All About Honey Extractors
As an apiarist, you take careful steps towards making a jar of honey. It’s anything but a short process, but in the end, it makes something that is so very delicious. Have you ever wondered, how does a honey extractor work?
It starts with creating a beehive and making a home for the bees. Then, you continue to take care of them as they go about their day-to-day lives, all the while, they are slowly beginning to make honey inside the homes in their honeycomb. Once the job is done, you remove the wax comb. Always do this very carefully and gently to ensure the safety of the bees.
Honey Extractor for Sale
After harvesting the honeycomb from your beehive, the next step is to extract the honey. In a wax comb, after you remove it from the hive, the honey is still stuck inside each cell within the comb. Bees make the honey individually in these cells, and the only way or I should say the easiest way, to pull it out is by using a manual or electric honey extractor. The choice of manual or electric is primarily personal preference. Here are some honey extractors that are for sale online.
Goplus Manual Honey Extractor
Compared to electric, honey extractors that are manual work better for extracting honey from wax combs because you can easily control the speed that it’s spinning. They’re also better because you’re less likely to damage a delicate honeycomb. This Goplus Honey Extractor is manual and completely stainless steel, except for the lid, which is see-through plastic. This setup makes for better viewing during honey extraction. Since you can see the honey while it’s extracting, there’s no need to lift the lid and risk contaminating the honey with dust or other particles floating in the air. Not to mention how interesting it is to watch the honey being pulled out of the comb.
There is little mess involved when you use this honey extractor; the stainless steel is great for quick and easy cleaning. Remember to clean the extractor bin immediately after every honey extraction so that it doesn’t build up.
The Goplus manual is a 2-frame honey extractor, but it has a large capacity. It fits shallow, medium, or deep frames. You can even put two different sized frames in it at the same time if you need.
Specifications
- Stainless steel finish
- Size: 16”x 30”
- Weight: 22 lbs.
- Can hold shallow, medium, or deep frames
- 2-frame
- Rotating handle with spring clutch
Mann Lake Plastic Extractor
Mann Lake makes many great beekeeping products. This extractor made by Mann Lake is high-grade plastic. Since it’s plastic, it is very durable and will last a long time. You shouldn’t have any troubles using it for hundreds of honey extractions. It’s about the same price as other stainless steel manual extractors.
The container holds two frames, which can be two different sizes. Honey extractors that hold just 2 frames, like this one, are best for beginner beekeepers since it doesn’t extract a lot of honey at once. For more honey extraction, use either a 4-frame honey extractor or multiple 2-frame honey extractors; either way gets the job done.
Specifications
- Weight: 13.7 lbs.
- Dimensions: 17” x 27 ½” x 13.7”
- Steel shaft
- Plastic honey gate
- Plastic lid
- 2-frame
CO-Z Large Stainless Steel Honey Extractor
The CO-Z is another stainless steel honey extractor that you should consider purchasing to extract honey from your freshly collected honeycomb. It’s large and holds up to 4 frames at a time. The 1cm thick steel is slightly flexible, which gives you extra room for honey. The flexible metal isn’t always preferred, but high grade.
This is a manual extractor with a comfortable handle for turning. It is especially useful that the honey extractor sits on a raised stand, so you don’t have to constantly bend down while turning the crank. It’ll keep your back from hurting as well as make some delicious honey.
Specifications
- Nylon honey gate
- Thickness: 1cm
- Metal stand
- High-grade stainless steel
- 4-frame
- Barrel height: 23.6in
- Diameter: 19.68in
- Frame size: 15.7” x 14”
BestEquip Electric Honey Extractor
The BestEquip Honey Extractor is a well-built piece of beekeeping equipment. It is comprised of anti-rust stainless steel with seamless welds that hold it together securely. The lid, however, is clear for easy viewing and effortless honey extraction. It always makes honey extraction easier when you can see inside while the machine is on, especially since it’s an electric extractor and not a manual one.
With a manual honey extractor, you can better judge speed and timing. The electric version works faster and requires less labor on your part, but you need to be able to watch the honey, hence the clear lid. Otherwise, a wax comb, that would usually be reusable is no longer one solid piece.
Electric honey extractors like this one save you an incredible amount of time because you don’t have to constantly turn a handle. On this specific extractor, you can preset the speed and adjust it as you go. It’s a great idea if you plan on using multiple extractors for multiple beehives.
Specifications
- 3-frame
- 120V AC motor
- Electric
- Food grade stainless steel
- Height: 24in
- Diameter: 15in
- 2 clear plexiglass lids
- 2-inch honey outlet
- Metal tripod support legs
How Does a Honey Extractor Work?
Honey extractors are an important part of beekeeping. They allow you to collect honey from your bees, without damaging the honeycombs. The process that honey extractors use involves spinning the honeycomb fast enough that the centrifugal force pulls the honey out. Electric honey extractors can save you a lot of time, but manual options are available as well.
Some manual honey extractors for sale are the Goplus Manual Honey Extractor, Mann Lake Plastic Extractor, and the CO-Z Large Stainless Steel Honey Extractor. These manual honey extractors use a crank handle to turn the extractor drum. Electric honey extractors are a bit more convenient, but some beekeepers prefer the better control of the manual. In the end, good beekeeping comes down to technique.
