Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor Review

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Quick Overview

Ease of Use
Structural Design
Durability
Value for Money

Poor

The Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor has all the bells and whistles but fails at quality control and durability.

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A popular adage goes, “there are more than one way to kill a cat”. This means that you can use more than a single way to get things done. The same applies to the extraction of honey from the beehive frames. The old fashion way of extracting honey from beehive frames is no longer popular given its drawbacks – which involves crushing the honeycomb to get the honey out. However, there is another option that far better – the honey extractor. This allows you to take the honey-filled frames, uncap them using a hot knife, then load them into the mechanized honey extractor. This device will use centrifugal force to spin the honey out of the frames. There are many honey extractors available on the market and in this article we will be reviewing the Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor, to see if it may be worth your consideration. This is a hand operated device that operates completely operates without the need of a power source. Let’s check it out.

About the Honey Extractor

The extractor simply refers to the device that is manually or electrically driven. It utilizes centrifugal force in removing honey from the frames. They vary in sizes and one can get a simple 2-frame extractor up to 85-frame extractors (or more) for commercial beekeeping operations.

The manual extractor can be connected to a bicycle chain or operated by hand. The electric operated extractor, as implied by the name, is powered by a motor.

The honey extractor helps the beekeeper remove honey from the combs without destroying them. It is one of the best ways of extracting honey from Langstroth hives. There are other extractors are capable of removing honey sourced from logs and other types of hives.

About the Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor

Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor

The Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor is easy to operate and given its huge capacity, it means it is capable of getting a lot done within a short time. It can crank up to 8 frames at once.

The key features include:

  • This is a manually operated honey extractor.
  • It is made of stainless steel.
  • The unit is 8/4 frame extractor. Can hold a maximum of 8 frames.
  • The unit can accommodate all frame sizes.
  • The crank handle is easy to hold and operate.
  • Comes with a 1 ½ inch honey gate that is made of stainless steel.
  • Weighs 65 pounds.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Lightweight therefore easy to carry and handle.
  • Easy to operate.
  • The crank handle is easy to operate.
  • Made of food grade stainless material.
  • It can handle up to 8-frames at once.

Cons

  • Poor workmanship and quality control.
  • There is minimal space underneath the extractor for placing a container for collecting honey.

Honey Extraction the Old Way

If for whatever reason you have you do not have a honey extractor at hand at any given time, then you can apply the old way to get the honey from the frames.

Required

  • A colander.
  • A stainless steel bowl.
  • Wooden spoon.
  • Warm water.
  • Strainer.
  • Honey bottle.

Steps

  1. The first step is to place the entire honeycomb load into the colander. Put the sieve under the colander but over the stainless steel bowl and crush the combs using the wooden spoon. This will help remove the honey from the cells.
  2. Take the stainless steel bowl and place it over some warm water so as to hasten the process. You can leave the honey overnight and check it the next day. The following day you should find pure honey on the bowl.
  3. Use the strainer to remove remnants of wax and tiny pieces of debris. You can then pour the honey into the honey jar/bottle. At the end of it all, simply take the bowl, wooden spoon, and the colander next to the beehives. The bees will instinctively feast on the remaining honey from the equipment.
  4. As for the filtered wax, you can keep this and accumulate more of it over the next extraction. Once you have a substantial amount of wax, you can use it to make own candles, apply it on plastic foundations or new frames.

Disclaimer: with this old method you will not be able to reuse the beehive frames. These are completely destroyed when you crush them.

Conclusion

Those in need of a manual extractor are better off looking elsewhere. Though capable of spinning up to 8 frames at once, the material construction and the interior workmanship leaves lots to be desired in terms of quality control.

What do you think of the Eco-Keeper 8/4 Frame Hand Crank Honey Extractor? Leave a comment below and let us know.

About Michael Simmonds

Michael Simmonds is a beekeeper from the United States, with over 20 years of experience in the field. He developed a passion for beekeeping at a young age and started his own apiary when he was just 15 years old. Over the years, he honed his skills and gained extensive knowledge about honeybee biology and behavior. Michael's passion for bees led him to start his own business, where he provided honeybee colonies to farmers and gardeners to help pollinate their crops. His business quickly gained popularity and recognition, and he became known for his expertise in honeybee health and management. He was also sought after for his knowledge about the art of extracting honey, and many aspiring beekeepers sought his guidance on how to get started. Aside from his beekeeping business, Michael is also a dedicated advocate for honeybee conservation. He is passionate about educating the public about the importance of honeybees and the role they play in our ecosystem. He also works with local organizations to help preserve wild honeybee populations and protect their habitats. Michael's passion for bees and dedication to his work have made him one of the most respected beekeepers in the country. He continues to work with bees and share his knowledge with others, hoping to inspire a new generation of beekeepers and to help protect these amazing insects for generations to come.
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