InstantVap Sizer: Which Oxalic Acid Vaporizer Do You Need?
Not sure which oxalic acid vaporizer you need? Answer a few questions about your apiary and the InstantVap Sizer recommends a model, tells you how many batteries to carry, estimates how long a treatment round will take, and totals the oxalic acid you'll use in a season. Built by Lorob Bees, the primary US seller of the InstantVap, from the same numbers we use when a customer calls and asks "which one?"
Tool InstantVap Sizer
All four models on your operation
| Model | Price | Time per round | Hives per charge | Batteries per yard | Fit |
|---|
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How the sizer decides
Every InstantVap runs on the same EPA-registered oxalic acid, adjusts from 1 to 4 g with a tool-free plunger, and carries the same two-year warranty with stateside service. What separates the four models is speed, battery draw and features, so the sizer weighs three things:
- Hive count. Up to about 20 hives, the Lite does everything a backyard beekeeper needs. From 20 to 60, the Compact and Original cycle fast enough that a full yard is a short morning. Past 60, or when you're running a summer series every three days, the Turbo's 10-second dose is the difference between an hour and half a day.
- Doses per season. Hives × treatments per year. A 15-hive yard on a summer every-3-days routine vaporizes more often than a 40-hive yard that only treats in the broodless window, so the sizer looks at total doses, not just hive count.
- What you told us matters. "Fastest" pushes up a model, "lightest" pushes toward the Lite, and "accessory ecosystem" points at the Original, the unit the widest range of adapters and cases were designed around.
How we estimate time and battery life
The numbers below are measured on our own units and rounded conservatively. Cold weather, a tired battery and a 4 g dose all slow things down, so treat the estimates as planning figures rather than promises.
| Model | 2 g dose | 4 g dose | Reheat between hives | Battery it likes | Hives per amp-hour (2 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 25–30 s | ~90 s | ~40 s | 3 Ah or larger | ~8 |
| Compact | ~25 s | ~45 s | ~15 s | 5 Ah or larger | ~7 |
| Original | ~25 s | ~45 s | ~15 s | 5 Ah or larger (about 44 hives at 2 g on a 6 Ah) | ~7 |
| Turbo | ~10 s | ~20 s | ~8 s | 5 Ah or larger | ~7 |
We add about 35 seconds per hive for sealing the entrance, inserting the nozzle and moving to the next colony. A 4 g dose uses roughly twice the battery of a 2 g dose. The oxalic acid total is simply hives × treatments × dose, converted to 400 g bags of EZ-OX; past about 1.2 kg a season the 5 lb bucket is cheaper per gram.
Ryobi owners: the Lite, Compact and Original accept Ryobi ONE+ batteries through the Ryobi adapter on a DeWalt-socket unit. The Turbo draws too much current for the adapter, so if the sizer recommends a Turbo you'll want a DeWalt, Milwaukee or Makita battery for it.
Frequently asked questions
How many hives can I treat on one battery?
It depends on the model, the dose and the battery. As a planning figure, an InstantVap Original treats about 44 hives at 2 g on a 6 Ah DeWalt, which works out to roughly 7 hives per amp-hour. A 4 g dose uses about twice the energy, so halve that. The Lite draws less current and gets closer to 8 hives per amp-hour on a 3 Ah battery. Cold weather lowers all of these numbers.
Which InstantVap is best for a beginner with 2 or 3 hives?
The InstantVap Lite. It is the lightest, least expensive unit and it heats as soon as you connect a battery, so there is nothing to learn. If you expect to grow past 20 hives in the next few years, the Compact is the model that grows with you.
Do I need a Turbo for 30 hives?
No. Between 20 and 60 hives the Compact or Original will do a full yard in well under an hour. The Turbo earns its price when you run a summer series every three days, treat more than 60 hives, or simply want the fastest 2 g dose available (about 10 seconds) with a live temperature readout.
Will my DeWalt 20V MAX battery work on an 18V InstantVap?
Yes. DeWalt's 20V MAX and everyone else's 18V are the same lithium cells; DeWalt quotes the peak voltage and the others quote the nominal. Every InstantVap is sold with a DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ridgid, Bosch or Metabo HPT socket, and Ryobi ONE+ works through an adapter on DeWalt-socket Lite, Compact and Original units.
How much oxalic acid will I use in a season?
Hives × treatments × dose. Ten hives treated six times a year at 2 g per brood box in double-deep colonies (4 g) is 240 g, less than one 400 g bag of EZ-OX. The sizer does this math for you and suggests bags or a 5 lb bucket.
Is the sizer's recommendation a sales pitch?
It is the same answer we give on the phone. Roughly: Lite up to 20 hives, Compact or Original from 20 to 60, Turbo above that or for anyone running a summer every-3-days routine. If you tell the tool you want value, it will not push you up a model you don't need.
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Related reading
- InstantVap Lite vs Compact vs Original vs Turbo: the full spec comparison
- How much oxalic acid per hive, and when
- The oxalic acid treatment schedule, month by month
- How to use an oxalic acid vaporizer safely
- Which oxalic acid to use for bees
- InstantVap vs ProVap vs Varrox Eddy
Ready to treat?
Shop the InstantVap Lite, Compact, Original and Turbo, EPA-registered EZ-OX oxalic acid, the Easy-Check mite wash and a full-face respirator. Two-year warranty, serviced in the USA by Lorob Bees.
General beekeeping information from Lorob Bees, not a substitute for a product label or your state apiary inspector. Always read and follow the label of any product you use in a hive.