# Quality smoker



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Dadants Smokers are good ones. Order from Waverly,NY and you should have it in hand in one day or two.


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## kentuckyjeff (Jan 26, 2012)

kelly bees has good quality smokers


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Mann Lake's dome top smokers are very good; also the same for Dadant's smokers. Never buy a smoker from Brushy Mtn or Betterbee.


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## [email protected] (May 12, 2010)

I can't resist. After looking at your location, I had to think that your experience must have been an "Amityville Horror!"


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Thanks all...ordered one from mannlake..gonna get one from dadant as well..and im bout 2 min walk from horror house..if i ever get honey..gonna call it amity horror honey..lol


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

IMHO the Dadant smokers are the best.


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

rjmeyer said:


> Im a new beek..purchased the global smoker from betterbee...the handle broke off on third use and this weekend it fell off hivebout 18" and snoot pushed in...going to buy another smoker but they all look similar in the photos...who makes the best quality smoker ???



:s the handle :s


BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

Kelly's are good and seem to last. My two are 30 years old. Have to wait to see if they last.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

rjmeyer said:


> Thanks all...ordered one from mannlake..gonna get one from dadant as well..and im bout 2 min walk from horror house..if i ever get honey..gonna call it amity horror honey..lol


I inspected apiaries right around there years ago. Cool.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I don't care for dome top smokers. Bigger is better. The large Dadant works for me.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

I have a tall Dadant with the heat shield. Mine hasn't been babied, and it's holding up well.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I have the regular one from Dadant with heat shield. There are only who things that weren't right with it. The heat shield has little wire end going up and they should be bend toward the smoker. I had to fix some so nobody scrapes themselves on them. Minor thing, but I feel it should have been done right from the get go. Some were bend into position and half were not. The second issue was the smoker hole on top. It was not round and I like to push a cork into it to stop the burning when I'm done. I had to fix that too. Otherwise a good smoker and I would buy my next one from them again.

The MannLake looks flimsy with the plastic bellow and I worry about plastic cracking. I have never used one, so I cannot attest to it's quality. Just what it looked like to me.


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## doc25 (Mar 9, 2007)

I have one with the plastic bellows not sure where it's from. Not very happy with it. It is the taller one as well. Doesn't seem to push enough air into the smoker. Most of the time I use an old one I found at a garage sale for $5.00. The leather bellows works well. Even covered in duct tape the plastic one doesn't seem to push as much air through.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

I have a dome top Mann Lake (never liked the "original" style) with the yellow bellow (hehe) works perfect, no issues as of yet.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Same here as with NasalSponge. I have had my Mann Lake dome top plastic-bellowed smoker for 3 year, and the fellow that had it before me had it for 4 years. I may add that it has been used aggressively, and there has been no problem with the plastic bellows.


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Hi Jim134, the handle that was tac welded to the dome to open the smoker top to fire it up.


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

Thanks again to all for the replies, i agree that the dadant looks like the real deal, i went with the Mannlake at the moment because it got me free shipping on some other items i ordered but i will be ordering the dadant as well...i love backup equipment..and beeees...lol


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## cinch123 (Jan 16, 2012)

doc25 said:


> I have one with the plastic bellows not sure where it's from. Not very happy with it. It is the taller one as well. Doesn't seem to push enough air into the smoker. Most of the time I use an old one I found at a garage sale for $5.00. The leather bellows works well. Even covered in duct tape the plastic one doesn't seem to push as much air through.


I have one from Mann Lake with the blue and yellow rubber bellows. I totally agree with you - it does not push enough air in. I have another smoker - a standard one from Dadant, and I'm much happier with it. I am considering taking the Mann Lake one apart and seeing if I can improve its performance; it would be a shame to spend $30 on a smoker that is hard to get going.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I didn't realize a needed a new one until I borrowed one for a few days recently - my old one (4x7 of unknown origin) is hard to light, hard to pump, and hard to keep lit. Ordered one of the big Dadant smokers based on these recommendations.


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## doc25 (Mar 9, 2007)

cinch123 said:


> I have one from Mann Lake with the blue and yellow rubber bellows. I totally agree with you - it does not push enough air in. I have another smoker - a standard one from Dadant, and I'm much happier with it. I am considering taking the Mann Lake one apart and seeing if I can improve its performance; it would be a shame to spend $30 on a smoker that is hard to get going.


Yeah same one. I'm wondering if the intake valve is the problem. I've replaced it and still no go. I'm thinking that the "normal" smokers don't have this valve and suck air back in during the release. I will try covering the valve with duct tape and see if it improves the action.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

I got the smoker that came with the "starter package" from kelley's and bought my brother a larger one from them this year. Both are excellent, no problems at all.

No valves on the bellows, nothing to break. Had to make an inner pot for my brother's (punched some holes in a tin can) and it works great.

I've found the best smoker fuel is cotton cloth and some cardboard. Smolders away forever, lots of nice smoke, not very hot even at first since neither material burns with a significant flame in the smoker, and a charge will last at least half an hour.

Clean cotton or linen rags were what my Grandpa used, no reason to change. Burlap works well, too, and you can mix in some pine needles for a nicer smell (the bees seem to like it better too). 

I would not buy plastic bellowed smokers, but that's a personal thing. No reason they won't work well if in good condition, but I suspect they will fail far sooner than wooden bellows, and you can easily staple some new oilcloth on the wooden one.

Peter


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

My smoker search update...the Mann Lake is BO, arrived home today and the Dadant was on the stoop.
here is what i see so far...I know it's just a smoker and for what we really need it to do it will probably last a long long time...BUT
I must say that the fit and finish is like that of american made autos in the 70's and 80's which is why the japanese bawled the american auto industry.
Slapped together for mass production, quantity not quality...a shame really...so i'll wait for the Mann Lake maybe give Kellys a try...then i'll just take a day off and make one.
Sorry to vent but i like stuff..i love good stuff...lol


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Fit and finish? Really? It's gonna be burned black and covered with tar by next week. I want it to be easy to light, pump, and stay lit - and last a long time. I get it, but next year fit and finish won't even be a memory.


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## rjmeyer (Apr 6, 2012)

I hear ya Dave... i guess im like a new father..first kid drops a binky and you steralize it, second kid you run it under the faucet third kid you wipe it on your sleave...lol
But i cant believe with all the technology available today that they cant make it better in half the time at a fraction of the cost...


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Anyone have one of the electric smokers?

I have a large deluxe Dadant works fine.
Dried Florida pine needles stink they work well but stink


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## julysun (Apr 25, 2012)

Try this link for a grin!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-CAS...ultDomain_0&hash=item4604e30655#ht_500wt_1413

:applause:


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

rjmeyer said:


> first kid drops a binky and you steralize it, second kid you run it under the faucet third kid you wipe it on your sleave...


Or yell "Five Second Rule!"


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## kincade (Feb 3, 2011)

rjmeyer said:


> My smoker search update...the Mann Lake is BO, arrived home today and the Dadant was on the stoop...so i'll wait for the Mann Lake maybe give Kellys a try...l


FYI, the Dadant and Kelly are the exact same smoker. Just a different brand on the outside. So if you're unhappy with the Dadant you shouldn't order the kelly.

FWIW, I love my Kelly/Dadant smoker.


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