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Author Topic: smokers  (Read 8069 times)

Offline Skeggley

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Re: smokers
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2020, 12:10:43 pm »
https://www.beeculture.com/up-in-smoke/
I like looking at these old devices.  Starting with the simplicity of a tin can to exotic shapes and bellows.  Interesting that some loaded from the bottom. Look at the H Root patent #739510.
Thanks for sharing that link Ace, interesting and amusing. Curious how Roots patent is a fumigator for destroying insects.  :shocked:

Offline DAVE07

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Re: smokers
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2020, 06:24:45 am »
I purchased a cheapie off Ebay for $30 and it came with a bee brush. I?m small scale, only have 10 hives but have had it for years and it does the trick just fine.  Bee brush is going strong too! Couldn?t justify spending $100 for what it is. I?m all about supporting local and all and I do where prices are close enough but I don?t see how it could be 3 times better.


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Offline guitarstitch

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Re: smokers
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2020, 09:09:32 am »
Please tell me i was not the only one that got talked into an electric smoker?
Press a button and a little electric fan blows the air into the smoker (no bellows, just an electric fan)
Last time i take the girlfriend shopping with me....

This sounds like just another contraption to cause me frustration when I'm working my bees.  Further, I would avoid anything that buzzes around my hives when I can. 

I typically take a minimalist approach to anything when it comes to buying stuff for a hobby.  Beekeeping, like many other hobbies/occupations, is full of trinkets and toys that liberate funds from the beekeeper's wallet and really don't provide any advantage.  (Just my $0.02, no clue what that is in AUD)

Quote
Also - after watching some 'old timers' (40+ years experience each) they use the smokers *very* differently than i could with the electric one. The small puffs, and more accurate use that i dont think i could do with the electric

The accuracy and control you get with bellows is unmatched by a fan.  I can deliver a slow gentle stream of smoke or a quick toot to move bees from the ends of frames and rabbets when putting frames back together and avoid smoking the entire hive.  That doesn't require 40+ years of experience.  If you can safely use a bellows smoker, even a cheapie, I'd try it out.
-Matthew Pence/Stitch

Offline Ralphee

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Re: smokers
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2020, 10:55:18 pm »
And it already has a bolt coming off and is falling apart
If we weren't on 'lockdown' I would go buy a new one
There are some good Aussie made ones i can buy (slightly expensive, but nothing worth having is cheap)

And your 2 cents with the current exchange rate is about $4.50.....  :cheesy:

Offline crispy

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Re: smokers
« Reply #24 on: April 19, 2020, 03:55:38 am »
hahahaha currency exchange i like that , i bought a beeko and as far as i am aware its aussie made was going for an american but it was out of stock but i am glad i bought it now .

Offline kanga

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Re: smokers
« Reply #25 on: April 19, 2020, 07:48:54 am »
i bought a beeko and as far as i am aware its aussie made
Crispy you are correct in saying it is aussie made. They were made in Queensland (Warwick), and they are now made in Victoria.
Kevin

Offline max2

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Re: smokers
« Reply #26 on: April 19, 2020, 06:20:41 pm »
I got a few of them and they too are made to a price - mine had just about every rivet  replaced and the hinge fell off. Made in Australia is not always better but it does keep jobs at home.

Offline guitarstitch

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Re: smokers
« Reply #27 on: April 21, 2020, 09:58:38 am »
I got a few of them and they too are made to a price - mine had just about every rivet  replaced and the hinge fell off. Made in Australia is not always better but it does keep jobs at home.

Funny.  We say the same about good ol' USA made products here.  Often (though not always), the quality is lacking because they're manufactured to a price point.  Longevity is secondary to obtainability.
-Matthew Pence/Stitch

Offline KiserWatch

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Re: smokers
« Reply #28 on: November 22, 2021, 04:47:15 pm »
I have the Camp Chef XXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker, and it's pretty good. I wanted it to be portable, so I went with this option. I paid $600 for it, and it comes with two temperature probes, a decent dynamic temperature range, three racks, and a three-year warranty. It may appear expensive to some, but I think it's worth it.
Overall, I think that vertical pellet smokers are an excellent investment. So, if you're looking for anything good, don't hesitate to buy it.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2021, 05:29:23 pm by KiserWatch »

Offline rast

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Re: smokers
« Reply #29 on: November 23, 2021, 09:55:25 am »
My Dadant's are hand me downs from the 70's. Bellows replaced once so far. I have one shiny short one somewhere I bought that won't stay lit.
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
    --Paramahansa Yogananda

Online Ben Framed

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Re: smokers
« Reply #30 on: November 23, 2021, 11:49:28 am »
Some of the older smokers were not made of stainless steel. I ran across an old smoker from the seventies, (given to me by a cousin). This smoker was tarnished with rust. He had bought it in the seventies. I personally bought a stainless tall smoker from Man Lake in 2018 when I began beekeeping. Almost two years since my last post on this particular topic and still, so far I have had no manufacturing issues with it. Including the bellows. I still treat it rough as described almost two years ago.

Phillip





« Last Edit: November 23, 2021, 12:10:16 pm by Ben Framed »
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Offline max2

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Re: smokers
« Reply #31 on: November 23, 2021, 04:43:23 pm »
I have about 6 old smokers hanging from the rafters at my beehouse.
Yes, the bellows can fail...the most common issue are the hinges and rivets holding the smoker together.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: smokers
« Reply #32 on: November 25, 2021, 01:54:56 pm »
I buy new bellows from Dadant.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin