# reconditioned surge belly milker (pics)



## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I finally got pictures online. I didn't think to take any before pictures of the milker~ but basically it was just VERY dirty and the hoses and inflations were rotten. I put $75 into the new parts for the milker and the pulsator, another $138 into the pump and I scrounged the rest of the parts from around the house and garage~ so it's not pretty.....but it works well and it only cost me $213.

Here is the whole set up~ the pump is tied to the bottom of the dolly~ I'm using a mason jar covered with duct tape (in case the jar breaks it won't shatter glass all over) above the pump as the balance tank. I used hot glue around the pressure gauge and the hoses to seal the balance tank. I made a home made strap to hang the milker on the cow that is hanging on the dolly with a lead, a anti-kick bar (working up my nerve not to use the bar for long) and I zip tied a plastic coffee cup on the dolly to hold the udder cream.









This is a picture looking down at the balance tank









This one is on Bessy wearing the hole contraption and being milked (she is such a good girl!)









This is looking more closely at the belly milker









And here is three half gallon jars of milk (I can't really seem to decide when to stop milking~ right now we are going with I stop when Bessie gets antsy to go and I usually get one and a half to two gallons of milk on once a day milking while her calf is on her 24/7. I mostly am milking to keep her in milk until I can get some more calves to put on her but we are enjoying all the milk too....the pigs really are happy about it!)









And Bessy mugging for the camera~ "All done where is my cookie?"


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## Nicole Irene (Jun 12, 2011)

That is almost exactly us! DH made our milker and we bought the Surge belly milker. We milk once a day and get between 1.5-2 gallons/day. We are not quite sure when to stop, either. She has a calf on her 24/7 so, vet said don't worry about mastitis.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Great job! Duct tape and zip ties, yep. Only thing I dont see is some baling twine wrapped around something to complete the set-up. 

Bessie looks like she is adjusting nicely to the routine. 

Extra points for the peacock being in the pic.


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## pfaubush (Aug 17, 2009)

What are you using to strap it to her? They want too much for the strap and bar thing, so I'm using a concrete vent block and setting it on top of that.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

pfaubush said:


> What are you using to strap it to her? They want too much for the strap and bar thing, so I'm using a concrete vent block and setting it on top of that.


My grandma had a piece of foam rubber out of a couch cushion that she used for years. (much lighter than a cinderblock)


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## pfaubush (Aug 17, 2009)

Yes, I'm tired of lugging that thing in and out of the stanchion! I'll have to see what I have laying around here!


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

Ok folks. to all that are wondering about the straps. New ones still can be bought. The last one I got was $19.00. They have a series of holes in them to adjust the level at which the milker hangs. By you picture you can drop you milker down some more. It should hang level under the cow to a point. Some cows I hang the milker to where it actually pulls down a bit by having the front of the milker( thepart toward her front legs) tilted down.
As to when to stop. Well the best way to discribe it is when you first put the milker on pull down on the teat cup between the shell and the lid. You sort of pinch and pulll down at the same time. You pinch the inflation with your thumb tip against you index finger. Yes it will kill your thumb till your used to it. Or you can also use the side of the thumb against the index finger too. Yes this will build your thumb up nice and strong. Never thumb wrestle a old time farmer!! I will see what I can do for pics of milking tomorrow.
Antoher thought too. If you experince alot of inflation slippage you may need to go to narrow bore inflations. They are designed for the smaller teats and milk them out better. For the narrow bores you will need a smaller set of shells for them too. If anyone needs small or big shells let me know. Got a few extra sets of each.
Bob


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

Thanks all! Pics of that would be great for a lot of us I think Madsaw~ thank you very much!

I actually have dropped the milker some~ i've been playing with exactly where to hang it and lower does seem to make her more comfortable. I'm using a sliding ratchet strap with a loop tied onto the end to hook the j hook on as the belly strap. That way I can change how high it is pretty easily and when I'm done I can pull the j hook and slowly lower the whole thing to the ground underneath her. 

Yeah~ the peacock was very interested in watching me rig that thing onto Bessy! Nosy bird!


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I think I have a bunch of milker straps in the barn, I just couldn`t throw them away when Dad quit milking cows. Any one interested in one just let me know, all you would have to do is pay for the shipping and maybe a bit of gas to get them to the poost office. > Thanks Marc


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## SGFarm (Apr 26, 2008)

I just today put my order in at portable milker for the surge bucket rebuild kit and they straps (which I tried to buy) are on backorder. 

Are you willing to ship to Canada? Do you have a paypal account? 

Thanks 

Mike


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I've got a strap that is working for me so let others go first~ but if you have any left after that I wouldn't mind having a correct strap and I'd love to buy one. Thanks Mark!


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

nice set up 

personally I'd find a collector willing to pay good money for that old hanging bucket and invest in a decent floor bucket.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Where did you get your pump Cheryl? And can you explain the parts I'd need to make the balance tank/jar?


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I can explain but understand I've only been using this thing for a week...I may not have found all the bugs yet....

