# coming up with the right solution



## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

What can you afford and how hard do you want to work?

A straight truck with a 24' bed, hives on 4 or 6 way pallets and a trailer with a lift would be the easiest and fastest way


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

all depends on your budget Ben, if your working on a low budget, then a simple dolly and an electric tail gate would be the best option. 

skidsteer and trailer is the best option for moving bees around, quickest. All you see in the Almonds is as such. 

one man show, buy an ezyloader and make your pollination contracts pay for the machine, 

what ever way, our return on investment is the best with the dolly and electric tailgate working on 100-200 hive contracts, right? But if you factor in time, as I think you have a day job, then factor in how many years it will take for you to pay back the cost of buying assets to move your hives within a certain time frame. Let the figures do its work and decide whats is actually feasible. Cant run a show, just for show, gota make money


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian said:


> all depends on your budget Ben, if your working on a low budget, then a simple dolly and an electric tail gate would be the best option.
> 
> what ever way, our return on investment is the best with the dolly and electric tailgate working on 100-200 hive contracts, right? then factor in how many years it will take for you to pay back the cost of buying assets to move your hives within a certain time frame. Let the figures do its work and decide whats is actually feasible. Cant run a show, just for show, gota make money


Ian, well said.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I problem solve a bit differently. I would look into discovering as many ways to get it done as possible. Then be looking for the opportunity to get it done frame a wider range of possibilities.

Hire someone to move them it removes all the other details. Basically that is approaching the problem from the "I am not a trucker I am a beekeeper" viewpoint. To me the right way is the one that gets it accomplished. I don't usually take issue with the method. 

Locally I have the ability to combine my hive with others in the area and get all the hives sent together. Someone else solved the logistics. My transport concern is reduced to a few blocks rather than miles.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I had a tailgate and wheeler set up some time back. I found it too slow. You probably do not have the budget to purchase a skidsteer to move your hives. EZE Loader could be an option but they are a little pricey. Mind you it would also be useful for pulling honey. Personally that leaves you with the option of hiring someone to move your palletized outfit or hiring someone to help you move them by hand. In your shoes hand loading would be my first choice. Labour is plentiful and cheap in your area, I think. Manual labour is cheaper than machines. Seeing as how you are starting out you want your money tied up in beehives that can generate revenue for you not in equipment that ties up a lot of capital. 

The challenge with hiring others is sometimes you have to work around their schedule. If you can find someone with a machine that can move your hives for a reasonable price, then when you have the budget to purchase your own machine , truck, trailer you do not have to change over to pallets. If you only do the one pollination, this can be an option.

First get the hives, then the contract, then worry about moving them. Do the things you need to do first, then the other things will fall in place. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all of this but by doing what you can today, tomorrow will take care of itself.

Jean-Marc


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>EZE Loader could be an option but they are a little pricey.<<

Yup, got to sharpen the pencil to make that one work


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## Markt (Feb 8, 2012)

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Bragg Lumber will unload for you on the other end if you build pallets compatible with their system. (Assuming that's who you're pollinating for?)


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I just did a search for EZE Loader and came up with boat trailers. I then searched for Ezyloader and the first link took me to a site that has a banner photo of a guy loading hives on a flat bed. So I am betting that Ezyloader is what is being mentioned in this thread. 

What I cannot find is any information on the sales of them.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Well since I need to start from scratch for most of everything , like honey house , a trailer , a way to move hives in a field of blueberries . I am just exploring my options from more experienced beekeepers and relying on what to do or not to do  

I did see a "Super cart" in a video on youtube from Lewis and Sons ??? , it is a gas powered dolly with a single caster wheel on the back for turning that looked interesting, anyone know if they are for sale ? or a price ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQkCbOOXc-0

There is a lot of IFs Ands or Buts in this type of farming (most farming lol) And I know there is no 1 right answer for everything .

But I appreciate all of the ideas thrown out there for me.
So Thank you all !

Ben Little


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I think they are a few hundred bucks, 
ya, that with an electric tail gate works


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Any one want to throw a ballpark number on a Ezyloader. Cost wise For us that are Curious. 
David


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

From a different EZLoader thread:


Ian said:


> I paid $23000 a few years back, but not they run for $30000


(click the blue arrow to view the thread)


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Ben:

I was in much the same situation you were in when I first started. I had limited resources, but a strong desire to make it work. I live in an area where inflation allowed me to borrow against the perceived increase in the value of our house. That gave me a pool of money that was quickly spent building my numbers up. The KEY to remember is that the beehives generate the revenue. Extractors do not generate revenue (unless you get into a custom extracting situation), trucks don't (unless you become a truck driver), same thing can be said about forklifts and trailers. 

