> 2500 by hand!  You remind me of a friend of mine that runs 200-300
> hives and loads by hand.  I've been trying to get him to let me help
> him in designing and building an electric boom so he's able to enjoy
> his "golden years" without wearing a brace.  If you can weld or
> invest in a little shop time it's well worth the time and money.
 
FWIW I still have a few pictures of some details of my loader on
 
www.internode.net/~allend/loader1.jpg
www.internode.net/~allend/loader2.jpg
www.internode.net/~allend/loader3.jpg
 
That I put there for a fellow to use in building one.  Unfortunately
the second roll of film didn't turn out, but I do have an ascii
drawing of the hold-down construction that I'll send to anyone
interested (email me privately).
 
The cradle design came from California originally, I believe, and it
is very handy, because one can pick up a standard hive from two to
five boxes high, and when it is in the air, it is very secure and
unlikely to come apart or fall over, etc.
 
We were using the loader much less since we went to four hives on a
pallet, but we are now moving 1,000 such hives (packages) out using a
forklift to load, and the loader to unload, since this saves hauling a
forklift up and down the highway.  We might start using the loader for
loading too, because it looks faster and less likely to damage
pallets, but it is more work -- and less fun -- and requires careful
levelling for such weights to be easily manoeverable.
 
We were only able to lift single hives previously, but I just
(several days ago) built a larger version of the cradle shown (but
with no hold down) that lifts 48" X 40" pallets.  The (homemade)
loader shown on the site listed above lifts 250 pounds or so at the
*end* of a 19 foot boom, so that is enough for four singles -- and
possibly hungry doubles -- on a pallet.
 
If we pin or chain the boom so that the trolley cannot accidently go
past 3/4 way out, we can get the load up to 330 pounds or so.
Pallets weigh 50lbs each, so that leaves 280lbs to be divided between
4 hives. At the 1/2 point, we get 500 pounds -- but of course, we are
getting to a pretty small circle -- 19 foot diameter, 9.5 foot
radius, and that is good only for putting things from the front of
the deck onto the ground right beside the truck and vice versa.
 
At such distance, we are able to safely lift drums of honey, but
only by using a 2:1 pulley setup I built that works at a fixed point
on the boom.  We loaded semis of honey using that before we got a
forklift).
 
I have a Kelley loader sitting around unused, and it would lift the
same as a small forklift, but it weighs over 1,000lbs and needs a
three ton truck.  We run mostly stretched one tons (10 foot cab to
axle) with 16 foot decks -- and 16 foot trailers when required.  I
think there are lighter models out there.
 
I paid $500 Canadian for my Kelley and the motors alone (3) are
worth that and more.  I imagine there are quite few Kelly loaders
sitting around behind honey houses and a $20 ad in Gleanings, Speedy
Bee, and or ABJ would likely bring a flood of response with prices
from $250 and up.  The motors on them alone are worth finding, since
they are efficient, powerful, reversable, and 12 volt.
 
If you are building your own, you can get motors direct from Kelley,
but don't forget you need their solenoids too if you want reversing
action and remote control using light wires.  I used to wind my own
reversing motors on an old Ford starter (1956) frame, using two
fields, but gave it up in favour of Kelley motors.
 
For those who have never seen a boom loader work, they are like
having an overhead shop crane that allows moving hives, (and supplies
on 16" by 20" pallets) almost effortlessly anywhere within a circle
defined by the boom length -- in my case a 19 foot radius. This of
course includes the whole truck deck itself.
 
The boom rotates around a centre post that must be vertical, and is
adjusted -- if necessary -- either by shimming the wheels of the
truck, careful selection of terrain, or preferrably by built-in
adjustments that tilt the post a bit.  On mine, the end of the boom
can actually come within 3 feet of the ground at full adjustment each
way.  I have no front/back tilt and seldom need it.  Kelleys have
both front/back and side-to-side tilt.
 
> Check
> out the newest issue of ABJ there's an article about a loader in the
> letters to the editor section.
 
Thanks for the tip.
 
If folks are interested on keeping going on this thread, I'll be
glad to add some more construction and use tips and details.  But I
need some encouragement to take more pictures, do drawings, write
instructions etc.  The pix on my website were to be temporary, but
perhaps we should enhance it a bit with better pictures, other
peoples' pictures and info, etc. and make it permanent?
 
 
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>