A honey extractor extracts honey from honeycombs. Using centrifugal force, they use a drum or container. This is the process of flinging out honey and spinning the combs. You reap the rewards of your efforts during extraction, which is the final step in the beekeeping process.
The use of honey extractors has a number of advantages worth considering. The main advantage of this method is that the bees are able to reuse the combs to make more honey as a result. A radial extractor and a tangential extractor are two types of extractors. They differ primarily in how the frames are held within the baskets.
Different Types of Honey Extractors
There are two types of these devices: manually operated and electrically operated. They’re as follows:
●Manual Honey Extractor
●Electric Honey Extractor
Manual vs. Electric Honey Extractors: How to Choose the Right One
Manual Honey Extractor
Beekeepers use manual honey extractors to extract honey in a similar manner to electric extractors, with one important exception – they are powered by themselves. To carefully spin the comb, you use a crank handle.
There are several types of manual honey extractors available on the market, including stainless steel, glass, and plastic.
Manual Honey Extractor Advantages
A manual honey extractor is unlike an electric honey extractor, which may only have one or two-speed settings. As a result, you’ll get a clearer final product, and the delicate comb will stay intact.
Besides being easy to clean, manual extractors don’t have an electrical system to worry about. Sometimes you can just hose it off or put it in the dishwasher.
Manual Honey Extractor Disadvantages
Compared to an electric extractor, manual honey extractors require more work. People with arm, hand, or shoulder pain may find it difficult to continue cranking until the honeycomb is empty due to the weight of the honey.
Moreover, manual extractors are only able to hold eight frames at a time. Beekeepers with more than 10 colonies to extract from will have to spend more time spinning frames, which makes it impractical.
Electric Honey Extractors
Honey extractors with electric motors typically come with stainless steel bodies and clear lids. By viewing the lids, you are able to observe the progress of the extraction and determine the speed of the extraction. Depending on the size of the frames and the capacity of the extractor, the extractors can hold two to 100 frames of honey at a time.
Frames are placed inside manual extractors and positioned either at the front or at the top of the drum. There’s only one way to spin a comb in a tangential extractor – the one with the face of the frame facing the wall. The radial extractors spin the entire comb at once, so they’re faster.
By flipping a switch, the extractor spins and forces the honey into the bottom collection area. Beekeepers can drain collected honey into sterilized containers with a tap at the bottom.
Advantages of Electric Honey Extractor
It is remarkably easy to use honey extractors that operate on electricity. When covering more than a few backyard hives, they are an invaluable tool for the beekeeper in the process of processing large amounts of honey quickly.
Furthermore, electric extractors are capable of processing a greater number of frames of honey than manual extractors. The honey can be extracted from 100 deep frames at a time by industrial beekeeping operations. The electric extractor allows the extraction of 800 pounds of honey in just a few minutes, considering the weight of a full deep frame of honey, which weighs 8 pounds. The weight of a manual extractor powered by a human cannot be accommodated by a manual extractor.
Disadvantages of an Electric Honey Extractor
An electric extractor is not necessary if you keep no more than ten colonies or if you are just starting out. Most colonies will produce only enough honey to survive the winter season in their first year. Is there a following season? The amount of honey that you will be able to harvest will probably be limited to a few frames.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Extractor For Your Beekeeping Operation
The following buying guide will assist you in choosing the best honey extractor for your needs if you are beginning to be a beekeeper and wish to harvest honeycombs. Among other topics, it helps you identify how many frames the machine can handle.
Here are some helpful guides if you are just getting started with beekeeping:
Manual vs. Electric
What type of honey extract is best for you? Is it an electric or manual model? Whether you want to expend body energy squeezing your honey or rely on an electric motor to spin the frames depends on your preference.
Aside from the electric motor, manual and electric honey extractors are constructed similarly. Stainless steel is the predominant material used in both versions.
They both create centrifugal forces that remove honey from the frames by spinning their frames. However, one of the frame-holding baskets must be cranked by your arm power. One works by pushing a button, while the other works by an electric motor.
Honey extractors that operate manually are usually less expensive than those that operate electrically.
Construction In Stainless Steel
A stainless steel extractor is likely the most suitable for you. This includes both the drum and the frame. As stainless steel is sanitary, germs and bacteria have little to no chance of growing and spreading on it.
However, getting your hive in the right spot is essential for good honey production, and it may take a fair amount of trial and error to get it right. Your bees can access various local cuisines, depending on the season. Your honey extractor will last many years and seasons of beekeeping since steel inhibits rust and corrosion. It is also easy to clean stainless steel.
Gates for honey
Other factors to consider include whether the honey extractor you are considering purchasing can accommodate a 5-gallon container underneath the honey gate. Many buyers believe that this size receptacle is standard; however, some honey extractors do not have the height to accommodate this size container.
