Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: crispy on January 11, 2020, 01:03:05 am
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Hi all well i m looking at getting a smoker soon so i will ask the AUSSIES what type they are using and before anyone says it yes i know the best type is one that produces smoke ,seriously though there re so many on the market ranging from chinese cheepies to down right expensive ones the ones i have looked at are the beeko regular ,manlake with the plastic bellows and a few others .Personally i dont think the chinese ones would be much cop so i dont want to throw money away ,also one i was shown had a stumpy type nozzel on it does this make much difference to the pointy ones .
I have a good supply of smoker fuel (pine needles ) and have no difficulty in getting them does anyone use this manufactured fuel and if so what are the pros and cons thanks .
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Get the tallest one you can. They stay lit better. Stainless steel will last longer.
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Chinese smoker;
Doe's the job well with a small leather bellows. Has a one way valve which could invite backdraft and ultimately bushfires. The fire grill is loose and falls out when cleaning.
$30.00
Beeko smoker:
More direct funnel with a large synthetic(?) bellows. Has two valves {one in and one out = safer} Fire grill fixed and a pleasure to use.
$100.00
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Hi all well the manlake smoker the local guy has in stock is the larger one and i think it is about 75 dollars which is comparible to the large beeco .My local guy does stock both so when he open gain on the 15 i may have to take a tip down there and make a decision thanks fo your comments and advice .
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Act locally not globally.
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Get a smoker from your local apiary supplier, they have a reputation to uphold. From what I see, over here, they?re all made in China but branded with the suppliers name anyway
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Well il try this again apparently an error occurred , just a update on my smoker decided to get a beeko ,had a look at the others and went to my local guy who told me that anything more ie: larger was overkill for what im doing so decided on a regular beeko 75.00 probably last longer than the bloke using it .
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larger was overkill for what im doing so decided on a regular beeko 75.00 probably last longer than the bloke using it .
I was going to suggest spend within your means as a hobbyist. You can even make one.
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If I lived in Australia, I would not make a smoker.
Twice I have made temporary smokers when I found myself an hours drive away from my smoker and needed one. They were real fire hazards. Unless you have access to a machine/metal shop, anything you make will probably be a fire hazard.
Jim Altmiller
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Hi Jim
I am pretty sure there was no suggestion of making a smoker. It was more about what type of smoker and the suggestion to "Buy Local" as in Australian made, rather than the cheap Chinese stuff that is on the market everywhere.
Cheers
Mark
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The Dadant 4x10 is the best I've heard, I have one myself.
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Bamboo, this is what I was referring to.
it .
?I was going to suggest spend within your means as a hobbyist. You can even make one.?
Jim Altmiller
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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.
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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....
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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....
You will probably have difficulty purchasing an electric smoker in Australia from reputable bee equipment suppliers as two models were recalled due to asbestos being used. https://www.asbestos.qld.gov.au/resources/safety-alerts/2019-02-08-000000-safety-alert-asbestos-battery-operated-bee-smokers
I have a Beeko smoker which is now over 40 yrs old and, apart from replacing the material used for the bellows, I am still using it.
Kevin
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Thats what i want to hear kanga personal experience about a smoker , and yes the electric smokers were claimed to have asbestos in there manufacturing and we all know were they come from . i did look at some of the cheapies but my local guy had a good range but the one i really liked wa out of stock so i went for an aussie beeko .
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Hi all well the manlake smoker the local guy has in stock is the larger one and i think it is about 75 dollars which is comparible to the large beeco .My local guy does stock both so when he open gain on the 15 i may have to take a tip down there and make a decision thanks fo your comments and advice .
This is what I have SS but the verdict is still out. I have only had it two years. I have not babied it but really chunked it around. So far so good!
Phillip Hall
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You will probably have difficulty purchasing an electric smoker in Australia from reputable bee equipment suppliers as two models were recalled due to asbestos being used. https://www.asbestos.qld.gov.au/resources/safety-alerts/2019-02-08-000000-safety-alert-asbestos-battery-operated-bee-smokers
I have a Beeko smoker which is now over 40 yrs old and, apart from replacing the material used for the bellows, I am still using it.
Kevin
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Now i feel every worse about buying this smoker! I will have to check when i get home, I dont remember seeing a board like this on my one, but it does look very similar to the ones pictured in the link... Like i said, last time i take the girlfriend shopping with me!!
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Did you buy it online or from a bee stockist ? if it was a bee stockist it might pay to take it back and see if you can exchange it for another if need be show him the paperwork for the asbestos ,if however you bought it online well it might be an uphill slog to get your hard earned back as it says if it gets knocked about the asbestos may come free and release particles ,dont be to disheartned even if you seal the edge of the asbestos with something it may well be ok as long as you dont pull it apart .
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Bought it from a local shop, might take it back but i dont like my chances of getting a refund, maybe a heavy discount on a new one??
Will see how i go
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
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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:
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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.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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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)
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.
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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:
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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 .
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 (https://trimthatweed.com/best-vertical-pellet-smokers-does-camp-chef-win/) are an excellent investment. So, if you're looking for anything good, don't hesitate to buy it.
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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.
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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
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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.
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I buy new bellows from Dadant.