From one beek to another: Here is your chance to finally weigh your hives without all of the hassle! Check out all of these benefits:Eliminate guessing - simply read the black scale and double it - this is the weight in pounds Know if the nectar flow has started Know that you have enough data to now collect varietal honeys Know if the bees have enough food Know if you have fed enough Know if you need to inspect Know when to harvest Know that if you save one colony by using this tool that you have more than paid for it! The lowest cost compared to all other (cumbersome) methods Comes complete and ready to use (unlike the Honey Hefter or the Nectar-Detector where you usually have to buy other parts) Get the weight in seconds Only 2 pieces - that snap together for traveling - nothing to get lost Works in many different positions Weigh the entire hive or just a single super Never wears out - buy this tool once and you will have it for life Never needs batteries Tiny and portable Red color is easy to spot so you don't lose it Nearly indestructible steel - if it gets dirty, hose it off! It will always work No electronics to break or die in wet weather Accurate - no more sacrificing your back to heft a super to make a weight guess Works in tight spaces Works on hives up to 300 lbs Simply open up a gap between supers or at the bottom of your hive. Slip in this tool and push on it until the gap opens up a bit. Read the scale while it is in this position. Multiply the weight by 2 and that is the weight. When you buy this item, you will receive 2 pieces: the red weighing bar and the measurement tool as pictured. The hive is not included. Tips for use: To get a more accurate reading, first open up the gap with your hive tool a little more than necessary then insert the red bar. This will eliminate error caused by the propolis gluing the supers together. Keep in mind that you are weighing everything above the tool when you use it. That could include the supers and frames themselves, but also the bees, a queen excluder, inner lid, telescoping cover, anything you have stacked on top of the hive, etc. You might want to develop a list of "empty" weights of your equipment so you can better figure out actual honey weight. (my numbers: small supers are 8 lb empty, 35 lb full, medium: 13 lb empty, 50 lb full, large: 25 lb empty, 85 lb full). But keep in mind that what really matters is the change in weight over time, not the starting weight. When pushing on the handle to read the weight, it is necessary to open the gap where the tool is inserted a small distance. However, there is no reason why you should force the gap open more than about an inch. If you open the gap more than this, you will start to get a reading that underestimates the weight. The bigger the gap, the more the weight is underestimated. So, just keep the gap about 1 inch or less. Plus, that is less disturbing to the bees. You can detach the red bar from the measurement tool and put it back together in several configurations. In the first photo, you press down on the black handle to get the weight. In the second photo, you would pull up to get the weight. The goal is always to have the red tool rotate around the round socket portion clockwise. In both photos 1 and 2, the scale on which you read the weight is facing you presuming you are standing in front of the hive. Photo 4 shows how you can reverse the tool and read the scale while you are standing toward the rear of the hive (and out of the flight path). As noted above, push the tool clockwise around the round socket. For larger weights, cup your hand around the socket/wrench end to keep it from tilting. Photo 3 shows how the two pieces can be snapped together for traveling and storage. Some of the photos show how you can use this on your Langstroth on any of the four sides. Keep in mind that sometimes the bees prefer to work and store their goods on the right or left side of the hive (as defined by where you would stand to look at the entrance). So, for most accurate results, you will want to use this tool either in the front or the back. In order to use this tool to its maximum capacity of 300 pounds, you would need to be able to press down or pull up with a force of 107 pounds. You probably won't be using this at that high of a load. To measure a large super, full of honey, which might weigh around 85 pounds, you will have to exert about 1/3 that much (about 30 pounds) of force. Contact me for other custom options if that force is too high for you. Check out my great feedback and over 15 years of ebay use. Thanks for looking! USPS shipping charges have gone through the roof for 2016! I lose money on shipping. Add it all up: padded envelope and/or packing materials (foam, bubble pack, tape, etc), $2.60+ USPS charge for the first ounce in the USA ($10.91 for outside the US!!!!!), tracking, cost of fuel to and from post office, printer paper and ink, time for careful packaging/standing in line. Sending things is expensive. It is insulting that Ebay and Paypal charge a percentage of the shipping charges collected. I'll be generous and say that at best, the post office and ebay are ignorant of the Laffer curve. *I ship items quickly after an auction ends - please allow sufficient shipping time. * Contact me with any questions about the item via email before the auction closes. International Buyers: Shipping costs are substantial. NOTE: I have made an estimate as to the minimum cost to ship outside the US, but the actual cost to your location may be higher (especially places like Australia, Russia, Indonesia and China). As always, any import duties or taxes your home country chooses to impose are your responsibility. Returns accepted only if my description was incorrect or the item does not function. I am not an expert in YOUR application - you are! Ask questions first. See policy...
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