The Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit is a no-frills starter package that offers both quality and simplicity. It’s among the products out there that provide the fastest, easiest way to get started with beekeeping. This kit will allow the aspiring beekeeper to get all set up, add bees, and get started with the care and honey production that comes next. This product comes fully assembled and pre-painted, so not only is there no assembly required, it’s built to last. While we still recommend that users also purchase protective gear before adding bees, this is the fastest way to have a unit to house them ready to go.
Product Specs
Ten frames of fine-quality pine are made by a reputable USA manufacturer, Mann Lake, which has come to be known as one of the best beekeeping suppliers in the market. The Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit is ideal for those with an interest in starting or expanding a beekeeping operation without the hassle of building a unit or assembling and painting parts.
Pricing
Coming in at under 150 dollars, this kit is a great buy. With no assembly required, the Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit delivers outstanding bang for your buck.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
- Buildabeehive Deluxe Beehive Starter Kit
- Flow Hive Classic Cedar 6 Frame Langstroth Style Beehive
- Goodland Bee Supply Complete Beehive Kit
- Comes fully assembled with pre-painted parts
- Comes with a starter book for reference
- Compatible with other hive components
- Includes only limited protective gear
- Plastic foundation
- Must purchase other hive components later
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What you get in the Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit is a traditional-style, 10-frame beekeeping starter kit made with high-quality pine. It comes fully assembled and with the hive body painted. The wooden frames have a yellow rite-cell foundation. The painted telescopic cover also has an inner cover. It comes with a bottom board and reducer.
The spacious interior allows several frames to support a thriving colony and since there is free airflow within, the temperature is easier to keep in check. This unit is lightweight at about 36 pounds, and its dimensions are a compact 22 x 18.5 x 13.1 inches. This kit also includes a smoker, a pair of large leather gloves, a bee veil, and a beekeeping book with titled Starting Right with Bees.
Ease Of Assembly
It doesn’t get much easier than this. You simply have to unpackage the Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit, set the unit up in the area you’ve chosen and add your bees. More frames can be added when a colony grows, or you can continue to use this as a single, smaller unit. It is suitable for either a hobbyist or professional, and the lack of build time means that a new keeper can get bees into a starting colony quickly and efficiently.
Design Quality
Made of quality pine, the structure contained in the Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit comes fully built and painted. You can be confident that it has been assembled correctly and is structurally sound. Mann Lake has built a reputation for quality, U.S.-made products, including kits like this that come ready to use.
Warranty
Items can be returned if defective or damaged upon arrival. Returns are not processed through the manufacturer from third-party sites such as Amazon. The company will determine if a refund or exchange is allowed based on returned items. Return shipping is initially the customer’s responsibility.
Only basic carpentry skills are needed to assemble this kit, which provides an affordable way to get started quickly to work with bees. It comes with the supplies and raw wooden materials plus a few basic tools. Since the materials are unfinished, painting or staining will be essential to help your unit last longer and look better.
- Bees are the only additional item required to get started
- Allows for a large colony of bees
- Money-back guarantee
- Assembly is required and vague instructions can be confusing
- Wood is unpainted, so staining or painting is required to ensure the longevity of this product
- Plastic-based foundation
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This kit comes with all the basics needed to get started (minus the bees, of course). You get two 8-frame, 6-5/8-inch wooden supers, sixteen 6-1/4 inch grooved top bar frames, and 16 sheets of plastic-based foundation. Also included are a bottom board, telescoping metal cover, inner cover, reversible entrance reducer, entrance feeder, one all-purpose hive tool, a protective veil without a hat, a pair of sting-resistant gloves, a bee smoker to calm bees, instructions for assembly, and a book titled First Lessons in Beekeeping.
Ease Of Use
It requires minimal assembly to get this unit and running. Although it is possible to leave unfinished wood panels as they are, painting or staining them will definitely prolong their useful life. Customers have noted that the assembly instructions are limited, and some found them confusing. We don’t appreciate this level of minimalism when it comes to instructions for a product’s construction and use.
Design Quality
Some customer reviews have indicated that assembly is difficult due to the raw condition of the wood pieces and minimal, unclear instructions. However, others say a little patience goes a long way and that the product simply requires some basic carpentry skills to get set up. Once assembled, it’s a sturdy product that gives the user an easy way of getting into the world of beekeeping without a high cost.
