To harvest honey, you need honey extractors to help you fasten and secure a better yield. The extractors are mechanical tools designed to take honey from honeycombs. It helps you to remove the honey without actually destroying the honeycombs in the process.
Table of Contents
- Top 10 Best Honey Extractors in 2018
- 10). Mann Lake HH160 Stainless Steel 6/3-Fame Hand Crank Extractor
- 9). Goodland Bee Supply 2 Frame Honey Extractor
- 8). New large VIVO 2_Frame Extractor
- 7). Hardin Professional 3 Frame Manual Honey Extractor
- 6). XtremePowerUS 2_Frame Extractor
- 5). Honey Keeper Pro Two-Frame Extractor
- 4). VIVO New Large SS model Three-Frame Extractor
- 3). Goplus Large Two-Frame Extractor
- 2. OrangeA Spinner 4 Frame Manual Honey Extra
- 1). VIVO Four 4 to Eight Frame Honey Extractor
- Top 5 Stainless Steel Honey Extractors
- DIY: How to Make Honey Extractor
- Conclusion
Top 10 Best Honey Extractors in 2018
When do we collect honey from the hives? According to Ross Conrad, author of Natural Beekeeping 2nd Edition in 2013, no one is really sure, but it depends on how much beekeepers understand about the nature of bees.
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10). Mann Lake HH160 Stainless Steel 6/3-Fame Hand Crank Extractor
The most notable feature about this extractor is probably the fact that it is made of 26 gauge stainless steel material. Capable of holding six shallow and three medium or three deep frames, this is a tangential extractor.
As such, it is necessary for the frames to be removed and flipped in order to perform extractions on both sides. The extractor is 18-inches wide and 26 inches high.
9). Goodland Bee Supply 2 Frame Honey Extractor
If you are looking to buy this extractor, you can look forward to a 16-gauege stainless steel tank with sealed bearings and steel gears. The durable two frame extractor is typically purchased with a three-piece leg stand that makes it that much easier to offload honey.
If you are a professional in the area of honey extraction, then you will probably appreciate the fact that this Goodland Bee Supply food grade 3-4 SS two frame manual honey extractor kit includes a bee smoker, frame spacer, uncapping knife, fame grip and an uncapping roller.
8). New large VIVO 2_Frame Extractor
Crafted from Stainless Steel, this is a very durable extractor, boasting a drum that is 29-inches tall and 15-inches in diameter. With two handles on either side for easier carrying and two clear lids, the inside of the drum is conical shaped.
The honey collected in the drum normally drains to a two-inch outlet with a honey gate. The whole process of using this extractor to get honey is pretty straightforward if you know what you are doing.
For a large two-frame extractor like this, the price tag is definitely something impressive. This extractor will fit shallow, medium and deep frames. And it is also worth noting that honey is kept away from the metal gears by ensuring that they are properly enclosed.
7). Hardin Professional 3 Frame Manual Honey Extractor
This is the sort of extractor you buy if you have one to ten hives. Boasting a 16 gauge stainless steel tank, sealed bearings, and steel gears, this is a durable three-frame honey extractor used by professionals to fee honey from honeycombs.
Consumers will appreciate the clear Plexiglas at the top which makes it easy to see what you are doing as you extract the honey. Along with the three deep, medium and shallow frames, a 3 leg stand is provided to eliminate the hassle of offloading honey.
6). XtremePowerUS 2_Frame Extractor
This is one of the cheapest yet most effective two-frame extractors around. The fact that the crank, handle, and gear are located near the top and outside the chamber adds an attractive level of convenience.
This durable stainless steel extractor with its anti-rusted structure fits shallow, medium and deep frames.
5). Honey Keeper Pro Two-Frame Extractor
With a drum made from durable stainless steel, a clear plastic lid and a conveniently positioned honey gate, this extractor, while sharing the attributes of most other high-end extractors (such as the fact that it fits deep, medium and shallow frames) stands out because of how easy it is to assemble and use.
4). VIVO New Large SS model Three-Frame Extractor
This solid body extractor is crafted from 304 stainless steel. It has a drum that 24-inches tall and 15-inches in diameter; it also has mounted legs, a double sided clear plastic top lid and a solid metal, plastic handled crank.
Because of the design of the bevel gears, consumers can look forward to a quiet and smooth spin.
3). Goplus Large Two-Frame Extractor
This high quality extractor is very durable. It features a smooth stainless steel finish and should fit medium, shallow and deep frames. Two clear lids keep debris out as the honey is draining.
If you want to save time, money and energy, this is the extractor you want especially as an individual only working as a beekeeper as a hobby.
