So exactly what does the pulsator do?

Cheryl aka JM · #1 08/03/11, 02:26 PM

The vacuum pump came in today~ I hooked it up to the bucket and pulsator that I rebuilt~ calibrated the balance tank I built and played with it till I got it to a steady 15lbs on the gauge I put on the balance tank. Woo Hoo! But it doesn't look to me like that pulsator is doing anything at all. I purchased the refurbish kit for it from Hamby Dairy supply~ the instructions were confusing but I did get it taken completely apart, clean it and put back together the way it came apart. The picture on the Hamby instructions for surge pulsator show 4 washers in the Valve Carrier but mine only had three washers in there~ the metal disk (Rusty I cleaned them and lightly sanded) the leather one (replaced) and the edged one (replaced) The instructions say to "Inspect the SS Spring Washers" and shows a washer I did not have between the leather and the edged washer~ but mine did not have any in it to start with so I did not have any to put back in it. It is pulling a vacuum (I pulled a bruise onto my thumb putting it in the teat cup and playing with the adjusting screw).

So ~ What exactly does the pulsator do? It's kind of hard to decide if it is working or not as I've never seen one work and I'm not entirely sure how I would be able to tell it is working.

DaleK · #2 08/03/11, 02:36 PM

Stick your finger in a teat cup when the milker is hooked up. If the inflations are opening and squeezing, the pulsator is working (simple answer, the ratios might or might not be right but that's more advanced). If the inflations don't squeeze and relax, it isn't pulsating.

Cheryl aka JM · #3 08/03/11, 02:40 PM

Squezing...no relaxing. So it's not working. Thats what I suspected but like I said I've never seen one used before so what seemed like it should be might not be so. Now I've got to figure out why no pulse.....

Cheryl aka JM · #4 08/03/11, 05:57 PM

more research and hooking it up to my thumb again~ I think the valve carrier is supposed to move. Nothing is moving on my pulsator. I'm going to take it apart again and see if polishing the inside of the valve carrier will allow it to move.

Madsaw · #5 08/03/11, 10:07 PM

You will need to make sure you have the valves in teh correct spots under the slid saddles. Also with a freash rebuild you may need to open the speed valve wide open and force the slide saddle with your finger nail back and forth to get them going.
If I remeber it in the morn I will try my new smart phone and do a vid of them working. Been around these units all my life. You can actually back your vaccuum off to 13or a hair less. Its easier on the cows. We have been running ours at 10.5.
Bob

Cheryl aka JM · #6 08/04/11, 09:15 AM

I'm still experimenting with it~ so it's not been on the cow and at 15 I have pulled quite a bruise into both my thumbs testing it and that hurts! I will definitely try less than 15 on the cow! I think I have figured out that the carriage in front must move because moving it manually causes the teat cup to squeeze and release. But I don't know if that back carriage does anything~ and that front carriage is not going to move without some serious pushing on it. I tried. I've got another pulsator out now and am playing with it~ seems to be the same problem that carriage is hard for me to move manually and the pump is not causing it to move. I'm re-cleaning to be SURE all the air pinholes are clear....
and I'm frustrated.
Maybe I have to buy one someone else refurbished already? I wanted to use that thing today but more than that I wanted to fix it~ not pay someone else to.

Cheryl aka JM · #7 08/04/11, 09:38 AM

I DID IT!! We have pulse!! Both carriages move!! I think I didn't have all the ports as clean as I thought i did cuz when I went back and recleaned them all....it pulses!!

Wow I'm proud of myself!
Next as soon as the rain stops we will see if Bessie kills me for putting that thing on her! LOL!
IT PULSES!!!

THANK YOU for the help!!!!

BlackWillowFarm · #8 08/04/11, 10:10 AM

Just a note: your vacuum should be in the -13 range for milking.

Anything higher can damage the teats.

Mine bounces between -12 and -13 when the machine is on the cow.

Cheryl aka JM · #9 08/04/11, 10:20 AM

15 will damage a thumb so I'm sure it will damage a teat! Wow my thumbs hurt!

**gone-a-milkin** · #10 08/05/11, 10:13 PM

Hey Cheryl, did you get your milker up and running?
I have absolute faith in your abilities.

Also, how is your other preg heifer coming along? I was thinking the 2 must be close to eachother, breeding-wise.

An aside: It is an classic joke to DARE a teenage boy to put the milking claw onto an area of skin, and then laugh at them for weeks while the milker hickeys heal up.
Par for the course in dairy humor.

Cheryl aka JM · #11 08/06/11, 09:19 AM

I got it up and I got pictures! I'm so proud of myself! I'm gonna try to get the pictures up today but I am again falling victim to Butfirst disease~ I'm gonna do that But First......

The other girl hasn't even bagged up. Only reason I'm sure she is pregnant is the blood test I sent in came back positive. I'll try to take a picture of her too.

I can see the hickey being a real problem...and having raised two teenage boys I can imagine.... LOL! My 19 year old is no ones fool though~ he watched me play with that milker~ stick my left thumb in a teat cup ~ adjust a knob~ stick my right thumb in another teat cup.....and then he started snickering. Took ME a minute to realize I was now essentially trapped in a giant electric Chinese finger trap.

Jennifer L. · #12 08/08/11, 08:16 AM

What does a pulsator do? Interesting question. My first thought is what everyone else said, but do you know what a pulsator really does? It provides the rhythm for your life. As long as you have cows around as milkers, you will hear their rhythm. Congratulations.

Jennifer