For the Hobbyists with a maximum of 10 colonies
A good extractor would be one that can fit 3 frames at a time.
The small beekeeper with 10 to 50 colonies
This type of beekeeper is more demanding when compared to the hobbyist. An ideal extractor would be one that is motorized. An efficient self-turning extractor which is reliable and fast is a must. It must also be able to hold at least 4 deep frames or 8 shallow frames at time.
Commercial beekeeper with up to 200 colonies
Once your bee farm has up to 200 colonies, you would prefer big radial extractors with a capacity of 36 to 60 frames. Alternatively, a self-turning extractor that has 12 to 16 frames will be fine. Most beekeepers in this category in utilize a self-turning extractor. This may be attributed to the fact that they have bigger frame sizes and the honey viscosity is higher. As for the radial extractors, they work best on shallow frames.
The industrial beekeeping entity with more than 200 colonies
At this level, the work peaks are extremely demanding and thus several people work during the season. Semi or fully automatic uncapping machines are used in these apiaries. They also use complete honey extracting lines. These lines are designed with an automatic, efficient uncapping machine in addition to a semiautomatic conveyor that lead to a horizontal extractor with a capacity of a minimum of 60 frames. This type of machine saves time and substantially minimizes human labor.