I like the "roof" on mine, because I can keep tools in that small space for each hive, so there is no chance of cross-contamination. And I like the higher feet, because I don't have to set it on pallets that way.
We have two flow hives at our home and several standard hives nearby in the hills. The convenience of the flow hives cannot be overstated. You really can turn on the tap and watch the honey come out. It is great fun. But the bee keeping itself is just the same. Hive inspections, do I super yet or not, have I gone queen-less and please don't swarm on me again, etc.
It all depends on your situation, in Australia it’s so hot in summer and we have small hive beetle to contend with so a screen base board is a must at my place. I agree the cost is quite prohibitive but I get my hubby to modify my Lang boxes and put in the original flow frames as a compromise.
I've got a genuine Flow hive and a couple of knockoffs. I am absolutely certain that the knockoff flow frames are made in the exact same factory as the "genuine" flow frames. The ONLY difference is the logo on the little wrench cap. I even weighed the frames. I have 8 Flow brand and 16 knockoffs. They all weigh within a few grams of each other. If you trust the Flow brand frames, then you can trust the fake ones because they are made on the exact same assembly line. By the way... I need to add that this is only my opinion. I don't want Flow to sue me. It's my OPINION!
I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. My dad is an electrical engineer. He works in a lot of factories fixing and putting new machine in. A lot of 'knock off food products are made in the same factory as the 'branded foods and there is only slight differences I the ingredients like a little less butter etc
Very great Video. Enjoy hearing the professional opinions of the flow hive along with its counter part/copy cat. I never thought about the roof until you mention it, so true. Great research and practical information for sure. Keep up the good work. From Northern Canada :)
Do you offer any instruction/guidance on getting started with an auto flow hive? I'm looking at some knockoffs and the primary thing I'd get if I bought a flowhive is access to plenty of support. Thoughts on that?
So many people are so quick to bash the flow hive, we have one, and it seems like really good quality. I think some people are just so caught up in tradition sometimes that no matter what you have to show, even if its a great thing, they'll still have a preference for what they already know. Kind regards.
I've been using both the Australian and the Chinese flow frames for years and have taken over 600lbs of honey from them. I agree that the Chinese version is not only so much cheaper, but works just as well. As far as worrying about the plastic in the Chinese not being safe, the world is literally awash with food safe plastic. Look at all the plastic water bottles! It would be beyond crazy to think that a manufacturer would spend all that money on molds and production and then use an unsafe plastic that could bankrupt him. Also, the bees coat the entire cell in beeswax before putting in nectar. So, the honey never touches plastic anyway. Save your hard-earned money and buy the Chinese verson!
@BlackMountainHoney They now show that the plastic is BPA free and made from "food safe" materials. "🌻🌻Material🌻🌻: Bee hive boxes are built using high quality fir wood. Honey frames are made by food-grade, BPA-free plastic, designed to be used for a lifetime."
It was stolen, but it was by Australia. George M. Macdonald patented and invented this method in the USA in 1916. As a US citizen I will choose to buy the technology created by my countrymen from whoever I want. That will not include an Insanely priced product from a country claiming to have created it, among other claims of helping the planet. Meanwhile they received Millions of dollars on their startup surpassing their goal by over 100 fold. They even have the audacity to still sell the hives at an insanely marked up value for 100 dollars of material while trying to claim they came up with the method all on their own through “15 years of research”. I’d much rather buy the Chinese made as they do not claim to have created the technology.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Sure buddy, go right ahead and pay triple to quadruple for the SAME EXACT PRODUCT. My CN auto flow supplier makes their frames from food grade PETG. I have had the plastics tested by a lab and confirmed results of PETG .
Thank you for sharing your experiences, really valuable! I would personally really dislike to buy honey which had been kept in a non-certified plastic. But as a consumer we really cannot know that...
China became a super power real quick because they dont spend billions on research (of course they do) but what I mean, a lot of technologies that costed billions they just reverse engineered them, and at reverse engineering like it or not, china is number 1 by far..
@@bettinaclark5843 my first comment was pretty clear I thought. I’m talking proof of your claims about Amazon having no requirements about advertising accuracy on products listed on their platform. Your exact words were “There is no requirement for truth in what’s advertised on Amazon.” Please provide proof to back this up. Otherwise there is no merit to your statement and makes it misleading. What you’re saying seems unlikely. The best thing about proof is that it’s pretty easy to get (if it exists).
@@what_Love_Drew_forth Amazon do not enforce statements or claims made about a product that are made on their platform to be verified, verifiable or supported by Certification. It's as simple as that. In theory they should comply with the laws of the country they are selling into, and this would include truth in advertising & truth in product claims, however counterfeit product sellers have no reason to as they sell more with false claims & then they just disappear & re-list under a new seller name if there are complaints made about them.
