# Hobby Extractor advise needed, Datant or SAF or ?



## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

Just my two cents worth, as I do not own either one. I run 5 hives and spin 20-25 boxes per year. That is 180 - 225 frames per year. 

Another beekeeper I know used one like the SAF machine. He had only a few boxes to spin but said that the horizontal cranking got really old very fast. So he prefers the side mount crank version.


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## arthur (Apr 6, 2008)

I would get one with metal gears.


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## ehallspqr (May 2, 2010)

Fuzzy said:


> Just my two cents worth, as I do not own either one. I run 5 hives and spin 20-25 boxes per year. That is 180 - 225 frames per year.
> 
> Another beekeeper I know used one like the SAF machine. He had only a few boxes to spin but said that the horizontal cranking got really old very fast. So he prefers the side mount crank version.


I hear you Fuzzy. I did 12 frames in that little 2 frame plastic extractor and I was feeling it. It had the horizontal crank. Even though its about the only exercise this pencil pusher gets, I didn't mind it for 12 frames. However that's why I like the Maxant 3100, you have the option of putting a motor kit on later on if your needs grow. $800 for that unit plus shipping makes it not a sensible choice and I think my long haired home finance officer would veto that anyways. Now I really didn't consider which would be easier to crank, horizontal or the side crank? I'll have to think about that one. Thanks for pointing it out.

Authur. I believe the SAF advertises all metal gearing. I don't know about the Dadant. I will check that.


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## jbford (Apr 17, 2009)

Dadant is good but they want over $500 to add power to their small extractor!! (we have a hand-crank Ranger) That made me decide to quit messing with them and go to the 3100P at about $800. It is very heavy duty

Look a bit longer and surely you will find someone locally with a good used hand-cranker. (wish you lived here, we could deal on my old one)


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## HoneyMaple (May 23, 2008)

I have the compact extractor that Betterbee sells. The top pic that you posted looks alot like the top of the one that I have. The gears in it are metal. 

Overall it works ok....

My biggest issue with it was the nut that holds the gear with the handle in place kept coming loose and being a real pain. Not enough thread to double nut it and if you tighten it all the way you can't turn it. Ended up drilling a hole through the nut and the shaft an putting a pin through it. No problems since.

It would be nice not to have to flip the frames though.

If I were doing it again i would have bought the Maxant. But I didn't, so I'll keep using this one.


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## mike haney (Feb 9, 2007)

the best extractor is a borrowed one  wait till winter and wait for a used one. craigs list, want-ad papers are good sources. with a max of 4 hives, id see if the local cub has one or a local beekeep will share. good luck,mike


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

I may have a 3100H for sale at a special price in a week or two.
Call me at the shop if you are interested!
Jake

He is my personal take on the smaller extractors. Metal gears, plastic gears......not good in the long run. That is why we use a standard V belt on a 2 pc. pulley system. 
The SAF, LEGA, BB, Brushy MTN, Dadant, Mann Lake smaller extractors are a good extractor for the price. Good luck with what ever route you choose. :thumbsup:


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

Dadant are the best. It will be around for years.

Mike


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## ehallspqr (May 2, 2010)

mike haney said:


> the best extractor is a borrowed one  wait till winter and wait for a used one. craigs list, want-ad papers are good sources. with a max of 4 hives, id see if the local cub has one or a local beekeep will share. good luck,mike


Mike your right about having access to a loaner. I just moved so the friend's extractor and any at the Bee club I was associated with are no longer available to me and I'm really not going back to the crush method again. It must be the time of year and/or these little hobby extractors just hold their value? I found the Dadant on Craig's list just the other day, the guy wanted $250 for it. I keep hearing about these cheap used extractors but I'm always a day late and a dollar short. I think in this economic downturn allot more people are becoming aware of growing their own food, becoming hobby beeks and buying the used equipment up? I do have plenty of time so I can take that time to find a used one or catch a sale.

HoneyMaple, They are the same unit and that design of the handle attachment sounds marginal? You fixed it but it never should have happened in the first place. Did you try a lock nut and/or a little blue loctite perhaps? Thanks for that real world FB. How is it with the horizontal cranking and how long did it take to extract a couple frames?

jbford, I checked the ranger and it looks like a bigger version of the Dadant junior I am looking at. I may have deep frames to extract someday so I'd possibly need the optional $80 basket in the future. I didn't see the motor kit but it wouldn't surprise me if it was $700 and I see why you'd go with the Maxant 3100 power at that point. The motorized Ranger is $729 and the hand crank is $455. I still think I will only ever need the hand crank for my volume, but if I get too old and decrepit to hand crank then I would probably make my own motor kit. Could you PM me with what your asking for your Ranger?

