# Goplus extractor thoughts



## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

I know this will quickly turn to advice stating NOT to buy a cheap extractor. I'd like to avoid that as much as possible so I can think through the logic behind it... that said:

I looked at a '2-frame' extractor on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Goplus®-Stain...d=1462467637&sr=8-13&keywords=honey+extractor
and a 4/8-frame:
http://www.amazon.com/Goplus®-Stain...467765&sr=8-3&keywords=goplus+honey+extractor

The price on these is $100 and $174 respectively. I'm well aware these are chinese knock-off units with a likely limited lifespan. I have been down the rent/borrow path and am ready to move past that. I want an extractor that's ready when the bees and I are ready. I want to extract leaving usable empty comb saving the bees countless hours of productivity and lost honey. Now, what i'm interested in are how these things work. On the 4/8 I know they are tengential with deeps, radial with shallow. Does anyone know how mediums fit it a unit of this size. On the 2-frame, again I imagine that's with deeps, so could 4 mediums go in it radially as well? From looks, I think the 2-frame will likely be just that while the 4/8 is a maybe for 8 mediums. I am quite handy and plan to power it from a small electric motor with variable speed control. I know the gauge will be thin, the gate will likely leak, and the legs aren't even long enough for a 5-gal bucket under. Those issues aside, my goal is an extractor that I can easily pay for with a relatively small harvest. If it lasts a few seasons, I'll be happy to upgrade it with the profits. Based on the numbers, a single medium super of capped honey should pay for either of these with money left over.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

I'm with you. I've had several Chinese tools from that store and they have done what I needed and more. often at 1/5th the price of a comparable one. I got this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A6LTH88?psc=1 and just put it through its paces. the gauge was fine. the gate was fine. only downside is not high enough, the feet aren't drilled to bold it down to anything, and on mine the speed control isn't consistant. it works just fine and as its automatic i'll let it spin for longer at a lower speed. 
In mine 2 med frames might be tight. however my baskets are big enough to perhaps put two med slightly overlapping the wood. 
just saying for 329 delivered i'll be running my shallow supers 2 per basket so in two unloads i'll be done a super. parts look easy enough to replace.


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

I'm sure that cheap Chinese knock off honey is fine too


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

I'm sure that not so cheap ipads and iphones etc are fine too, the Chinese make those as well...


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

If the goal is to eventually get bigger and you need something to extract with, I don't see why you wouldn't give it a shot. Sometimes knowing what something is before you buy it makes the purchase better. If you know it's a cheap knock-off unlikely to last "forever" going into it, it makes the eventual decline of its condition more acceptable. The other option would be to find an older used one someone's looking to offload. I'm using my grandpa's old two frame hand cranker. Depending on how this year shapes up, I might upgrade to something larger and probably motorized in the near future. But I want the bees to pay for it.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

You won't be able to use the 2-frame extractor with medium frames _radially_. The exterior diameter and basket won't allow fitting frames radially.


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

I appreciate the honest feedback so far. jwcarlson nailed it. I want more than a test drive, but not much... a 'starter' unit to get me through while I build up. I'll likely step from there to an intermediate 10+ frame American made unit. The knock-off will allow me to see what features matter to ME. As to the comment of the fine chinese honey, that's apples to oranges in my eyes. I'm talking about buying an item often produced in the same factory as the name brand units, but with cheaper parts. I know I'm buying a lower quality product, but steel is steel, plastic is plastic, extractors are extractors... lower quality but still the same product. chinese honey is chemical laced syrup (not always, but enough to carry the name), not even the same product. Might as well compare honey to Pepsi.

Rader, thanks for the 2-frame input. Does anyone know how mediums work in the 4/8 units? Will they fit 8x radially, or is that only shallows? In the higher priced units I've seen some where two will fit in each side, while others aren't quite the right size. Regarding efficiency, I know in tangential units, you must flip frames, something I'd like to avoid. I'm curious how they work on a two frame unit. In a 3+ frame, they're further out and I feel would have more equal force across the frame, while the two frame has most of the center of the frame near center with a much slower force (like being in the middle of the merry-go-round vs the outer edge). Does this affect the extraction time required per side?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I would be wary of assuming that the "4 frame" model can do mediums _radially_. The quoted 17" diameter might be a problem.

Compare that diameter to the Maxant 3100 at 18.5" and this Vivio at 18" and how the frames are arranged.

Since the GoPlus says nothing about frame arrangement, and the diameter is smaller than the Vivio, one might be disappointed to discover it is only tangential. Remember what they say about 'assume'.

.