Warranty
The manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee for returns based on customer dissatisfaction.
This beekeeping supplies maker began with an Indiegogo campaign that earned more than what they were aiming for to cover startup costs. The company patented their “Flow” frame style and has created a stunning-looking beekeeping box that allows observation and less effort to extract honey than is required with other designs. Bee survival rates improve when honey can be extracted without removing the screens.
- Built with Western red cedar, an optimal material for a beekeeping hive
- Eye-catching styling and design
- Solid assembly instructions
- High cost
- Questionable warranty policy
- Few additional tools for the cost of the hive
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This hive comes as a kit, ready to assemble. It includes a screened bottom board, an inner cover, the roof, and a queen excluder. The brood box has eight standard, foundationless frames. The super comes with six flow frames, honey collecting tubes, and a flow key that you will insert to remove honey. There is an easy-to-follow manual to help the customer set each unit up quickly.
Ease Of Use
This product comes with easy-to-follow instructions, and only a bare minimum of skill is needed for complete setup. With its innovative design and included tools for fast, easy honey extraction, there is no need for a separate honey extractor. Although exposure to stings should be minimal, the company still recommends the use of a protective suit as an extra measure.
Design Quality
This unit gets 3 stars on our scale for design because it’s very eye-appealing and built with high-quality Western red cedar, which helps prevent fungus and insect infestations. Buyers should realize that the flow frames are specific to this product, so it isn’t possible to add your own. We liked that the brood box comes with 8 standard frames.
Warranty
Warranty replacement covering defects is at the discretion of the manufacturer. If they deem you are eligible for a replacement, you must first pay shipping costs to return your hive. If the items have been in contact with bees or honey, they are not considered returnable.
As the most inclusive kit on this list, this item from Goodland Bee Supply comes with most of the tools necessary to get started with keeping bees. While it doesn’t include a smoker or protective suit, it does include an extractor, something that is rare to find in beehive kits on the market. Goodland offers high-quality tools and many items needed by both new and experienced beekeepers. If you’re replacing old, worn-out tools and components, this kit should definitely come in handy as an alternative to buying each item individually.
- Includes all the essential items needed to begin beekeeping
- Good investment for the long run
- Minimal assembly required
- A beginner may not need all the accessories provided
- Assembly of frames and supers required
- No protective equipment provided
This kit includes a lot of items and excellent overall value. With a Goodland Bee Supply food-grade, 304 SS, two-frame manual honey extractor included, it is quite a find. This extractor allows for honey from two frames to be extracted at once. It includes a three-piece leg stand as well to allow for easier honey offloading. Two 3/4-inch-thick pinewood supers with joints that have been precision-milled allow for easy assembly. The company uses kiln-dried wood with minimal knots, and they work to avoid imperfections that might cause integrity issues.
Twenty 6-1/4-inch pine frames and twenty pre-waxed, bee-friendly plastic foundations are included. The foundations are Pierco-branded, and they promote optimal honey production with minimal bee rejection rates. The kit’s basic tool set includes an uncapping roller, bee smoker, honey uncapping knife, two wooden handled hive tools, frame spacers, and frame grips. You will need to buy your own protective suit if you don’t have one already.
Ease of Use
It requires some assembly with this, but the quality of parts should help so that there is no carpentry required to fit pieces together. Additional nails or screws can be added to make the unit more structurally solid, but once the bees are inside and producing honeycomb, that alone should be enough to add reinforcement.
Design Quality
Goodland Bee Supply offers quality products and parts. Since it covers the tools under warranty, it makes sense that the craftsmanship is set to a high standard to ensure lots of use out of the kit before anything wears down.
Warranty
This product is covered by a limited lifetime warranty from Goodland Bee Supply
Overall, the Mann Lake HK110 basic beekeeping starter kit offers the best combination of price, ease of use, and overall quality among these items. It is practical for new and experienced beekeepers alike. Beekeeping is a responsibility to be taken seriously, so it helps when a company provides a kit that takes away a little of the stress of undertaking a new, challenging activity. This manufacturer takes pride in craftsmanship and provides many other great products that can assist a beekeeper in keeping his or her honeybees alive and thriving for many years to come.
Last update on 2021-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API