Small milking machines?

[tinknal]

Any advise here? I found this on ebay, any comments?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Complete-milker-...QQcmdZViewItem

[RockyGlen]

We just bought a small milker from Parts Department. It came earlier this week. Our milking time went from 45 minutes to 6 minutes for two cows. It looks similar to that one, but not the same.

The hardest part is cleaning it. We have hot water and a large sink right there in the milk shed, so it's not too bad.

The nice thing is that my disabled MIL can milk now if we want to go somewhere. She knows animals and milked for years, but her RA would not allow her to milk by hand anymore.

[sugarbush]

I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a milking machine. The old pail milkers are a dime per dozen and are easy to convert for goats.
http://cgi.ebay.com/milker-pail-cow-...QQcmdZViewItem
The vaccum pump is nice to have, but not needed......you can use a gas fired tractor or truck.......remove one spark plug and tread a pipe fitting in its place. the vaccum from the piston will run the pail milker.

Cleaning is easy also...... just lengthen the milk lines so the shells and liners can be submerged into a pail of bleach water.....it will suck the water in cleaning the tubing...... then shake the bucket around and dump.

[sammyd]

Since the cycle of a combustion engine runs suck squeeze bang blow, how would removing a spark plug run a milker? You are creating pressure as well as vacuum with that method.

Better to drill and tap a hole in the intake manifold.

[sugarbush]

The vaccum pump for a milker is the same thing....a piston moving back and forth. Without the spark plug you only have compression and decompression........ Probably would work even better with a one way check valve in the line, but it works fine without it. The drill and tap method that you describe would probably be better if somebody has the skill and don't mind altering their intake. Shop around for a vaccum pump, they can be had alot cheaper than what that ebay listing wants for that one.

[sammyd]

Screwing a pipe into a spark plug hole seems a waste of time and very dangerous. Without a check valve you will be blowing the fuel/air mixture into your milking equipment every time the cylinder in on the compression stroke. No way would I want that happening in my equipment.
And on the intake stroke your vacuum will be less due to the fact the the intake valve is open on the engine.
Seems very foolish and uneconomical.

[Alex]

I heard that was the regular vacuum pump pressure used for milking machine operation.

Easy-street we were headed for, was our thought, when we found for fifteen dollars, an automated milking machine. Though it normally needed a vacuum pump to operate, we found-out we could get a few pipe fittings, and connect the milking machine to the intake manifold of our truck. We did not have power, so the vacuum pump would not be a good option. But, when we found out about the intake manifold idea, we were ready.

I got all the parts, and screwed them into a threaded, existing, connection on the manifold, connected the milking machine and – wow it worked! Cows loved it too.

We milked four cows that way for two years. It worked terrificaly, no problems. None. We used our 1965 Ford F-150: There was a pipe plug in the manifold. It was easy.

If you have power a vacuum pump is the way to go.

Enjoy,

Alex

[ace admirer]

yeah, its the vacuum produced by an idleing carburator equiped engine. the vacuum is accesed between the carb. throttle plate and the intake valve....somewhere on the maniford is the usual place.....diesel engines will not work...they don't develope a vacuum.

[sugarbush]

If you are going to use the intake all you need to do is unplug the brake cylinder vacuum hose and use that.......just plug it back in before moving the vehicle Actually would be the simplest solution.

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by RockyGlen

We just bought a small milker from Parts Department. It came earlier this week. Our milking time went from 45 minutes to 6 minutes for two cows. It looks similar to that one, but not the same.

The hardest part is cleaning it. We have hot water and a large sink right there in the milk shed, so it's not too bad.

The nice thing is that my disabled MIL can milk now if we want to go somewhere. She knows animals and milked for years, but her RA would not allow her to milk by hand anymore.

Do you have a link for that company?

[RockyGlen]

partsdeptonline.com

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by RockyGlen

partsdeptonline.com

Thanks!

[tinknal]

Well, I pulled the trigger, so to speak and bought the unit on ebay. $724, shipped.

[Trisha-MN]

We also recently got a milk machine from Parts Dept for our dairy goats. We were hand milking 28 does twice a day! We have been more than pleased with the machine we got and their support and patience when we were asking questions before ordering was helpful too.