A few weeks ago I asked about the weight of honey actually obtained per
medium depth super (6 5/8"), and possible differences between eight & nine
frames. The replies were very informative, and summarized below.
 
  First, let me say that I extracted thirty medium supers yesterday and
yielded nearly two barrels, which would equate to about 40 pounds per super.
  Separately, I weighed five supers before and after extracting.  This small
sample lost an average of 45 pounds (honey, wax and propolis scrappings).
These supers were pretty well plugged up with honey, though.
 
Here are the (edited) e-mail replies:
 
----1
A 6 5/8 super can hold a little over 40 lbs. This however is not typical.
We have 13 years of recorrds of per col and per super yields. On most
crops here in WNY a 6 5/8 super yields about 23 lbs. If the flow is
better than ave. yield will be about 27 lbs. The highest per super ave.
we have seen is 36 lbs/sup. The differance seems to be how strong the
flow is and how thick they draw the combs.
------/1
 
-----2
My own experiance is that the amount of honey varies depending on the
type of honey collected during honey flow.Some types are very much
thicker & heavier than others.As to 9 frames vs. 8, I always use ten as
it cuts down on the amount of scur in the super.
----/2
 
----3
check the latest issue of bee culture. they did a work up of super
size, # of frames and potential yield of honey and wax.   you'll
have all the numbers you'll ever want!
----/3
    (I read this.  It was interesting, but it gave only theoretical data
--  no actual results. -John).
 
---4
In my experience, about 25 lbs from a shallow, about 35 lbs from a medium,
and 45-50 lbs from a deep, by the time it reaches your buckets.  Then there
is also the honey you salvage from the cappings.
 
I used to run 9 frames in honey supers.  Now I go with 8, evenly spaced
across the super.  This works great.  The combs are fat, easy to uncap
right back to the wood and yield more wax.  My guess is that the 8 frames
might yield a little more honey than 9 as they are drawn out more with
greater cell volume.  (Not sure, tho'.)  The bees seem to work very well
with the extra "elbow room," which gradually is lessened as the combs are
extended out.  They appear to respect this  extra-wide spacing in the
honey-storage area without problems.  Gives them a chance to do some wax
construction.  Another nice thing about 8's is that your handling is
decreased by 11% when extracting (and each comb-unit holds more).  Yes there
is burr comb, often containing lots of honey.  This is scraped right down
during uncapping with a few fast sweeps of the uncapping knife, and the
frame is clean again - no problem.
----/4
(good points! -John)
 
----5
A bonus here is that if you don't use excluders, and you don't uncap
deep, the queens are more reluctant to lay in the extra deep cells
that develop with the wide (8 frame) spacing, and tend to stay in the
brood nest -- where normal 9 or 10 frame spacing is used.
---/5
 
----6
After all the years since this controversy first started ie. less frames per
super, I still question this. If we are into honey production are we not
wasting honey making extra wax?
        A standard box with 10 frames will hold as much honey as an 8 frame,
per volume. If, on extracting we cut the frame back to wood, are we not
producing a lot more wax than necessary with a 10 frame set up, and
therefore wasting honey on un-necessary wax production.
        A final point, with an 8 frame set up, you can't slip a frame into
the brood box without cutting it around!!!
---/6
 
----7
I believe we get about 40# average. It depends on how tight you super the
bees. If they are crowded, they will stuff the heck out of them, and you
could get a little more than 40.
 
We use 8 and have about the same yeild in my opinion. I don't think the
queens are as likely to lay them up with the combs spread further apart.
----/7
 
 Thank you all!!
 
Cheers,
John in broilin' hot Dallas