# Two man hive lifter



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I've used a pair of ice tongs before, but not the store bought kind of lifter.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Works perfect if you have 2 people. Had one for about 25 years.

cchoganjr


----------



## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

haven't tried one but looks handy if you have two people


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

The replies are appreciated. Time will tell I guess. 
I will have help for sure lifting hives. I am hiring for next season and am setting interviews next week.
Thanks again.


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

For moving bees around the yard, a lifter is great. For lifting them up onto the truck, it's probably easier to lift them by hand. Both ways take two people.


----------



## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

I have one that I used a couple times. I'll never buy another one because it's over kill. Just my two cents.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Very helpful with heavy hives that have to be carried a ways especially if stairs are involved. Like MP said, once you get to the truck sometimes it is easier to remove it and load without.


----------



## keqwow (Jun 7, 2006)

We used a trailer towed behind a pickup for moving bees. We simply put down the rear tailgate on the trailer, and walked up it with the hives for loading. Works great.


----------



## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

Any problem with moving tall hives?


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

D Semple said:


> Any problem with moving tall hives?


If you have them stapled together you just go up one or two supers, some do get a little tipsy but still better than doing it by hand, to put them on the truck we stack one or two deeps below the tailgate, put them on the deeps then pick up by hand. One person I help has bad shoulders(can't lift them very high) this method works well.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

D Semple said:


> Any problem with moving tall hives?


Yes - being young and strong enough to lift them.
I do remember almost tipping some that should have been grabbed higher and having some slide out of the holder. They really grab well on hives with handle cleats. On those we turn the holder upside down. Upright it grabs into the hand holds better.


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

we use one very similar to that in the photo. It's great, particularily for moving a hive in an area where there is no possibility of getting a vehicle. At our house before we moved, ground was to steep, but with two of us, using that gadget, easily carry a double deep up the hill to the vehicle.

We've never tried to move a hive with more than two deeps. When we intended to do that, we always pulled the supers first, them moved the resulting double deep with that carrying gadget.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

odfrank said:


> Upright it grabs into the hand holds better.


Very good point there. If you are lifting, say, two deep and three shallows, make sure the bottom deep has good, deep, hand holds, and , make sure the lift is in the hand holds. 

If I have to move a multiple box hive, especially if moving some distance, I don't like to disassemble the hive, and in this case, this carrier works well.

cchoganjr


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

A simple ratchet strap around the entire hive will ensure it all stays where it's supposed to during the move. Is spring here yet?


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

The final product. A drone flew into the frame and landed just before I took the pic.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Mr.Beeman

To use this carrier, do you slide it down from the top?

The hive carrier that I have, has a cleat that goes into the hive handle to keep it from slipping, and for positive grip. Do you plan to add it.
If not, wouldn't it slip if either man gave slack while holding the hive. 

cchoganjr


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Yes it slides down from the top. The way it is designed, it "pinches" the hive with the cross bars. The heavier the hive the stronger the pinch.
IF the hive slipped out it was because the other helper did it on purpose. In which case they would be sent packing. lol


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

I understand that. If it slipped out I would expect some angry bees.

I take it that drone is not from a small cell.

Looks good. Good job.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>The hive carrier that I have, has a cleat that goes into the hive handle to keep it from slipping, and for positive grip

I agree, you are missing an essential part if you have hand holds only. Yours will work on a hive with cleat handles, but will slip on a hive with cut out handholds only. The commercial ones have a swollen area covered with a black stiff hose to fit into the hand holds.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

odfrank... Mine has that black stiff hose that goes in the hand hold. It came from Kelly Bee Co, I think, 1998. I don't move more than double deeps very often. But, occasionally someone calls and wants a double deep with 3 honey supers moved, in that case, those movers are nice.

cchoganjr


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I will try to remember to take a pick tomorrow. Didn't see that detail on the internet.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

I will go out to the shop and see if I can snap a photo of mine also.

EDIT.....  I went out and took a photo, but, I have recently changed computers, and I cannot get this one to downsize a photo enough so that beesource will allow it. I will see if someone will show me how to do it with this computer. No problem on the old one, but, I can't do it on this one.

cchoganjr


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

O.K. Let me see if I can post this photo. Yes, I believe it is going to work. Now you can see the part odfrank talked about.










cchoganjr


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> O.K. Let me see if I can post this photo. Yes, I believe it is going to work. Now you can see the part odfrank talked about.
> 
> You beat me to it. My shop is a 20 minutes drive. And my piece of hose is black, circa 1975.
> Good to see your shop is as big a mess as mine. Actually a lot less of a mess.


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Thanks Cleo and Frank for your help. I will definately incorporate a rubber gripper into the unit.


----------



## linn (Nov 19, 2010)

Can you still buy the hive carriers with the rubber grippers?


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

linn said:


> Can you still buy the hive carriers with the rubber grippers?


http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=193

http://www.kelleybees.com/Shop/13/Hives-Components/Accessories/4056/Katz-Super-Hive-Carrier

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/product/MH-107.html


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

odfrank;1047661 Good to see your shop is as big a mess as mine.[/QUOTE said:


> Yes, and the bad part is, you are only seeing about 1/10 th of it in that photo. HA!!!
> 
> cchoganjr


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Ok... here is the completed hive lifter.
I didn't like the single ribber gripper on each crossarm idea. From a engineering standpoint (and common sense) it is an accident waiting to happen.
With this set up you have 4 points of contact on the hive body at all times. The contact will be at the corners where it is the strongest.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Mr Beeman Not to belabor the point, but, that rubber gripper is set at an angle and goes into the hive hand hold . 