[email protected] I will send an email request for your sale price. A used trade-in or scratch & dent are fine with me. I never thought to ask but I assume you would get trade-ins of people moving up? After seeing the quality of your extractors first hand and hearing about your great customer service I'd have no qualms at all buying a used 3100H. I am a great believer of buying good quality and what you really want vs settling for something. Within reason and of course your financial means. What ratio is your pulley/belt system on the 3100? I heard hand spinning in a radial extractors (vs a tansgential) can be more difficult, especially if the honey is thick and/or the temps cooler? Your thoughts on hand spinning mediums and shallows in the 3100H.


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## HoneyMaple (May 23, 2008)

It holds 4 mediums. And it really does not take long to extract them .... Maybe 15 minutes.. Just a guess. Have to flip them over a couple of times to make sure that you don't blow them out. The cranking does leave much to be desired but it is not too bad. It is kind of light and will really shake if it gets out of balance. I did not try a lock nut or loc-tite. Quite honestly at that point I had lost my patience with it and knew that the pin would not fail.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

With 4 hives all you should need is a Dadant Junior bench, Right? 
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_72&products_id=356


Kingfisher


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## jbford (Apr 17, 2009)

You will get too old to hand crank! I wouldn't have believed that 20 years ago when we got our first bees, but time flies and the joints get creaky.

Two good bee rules:

Start out with electric extractor

Use 8-frame mediums


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

you need to go read Michael Bush on hobbiest and extractors. With 4 hives, you don't need one at all, just a good pocket knife and a strainer.


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## JPK (May 24, 2008)

do it once, do it right....buy the maxant.

it will retain its resale value much better than the others in case you decide to move on to other things


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## Ishi (Sep 27, 2005)

If you are on budget and can find an old motorized galvanized get it. A coat of Epoxy paint from Kelley will seal the galvanized. How long will the honey be in contact with the galvanized any way? Tons of honey went through those old extractors before they went to SS.


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## ehallspqr (May 2, 2010)

Kingfisher Apiaries said:


> With 4 hives all you should need is a Dadant Junior bench, Right?
> https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_72&products_id=356
> Kingfisher


Yup I think so. My only need for a power is if I was unable to handcrank for some reason. Of course if I could justify the cost then yes the power extractor is the way to go.

Ross, Mr. Bush's website is fantastic. I have been doing the crush method for many years and have never really enjoyed doing it. Then using a borrowed extractor really turned it from a chore to kinda like fun. Now I saved a little cash and want my own extractor, not only for myself but also a couple local beeks to borrow. Your right I don't really need one for my 2/4 hives, rather I just want one.

JPK, I totally agree. We'll see what price they come back with. I asked Jake about a used trade-in or scratch & dent unit. The other 2 are quality units and would work for my little apiary but the Maxant would also work & give me some bragging rights!

Ishi, I started out looking for an old galvanized unit but all to date needed to much work to clean & restore back to good functioning condition. The one nice one I saw they wanted to much. I'm thinking $50-60 bucks for a decent one? Used stainless are snapped up in the area as soon as they come up for sale and the prices are close to a new one. I will check into the paint your talking about. Thanks for that tip.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

I have the Dadant Junior bench and it is a solid machine. It is USA made too. That is why I am recommending it. 


Kingfisher


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Hey, if you want one, go for it. That's how I ended up with a shop full of tools. I would go ahead and get a 9/18 if you're going to do it. Lot's more useful if you expand and better resell if you decide to get out someday.


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## honeydreams (Aug 10, 2009)

i would spend the few extra bucks and have a motor come with it. and spin your friends honey out and keep the cappings.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Make sure you get a good warranty too!


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## ehallspqr (May 2, 2010)

HoneyMaple: That sounds about like my experience. We got it down to less than 10 min. for 2 frames with the flipping and all.

Kingfisher: I think I was leaning towards the Dadant because it is USA made and it might be easier to get support after the warranty goes away. I plan to have this unit for a long time.

JbFord: I'm no spring chicken and I did feel the burn. I may take this out to locations where no power is available so the ability to hand crank is a must. I have been looking at the next models up or the Maxant 3100 for the option of future power upgrade. I heard the wisdom and am setting up an 8 frame as we speak.

Ross: To late I already have a garage full of tools/junk which I must now rearrange to fit the new extractor. I might step up to the Maxant or larger Dadant, 6 frame though.

JPK, Maxant: I hear you guys loud and clear. I have been talking to Jake at Maxant and they may be able to hook me up with a display demo. I can live with a few minor blems and am willing to step up with extra cash. Over the long run a little more money up front will get me what I would really want as opposed to settling for a compromise. From what I have been reading about people going through extractor upgrades, that would seem to be the smart money.

Update: Well Jake at Maxant came through with a demo unit. He says it's as new and the price was just low enough to make me grit my teeth and step up. My wife was surprisingly understanding about shelling out yet more cash for something we will only use a couple times of year. Reminding her about the crush method of harvest helped change her mind. Last year I had the pleasure of looking at the 3100H in person, in all its stainless steel-art glory. Just a beautifully made product. I will probably keep this in the living room as an end table next to my easy chair . Thanks for all the responses and help from BeeSource forum users!


