Cassette honey extractors

Cassette Extractor

Beekeeping seasons can vary widely. Climate changes result in varying conditions each year under which bees produce honey, affecting honey’s characteristics. When it comes to honey extraction, the water content in honey is particularly important. For example, the 2024 season was very sunny and dry across most of the country, resulting in honey with water content often not exceeding 16.0%, and sometimes even below 15.5%! This type of honey has very high quality but also presents certain challenges during extraction and packaging.

Special Tasks

In years with low rainfall, low humidity, and warm nights, bees can more easily evaporate water from the nectar stored in honeycomb cells. As a result, the honey is ready to be extracted from the hives more quickly. Low water content in honey is less problematic than excessive moisture, which can lead to uncontrolled fermentation during storage in both individual and bulk packaging. However, so-called “dry honey” presents its own challenges. Primarily, it’s harder to extract from honeycomb cells. Certain types of extractors handle this situation better than others.

Another challenge is extracting heather honey. This premium variety is not only highly sought after by discerning customers with specific taste preferences but also fetches a higher price on the wholesale market. For some beekeepers, this is incentive enough to undertake late-summer trips to heather fields. Healthy, productive bees thrive in these conditions, and in favourable seasons, they can gather substantial amounts of jelly-like honey. However, this honey still needs to be extracted…

Cassette Extractor – Who Is It For?

The answer to this question is hinted at in the previous paragraph. Cassette extractors are ideal for heather beekeepers. However, they’re also a valuable solution for a broader group of beekeepers.
Cassette extractors have a basket design that allows for a smaller load than radial models with the same drum diameter. However, they operate much faster! During summer honey harvests in warm environments with flowing nectar, a 3-minute cycle can completely empty the combs. Some beekeepers using shallow frames in honey supers opt for cassette extractors with high cassettes. This setup allows two frames to be extracted per slot, enabling the simultaneous spinning of, for example, 24 frames in a 12-cassette device with very short work cycles. This approach not only ensures high time efficiency but also has logistical advantages: preparing smaller batches of frames for spinning (even at high frequency) does not require long drip trays or large honey-extraction rooms. Therefore, a cassette extractor is ideal for beekeepers who value efficient use of time and workspace.

Techtron Cassette Extractors

Techtron cassette extractors are modern, robustly built devices offered at reasonable prices. This extensive line includes 20 models, allowing every beekeeper to find a version suited to their needs. Small-scale beekeepers with a few hives might consider the smallest 4-cassette model, available with either manual or electric operation. This compact but professionally built unit has a drum diameter of 650 mm. The largest cassette extractor, with a diameter of 1200 mm, features an advanced 20-cassette basket that can simultaneously spin up to 40 shallow frames. All products in this category are built with great durability, and some are available at prices up to 40% lower than similar products from competing brands.