For sure these things will allow you to run more hives and make the job of running those hives easier, but they do not generate the cash that the business requires. In my case I had 200 doubles before I got a truck. To summarize, get some hives together, get them paid, then worry about forklift or eze loaders honey house. 

Good luck.

Jean-Marc


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

I bought one of the 3 wheeled lift truck that goes on back a lumber truck for 1500. works pretty slick for the price.

ebay is great if you take the time!


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

the gas powered dolly in the above post by me is still available @ >>>>>>> 1850.00 +tx and freight <<<<<<<< 
A little pricey for me 
Since I am a small engine mechanic and I know engines , transmissions and I have a welder, I think I may be making my own LOL


Here is a little true story from today, that I would like to share . 

I call it "The straw that broke Benjamins back"

Today I blew out my back helping a customer get their lawn tractor out of a MINI VAN , It barely fit in it! I heard a pop and crunch , I couldn't move and at the time I was the only worker at the shop, the customer just stood there and complained that his grass was growing (which is the most annoying complaint, like I don't know that grass grows ? ) I won't tell you what I was thinking of saying , it is not very nice. Meanwhile I was getting dizzy from pain I managed to get back inside the shop and got his info and when I got back outside to put a repair tag on the tractor (took me about 3 minutes to get to it) I noticed some wires dangling from under the hood , I opened it and plugged them back into the volt meter and it started right up of course .....well the customer was happy as heck , so he wanted me to push it into his van and I said "not a chance in hell, you get on it and drive it in , and I will hold the rear Broken gate open on the van." It went in after a bit and he got in his van and drove off without a thank you or asking what he owed me, or a tip , nothing ! >>>>which happens often FYI <<<<<
SO..... I went back inside and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer for my back and chewed about him to myself for about 30 minutes with the phone off the hook , it was a lovely day!
The End ??

I really don't like what I do anymore , the public has driven me to taking stress pills since 2009 and it hasn't gotten any better , The public is way too demanding , I work there injured and sick and still no appreciation from anyone, the pay is terrible , but I won't go there LOL (It's a Family business).

And people ask me "What made you want to be a Beekeeper" well the *Simplest *way to put it is , I really can't stand the general public telling me what to do and not being appreciated for what I do.
there is other reasons , but that's enough for my rant on here 

Sorry for ranting everyone ,
I am sure someone has it worse somewhere else and has a better story.... etc , but I can't sit back and watch myself be unhappy doing what I do , so being a Commercial Beekeeper is what is my goal and no one is going to stop me  
The Bees don't tend to talk back that much , other than that one Bee that really doesn't want to leave you alone in every yard 

Have a good day all.
Ben


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## cade10 (Aug 24, 2012)

If you can figure out the general weight you are moving, government requirements and such you could build a trailer or two.
I am a seriously determined self reliant type and that is what I would do if it was the least expensive. I LIKE to build stuff and weld so it would be kinda an excuse for me to do that...
I would guess an easier thing might be find a small used semi flat bed trailer, load it and have it moved and if you don't need to move it again till fall or whatever just leave it. Used trailers aren't that expensive especially as you could probably use a shorter one.
You did say one way each year so why unload them if they are not needed elsewhere ?
I actually leave hives in trailers year round - sometimes I have to move them if they are spraying the area, also I have a small pollination contract about 30 miles from me. I take them down there in April and bring them back to my yard about Oct.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

One way 200 Km , meaning that I would need to travel around that distance to get to the pollination site for 3 weeks , then back home.

Ben


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Not necessarily about bees but still related to this issue. I spent years doing home repairs. I would often run into situations that I needed equipment such as a bobcat. ditch witch fork lift Auger or other equipment I do not own and would be expensive to buy.

I quickly learned that even if I managed to purchase these pieces. I would still not be capable of paying for their upkeep. with every new piece of equipment you are adding bills. I even got to the point of looking at a tractor with a loader and backhoe. it would have pretty much been the one size fits all solution. I was still not able to make it work when it came to the maintenance cost. I was working part time fore 2 to 3 thousand dollars a moth. in order to make equipment work I would have had to leap frog that to about 10 thousand a month. It would mean going from part time to full time.

Keep in mind buying a tractor meant also buying a trailer and a truck that could haul it. and the maintenance of all three. Having a location to store it when it was not being used which for me meant renting a space in a lot.

I simply rented equipment as I needed it.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have two pollination jobs which are both 100 miles from where I have my hives when thge blueberries or apples need them. I have an F-450 w/ a 14'3" bed, so I can get 20 pallets of 4 Way pallets on the truck and 4 pallets on the trailer, along w/ the Bobcat skidsteer loader. So that's a total of 96 colonies per load. 

