# Advice wanted on honey/wax handling equipment



## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

How big are you going to get :s
500 to 1500 hives
1500 to 2500 hives

or more



Cook & Beals, Inc.
Post Office Box 220
Loup City, NE 68853
308.745.0154
(phone and fax)
[email protected]

http://www.cooknbeals.com/index.php



BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

This one as made in Finland the import tax and S&H may kill you :scratch: But take a good look at the 
Slit-uncapping.

http://beekeeping.honeypaw.fi/Slit-uncapping.php

http://beekeeping.honeypaw.fi/Extraction-line.php

http://youtu.be/lgRU1nEuWGY


BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

500 hive is my goal at the moment, but who knows. Ultimately, it comes down to how many bee yards I can manage and what my wife is willing to put up with.

I'd love to quick my day job, but I don't have any short term delusions on that.


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

Looks interesting, that really wouldn't be to hard to make.. ((hand held slitter)) 

I have a small cnc mill in the garage that is collecting dust. I was hoping to do something automated, but that might still be a good method. (slitting) Similar to the brushy mountain sideliner.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

look at beekeepers at the size you wish to be. there is no fit all program. If someone seems to be sucessful at what theyer doing may be something to look at. the biggest problem you will find is how to deal with cappings. been doing this 50 yrs and still have not found a great system. dont buy anything that will not pay for itself. good luck


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

beeware10 said:


> look at beekeepers at the size you wish to be. there is no fit all program. If someone seems to be sucessful at what theyer doing may be something to look at. the biggest problem you will find is how to deal with cappings. been doing this 50 yrs and still have not found a great system. dont buy anything that will not pay for itself. good luck


That was the overall purpose of this post. I'd like to get some comments from people that went before me. 

**** Completely made up the below *****

The side liner jams every 4 frame when you run fat frames.
The flail systems gum up and tear more comb than they should.
Etc...

********************************

I don't expect an silver bullet, but I'd like to know what the choices are and the perceived benefits. As for the item paying for itself, that's the million dollar question.

i.e. The Super Uncapper Deluxe 101 will uncap 500 frames per hour, but I'll only have 1000 supers. While the deluxe is 15 times the cost of the regular, but runs at 10 times the frames per hour.

So does saying 20 hours twice a year justify the expense, but when I have 10000 supers it would be 200 hours saved.

I'd like to see this type of information.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

uncapping and removing honey from your cappings is the biggest bottle neck you have right now. If you get an uncapper your biggest bottleneck will be your borrowed extractor. 

I looked for used equipment that other beekeepers grew out of for their operation. So I found the essentials being 36 frame extractor, pump, uncapper, spinner, 2 uncapping tanks. I actually use 2 36 frame extractors at this point and find everything moves real smooth. Now my bottle neck is my uncapper.


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

Any uncappers come with the option for a capping auger/spinner??

Any other advice? Trying to lay out my long term plans, so I can set money start setting money aside.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Guy in Louisiana selling a brand new Maxant Combo Unit in the for sale section. That will do the job!


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

We started out with a 4 four extractor and hot knife, and use that until we did 5 ton a year. Really wouldn't go that route. Over the years we have ran 600-1500 hives and used the Maxant Combo setup. As we got bigger we ran two wax spinners with a track to run uncupper from one spinner to the other. Ran two 80 frame extactors. With two people we could extact upto 8 durms a day with that setup. 20+ years with Maxant uncapper and just retired it. Have to go to a faster setup this year.( growing pains):thumbsup: 
So if Maxant's equipment is built like 20 years ago, that's what I would buy. WOW just check the price on Maxant Combo and there price has gone up a little since I bought.$$$$


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

How does the flail system compare to the hot knives? I'm think about welding doing up my own horizontal extractor. I really like loading from the conveyor vs leaning over the drum to lower it in. Which is what I'm currently using and it feels like it takes longer to load than extract. 

Either way, this is 3+ years off. I'll probably keep using the borrow extractor, but I'd like to start planning where to spend my egg money.


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