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

DrJeseuss said:


> I appreciate the honest feedback so far. jwcarlson nailed it. I want more than a test drive, but not much... a 'starter' unit to get me through while I build up. I'll likely step from there to an intermediate 10+ frame American made unit. The knock-off will allow me to see what features matter to ME. As to the comment of the fine chinese honey, that's apples to oranges in my eyes. I'm talking about buying an item often produced in the same factory as the name brand units, but with cheaper parts. I know I'm buying a lower quality product, but steel is steel, plastic is plastic, extractors are extractors... lower quality but still the same product. chinese honey is chemical laced syrup (not always, but enough to carry the name), not even the same product. Might as well compare honey to Pepsi.



Shows your naivety, steel is not just steel, nor plastic just plastic, anymore than honey is just honey. But it really does not matter, your mind is made up, was before you posted. Just don't complain when people are buying cheap Chinese honey instead of your quality honey. Cause after all, honey is just honey. Just ask the general public that buys so much of it at Walmart, etc.


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

I really don't have that strong of an opinion on the Chinese stuff. If you are lucky sometimes you get what you pay for. You do make a good point that you are better off buying cheap until you figure out what you really need. I built my first extractor from a food grade garbage can. Figured out real quick what I did not like. Then I lucked into a used 20 frame Dadant that suits my needs and then some. I could sell it today for more than I paid for it. I do wish you good luck with your purchase and hope it works out as you expect. Two things are on my must meet list. Good speed control and stability, I really dislike wobbling extractors. 

Jeb


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

Jeb,
Not being naive, just simplifying my point. I know there are many types of plastic, many grades of steel and such, but that's not what the discussion was directed at. As noted, I know those knock-off units will be of lesser quality. I appreciate the followup comments. I attempted a 'garbage can' extractor at one point, but wanted to powder coat the metal parts inside for easy cleaning. A friend has a setup for this... but I never got around to it, so it sits. I'm now more willing to pay for a ready to run unit, though with limited funds I'm limited to a knock-off or nothing at all. In my position, I need better than nothing. 

Rader, Thanks for the comparisons. Before bees I would have argued 'what big deal is an inch"... Now I understand issues in the 1/16". It's a shame I can't put hands on a cheap one first to test fit the frames in there. It would be great if somebody had one to measure the basket dimensions, but I think that's unlikely.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

I love this review :lpf:

1.0 out of 5 starsSave your money!
By Bruce R Harrington on November 9, 2015
It worked fine, empty, out of the box. The first time I used it w medium supers it froze up in 30 seconds
1 Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? 
Yes

At the end of the day it what works best for the end user. 
We are trying hard to be competitive with the import market, but its not easy!


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## Eddie Honey (May 30, 2011)

It's easier than you think. 
I love my Maxant extractor not just because it's the best quality; it is American made, and if I have a problem or a question I don't have to contact Amazon or some other country for support.
Keep up the good work and unmatched quality! 



MAXANT said:


> At the end of the day it what works best for the end user.
> We are trying hard to be competitive with the import market, but its not easy!


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

DrJeseuss>> maybe I missed it but how many supers are you extracting? the amount of extracting you have to do may be a determining factor.


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

I'd love to start with a MAXANT, but to me, the price isn't for starters. $300 to do 2 frames? You're right, the import market destroys the value in quality. My dilemma is that I'm also in an industry affected by foreign economy thanks to poor quality CHEAP offshore labor. As a result, my wage isn't what it should be to support my family of 4 with enough left to spend on quality. I am forced to choose low quality, or nothing. Given time, I hope to use what I buy to allow me to efficiently harvest (without loss of combs) enough honey to pay for the next purchase of a better unit a few years down the road. I presently have just 10 hives, not a lot by most counts. I do intend to increase yearly from here. I completely understand the need for a better unit in time, but I can't take food off the table to do it. That said, it takes tools to do efficient work. As example, many tradesmen I know use Harbor Freight tools when they are getting started, and as they break they buy Craftsman. You've got to start somewhere.

All, please understand my intent isn't to discuss the merits of chinese vs American products. I'm purely trying to educate myself on an understandably risky purchase with the hope that it will meet a very basic need for the short time I'll need it to until I can do better. My goals are to spin 2-4 combs at a time (8 would be better), preferably radially for sake of effort and time. I'd like the unit to be in such form that I can add a motor easily. I'm willing to give up certain features (radial, frame count) for sake of price if I must. I need the price to be $100-$150.


