Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2012 23:27:45 GMT -5
We recently bought our first milking machine. We're totally new to them although not new to milking or dairy, just have always done things the old fashioned way. Well, we've had this machine a few weeks and our first cow calved last week. We excitedly hooked the machine up for the first time and it seemed to be working great for a couple of minutes, then the pump just turned itself off. It was hot. After about 3 minutes, it kicked back on but this time only ran for a minute or so, then off for 5 minutes... then on for 30 seconds, off for 6 minutes... we (hubby, myself and the cow) were NOT amused!
We've fiddled with it trying to figure out what may be wrong but honestly have NO experience with these things so we're just working off guesses, common sense and DHs ability to fix things.
Tonight, DH moved the pulsator manually as the person we bought it from said that may be the problem is we didn't have it set right... while I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not, the pump stayed on for a full 5 or so minutes before shutting off but when it did shut off, it was hotter than ever before.
We didn't pay much for this set up and I'm wondering if we might be better off selling for a small profit and buying something else? We haven't gotten it set up the way we need yet, so it is still set up to only milk one goat but the inflations fit our jersey so we're milking 2 teats at a time and she's got 3 calves on her part time. Second cow is calving any minute (literally) and I am not looking forward to having to milk them both by hand so would like to get this figured out. It is a surge milker, surge pulsator, dairyland porta vac pump.
Also, over the first few days, it seemed to be losing suction but tonight, before it died, suction seemed pretty good and it got more milk than it ever had before. Before I buy the other parts needed for it to milk either 2 goats or one cow at a time, I'd like to know we're keeping it. Otherwise, I will buy from someone else who currently has a complete system almost just the same but with a new pump and all new lines and inflations for not too much more $$$.
Thanks for any insight!
We've fiddled with it trying to figure out what may be wrong but honestly have NO experience with these things so we're just working off guesses, common sense and DHs ability to fix things.
Tonight, DH moved the pulsator manually as the person we bought it from said that may be the problem is we didn't have it set right... while I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not, the pump stayed on for a full 5 or so minutes before shutting off but when it did shut off, it was hotter than ever before.
We didn't pay much for this set up and I'm wondering if we might be better off selling for a small profit and buying something else? We haven't gotten it set up the way we need yet, so it is still set up to only milk one goat but the inflations fit our jersey so we're milking 2 teats at a time and she's got 3 calves on her part time. Second cow is calving any minute (literally) and I am not looking forward to having to milk them both by hand so would like to get this figured out. It is a surge milker, surge pulsator, dairyland porta vac pump.
Also, over the first few days, it seemed to be losing suction but tonight, before it died, suction seemed pretty good and it got more milk than it ever had before. Before I buy the other parts needed for it to milk either 2 goats or one cow at a time, I'd like to know we're keeping it. Otherwise, I will buy from someone else who currently has a complete system almost just the same but with a new pump and all new lines and inflations for not too much more $$$.
Thanks for any insight!