This is a reply for Emily. My husband Clifford and I have been keeping bees
for 17 years.  Since he suffered a stroke 7 years ago he has had difficulty
lifting the hives by the small indentations.  We went to our local Home Depot
and purchased door handles of the type you would put on a screen door or such.
We screwed them on just above the indents on the front and back of the hives
and it has made a tremendous difference in our ability to manipulate heavy
supers.  His article on the subject was published in the Bee Line of the Long
Island Beekeepers Club and he received the first "Tinkerers Award " for his
contribution.  As you said it might be too expensive for a commercial
beekeeper to do, but for the hobbiest it makes life much easier. We're taking
our honey off tomorrow, hoping for a good harvest. Conni Still, Bayport, Long
Island