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## coastie (Feb 2, 2015)

The 4/8 looks identical to the Vivo 4/8. YOu have to start somewhere. I love my Maxant but could not have purchased it when I started. I had a Mann Lake 3/6 that worked well enough for a couple years until I had enough to purchase the Maxant. The Maxant is 100X better than the Mann Lake but the Mann Lake did its job and I put the money into my hives and saved for the Maxant. Sold the Mann Lake to a friend. American made is great but I would not hesitate to buy one of these. Use it for a year or two and then upgrade. Wont take too much honey to break even on it and then sell it when you are done.


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## ritan1 (Nov 10, 2015)

I know you didn't want to get into advice about not buying a cheap extractor, but I think it is unavoidable, especially since you are talking about the long term. If you were talking a hive or two, I'd say take the chance, but if you have ten hives, then extraction become a more significant enterprise. You must consider the value of your time and effort and the quality - not of the extractor itself, but of the job it does. 

Extracting 10 hives (100+ frames) at a rate of 2 or 4 frames at a time, means that extraction is a tedious two day job, could be more if it's tangential. And a tangential extractor exerts pressure on the face of the foundation, leading to more blowouts. That's an important consideration if you value your drawn comb. Furthermore, the extractors you've shown are not good candidates for adding a motor in the future. Ultimately I think buying a cheap extractor will not be worth it in the long run - you'll spend an inordinate amount of time doing the extraction, ruin your drawn comb, not extract the maximum.

I certainly understand the economic pressure, but one thing that keeps people broke is the bad decisions that lack of money seems to force. But you pay for everything, one way or another. It's either your time, your money, your experience, your convenience, your body,... I say if you can't afford a decent extractor, continue to save up and continue to go the rental route (you are a member of a bee club, right?). Yes, it is inconvenient, but inconvenience is a small price to pay for the long-term benefit.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

I wonder if there is a market in Brown Co. for cut comb honey? You have everything you need for that with little or no additional expense.
If you need some new frames get them and run with a starter strip to build them out, in the mean time borrow/rent/pay out to have the
extracting done.


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

ritan1 said:


> I know you didn't want to get into advice about not buying a cheap extractor, but I think it is unavoidable, especially since you are talking about the long term. If you were talking a hive or two, I'd say take the chance, but if you have ten hives, then extraction become a more significant enterprise. You must consider the value of your time and effort and the quality - not of the extractor itself, but of the job it does.
> 
> Extracting 10 hives (100+ frames) at a rate of 2 or 4 frames at a time, means that extraction is a tedious two day job, could be more if it's tangential. And a tangential extractor exerts pressure on the face of the foundation, leading to more blowouts. That's an important consideration if you value your drawn comb. Furthermore, the extractors you've shown are not good candidates for adding a motor in the future. Ultimately I think buying a cheap extractor will not be worth it in the long run - you'll spend an inordinate amount of time doing the extraction, ruin your drawn comb, not extract the maximum.
> 
> I certainly understand the economic pressure, but one thing that keeps people broke is the bad decisions that lack of money seems to force. But you pay for everything, one way or another. It's either your time, your money, your experience, your convenience, your body,... I say if you can't afford a decent extractor, continue to save up and continue to go the rental route (you are a member of a bee club, right?). Yes, it is inconvenient, but inconvenience is a small price to pay for the long-term benefit.


i agree with all stated in the quoted post. But I will add a few more. Concerning the short term disposable train of thought. I never owned a decent small hand cranked extractor. I went from my homemade 6 frame radial (plans available online if anyone wants them, about $50.00 to make) to the 20/40 Dadant I have today. There are times I wish I had a small dependable hand crank. Gettin the big one out to do one super is just not very efficient. So it is likely you will want to hold onto this small extractor a long time. If you are patient and spend time looking you will eventually find a good used extractor (they really don't wear out). Buy it, enjoy it then chances are if you want to get rid of it, you can sell it for pretty much what you paid for it. So not only do you enjoy the benefit of using a good extractor for that time, you get your money back also (if you Ever want to get rid of it)

I firmly believe that the only thing cheap about cheap equipment is the price. Most times when you factor in the extra time, effort,aggravation and low resale value, most times you will find that cheap cost more than good quality every time.


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## Pittdog (Mar 5, 2015)

I am debating this myself. I currently have 2 hives and plan to keep expanding. For at least this year and next year I will be using deeps as honey supers. I have more deep boxes than mediums and using the deeps will also provide drawn deep frames for expansion the following year. So I need an extractor that can extract deep frames. I was thinking about getting an extractor similar to the $179 Goplus than in 2 years upgrade to the Maxant 3100-H4 eventually upgrading that to the 9 frame basket with motor. I agree with everything said about buying quality and the extra costs of buying cheap stuff. But at this point I would rather spend my money on quality woodenware and bees. I also figure I could use probably use the Goplus as a bottling tank once I upgrade that way I would still be getting use out of it.

