a bit of money.

I will also say that they had been much more responsive over the last few months and aside from the delays my experience was pretty good. They called and told me everything was ready and got everything shipped that day. It arrived at my place across the country in under a week so I can't complain too much there.


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## Western (May 29, 2016)

I also finally received my order as well and they honored the price it was at time of order.


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

Western said:


> I also finally received my order as well and they honored the price it was at time of order.


Good to hear. I just placed my order last week. They told me they could have the 42 gallon bottling tank to me by the end of the week. 20 frame extractor and MUTT would be 12-16 weeks which is fine since I don't need it until next years harvest.


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## Westerfeld Bee Farm (8 mo ago)

Update: Got my bottling tank this week. Maxant said they MUTT would be ready in two weeks, but I am holding it to be shipped with the extractor when it finsihes in Novemeber. Maxant seems to have solved some of their supply chain issues.


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## BenjaminM (Mar 10, 2020)

I ordered a 9 frame extractor from Maxant earlier this spring. Delivery was around (3) weeks at the time, if I remember correctly, a bit faster than the original time they had quoted.

My only possible complaint is that they don't sell the electric motor pre-installed. It was less than 15 minutes to install, and no problem at all for me. But the hand crank and pulley was probably $20 which I just threw away.


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