The blueberry grower will unload for me, so I can take a full load on the trailer if I want to. This past Spring I got a friend w/ a bigger truck to help move bees. We got 6 rows on his truck. That helped.

When I have to move bees from SC to NY (to go into the apples) I contract a semi to haul them for me, but I still load and unload them. I like having a machine like a skidsteer so I can load, unload, and do other things w/ it, like move snow.

Lots to think about. You'll have to figure out for yourself what is doable of course. I spent many years, by myself, loading and unloading two story hives by hand in an evening, driving 100 miles, sleeping in the truck for the night, waking up at 4AM and unloading in an apple orchard and then driving home to do it again until all the orchards had their bees. Don't do it that way anymore. Don't have to.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

If your interested there is one of them 3 wheeled units for sale in Sikeston MO for 3500 great deal for moving bees.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

I don't know what they look like , is it like the donkey forklift ?


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## Makin' Honey (Sep 13, 2010)

Ben Little, I was full time in the bees and went broke 18 years ago. I dug out of all the debt I created then and I started over in the bees several years ago. What I took away from my first experience is never be beholden to anyone and never be in debt. So this time is a slow build up working after hours of my regular job but all is paid for, everything. I expand each year working toward becoming a full time beekeeper again. I am up to 200 colonies and move several times a year to different honey crops and pollination (one move 250 miles one way). I started over with a ½ ton pickup truck and moving bees by hand. Three years ago I bought a used 16 foot car hauling trailer for $1,000.00 and a hand truck. I can move in truck and on trailer 45 double story hives or double up single story hives and haul 90 hives. Yea it is hard, but next year I should be in a position to buy a used one ton truck and skid loader, paying cash. Just my experiance and thoughts.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Good advice ( Makin' Honey) . I haven't yet gone in debt for my bees , I have a somewhat good idea what I need to spend each year to progress , it is just hard when starting out with nothing and that's why I ask so many questions. To mainly learn from others mistakes , I know it sounds a little mean , but it is the only way to get off to a good start, not taking the wrong road sort of speaking.


I thank you for sharing your info with me.

Have a good one !

Ben L


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

Its a moffit m-5000...... thinking I should buy it... nicer than the one I have...


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

They kinda look a lot like the Donkey forklift . neat rigs.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I havent used a Moffit or a Donkey. I can see the advantages but they do appear really wide which may be a bit of a problem and of course they require a tandem axle truck to carry them. I would like to hear a report from someone who has actually used one.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Tandem axle is not needed. A friend of mine has one on an F-550. Another commercial beekeeper that runs bees in FL and WI also runs them.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

Jim, I run mine on a single axle.... its nice..... its is not an ATV. serious mud or rough terrrian is a problem. but pasture or dry crop ground is not. lift capacity is great, and loading it on the truck is 60 seconds. its travel speed is a bit slow on long moves.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

gmcharlie said:


> Jim, I run mine on a single axle.... its nice..... its is not an ATV. serious mud or rough terrrian is a problem. but pasture or dry crop ground is not. lift capacity is great, and loading it on the truck is 60 seconds. its travel speed is a bit slow on long moves.


What do they weigh?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

The lightest _Donkey _brand machine is 3100 lbs.

http://www.donkeyforklift.com/comparison_chart.html


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

Mines not a moffit, its right at 2300. works fine on F550 springs. it will work on a 1 ton, as long as its no longer than 10 feet and you can keep the weight on the axle I usualy use a car trailer and the flatbed. 
Downside to mine is the forks are between the tires down low. makes loading a low trailer a pain. the Moffit doesn't have that issue.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> The lightest _Donkey _brand machine is 3100 lbs.
> 
> http://www.donkeyforklift.com/comparison_chart.html


I guess I need to get educated on these. I have only seen them on large tandem axle delivery trucks and they look really big and wide. I assumed they were all around 5,000 lbs.+ which would take up most of the carrying capacity of a 550.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

They are wide, no doubt. Mines an older one so its light. the newer ones are heavier. again, not as versitile as a swinger, but handy for the price!


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## acbz (Sep 8, 2009)

Beeslave said:


> Tandem axle is not needed. A friend of mine has one on an F-550. Another commercial beekeeper that runs bees in FL and WI also runs them.


Yup, the F550 handles it fine. You do have to add a couple leaves to the spring stacks. The bed also has to be purpose-built with fork pockets. I bought mine from, and had a lot of setup assistance, from the guy on the YouTube video. He's been running thousands of hives for years w/ F550s and Donkeys, so he does know how to make it work reliably.


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