Easy to carry
The portability of the honey extractor should also be considered. Always consider a honey extractor that easily moves it to the hive area or another location to perform your duties.
Top 6 Honey Extractors Reviewed on the Market
Online shopping for honey extractors can be overwhelming if you are looking for one for your operation. Here are some of the best honey extractors currently available on the market to save you time and effort.
VEVOR Manual Honey Extractor 3 Frames
Goplus Manual Honey Extractor
VIVO Electric Honey Extractor With 8 Frames
VEVOR Electric 4/8 Frames Honey Extractor
GoodLand Manual Professional 2 Frame Honey Extractor
Best Equip Electric Honey Extractor
1-VEVOR Manual Honey Extractor 3 Frames
A three-frame manual honey extractor is the perfect addition to any kitchen or basement, capable of holding three deep frames, three medium frames, and one shallow frame. It’s available in two sizes. With VEVOR honey extractor equipment, you can enjoy the sweetest harvest of your life!
You can use it anywhere. This bee honey extractor lets you protect the comb while carefully and precisely extracting honey. With an ergonomic handle, cranking is simpler and more efficient. Anytime, anywhere, make delicious honey!
With a rust-resistant design, your extractor will stay in perfect shape for years to come. With its polished look and hand-friendly design, this extraction system will enhance the look of your kitchen or basement. You will be able to use this extractor with complete confidence for a long period of time with proper care.
Now no more messy spills! With legs that can be bolted to plywood, you can protect your floor and make your extractor easily accessible. Besides keeping the barrel off the ground for easy draining, this feature also allows you to work comfortably.
Watch your honey flow with our honey spinner extractor with a clear lid! With the lid, you can easily monitor the extraction process, giving you peace of mind and a pleasant honey harvest. Watch your honey come to life while you relax!
Specification
●Material: Stainless Steel
●Capacity: 3 Frames
●Weight: 9.8 kg
Pros
●Progress Monitoring
●Quickly Cleaning
●Honey Gate
2- Goplus Manual Honey Extractor
Stainless steel is a durable, non-rusting material that is used in this manual honey bee extractor. There are two plastic lids on the machine, so you can monitor the extraction process and see the speed of the machine. Upon release, the rotating handle is locked into place by a spring clutch which assists in cranking the gears.
It is easy to assemble this two-frame honey extractor with the help of the clear instructions included. With just soap and water, you can easily clean this manual extractor. Designed for easy movement and storage, the extractor can hold two medium, deep frames or small. The 2-frame manual honey extractor will prove to be a valuable tool for beginning beekeepers. When you are ready to load your containers, you can seal a plastic honey valve to keep your honey inside. With a drum diameter of 16 inches, the extractor measures 30 inches in height.
Specification
●Material: Plastic & Stainless Steel
●Size: 16 x 30
Pros
●Cheap
●Dissembling is different
Cons
●No hole for the honey tap
●Need Cleaning before use
3- VIVO Electric Honey Extractor With 8 Frames
Vivo Electric Honey Extractor product comes with a quiet 120V AC motor that makes extracting honey a breeze. A 5-gallon bucket can be placed beneath the honey gate, which is elevated 17.2″ from the floor to keep the drum free of honey.
This honey extractor has a stainless steel drum that measures 25.5″ tall and 18.5″ in diameter, which is ideal for extracting a large amount of honey at once. You can easily remove most of the honey from the extractor without having to tip it forward, as the gate opening sits just 0.5 inches above the barrel’s bottom.
The honey extractor is designed to fit shallow, medium, and deep frames while keeping the metal gears sealed inside to prevent honey from accumulating. For honey extraction, you may choose between holding up to eight small and medium frames or up to four large frames. A lid made of clear plastic provides a clear view of your honey as it spins.
Specifications
●Size: 36 x 20 x 20 in
●Weight: 53.6 Pounds
Pros
●Clean and easy to assemble
●The conical bottom collects more honey
●Built to last
Cons
●Legs are too weak
4- VEVOR Electric 4/8 Frames Honey Extractor
This VEVOR electric honey extractor can accommodate up to four deep frames and four medium or shallow frames. Adapted Honeycombs are available in two sizes, 18.9/ 9 and 18.9/6.3, respectively. With our honey spinner extractor, a sweet harvest awaits you.
With VEVOR’s powerful 140W extractor, you can enjoy hassle-free bee honey extraction. Let go of manual hand cranking. An adjustable speed of up to 1300 rpm allows you to remove your frames in a matter of seconds, saving you from exhaustion and saving your arms. Using this honey bee extractor is as easy as loading your frames and letting them take care of the rest.