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Shipped out today! :thumbsup:


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## dorado (Jul 12, 2004)

I ordered my 3100P this morning. It was easy to make the decision to buy it after a short discussion with Jake. I am looking forward to trying it out.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Shipped out today!


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Does the 3100H have a horizontal crank?

If so, I'm not sure I would care for it.


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## ehallspqr (May 2, 2010)

*Re: Hobby Extractor advise needed, review Maxant with photos*



BeeCurious said:


> Does the 3100H have a horizontal crank?
> 
> If so, I'm not sure I would care for it.


Hello BC, the horizontal top crank vs. the side crank was brought up in a previous reply. I never thought about it before but the extractor I had been using is a top crank model. I really have no idea which I'd prefer? Perhaps the side cranking as on the Dadant would be a more natural movement for most people? Well the Maxant 3100H has a top crank so I guess I will see how this goes. If it's too much for me I can always get the motor upgrade or install my own motor down the road. There is an excellent Youtube Video showing the 3100H in operation. The 4 to 1 pulley system really get the frames spinning with what appears to be moderate effort on the part of the operator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5gkrXuvqZg&playnext_from=TL&videos=fhHyuNE6gmw

We arrived home after being away for a couple days and as the car pulled into the driveway my heart skipped a beat. There on the front porch where two large shipping box's and I was sure that our shinny new Maxant extractor was in one of said boxes. After dragging them inside we proceeded to open the smaller of the two. It was filled with bee supplies I had ordered from Blue Sky. Exciting but the second box was, ta da, the Maxant! Just like Christmas except Santa wears brown or blue around here. I have nothing but good things to say about Jake and Maxant's service. They shipped next day and the SH was only $53 from Massachusetts all the way to Washington State. No worries about packing with a heavy double walled cardboard box with reinforced corners. They also knocked a decent amount off the price since this was their showroom demo but honestly, other than some dust and a couple insignificant marks it was perfect. The construction is as I remembered, top quality, heavy duty made in the good old USA. I really like the belt drive system that it has vs. a gear-drive. Buttery smooth, quiet and man does it spin fast & with some force. I'll be posthumously giving this to someone someday as I'm sure it will outlast me. Even my wife admitted that we made a great choice despite spending about $100 more than our initial budget. I'm sure we would have been quite happy with either the Dadant or SAF also, as they look to be quality units. However I'm glad things worked out and I was able to get the Maxant. Anyone sitting on the fence about a hobbyist size extractor would do well to check out Maxant's small extractor. It's a bigger unit than most hobby Beeks would ever require but that's a plus should your needs grow and as pointed out, if you where to sell, it will probably retain its value very strongly. Well I'll start planning this summer's extraction party. Some photos of the Maxant 3100H below.



















Even the wife had to admit it's a very nice Extractor. Here she's checking it out and even caught her smiling a little. This will make extracting fast and easy. No more crush and strain.


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## jbford (Apr 17, 2009)

Just got done spinning 11 gallons with our new 3100p model. It worked great. Now we need a better uncapper (takes hours to uncap 60 frames with a cappings scratcher.)


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

Jbford,

You ought to be ashamed... I only use a scratcher and I guarantee that I can do 60 frames in 2 hrs tops. And, on top of that, I'm an old man. After that it is only 8-10 minutes to spin out a load.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for sharing the pictures! I do hope you find many years of enjoyment from your Maxant. 
As long as the wife is smiling thats all that matters......(for me anyway hahaha)


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## shughes (Jan 17, 2007)

my first extractor was a hand crank 9 frame radial that had a lot of plastic on it. while it was easier on the bank account, for myself it was not one of the better equipment decisions i have made looking back on it. the following year i bought a Maxant 20 frame extractor with a Dayton 1/3HP motor on it. Very happy with the Maxant and their customer service. They also called me up a few days after receiving the extractor to make sure everything was working properly. 

I just recently ordered a 600 series bottling tank from Maxant. I had the same positive experience with the presales questions/research and expect to be using a fine quality bottling tank within the next week that will help make our small operation more efficient. Time is a critical resource for us since beekeeping is a sideline business separate from a full time job. The extra bucks for the quality and customer service is worth the invesment imho.


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## snarky (Oct 6, 2006)

I just got my Maxant 3100H - one comment

My plastic frames (medium) only fit tangentially, not in the radial positions - the slots are too narrow. I assume that shallow frames wouldn't work if the basket accomodated these mediums. The wood ones work fine. The plastic frames are wider farther down. I guess I will have to cut down the plastic ones.


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## jbford (Apr 17, 2009)

My plastic frames seemed to fit not perfect but OK. (Pierco and Mann Lake)

The basket design is a bit tight for those really "fat" frames that are drawn out too far. 

Best to use a knife to uncap and trim the really fat combs instead of the scratcher. Then they spin out fine. Don't want to put them back on the bees all uneven anyway.


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