Reversible Extractors

Improve Honey Extraction with Reversible Extractors

Sort by:
Sales, highest to lowest Relevance Name, A to Z Name, Z to A Price, low to high Price, high to low Reference, A to Z Reference, Z to A
Back to top
Trustpilot
Joshua Ivars
Joshua Ivars
With over 15 years of experience in beekeeping, Joshua collaborates with the national beekeeping congress as part of the scientific committee in the area of innovation and sustainability.

When to choose a reversible extractor

The reversible extractor strikes me as one of the most balanced options once you're after more comfort, more output and less handling in the extraction room. It keeps the advantages of the tangential system, especially useful with large frames or denser honeys, but avoids having to take out and turn each frame by hand. That makes a big difference during the season: you work more smoothly, reduce physical effort and save time without losing control over the extraction.

For me, it makes particular sense for beekeepers who work with Layens, Dadant brood frames or a medium-to-high number of hives. If you only do a few extractions a year, it probably wouldn't be the first investment I'd make. But if you already have a certain volume or want to take a step up in comfort and working pace, it's usually a very sensible buy. Before choosing a model, I'd look above all at the sturdiness of the basket, the quality of the reversing system, the motor control, the stability of the machine and the availability of spare parts. With this type of extractor, saving too much usually ends up costing you: it's better to buy a machine that will last you years and genuinely makes your work easier.

Reversible Honey Extractors for professional beekeepers

Reversible Extractors

Where the price jumps are

This category runs from around €850 to over €11,000, and the jump is not set by the brand: it is set by the drive and the capacity. In order: 4-frame manual from about €850; 4-frame electric from around €1,650; 6-frame around €1,900; with an automatic cycle (programmed start, reversal and braking) from about €3,000; the 8/16 automatic around €3,400 and the 12/24 above €4,500. The 20-frame machines and the German Carl Fritz range play in another league, from €7,000 upwards.

In practice: going from manual to electric at 4 frames almost doubles the price; going from electric to automatic doubles it again. If in doubt, the step that saves the most extraction-room time per euro spent is the first one.

From how many hives it pays off

According to our own extractor guide, the reversible comes into play in the 100 to 150 hive band, alongside high-capacity radials, and above 150 you move to a large reversible, a professional radial or a horizontal. Below 100 hives, a 4-frame tangential, manual or electric, usually covers the season without trouble.

Which frame each cage takes

This is the check that prevents most returns, and it works by containment: look at the largest frame you will extract, because everything smaller fits. A cage dimensioned for a Dadant brood frame also takes Langstroth brood and, in the same slot, two half supers stacked one above the other. What does not fit is what falls outside that envelope: the Layens frame, a different format, needs a cage built for it.

That is why a universal cage solves most cases, and the Dadant/Langstroth versions cover those two sizes and everything smaller. If you mainly extract half supers and your honey is fluid, compare with the radials first.

Two measurements people forget

The tank diameter (Ø650, Ø1000 mm and up) is what decides whether the machine fits your room with space to load around it. And the outlet height determines whether a settling tank or bucket fits underneath without propping the extractor up. Both are on each model's datasheet, and both cause trouble afterwards.