# New Loader?



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I actually looked at one of their smaller models at a dealership in Sioux Falls and thought they looked intriguing. I have no idea how pricing might compare. It appears that you would have to get up into their 500 series to be comparable to a Hummerbee or a Swinger. I sure wouldn't be afraid to try one if they are price competitive and they had a local dealership where you could test drive one and that you had confidence in for service and repair. Frankly, local parts and service is something the others don't currently offer. 
http://www.avanttecno.com/www/us/machines/500-series/


----------



## Maybee Apiaries (Jun 23, 2016)

I picked up a lightly used Kubota r520s. Bigger a heavier than a hummerbee or swinger, but way more versatile(quick attach anything from snow blades to buckets to forks, even backhoes for the back). 
Lift capacity of 5000ish, and with load arms instead of a mast, it can reach across a truck bed to load the other side.


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

VERY NICE MACHINES, HAVE USED THEM, USED SCARCE AS HENS TEETH, ALSO WEIGHS 8980 lbs, hard to find a all in one machine


----------



## Maybee Apiaries (Jun 23, 2016)

irwin harlton said:


> VERY NICE MACHINES, HAVE USED THEM, USED SCARCE AS HENS TEETH, ALSO WEIGHS 8980 lbs, hard to find a all in one machine


The odd one comes across Ritchie Bros. yes, a bit heavy to pull around behind a 1ton.


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I live and work in areas that are steep, rocky, and very muddy in the winter. My older Bobcat has a tough time in the terrain. Some of the sites are tight enough I can't turn the truck and trailer around. So I have to disconnect the trailer turn the truck around and then put the trailer back on with the loader. The roads are also steep mountain roads, so a heavy machine is not going to work for me as I have a Ram 4500. If I can't find a good multi purpose loader that will work, I will likely get a Hummerbee or Swinger for bees and a used tractor setup for the homestead.


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Lol. That sounds a lot like my beeyards. Load one side , turn the truck around then load the other.
Not to change the subject , but does anyone use a Hummerbee trailer to haul a Swinger Superbee? That is a very maneuverable trailer that should work in those tight spots.


----------



## matt1954 (Sep 8, 2010)

We have an Avant and are very pleased with it. We purchased the 500 series. The price was about 38k with a bucket loader and forks. I am buying the bush hog next year to tackle the florida grass.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Get the superbee 1k. Very tough machine.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

matt1954 said:


> We have an Avant and are very pleased with it. We purchased the 500 series. The price was about 38k with a bucket loader and forks. I am buying the bush hog next year to tackle the florida grass.


Their list of options is incredible. Even a "beehive mover" 
http://www.avanttecno.com/www/us/attachments/#cat=0&ser[]=259


----------



## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

I have seen bees loaded with just about every machine that has ever been made and have heard stories of even more. I have run swingers and hummers and have been around lots of my neighbors that run only bobcats with masts. If your goal is attachments then great, but if you want to load bees fast and effortlessly then stick with a machine created for the task at hand.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

babybee said:


> I have seen bees loaded with just about every machine that has ever been made and have heard stories of even more. I have run swingers and hummers and have been around lots of my neighbors that run only bobcats with masts. If your goal is attachments then great, but if you want to load bees fast and effortlessly then stick with a machine created for the task at hand.


I agree and currently own 3 types of loaders myself but is there something about the avant that you feel dosent make it a good option for loading bees?


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Jim, One thing they do have is a ton of attachments. wow must be 40 different kinds.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Keith Jarrett said:


> Jim, One thing they do have is a ton of attachments. wow must be 40 different kinds.


Yes, and I have no idea how they would meet the needs of beekeepers. The OP inquired about them and we got a couple of first hand reports. Just reading the the literature they would seem to meet the basic specs and my thoughts were that they have the potential be a good option if you have a good local dealer. The telescoping mast is an interesting idea and a feature none of their competitors have.


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

They seem to be light, powerful, and very versatile. Made in Finland and shipped all over the world. They are trying to take a piece of the North American skid steer market, according to their website. 
Here is a youtube video I found:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2vFRHe9Eho
I would like to see the hive loader mast in action.


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I sent the rep an email last night and he responded and is getting some info together for me. One question I had about the mast is if it has a side to side shift function. It does not look like it does. There is an attachment plate that allows you to tilt the load side to side which is an advantage on uneven ground.


