Steve Victors wrote about getting an extractor.  I have several comments
about his post.

Sharing an extractor or any other beekeeping equipment is not a good idea,
both from the standpoint of transferring disease etc, and the possible
destruction of a friendship starting with your leaving the extractor messier
than your friend would.  People are all funny but so different.  Something
insignificent to you could be a major calamity to them.

Going from 2 to 15 colonies is a big jump in one year.  You will need to pay
for the hive equipment,  bees,  drugs and many other things needed by
Alaskan beekeepers before you think about an extractor.

Here in Ontario we get 100 lbs per hive most years but some years, 1999 for
example, 200-300 lbs per hive.  I don't know what your production is in
Alaska, likely higher than ours, but what are you going to do with 7-10
times last year's crop.  You  will need storage tanks capable of holding 1-2
tons of honey.

I would initially look for a good used extractor ( plastic, galvanized or
whatever) to look after your needs for a year or three.  If you go to 15
hives and everything goes well buy STAINLESS STEEL tanks, extractor and
other equipment you need for 30-50 hives because you likely will want to
expand.  If you don't get to 15 hives but are satisfied with 5-10, upgrade
the used equipment to handle your production.

I still use the motorized 4 frame stainless machine I bought 30 years ago.
I have had as many as 20 colonies and as few as 4.  I presently have 8 hives
wintering. I use deeps for brood and midsize for honey but use the deeps for
honey when drawing out foundation, so when I upgrade my extractor it must
handle both deep and midsize frames.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
80W 44N