2. OrangeA Spinner 4 Frame Manual Honey Extra
This is one of the most superior extractors out there. Four-frame and boasting 2 Plexiglas top lids that keep debris out as the honey drains, this extractor is built from food grade stainless steel that should more than satisfy a small apiarist or even a hobbyist.
The legs and crank handle need to be assembled but that shouldn’t present any difficulties for an extractor that is so easy to use. Some people have complained that the motor tends to whine a little, though the variable speed motor control is something worth appreciating.
1). VIVO Four 4 to Eight Frame Honey Extractor
This new economic 4 frame extractor is a durable machine built from stainless steel. As far as honey extractors go, this one is pretty effective when it comes to saving consumers time and energy.
The drum is 32 inches tall and 18 inches wide. There is a 2-inch outlet (with a honey gate) into which the honey drains from the conical insides of the drum. Debris can be kept away while the honey drains by 2 top side clear lids.
While the price is decent, some consumers have suggested that this extractor could be better, with some complaints including the fact that the instructions were not as clear as they should be. Consumers also complained that the extractor needed anchorage because it was shaking a little too much.
But the extractor still makes short work of the honey removal process.
DIY: How to Make Honey Extractor
Honey extractor is a tool based on mechanical functions that is used for the purpose of extraction of honey from the bee combs without destroying it. The honey gets extracted through the process of centrifugation. The process of making a honey extractor, things you need to make it and how to extract honey using it is explained in a step-by-step procedure.
Working principal of a honey extractor
The honey extractor consists of a container or drum in which a frame basket is fixed. The frame basket spins and extracts the honey out leaving the wax comb left intact.
Are you thinking of making your own extractor instead of buying an electrical one? So here are some of the DIY steps that you can follow to make your own honey extractor.
First you need to make a list of all the equipment Gather your tools that you will need.
- Drill bits will be needed: These are your cutting tools.
- Router: It used for making hollows in some hard pieces.
- Scroll saw: Used for the cutting purposes.
The materials you will need
- Tivar (polyethylene) or Plastic breadboard or a wood piece.
- 8 Steel Screws
- Bolts or lock washers
- 5 gallon bucket
- Wood pieces
- Threaded rods
- PCV pipes
- Lock nuts
- Screws
- End caps
- Stainless flat end nuts
- Pony heads.
The Process for Making A Honey Extractor
Step 1: Making of a rotor
After you have gathered all the tools and materials needed you can start making your extractor. The next step is to make a rotor. It composes of two vertical plates that are supported by a threaded rod. The space in between the two vertical plates should be more than the length of frames less the tabs.
The plates must be placed on the sides of that threaded rod. The five gallon bucket with measurements between twelve to fourteen inches would be required in order to make it fit with the rotor.
Use a compass and draw a circle on graph paper with a diameter of about 7 inches. Now place the frames parallel to your template. This will get the exact spacing and make the holes in proper alignment.
The tabs of the frame will fit inside the holes that are on the bottom disk. Plus four pins that are the #8 steel screws, will fix the bottom of each frame. The top disk has to have two holes along with a slot cut for the frame to be able to slide easily. It has to be fixed by a wedge. The two pins are fixed on the inside and two pins must be removable and fixed on the outside. The fixed pins must be tightly screwed into holes and the removable pins should be in the loosely fitted holes so that they can be replaced. The screws can be removed with the help of the nuts, ony beads and longer screws.
There should be an extra space kept between plates. Keep spacious room for your buckets and leave extra room at the bottom also. This is because when you are going to spin out that honey, it may get stuck along the sides and then will come down slowly.
Step 2: Making the handle of the rotor
For this step you will require a wooden piece. Along with it you will have to fetch those PVC pipes from your materials, one of 2 inch fitting and the other with 1 inch fitting, which will help you draw the circles. You will now make the handle with a 5 inch PVC pipe and drill a hole on each end of it. The two lock nuts are going to be placed on the ends with ¾ inches of it sticking out. The handle is to be held in place as the same manner as disks.
Step 3: Making of a bucket along with the attachment of bracket
Now after you are done with making the rotor, you must now give a spin to it in that bucket and collect your honey. Many choices can be taken here. The easy step that can be followed here is to get your plate placed on the bottom part of the bucket while the hole should keep their position in the center to prevent the rotor from getting uneven and getting itself hit again and again to the side walls. If you place the bracket on the top aspect, it will help the rotor to maintain its central position.
The 1st step is intended to place the cross bar fixed in order to hold your rotor tightly. The bar is fixed through pins because the bucket doesn’t have such big lips to keep holding your pins fixed. For the outside diameter, measure the inside of the cutter. For the inside diameter measure the outside of cutting bit. The ring now has be split, one on one side and other to a band clamp. Make your holes drilled at every 120 degrees angle on the sides and then make use of your three of the metal screws to get it fixed in space. This looks just like a telescope holder.