----------



## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

One time I saw an ad in the journal for an articulated forklift similar to a swinger. It was a waldon. It was priced right for us as a back up forklift. We drove there and bought it. Similarly to the avant the operator sat on the front axel of the machine. On every level it was unhandy. For not every operating an avant, I don't know how it would compare. Also, I wouldn't like to only get in on one side, it would mean to straighten a lid or box or to get on or off on the trailer you may have to walk around the back or front to get in or out. Vs getting in or out on either side. Small things matter to me, but imagine if the door handle broke on one of your trucks and you had only one door to get in. When I have to move bees, I want to get out of the drivers door, unlatch the trailer jump on to the forklift and have it backed off in seconds. My time matters to me more than anything else to me, and I wish I had known that when I was younger and dumber. I could have made way more money by buying the right things for the job vs the wrong things.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Ya, the one side entry is my only real gripe with our Swinger. Guess for me its not a deal breaker, though, because the machine has so many other good features. In our operation when the Swinger sits beside the Hummer it seems like everyone always jumps on the Hummerbee first.


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Options are good if you use them...


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Jim, are you comparing the 1k to an older hummerbee? All the new machines have entry from one side. Less arm strain on the newer machines.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

How high can the avant lift? Will it lift the nets on a semi? Can it safely lift a tote of syrup? These are all things to consider when buying a loader.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Ya, I forgot that the newer Hummerbees are now a one sided access as well. We have a couple of the older model Turbo's with the Kubota engine and have no intention of getting rid of them any time soon.
The Avant's literature lists the lift height at 109" which is pretty typical of skid steer forklifts but not as high as either the 10 or 12' masts. Don't know if that is figuring in the 24" that the mast telescopes. That is a shortcoming for sure (pardon the pun). Personally, I think the 10' mast is ideal, I used to have a 12' mast on a Bobcat and felt the occasional benefit of having a higher mast didn't outweigh the problems of going through shorter doors and under low hanging trees. Ditto with a top clamp. 
As far as lift capacity, we have always been able to load full totes of syrup with the Hummerbee, if you use a little common sense, even it exceeds the load rating by about 800 lbs. Load ratings are usually about half of the tipping point depending on just where your center of gravity is. Guess you wouldn't know with one of the Avants until you actually tried it but they list the capacity at 2,360 lbs. which is pretty close to the weight of a tote and way more than my Hummerbee is rated for.


----------



## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

MTN-Bees said:


> Is anyone out their using the Avant loader?


Bernhard has one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et9jgsJNwNE


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Looked again at those specs and the lift capacity IS the tipping load which is different than how American machines are rated. The 500 series machine only weighs a little over 3,000 lbs. compared to more like 5,000 lbs. with a Swinger or Hummerbee. However if you get up to their 700 series they have a loader with a 122" lift, 3,810 lb. tipping load in a machine weighing in at a little under 5,000 lbs. 
With all that said I'm wondering if, given his description of the rugged terrain he operates in, MTN-Bees might be be better served with a truck mounted boom loader like Ian and Harry use and save dragging the anchor around.


----------



## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

So the latest generations of bee forklifts only allow the operator to get on and off from one side?? That isn't cool. Maybe I won't upgrade.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>MTN-Bees might be be better served with a truck mounted boom loader like Ian and Harry use and save dragging the anchor around.<<

Oh I love not dragging an anchor around, but the trade off is 2 hive pallets. Also a little more physical work but I'm still young and geared to go


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I still swing a boom from time to time. And I am still young too (63)! But gotta admit, the forklifts aren't as hard on the back. Tight, rough ground beeyards in the mountains are sometimes better for booms, but being able to get into the almond orchards efficiently pretty much requires pallets. Now you still see bottom board hives on 'shaky' pallets being moved around, and we did that for awhile. So there is that option.


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

babybee said:


> My time matters to me more than anything else to me, and I wish I had known that when I was younger and dumber. I could have made way more money by buying the right things for the job vs the wrong things.


LOL, Yep, it's painful to think about at times, experience is expensive.


