# Maxant no drip valve



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Seems like a very nice unit. Does anyone have some real-world experiences that they would like to share?

http://www.maxantindustries.com/bottling.html
1" Stainless Steel No Drip Valve $179.00 (ouch! did the price go up recently??)


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## dgl1948 (Oct 5, 2005)

We use one. Very nice for filling containers. You will still get one or two drips with each container. They are not 100% no drip.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

AstroBee said:


> 1" Stainless Steel No Drip Valve $179.00 (ouch! did the price go up recently??)


Maybe the price increase came with the conversion from brass to stainless steel.
I have one of the brass ones. It works fine...as stated a followup drip or two but you adjust your timing for it. Mine is in need of an overhaul...leaks a bit around the plunger shaft.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have one of the No Drip Valves and one of the old ones. I like the new one just fine. I still have a drip pan on the floor.


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## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

I have 4 of the older brass ones, 2 from Maxant and 2 from Kelly. You can't hardly tell them apart. Like others said you get one drip. Have the next empty jar in left hand, pickup full jar with right and set empty in place. If they start leaking around plunger order a few o- rings and they are easy to rebuild.

You will never go back to gate valve after using one.

Johnny


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

I just got one of these. http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-1_2-Perfect-Gate/productinfo/515/ I haven't used it yet but it appeals to the cheapskate in me.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Broke-T said:


> You will never go back to gate valve after using one.
> 
> Johnny


Yes, I am over the gate valve for sure. Thanks.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Do they work on cold unheated honey?


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I believe that they are to be used on warm honey. I'll be using a water jacketed tank. Perhaps others could comment on cold vs warm.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Any comments on the differences between 

$137.95 HH-410 http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page119.html#!productInfo/6/
$138.00 M005855 http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_74&products_id=833
$179.00 http://www.maxantindustries.com/bottling.html


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I can't believe that Jake from Maxant hasn't chimed in.......


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

The old brass ones were a standard brass t fitting. We wanted to get away from that and into a stainless steel unit.
The entire body, top cap, and lever guide are all solid SS that are turned down and CNC.
In the end we feel its a superior product, to our older brass pieces.
Its designed to be used with warm honey.
The link above shows the old style valve on the tank.
Here is the correct one, scroll down a tad.
http://www.maxantindustries.com/tools.html

And you can watch "old Teddy" use one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0PJB9dXz4&feature=player_embedded


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

MAXANT said:


> In the end we feel its a superior product, to our older brass pieces.
> http://www.maxantindustries.com/tools.html


...but is it $40 + shipping better??


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Your numbers on your keyboard are stuck Astrobee :scratch: :lpf:


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

MAXANT said:


> Your numbers on your keyboard are stuck Astrobee :scratch: :lpf:


You're right, it should have been $41.05+shipping+new keyboard


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

You must be fat fingering your smart phone~


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## RickR (Mar 19, 2010)

odfrank said:


> Do they work on cold unheated honey?


They will work, but they don't work quite as well on cold honey. You'll get a bit of stringing that you don't have with warm honey.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Room temperature honey, the valve works fine.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

I found the fittings 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hex-Bushing...295?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d0e212257

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200467127614&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

to adapt a Mannlake 2 inch stainless steel bottling valve

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page119.html#!productInfo/7/

to a 100 lb. honey bottling tank (you can actually get 110 lbs. of honey in the tank)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honey-Bottl...164?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d12eef1dc

We tried the 1 inch bottling valve and they leaked and were VERY slow. The above set up is a bit pricey but worth EVERY penny. I was able to bottle 80 gallons of honey by myself in 2 days. Could have done it all in one day if we had the honey all extracted and ready to go. 

The 2 inch bottling valve allows room temperature honey to be bottled VERY quickly and with VERY little mess and only a very occasional drip.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Astrobee, your PM box is full!

Nice find Live Oak, minus the imported honey tank :shhhh:


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

MAXANT said:


> Astrobee, your PM box is full!


Fixed. Sorry about that.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Live Oak said:


> We tried the 1 inch bottling valve and they leaked and were VERY slow.


Was it slow because you were pouring room temp honey? 

The video above that MAXANT posted shows that its very fast when warmed.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

AstroBee said:


> Was it slow because you were pouring room temp honey?
> 
> The video above that MAXANT posted shows that its very fast when warmed.


I bottle all of my honey at room temperature. Yes, the honey will flow very fast when warmed but I feel heating the honey can affect the taste and heating it above a certain point can affect the properties of the raw honey that my customers buy it for. It is less hassle not heating the honey and the components I listed above worked great at room temperature allowing the best of both worlds. 

At the time I purchased the 2 inch valves, I checked on Maxant's website as they make VERY good quality products but did not have a 2 inch bottling valve. 

It is nice to be able to fill a quart jar with honey at room temperature in just under 3 seconds and not have any drips or spills. It just makes the honey bottling go really fast and with MUCH less hassle and mess.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Are you talking about a 2" valve or gate? W/ a tank as large as you mentioned the volume of honey would push itself thru which ever quickly I would imagine. And heating such a volume would take quite a while too, wouldn't it?


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Mann Lake has theirs on sale this week for $99.95. It might be a good time to pick one up.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

And a new hive tool so you can get free shipping. lol


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

LeonardS said:


> Mann Lake has theirs on sale this week for $99.95.


Yeah, I saw that too. I really wanted to go with the Maxant, but at $99.95, its tough to beat.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

sqkcrk said:


> Are you talking about a 2" valve or gate? W/ a tank as large as you mentioned the volume of honey would push itself thru which ever quickly I would imagine. And heating such a volume would take quite a while too, wouldn't it?


Yes, a 2" bottling valve. I think the honey comes out at just the right rate at room temperature with the 2" valve. Actually the pipe nipple that is used to connect the valve to the bottling tank is 1 1/2" so this is really the limiting factor. I am VERY satisfied with how my set up works. I have used the Mannlake 1" bottling valves and found that they leaked a lot and flowed honey much too slowly for bottling. Yes, heating 110 lbs. of honey is going to take a good while and a good bit of electricity. Why do all of that when you can go with a 2" valve and not have to heat the honey and get the bottling done MUCH MUCH faster?


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