# Maxant vs Dadant extractor



## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Looking at the Maxant 20 frame belt drive extractor vs the Dadant 20 frame direct drive extractor, I understand the Dadant can be overloaded with up to 36 medium frames and the maxant cannot.
I have seen the Maxant but not the Dadant, those of you who have experience with these unit...opinions please.


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## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

I was faced with the same dilemma earlier this year. I hadn't seen either one before. Through much research I concluded that both are solid. I chose the Maxant. It was cheaper and shipping was cheaper. Price.wasnt the only reason. Somewhere I read how the Maxant would last for ever and a very simple design. I agree and I am happy with it. It is very simple to operate. I bought mine from Rossman Apararies they are an authorized dealer. Good luck you can't go wrong either way.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

If you decide on the Dadant, make sure to spin the reel and inspect for out-of round.
Do not accept run-out in excess of 1/8" (which is still too much in my opinion).
And do not accept the lame excuse, "Well, out of round doesn't matter because frames all weigh different anyway".
Very poor excuse.

I'm getting ready to buy my 3rd bottling tank.
It will be a Maxant because their quality and engineering is tops in my opinion.


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## PAHunter62 (Jan 26, 2011)

I bought the Maxant 1400PL this spring. great extractor. I see you are in NY, right around a 4 hour drive from the Maxant factory in Ayer, MA - contact Jake for a pickup price. I took a mini-vacation weekend around Boston, NH, and southern Maine and picked up mine on the way out. Very happy with my choice.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I have a Dadant 20 that is well over 30 years old. You won't wear out either one.


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## red (Jan 15, 2013)

I have a Dadant 12 frame that is 5 or 6 years old with the top bearing out and a 20 frame Dadant on it's second year. The reel is out of round and even with frame weight being different it causes problems. When you luck out and get them in the right slots it does run really smooth. I will be trying the Maxant for my next one.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

We use the Maxant 20 frame, & are very pleased with it.
Customer service is great.


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## Mountain Man (Aug 26, 2013)

We just bought a new 20 frame Dadant from [email protected] in Ky and we are very pleased!!!


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

I have two Maxant 20-frame. An older one of which I am the third owner and a new one. My only complaint is that the honey gate is a little too small. It's fine for draining into a pail, but is too small when plumbing it to a sump, etc. 2" would have been a better size.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I have the Danant and a friend has the Maxant. There are things I like about both. I think Maxant basket is better. But I when with Danant because of being able to load 30 frames. Prices where about the same.shipping wasn't a factor because I would pick up at a show. In fact Danant had to deliver it to my home seeing they forgot to load it up in the truck. Not the first time they have messed Up. Most times in my favor.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

one thing we have found with the dadant is the controller switch is only rated for 30,000 turn ons and offs. we are on our third controller in 10 years b/4 I figured it out. The part only cost $5.00 but haven't been able to find one yet. Now we turn it on and put tape over it, and don't turn it off until after were are done pulling honey.


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## wild-b (Apr 23, 2014)

has anyone tried the Italians


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

One concern I had with the Dadant when extractor shopping, is that its direct drive. What happens when piecs from a blown-out frame plug the drain and the honey rises to the bottom of the frames? I thought with a belt driven extractor, that the belt or leather washer would slip enough to give you enough time to shut it down before anything more major breaks.

A local distributor had some Lega extractors in stock the last time I was there. The tank and reel were finished quite nicely, and they have variable speed control. A 12/28 frame was about $1000CAD more expensive than the 20-frame Maxant.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

My Dadant is the older belt drive. That said, with a 2" gate, I've never had it plug up enough for the honey to reach the reel. It always blows the wax chunks out the gate.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

"If you decide on the Dadant, make sure to spin the reel and inspect for out-of round.
Do not accept run-out in excess of 1/8" (which is still too much in my opinion)."

This is an interesting comment. I have the Dadant 20 and the inner reel is out of round to a degree. I can understand the concept of measuring the run-out of the reel against the sidewalls of the tank but you have to take into consideration the tolerance of the circumference of the tank itself. You can't automatically assume that the take is perfectly round (as they are not to a degree). I'm guessing that mine is out of round by about 1/4" but it has never presented an issue for me with extracting. Its also bolted to my concrete floor.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Riskybizz,

I think the idea is to measure the distance between the basket and a *single point* on the tank. Think holding a dial guage on the tank with the pointer riding on the rim of the basket. This will give you a measure of "wobble" you can expect from the basket relative to a fixed axis of rotation. Ideally you'd want this to be zero, but manufacturing tolerances will never achieve this, so smaller is better.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Astro 

makes sense


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I like my Dadant 20. I did not really think I would ever run it with more than 20 frames at a time. But, this year it came in handy being able to run 36 frames in it. It's not really fair to judge the Dadant and Maxant 20 frame extractors head to head. They are both well made extractors and most folks would be happy with either one. But, the Dadant extractor is really a bigger extractor. I can run 20 deeps plus a medium frame in between each deep. Which I did a lot of few weeks ago when we extracted Gallberry. It really helped speed things up. So if you think you may ever need a bigger extractor go ahead and get the Dadant and you will have some room built in for expansion. Now don't get me wrong all my other extracting equipment is Maxant and have been very happy with all of it.


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for the input, I liked the idea of the direct drive motor and being able to overload the Dadant, but when I call them it took 3 days to get a firm shipping cost and the phone conversation made me feel they could care less about my business, I have the Maxant 3100P and like it but I've out grown it, Maxant is behind in production 5-6 weeks on the 20 frame 
but quickly directed me to their distributers, I'm picking one up from Betterbee on Friday.


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## shamrockkennels (May 17, 2015)

How many hives do you have, trying to decide between a 9 frame and 20 frame.


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## wild-b (Apr 23, 2014)

brushy mountain has a chart that kind of gives you an idea of how many frames you should get and how much time it takes


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Last year I had 24 10 frame medium supers to extract, the honey was thick and some frames took 10 minutes before they stopped spitting honey off them, 6 at a time x 40 loads x10 minutes = 6.6hrs of run time. with a 20 frame I can get that down to 2 hrs. Last year I pulled honey off 6 of my 8 hives, this year I have 9 and expect to pull about 20-24 supers, which I should have done already but I only picked up the new extractor today. I have too muck work to extract this week so I guess I'll pull supers next Friday and give the new Maxant a spin next weekend. If I let them spin until I uncap 20 more frames they should be good and dry.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Our honey is very thick, sometimes 16% moisture. It can take 20-30 minutes per load for us.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

wildbranch2007 said:


> one thing we have found with the dadant is the controller switch is only rated for 30,000 turn ons and offs. we are on our third controller in 10 years b/4 I figured it out. The part only cost $5.00 but haven't been able to find one yet. Now we turn it on and put tape over it, and don't turn it off until after were are done pulling honey.


just a note, if you have this problem and need a replacement, call your local dadant office and get the phone # for the factory, call the factory and they will sell you new switches.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

zhiv9 said:


> One concern I had with the Dadant when extractor shopping, is that its direct drive. What happens when piecs from a blown-out frame plug the drain and the honey rises to the bottom of the frames?


There's a fuse in the direct drive set up. It blows it. Fortunately I figured this out when I was cleaning it (overfilled it with water). It's a simple/inexpensive fuse but if you don't have one there'd be nothing simple/inexpensive about it. When I got the replacement I taped a back up on the engine for easy access should I need another one ASAP. I've watched it a little more closely and not had this issue again.


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