I picked up a fake one off of Amazon too but after 3 years of trying it, I have yet to get any honey out of it because my bees simply won't draw it out and fill it with honey. No matter what I have tried, melting former honey comb and painting it on the frames, leaving the Queen excluder off so she can roam it and leave her pheromones, nothing seems to entice them to seal it off and start storing honey in it?
Did you try a Demaree Split in the spring? I did and it made all the difference in coaxing the bee to use the flow frames. Keep the queen excluder on over the single brood box and move a bunch of capped brood frames and a second deep box above the flow super. Worked like a charm for me. 100+ lbs of honey and counting.
@@RTSquad138 I painted it with nearly 2 pounds of wax from cappings of normal supers from last year. I'll try the Demaree spilt and under supering next year. Thanks for the advice!
Thank you! Was waiting for this one. Bought one for my girlfriend and she insisted on the copy...(price) Came from a Dutch beekeeping website though. Didn't think about the plastic used. Ah well, that's then the honey we don't give away :)
i have 5 flow hives now, all 10 frame brood box which are the correct size, no problem with the gap you have on yours, agree about the roof, i bought multipurpose crowns for mine and ditched the gabled roof, i wouldn't bother with the chinese knock offs if anyone plans on selling any honey, But what i'd really like to see is a review on the paradise honey smart box you got, been waiting for it before i decide to expand my new out aipary , they're looking good certainly alot cheaper than the flow hive and they're poly hives to boot.
Like you I was keen to see one in use but not likely to happen anytime soon! I think they have patent or copyright issues. Laurance did hint at this a couple of months ago and he doesn't have one.
Hi, so how long does it take to fill a jar and how much of a pain was it to stand there waiting to change jars, also what’s it like in colder weather please
Good video. I watch the original video you made about fake flow hive versus real flow hive and then in that video you did not like the floor the fake one.
You say its good for a couple in the garden, how would it compare on a productional scale, like 100-300 hives, compared to conventional beekeeping? Also, did you ever contact the manufacturer for info about the plastics? Thanks!
I don't think it will ever compare on a commercial basis as its too time consuming to get the honey from the frames. Manufacturer seems to think they are BPA free but couldn't provide assurance documentation
Isn't the point that its less time consuming to get the honey from the frame, with less workload on the overall? A little confused here. Reason I ask is up here in Norway, a "commercial" beekeeper is usually 200-500 hives for a full time job. That would include going into the woods gathering the honey, back and forth to the car to get to the equipment etc. You know the deal. Is that your "commercial" keeping, or do you think about those large scale beekeeping "plants". Im setting up a small farm, considering this as lower effort cash flow while regenerating soil, as we have state supported sales channels. @@BlackMountainHoney
If someone is absolutely sure about something they have no experience with and cant provide you with clear reasoned and tested evidence, then you can immediately file their opinion in the garbage pile
Flow bought at 1938 patent, they didn't create the frame design. What they did bring to the table is excellent marketing. But even that is taken from Apple design aesthetic.
ignore this as i have just seen the price of replacement flow frames......seems a major expense, they will have to drop prices sooner or later or they wont stay in business
Actually, I talked to the manufacturers of the fake flow hive, they also do it bpa free plastic polypropylene ( Medical grade Plastic). I am using one I got it for$130. working great. We can just order supers for $56. Thats a better deal than australian one i gues
Hello, I have purchased both types and my experience so far is that the original was much easier to assemble and overall, it's better crafted with most things better resolved. The instructions were also great, understandable, and well-processed, and they even have videos on RU-vid on how to assemble the individual parts. As for the fakes, the instructions are terrible, an incomprehensible guide on how to assemble the frames was not at all, and some things seem unresolved to me. As for the quality of the wood, the original also leads with beautiful solid wood whereas the imitation is just ordinary, fragile, soft wood, which I think won't last very long. I don't have the hives in operation yet so I can't judge this, these are just my observations from the build so far.
Flow hive against knockoff flow hive is like iPhone against android, Android can do all the stuff a iPhone can but for some reason android is just shit. Real flow hive any day 👍🏼💪🏼
Just watch your video mate, noticed how you have problems with the roof section. I’m pretty sure the reason the roof hits those handles is because you haven’t got the wooden frame with the mesh in it, to lift the roof up slightly. i’m surprised you don’t realise that. Also, are you trying to tell me you don’t have trouble extracting the honey from the plastic flow hive frames when you crank the handle because of the bees ceiling the plastic frames ?
No issues here extracting honey from flow frames , it’s only the fakes where the roof hits the handles the inner mesh inner cover should be binned straight out the box for a solid inner cover , you don’t want air flowing out the top like that as you don’t need upper venting in hives just insulated roofs
The Chinese take pride in mass production of others' tech. That in turn undermines the process of research and development. I am happy to pay premiums to avoid any Chinese products. So flat no from me.
Good luck keeping the Bee's out of your honey flow! I get more bee's in the jar than honey, had to fabricate a lid to fit the tube into so not to drown the bee's. Save your money!
