After protective clothing, I have found this to be the next most important item to have. When I first started beekeeping, I was advised to buy as large a smoker as I could afford, and also to avoid tin (which has a very limited life span). I was also advised to buy either a smoker made copper or stainless steel construction.

I considered the options and eventually decided to buy a large copper smoker which I still have and which is still in good working condition, some 10 years later. I may add that it is battered/dented but still working. However, a few years ago, I invested in a arge stainless steel model and this is the one that I now use the most as it is much more durable than copper.

I believe that the advice I was given still stands, as a small smoker naturally does not stay alight for very long without constant attention, and is not therefore very reliable.

So, I would advise anyone taking up beekeeping to buy the best equipment and tools that you can afford at the time; it will be a wise investment. The KEY word here is confidence and I discovered that having the right equipment at the very beginning helped me to be in control of the bees.
Don't panic:-)

Fuel...
After years of constantly trying an assortment of materials, I now always use the following 'ingredients' to fuel the smoker:

Egg cartons without any of the plastic label. (Must be really dry - keep it in the house/airing cupboard or glasshouse)

Small chunks of rotten wood

Instructions
First make sure that the inside of the smoker is clean, scrape away as much
of the 'tar' as you can from inside the spout. (The smell from this residue is disgusting, so imagine how the poor bee feels)!

(A method of cleaning smokers is to pour boiling water over the "tar" build up, which helps to soften it, so  it can then removed with a scourer)
Tip courtesy of Don Nairn

Then, light the newspaper and insert a small quantity loosely into the smoker, followed by 'chunks' of the broken up egg carton. (Nb. Best not to use the lid of the egg carton as the plastic label will contain chemical residues, harmful to the bees.)
This will allow much more air inside for better combustion.

Give it a couple of puffs, then loosely fill up the smoker with the bits of rotten wood. If all is well, the smoker should now be working very well indeed. I also sometimes add a mixture of dried up orange peel, a couple of sprigs of rosemary/lavender and/or other sweet smelling herbs.

I find that these extra 'natural' ingredients lend a much more pleasant odour to the smoke which then seems not quite so objectionable to the bees!


Use as little smoke as possible, in fact you could try gently removing
the cover board first, without using the smoker at all, just to see
what mood they are in, you may sometimes be pleasantly
surprised to find that no smoke is required.

(Always have your Smoker lit though and close to hand in case you do need it)

However, if the bees are positioned on the frames with their tails exposed...
then beware. If it is necessary to use smoke, use as little as possible, and always direct it across the top of the frames, never down into the brood chamber which will only cause a mass exodus of bees from the front entrance of the hive.

Important
I tend to think that every bee counts, so I try very hard to avoid crushing any bees when replacing the excluder, super or cover board. A slight application of smoke does the trick and leaves the way clear to replace the above items. Gently 'slide' the super or cover board into place in order to give any stragglers a chance to fly out of harms way.

Remember:
Dead bees may still release an alarm scent the next time you open the hive, which is a good reason to try and avoid killing them!

I also use a small puff of smoke to clear the top bars of bees before scraping away the accumulated wax. Tip - A paint scraper works very well for this job and a wide one will do more than one frame at a time!

I have seen some 'so called experienced' beekeepers scraping away this wax, quite oblivious to the poor bees which are still there, these same people then wonder why the temperament of the bees has changed the next time they open up the hive!