Step 4: Making of a bucket: Bottom plate
Now you have to cut out a circle large enough that it can easily fit into the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket that you are using. This will enable itself to take hold of copper end caps in order to prevent the threaded rod from getting twisted. End nuts are fitted into end caps. The half-inch polyethylene will act to raise the bottom of the bucket. This is because the gate is not going to stay at the bottom making it hard for the last quarter of honey to get extracted out from the bucket. You will have to cut a notch into circle for gate. You have an option of using the PVC fittings instead of your gates but the gates serve as a better option of filling in jars.
Step 5: Making of the bucket: the gate
Now for this you should have a nut that has the diameters like: It should make 3/8 inches from outer side to inner side of the nut. Drill out a hole measuring 3/8 inches from inside at the bottom end of the bucket. Outside of the bucket has got a lip so you will have difficulty in measuring from outside on the bottom. This will not enable you to have your nut placed too high enough and a large quantity of honey may get left out in bucket.
The bottom plate is placed in bucket and then removed to make the measurement and make a hole. The gate is then put along with O-ring in between the nut and the inside of bucket. Channel locks can be used to tighten nuts as hard as possible.
Now you have to trace the bottom plate on a piece of paper and then cut it accordingly. Place the template in the bucket and draw around the net. Use this template for cutting a notch in the bottom plate. This is going to enable the gate to open up below the level of the plate for the easy flow of honey out. Little is left in space between plate and the valve.
Step 6: Make a stand
We have already made a hole in our step five. Now make another hole and then a stand. Better to have 7 strips of 1-inch measurement. Make sections on the disc at every 45 degree angle using the help of a protractor. Now place your first disc on the second one and draw the arcs between the two marks leaving the center one. Mark plus pre-drill all the holes to make sure the 2nd shelf is much higher than where the lower bucket will be placed. It would be better if the weight at the basement fits well within the stand for a better stability. Shelves should be kept apart at enough distance for all three buckets to get placed within them.
Step 7: Placing all parts together
Place your bucket on the stand with the cup bucket on inside of it. Then fix rotor with the bucket through pins. Make sure to place the end nut exactly in the copper fittings. Make the second bucket stand in the recess.
Step 8: Add up a bracket for rotor
Make a rotor for bucket to get hanged upon it when adding your plates.
Step 9: Wash and then dry up everything
Now after you are done with making of your extractor. Get it washed and the dry it up. It’s now ready to be used.
These 9 steps may be hard to understand but if you study them properly, use the right tools and find your self the right equipment, you are good to go. There are many tutorials on YouTube that will help you with the same steps and make it easy for you to make a honey extractor at home.
Process of extraction:
When the rotor, bucket and stand are ready for functioning, your honey extractor can now extract all the honey you want without damaging the honeycomb. The process of extraction is also simple.
Turn the rotor with the help of its handle. Spin out the honey. Then stop and flip your frames, as both sides of your frames should get filled. Don’t make it go very fast because there is a risk that frames will get unbalanced and comb may blow out. Get your frame flipped and then repeat with a drill. Use a good filter. Most wax will now be out and remaining is getting floated on the top. Now repeat the process for filling as many as frames you want and to extract as much as honey you like.
The advantages of self made honey extractor
Why waste a lot of money on buying a honey extractor when you can spend less and get the most out of it. There are a lot of advantages with making your own honey extractor. Some of the advantages that you will come across are:
- It is a lot cheaper than electric extractors. So you get a chance to save a lot of your money.
- It doesn’t need any source of electricity to run. So electricity breakdowns won’t turn out to cause problems to you in this regard. And also no one wants an extra energy bill add up.
- Since you are going to operate your extractors manually, the wax combs do not get damaged because you can alter its spinning speed easily. The honeycombs must not be damaged because we need more honey later as well.
- Well, it is a really good activity to do in your backyard and use up the free time.
So now you know how to make a honey extractor by yourself with these steps and these advantages must have motivated you as well.
Disadvantages of having a self-made honey extractor
- Time consuming. To complete may take you 48 hours of working time to go on trial and error.
- You are only able to have plastic container, not the stainless steel.
- You may have to spend more than what it should be spent if you make mistakes.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN HONEY EXTRACTOR VIDEO
Conclusion
Now you know there are honey bee extractors in the market which have already been used and tested and know also how to do it yourself. Both choices have pros and cons which are also discussed above. I hope that this article may help you to decide better. If you have plenty of time, why not try to do it yourself? But Still if you do not have time, I prefer you to choose one of the best honey extractors on the top.