If you don't have a hand hole then the rubber grip is centered and the weight of the hive is what holds it, much the same as yours.

cchoganjr


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

True Cleo... but the hive is held ONLY on two points with your lifter if you have no handholds. This will allow the hive to pivot on these two points correct? If you don't have your hive centered oh lordly...... 

Now... do you really feel comfy knowing that your hive is held by two points? Or... do you feel more comfy knowing that it is held by four?
This will work with handholds or no handholds. It's just a better mousetrap IMO.
I do appreciate your (and others) input, I really do.


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Mr Beeman... You are correct. If you have no hand holds, ( or cleats), my carrier will not work well at all. Yes, it would be off center, and yes it would likely slip and then the hive would drop. 

I feel the most comfortable knowing the cleat is in the hand hold and pressure from the weight of the hive is keeping it in the hand hold and making a slip impossible.

Always good to have a better mouse trap. May the mice beat a path to your door.

Thanks, Mr. Beeman.

cchoganjr


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> Mr Beeman... You are correct. If you have no hand holds, ( or cleats), my carrier will not work well at all. Yes, it would be off center, and yes it would likely slip and then the hive would drop.
> 
> I feel the most comfortable knowing the cleat is in the hand hold and pressure from the weight of the hive is keeping it in the hand hold and making a slip impossible.
> 
> ...


I agree with you. I made a unit as well. I used what I had laying around to some degree. I had electrical conduit that I bent in the same manner as the others except I used some roller chain as a hinge. The two cross bars that pinch the hive are a heavy wall, almost solid, aluminum. I attached two brackets to these that fit into the hand holds if the boxes have them and if they dont they are sharp enough to grab the wood. All my deeps have hand holds so I've not had a situation where the brackets were not "inside" the hand holds.
Two rubber pieces on each cross bar DOES NOT equal a single protrusion into the hand hold. The two rubber "solution" is indeed providing more friction but the single protrusion isn't relying on friction. It is getting inside the outer dimension of the boxes so the only way it would fail is if the wood failed. Personally I wouldn't trust friction. Just a small amount of weight being relieved could make it slip and there is enough weight on a couple of full deeps that a small slip could cause big imbalance and panic.
I continue to find it amazing how beekeepers, especially newer ones, seem to be able to find new ways to make things that are tried and true "better". I think it is the enthusiasm of being new to a hobby but I also think that beekeeping attracts a certain personality type. I am all for trying new things and I am all for inventing, prototyping, failing and doing it again so I am not making a critical statement here but there are also times when one must admit when one misses a point or is just plain wrong. IMO many new beeks, with their new found enthusiasm leave the ability to say, "I'm wrong" behind. I am currently in the long process os making a hand truck with a lifting mechanism that I can wheel up to a stack of boxes, slide the stack (properly strapped together) on to the platform, raise up, move back, lower and wheel away. Repeat when destination is reached. I know there are manufacturers that sell these lift units but they are high dollar and are not ready for uneven, bumpy or soft ground. Mine will be much better on bee yard type surfaces. I am only mentioning this because I've built and rebuilt it a few times already because my original sure fire designs were garbage> I was wrong and I'm working on becoming right.
I made a frame filling machine as well. It took me quite a long time to get it working as well as I wanted it to. I posted about it here and ended up with many good comments. I think I also got just as many or more negative comments. Didn't make sense to me as I plainly stated I was doing something for me. not to try to convince anyone else to build one. For me it is the cats ***** but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.

Walking away shaking my head.


----------



## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

I just run a rachet strap over the top and bottom ratchet it up tight. Then slide a two wheeler under it and away i go. I have one of the two man carriers but i never use it. I am not for carring stuff around since the invention of the wheel. Rolls much easier. I do have a plywood ramp to roll it up on the trailer.


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Do you use a regular hand truck? What I'm making is based on an aluminum hand truck that I've modified. I have a cleet at the bottom of a lifting mechanism. I can adjust the height and grab the hive at any height, back up & lower for transportation to another stand or a trailer then repeat. Can't carry double deeps anymore. I should have it done in a few days or weeks:-D


----------



## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

challenger said:


> Do you use a regular hand truck? What I'm making is based on an aluminum hand truck that I've modified. I have a cleet at the bottom of a lifting mechanism. I can adjust the height and grab the hive at any height, back up & lower for transportation to another stand or a trailer then repeat. Can't carry double deeps anymore. I should have it done in a few days or weeks:-D


Yes it's a hand truck that came from Harbor Frieght the one with inflateable tires.:thumbsup:


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Check this out......

http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Steve10_10/library/Hive Lift?sort=3&page=1

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


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

snl said:


> Check this out......
> 
> http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Steve10_10/library/Hive Lift?sort=3&page=1
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHhpWHRvKsI


Has anyone on the forum tried this? If so what is it like to work with..and where are they sold?


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

They are not sold. That one was made by a BS member Steve10.


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

snl said:


> Check this out......
> 
> http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Steve10_10/library/Hive Lift?sort=3&page=1
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHhpWHRvKsI


I saw this one while looking here for some ideas. It is a nice unit he made but I did mine from a light weight hand truck I had laying around and made most of the brackets etc. from aluminum. I used some garage door rollers and some track I had laying around as well. I will post pics when I get a chance. I'm not saying mine is better BTW.


----------

