Mann Lake HH160 Stainless Steel Hand Extractor Review

The Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor is a stainless steel tangential honey extractor. It is built by Mann Lake, a reputable beekeeping supplies company based in the USA. This employee-owned company has quite a footprint in the beekeeping industry. Its numerous beekeeping products are used the world over by beekeepers. The Mann Lake hand extractor is a durable manual extractor with a solid build.

About the Mann Lake HH160 Stainless Steel Hand Extractor

The Mann Lake HH160 Stainless Steel Hand Extractor works well for beekeepers with any size frames in their beehives. The extractor holds varying numbers of frames at a time, with the total depending on the size of your frames. The extractor can hold a maximum of 6 shallow frames at a time. When the frames are medium or deep-sized, the extractor can hold a maximum of 3 frames. As with any tangential extractor, this Mann Lake extractor requires you to flip the frames for the extraction of honey on both sides.

Bold yellow detailing in yellow is seen on the extractor, in stark contrast to its metallic grey color conferred by its stainless steel exterior. The crank and honey gate are detailed in yellow. This color scheme adds a little spice and makes the extractor rather attractive. The Mann Lake logo is featured on one side of the extractor above the honey gate.

As the name implies, a hand-cranking mechanism is employed with this extractor. It is simple and straightforward to use. It manages to achieve a good speed of rotation without tiring you out. The speed achieved with the hand crank removes honey from your frames very well. The cranking mechanism of the extractor sits on a ball bearing at the bottom.

During cranking, Mann Lake advises that you cover the extractor. A top lid comes with the extractor for this purpose. The clear plastic lid is divided into two halves. Each half attaches to the extractor top along the crank mechanism. Covering the extractor is important for your safety.

Assembly

Assembly of the Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor uses screws and Allen wrenches. All the nuts, screws, and bolts needed to assemble the extractor are in the package you get on purchase. Two Allen wrenches are included as well. If you notice any parts of the cranking mechanism not working, investigate the tightness of nuts and bolts in different areas of the mechanism. They need periodic re-tightening.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Thick 26 gauge stainless steel is used to make the extractor. It is durable, strong, and does not dent easily.
• The extractor does not impart odors and flavors to honey. It is additionally easy to clean.
• Using the extractor is easy for both professionals and beginners.
• Once the extraction of honey is completed, the 1.5-inch honey gate on the extractor comes in handy to drain honey from the extractor.

Cons

• The extractor is not suitable for large-scale beekeepers with many frames to extract honey from. This extractor tires you out since it is hand-cranked.
• There are no legs on the extractor. The extractor sits on the honey collection drum. You may place the extractor on a raised surface to help with the easier draining of honey through the honey gate. It makes it easier to place a bucket under the extractor to collect extracted honey. A sieve may be placed on the mouth of your honey bucket to remove any remaining wax in the honey as it leaves the extractor.

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Further Thoughts

The Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor has an impressive capacity. It is built wide and quite deep. This allows the extractor to hold a large volume of honey at a time. The extractor has a diameter of 18 inches. It is 26.5 inches high. You do not have to keep emptying the extractor every few minutes or after every few frames you process. The extractor weighs 24 pounds (10.88 kg). The bottom of the extractor is conical to help with the flow of honey. It makes it easy for honey to flow out of the extractor once you open the honey gate.

Frames going into the Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor should be uncapped. You may extract 50% from one side of the frames, and then turn the frames to extract 100% from the other side, and then return the frames to their original position to extract the remaining 50%. This 3-step method of honey extraction reduces the likelihood of blowouts happening.

The basket of the extractor is supported by Allen screws. Ensure that these screws are tight before every use. If you notice the shaft spinning without the basket following along, tighten the Allen screws.

Keeping it Clean

Hygiene is an important part of beekeeping industry standards. Honey is a food item and must be handled in very hygienic conditions. Cleanliness must also be maintained to a high standard when dealing with human food. Luckily, the Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor is easy to clean after use. It only requires a brush with a long handle, some warm or hot water, and possibly an appropriate soap. A soft cloth also comes in handy during cleaning.

• Mann Lake advises that you do not use soap that will leave odors in the extractor.
• Do not use anything rough or abrasive.
• After cleaning with soap, rinse the extractor well.

You may adopt a routine of cleaning the extractor before and after every use. There is no need to disassemble the extractor for cleaning purposes.

Conclusion

Mann Lake has availed an excellent manual online for the HH160 Hand Extractor. The instructions manual is well-detailed and guides you well in assembling and using the extractor.

Have you ever used the Mann Lake HH160 Hand Extractor? Leave a comment below and let us know what your experience was like.

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