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Yep 10-4 on that


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I spoke with someone at Advant. The Beehive Mover attachment looks pretty good. The big disadvantage is it does not have a side to side shift. If you want the side to side shift, it's available with the pallet fork setup. The CA dealer is in Woodland. The dealer does service and has service trucks. As for a boom loader- it's not in my cards right now. I'm pretty set on a loader setup. This past year I bought a Ram 4500 and had a 15 foot bed built, along with a tilt trailer for the Bobcat. The bees are on 4 way pallet and my nucs are on 8 way pallets. I might look at a smaller bed truck a boom in the future. I will very likely be going with a Swinger or Hummerbee. I spoke with Swinger also and Rep was speaking highly of the Kubota gas engine. 
Thanks, Rich


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

If your truck is diesel then stick with the diesel engine on the swinger.


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Are the diesels even available on the new machines? I get the impression that EPA requirements for filters and such were pretty much forcing them back to using gas engines.
Also curious about the articulating joint on the Avant, if its as strong as the NMC Wollard 1K.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Mike, the diesel is still available but in a few years it might have a dpf on it. Might as well get it now than in a few years.


----------



## Forgiven (Nov 17, 2016)

The way Eur/Usd has been going I would have thought that the Avants would get pretty competitively priced by now..
Weird how I have never even been in one even when they are made like 60km from me, so can't really offer any kind of an opinion.


----------



## dave w in virginia (Dec 28, 2016)

Does that Avant bee loader work on standard Bobcat attachment points? I have a Gehl 6635 with standard "quick change" plates on the front. I am (very!) far from being a commercial beekeeper but I'd still like to know whether I would need to buy a new machine for this attachment if I ever become one.


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I'm not sure- Avant sells two different adapter plates- one standard and one with a hydraulic tilt. Through Facebook I've been in touch with Australian Beekeepers. The Avant seems popular over their. They mostly use the 500 and 600 series loaders. They seem to like loading their loaders across their trucks, not on trailers.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

MTN-Bees said:


> . They seem to like loading their loaders across their trucks, not on trailers.


I can understand that. We have a few locations where the telescoping boom's ability to reach across a truck would come in pretty handy. Its tough to slide them across and get them tight without snagging.


----------



## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Swinger is the way to go. Awesome machine. It has so many other uses also. Tough mudder.


----------



## 260alex (Mar 28, 2016)

The Avant 500 Series weighs 3130 lbs but has a tip load of 2360 lbs? Tip load is measured at 60%, approx, of machine weight. Operating capacity is half of that, approx. The numbers they show don't gee-ha. Sometimes manufacturers will chain the back down to show the"hydraulic strength". Another important spec they left off was "static tip load at full turn", which really is the most important spec with an articulated tractor. The quick coupler looked like their own proprietary face; if so, it won't hook up to skid steer work tool. JMO


----------



## Beekkirk (Mar 7, 2014)

Im currently using a ram rod 900t. You can pick them up used for about $3-5000. I put some weight on the back to lift pallets of bees. I think the machine only weighs about 1800 lbs.


----------



## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

i'm using the same thing, although mine is called a gravely skidster. i foamed the tires for a little more ballast. i can only lift one full pallet of doubles, but it reaches high enough to double stack them, barely. It has gotten me by for 4 yrs now. I have to pump out my tote to load it, then pump back in once it's on the truck. i'll probably get a bobcat in the next 2 yrs.


----------



## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

With this attachment one could pull honey solo well into their 80s. at least 190 attachments available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGrfUpqtIWc


----------



## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

loading truck from one side seems kinda nice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2vFRHe9Eho


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

John: I don't think they make that boom anymore. Being able to load from one side is nice.


----------



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I got to take a look at and operate one of the Avant loaders at the Ag Show in Tulare, CA. It's a nice machine, but expensive. You would need one of the 600 or 700 series to offload heavy items like syrup totes. For just moving bees and honey you could get a 500 series. The attachments are great, but the Apiary forklift does not have a side to side shift which I really like. I ended up purchasing a used Hummerbee Turbo with the Kubota engine. It fills my need fine. I got a used bucket with it and it's great for projects around the property.


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvFpl8OIpYo

GIANT V452T
Max. Power 45 hp / 33 kW
Service weight 2,400 kg
Tipping load 2,050 kg

http://www.tobroco.nl/en/products/wheel-loaders/giant-v452t/


----------



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Boy, there sure seems to be a lot of nice looking equipment out there.

Jean-Marc


----------

