HE3MAN 3 Frame Beekeeping 304 Stainless Steel Drum Honey Extractor With Stand - Manual

This is a great little manual honey extractor. Did not come with assembly instructions but was not hard to put together. There were 3 left over pieces, the "L" shaped one is a replacement for 1 of the 2 bolts that hold the gear box mechanism to the body of the extractor. By removing the 2 dome nuts connected to the "L" shaped bolt on the top of the extractor everything comes out for easy cleaning. I actually put it in my shower & used hot water & dish soap to clean it, before & after extraction. Once you put 3 frames in their dedicated spots, put the cover on & start cranking. Next year I will build a stand for it just out of 2x4s so it doesn't vibrate on the floor; when you reach top speed, it will vibrate a lot & helps to have 2 people hold it. Once extraction was complete, I took the frame holder out & used a silicone icing spatula to scrape down the sides & push remaining honey through honey gate. Cleanup was a breeze - the easiest part of the whole process - just put it in the shower(I did not put gear box in water) & run hot water on it & a little soap.

I read a few negative reviews and was a little hesitant to order this extractor because it was a lot cheaper than options from main stream bee suppliers. But with Amazons return policy I decided to take a chance on it. I was super impressed right away. The steel is thick and heavy, hardware is good quality, instructions are lacking but it’s not complicated to assemble…took about 5 mins with basic hand tools. A few things to note: the plexiglass lids are not attached to the extractor. They just rest on top when in use. They have two lugs on the underside that keep it in place. I would like to see a hinge, even if it’s just a strip of rubber, to attach them securely. Not a big deal, but it would be an improvement. Without instructions it is easy and intuitive to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning or to change out the honey gate. The included honey gate seems ok, but I found the design/hardware to be a little lacking. Functions fine, but I’ll probably add a lock washer to help prevent the bolt spinning when tightening the wing nut.My only complaint is the packaging (minus 1 star). I see why people are missing hardware - the leg hardware is threaded in place but not tightly. I had one of the bolts and washers loose in the box when it arrived. Luckily it stayed in the box. But all of the hardware is easily replaced at any local hardware store.The legs were not secure enough in the package and my tank arrived with a small (maybe 2-3”) dent from the legs bouncing around during shipment. I attempted to get a partial refund through Amazon for the damage but they only offered to return the entire thing. For the small and completely cosmetic damage I didn’t want the hassle or waste of time/resources to get a new one sent. I also think it’s very likely any replacement would have similar damage. So I kept it as is. I was disappointed in Amazon’s response and what a pain in the neck it was to even talk to anyone other than a chat bot. But that’s no knock on the extractor.Overall, I think this is money well spent (and saved) over higher cost extractors. I don’t have a commercial operation, just a handful of hives, so this size works for me without taking up a ton more space or costing me more than I’ll make selling honey or wax.

Finally had a chance to get this unit put together. (Purchased in April 2022, 1st used July 2022) Very simple, add 3 legs and put on a floating lid. Missing 2 bolts and 3 cap nuts for the legs, and the small screws that hold the lip retaining plastic on the lids. So, I had to purchase separately. Not a big issue, but when you only have 3 legs that have to be put on, and 6 large bolts that attach the legs to the unit, and 4 small screw that hold the plastic lid on, were not talking a complicated packing list. Other than that, it works as expected. The only design change I would suggest, is to place the drain either closer to the bottom of the collection bin or in the bottom itself. If you don't tip the unit when you're done, you're leaving at least 1 quart of honey in the bottom.

1st thing you'll need to do is take the 2 nuts off that hold the spinner gear box on the top of the tank and wash the Stainless steel tank out because of fingerprints and the smell of gear oil. After replacing the gearbox back on top, plan on going around and tightening every nut and Bolt on this thing before you use it. The 3 legs are easily attachable as is the crank handle. When using this spinner you have to make sure all 3 frames are about equal in weight or it will shake the hell out of you. Overall this is a nice extractor for the money. It took me just about 2 hours to completely spin out a 8 frame honey super. To clean after use all you have to do is remove the gear box assembly from the top of the tank. Do not lose the small ball bearing in the bottom center of tank that spinner sits on! Be careful while cleaning. Once you pull spinner cage out you will see the small ball bearing in the center.Pros: Price, Free shipping, Lifetime warrantyCons: No instructions for assembly ( but it's not hard to figure how to put it together. 3 legs and crank handle), Not high enough to put a bucket underneath ( could use longer legs) . Wished it had a break away handle once spinning starts. Over all a very nice value for a budget minded beekeeperHope this review helps out

The product was missing many pieces of hardware which, apart from the lack of assembly instructions, made it impossible to assembly and work correctly. It didn't seem well constructed either so I returned it.