Of course come fall if my finances allow I will be going directly with the Maxant.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

DrJeseuss said:


> I know this will quickly turn to advice stating NOT to buy a cheap extractor. I'd like to avoid that as much as possible so I can think through the logic behind it... that said:
> 
> I looked at a '2-frame' extractor on amazon:
> http://www.amazon.com/Goplus®-Stain...d=1462467637&sr=8-13&keywords=honey+extractor
> ...


Is there a question in there?

Go with the larger one.


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

I just got one of these so I could extract a few frames. We sell cut comb honey, but I find that for gifts the liquid honey is better. 
Almost always when I give someone cut comb they say, "Wow, that is so cool!! What do I do with it?" 

So a jar of liquid honey will end up being eaten. 

Back to the extractor: I put it together and cleaned it up this morning and will test it out on a couple frames this weekend. So far seems like it will work just fine.
If I had 25 hives and made extracted honey I would get a motorized radial. But that's a different discussion.


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

Did you get the 2-frame or the 4/8 frame? I'm wondering if the 4/8 will work as a radial when using mediums. Anyone know?


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

I got the two frame, so I can't answer that.


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

Works great. Just spun out a little May dandelion/fruit tree honey.


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

I got 1 question - did you buy the cheapest bee equipment made?
I agree with the other post here - Cheap is just that - Cheap
Watch craigslist - but do a all of craigslist search - there out there - just sometime not this week - I got 2 X 32s myself like this - and the price - well that's another thread


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## Arnie (Jan 30, 2014)

Yea, Sak, in this case I got the cheapest. I did that because I wanted to spend as little as possible to spin out a half dozen frames. We produce and sell cut comb honey. I wanted a little liquid honey for gifts. I run all mediums in my backyard, so I can steal a little honey from them once in a while. 

And this honey is really good!! 

If I was making liquid honey to sell like in years past I would get an electric radial like I used to have. 

I am in no way suggesting everyone should buy the cheapest things all the time. Just this once...


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

I too just bought the cheap BCP 2 frame extractor from Wal-Mart for 110.00 dollars and free shipping. it had good reviews on line (eBay, amazon) and even a utube video review. I will be using it this coming spring on my two hives. I will come back and give my review.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I started out with 2 hives about 10 years ago. My first extractor was a 2nd hand 2 frame reversible Kelly. 2-3 years later I sold it for what I bought it for. Concern yourself with the up front cost but also the residual value. Yes, the Goplus will cost you less up front but I'd bet bottom dollar you'll get little for it when you upgrade, and this assumes it holds up. I bought a used Dadant extractor (20/36) to replace my 2 frame Kelly. I never dreamed I'd fully utilize it. Here I am considering another... I own mostly Maxant stuff but their largest is only a 20 frame extractor. I'm a huge fan of buying known quality and service versus saving some money but it breaking down in the middle of extraction.


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## ABeeFos (Dec 26, 2016)

This conversation thread is still helpful, even though it's now 2016! Would love to see more written in the "Product Review" area of Beesource. Although it would take some serious co-authorship or leg work to create that kind of product review! Thanks all who added comments above. Again...helpful!


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

just used my best choice product honey extractor from wal mart. worked great, got about 4 gallons from my 10 frame deep super. very happy with it.


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## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

If one wants to go cheap, then rent an extractor. Perhaps I'm blessed to be in the right area, but I know of 4 different people I could rent a small (2-4 frame) extractor for $20-35. Many clubs, individuals, or small beekeeping businesses rent them. At that price you'd have to use that cheap walmart extractor for 3-5 years before you even broke even! That's assuming it holds up for 3-5 years. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to not have to go through the hassle of renting one, but if saving money is the goal and if you only have a few hives, renting wins every time. Plus you don't have to store or maintain it.


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## Hillbillybees (Mar 3, 2016)

Probably rented your first home till you could upgrade. No difference here. Rent borrow beg until you can afford a nice used one. No matter how little you spend on junk it's still junk. Be patient it'll work out. As to China junk I would rather hold a frame in each hand spin myself around before I would contribute to an economy that annually hurts mine. Nuff said.


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

at 110.00 means I only need to use it 3 to 5 times to break even.(as for being junk) all I know,I put frames in, cranked, honey came out just as advertised (4 gallons). worked great for my one production hive this year. started with two over winter hives. one for production and one for splits (4 splits so far) don't need 80 frame electric extractor. I will top out (6 to 8 hives) so my two frame extractor fits my needs.


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