An extractor of polished stainless steel is easy to maintain due to its rust-resistant design. It has a hand-friendly design, which makes extractions as easy as possible, as well as a polished appearance, which adds style to any kitchen or basement. This extractor will provide you with years of reliable service when properly maintained.
There is no more messy shaking with this firmer and steadier shaker! An extractor’s height can be adjusted to meet your needs, ranging from 39.3” / 100 cm from the lowest to the highest setting. Legs bolted to a piece of plywood will protect your floor and make your extractor easy to access. This feature allows you to work at a comfortable height while keeping the barrel off the ground for ease of draining.
Our clear lid extractor allows you to see your honey flow! It is easy to monitor the progress of your extraction with the lid on. A safety consideration has been taken into account when designing this electric honey spinner. Honey harvesting is a pleasant experience when the shaker automatically stops if the lid is opened during extraction.
Specification
●Material: Stainless Steel
●Speed: 1300 rpm
●Weight: 17.8 kg
●Capacity: 4/8 Frames
Pros
●Take less time in cleaning
●Honey gate
●Switch Ease
●Powerful Motor
●Heavy-Material
5- GoodLand Manual Professional 2 Frame Honey Extractor
This honey extractor is a model in terms of its performance index due to the rave combination of the above features. Featuring a 110-volt variable-speed motor, it extracts honey from the honeycomb quickly and effectively. As a result, it is possible to extract two deep, shallow, and medium frames. Moreover, this model has the advantage of being able to replace its parts if necessary.
Unfortunately, the drum design that accommodates the frame needs to be improved. Some honey is prevented from escaping from the comb due to crossbars pressing into it. We should investigate this problem and make an adjustment that will prevent honey from being lost in the extraction process.
Specification
●Size: 1 x 1 x 1 in
●Weight: 40.2 pounds
Pros
●Durable
●No Cranking
Cons
●Collects dust easily
6- Best Equip Electric Honey Extractor
Food-grade stainless steel is used in the construction of the honey extractor’s body, which is machine-rolled without welding. The stainless steel construction prevents corrosion and abrasion. It has a polished finish that is attractive and durable.
The exactor has a 1.1 amp, 120-watt-volt motor that operates at 1300 revolutions per minute. The honey extractor has a heavy-duty radial design that can hold up to four shallow, medium, and deep frames simultaneously. During extraction, two hinged, plexiglass lids allow the honey to be seen while the machine extracts it. They also prevent dust and dirt from getting into the honey. Stopper honey valves on the extractor can be sealed to prevent spills.
It measures 46.5 inches high, 23.6 inches wide at the base, and has a drum diameter of 19.7 inches. You can use the stainless steel honey extractor at a rapid pace, as well as a slow, even pace, so there is no need to worry about the unit tipping over.
Once the unit has been assembled, buyers report that it is easy to disassemble and clean. For the hobbyist or small beekeeper, this extractor is an excellent choice.
Specification
●Size: 20 x 20 x 48 in
●Weight: 44.6 pounds
Pros
●High-quality steel
●Stable construction
●Easy to operate
Cons
●Legs are not well constructed
How to Clean and Maintain a Honey Extractor
You’ll see a lot of sticky residue on the sides of your extractor after harvesting honey. The residue on your honey extractor should be cleaned in order for it to function properly next time. Here are some tips for cleaning and maintaining a honey extractor.
Removing wax and propolis
After most of the sticky residue has been removed, clean up the remaining wax and propolis. Make sure the honey extractor is level. After that, fill it with cold water. Using hot water will melt the wax, making it more difficult to clean. In the extractor, leave the water overnight.
Storage and drying
Allow the extractor to air dry, or use a hair dryer to dry it. Make sure that your honey extractor is stored in a clean, dry environment when it is not in use.
FAQs About Honey Extractor
Q1- Which honey extractor is the best?
The most suitable model will be one that meets your needs, is made from high-quality materials, and strikes the right balance between price and quality. VEVOR electric honey extractors for two frames are recommended for small apiaries.
Q2- What is the process of extracting honey?
Centrifugal force is the driving force behind all extractors. When the basket with frames is attached to the drum, it rotates rapidly, releasing the honey and collecting it at the bottom of the basket. There is no damage to the honeycombs in this instance.
Q3- What is the best method for cleaning a honey extractor?
In a warm room, leave the extractor tilted overnight to collect leftover honey, or use a silicone spatula to do this. Close the honey gate and fill the extractor with cool water. Allow 8-10 hours to pass. Dry with a hair dryer or outdoors after draining and wiping with a towel.
Conclusion
We shared the best honey extractor for you, manual and electric both. This guide contains extensive details, features, guides, and advantages. Choose according to your project and budget. But for a quick suggestion, we recommend you choose VEVOR Honey Extractor because of its features and advantages.