This is the pump I got~ I paid $138 total after shipping for it~ it came very fast. It does the job~ but it gets pretty hot doing it. I think I will run into trouble if I try to do the goats or my other cow when she freshens without giving the pump a break between animals

http://www.automotivetoolsonline.co...CUUM-PUMP-SINGLE-STAGE-MA90066-A_p_14848.html

My balance tank is a 2 qt mason jar wrapped in duct tape. I took a canning lid and drilled three holes in it~ one for the vacuum tube in, one for the vacuum tube out and one for the vacuum pressure gauge (I got the gauge off a little hand pump I had been using for a little hand goat milker~ I got that at a auto parts store too ~originally intended for bleeding brakes~ so I would look there if I needed another) I put a bead of hot glue around the inside and outside of each hole after I put the tubes and/or base of the gauge through the lid. Slipped the hoses through a canning ring~ fastened the rig onto the canning jar and so far it seems to be working. I got a little milk in it this morning when Bessy ran out of grain and kicked the milker off herself (bad cow) but because of the balance tank I didn't get any milk in the pump it got caught in the balance tank and I was able to clean it up pretty easily.

If your feeling like a drive your welcome to come up and check it out~ I'll let you milk Bessy and teach you to hand milk the goats (yeah....I'll LET you like I'm not always looking for someone else who can do this stuff if I wind up injured again! LOL!)


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Cheryl aka JM said:


> I can explain but understand I've only been using this thing for a week...I may not have found all the bugs yet....
> 
> This is the pump I got~ I paid $138 total after shipping for it~ it came very fast. It does the job~ but it gets pretty hot doing it. I think I will run into trouble if I try to do the goats or my other cow when she freshens without giving the pump a break between animals
> 
> ...


I have one of those brake bleeder pumps, I'm using it with the "cup" from the UdderlyEZ and milking into a mason jar. This sounds easy enough, THANK YOU! One question, without vacuum exchange thing, how are you adjusting the vacuum to stay under 15?


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

The vacuum pump I bought has two different sized hose ports. I have a line running to my balance tank on one of them~ the other one I tighten or loosen the cap on it to release some vacuum pressure as needed till I can get it to balance between 11 and 13 when the pulsator is running. Then when I'm done milking I completely unscrew the cap on the extra port so the vacuum is completely released. That way I can slip my thumb between the teat cup and bessys teat without yanking her teat so much.


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## R.Adams (Sep 21, 2004)

You may want to consider changing your ballat tank from your mason jar to a large pvc pipe. With ends capped they makea great ballast tank and you don't have to worry about anything breaking and you would have a much larger reservoir than a mason jar can provide.


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## mozarkian (Dec 11, 2009)

I handmilk, but am always interested in seeing the different milker set-ups as we would have to do that if we add more cows later. Cheryl, nice set-up, really like how creative you were to save $$, but I am also impressed by the fact that the concrete under Bessie is clean and poop free! None of my 3 let it fly during the actual milking, but the ornery one will do it as soon as she is untied EVERY time, just to show me she can... Give Bessie an extra cookie!


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

ound: Cheryl has a pressure washer. (Not saying Bessy did, just why Cheryl's not paranoid about it)

So, how do you put the hoses on pvc?


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## R.Adams (Sep 21, 2004)

You put a stall cock on it. You would just drill a hole the correct diameter than I use pipe thread that you use for water and then screw it in and silicone seal it all up. The hose goes on the stall cock. Here is what i'm talking about 

http://www.partsdeptonline.com/cgi-...oduct=20&cart_id=7336634.26504&exact_match=on


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

If I get a chance to score the parts cheap I might just do that thanks for the idea! As it is the mason jar is working~ it's not a standard mason jar it's a 1/2 gallon jar~ and the mason jar didn't cost me anything. I have so many projects I need to do and while it may not be that much more it's just not a priority right now.

Bessie DID leave a deposit on the driveway once so far~ but luckily only the one time so far. And luckily the weather has been cooperating for me to do the milking out in the driveway so far. I need a stanchion but thats another thing I'm going to have to build. Another member here offered to sell me one for a very reasonable price but thats another thing I need but am going to have to figure out how to do on the cheap.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Cheryl aka JM said:


> If I get a chance to score the parts cheap I might just do that thanks for the idea! As it is the mason jar is working~ it's not a standard mason jar it's a 1/2 gallon jar~ and the mason jar didn't cost me anything. I have so many projects I need to do and while it may not be that much more it's just not a priority right now.
> 
> Bessie DID leave a deposit on the driveway once so far~ but luckily only the one time so far. And luckily the weather has been cooperating for me to do the milking out in the driveway so far. I need a stanchion but thats another thing I'm going to have to build. Another member here offered to sell me one for a very reasonable price but thats another thing I need but am going to have to figure out how to do on the cheap.


I built mine for the cost of two 2x6x8' boards and a 2x4x8', plus 8 lag screws, 2 long bolts with nuts, and 2 more long bolts with or without nuts. I already had poles to attach it to in my barn. This won't be my forever stanchion, but for right now, it's serving its purpose.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I don't have a barn. And I'm incredibly jealous of yours! I do have a barn like building I put up~ but no power or water out there~ just a shelter for the chickens and goats. Nothing as nice as your pic!

I currently keep my goat stand on my front porch and milk there. I'm planning to build a portable stanchion on skids with a small roof for the cows. I'm thinking 6'X3' and 6'tall. Topside (member name) offered to sell me a pretty nice one that I could have put a roof on several months ago and I really wanted it~ but I broke my hip and somehow getting a stanchion wasn't so important to me. Hip surgery is expensive even with insurance so now I'm trying to pinch every penny~ so I'm thinking of building one myself now. I'm thinking with something like his, with skids and a roof, I could move it around the property until I find the perfect spot for it. Right now I'm thinking that might be off the far side of my porch~ wouldn't be too visibly in the way over there, I would have access to the covered porch for my things, electricity for the pump and water for clean up when needed. If I build it on skids then I can change my mind and move it if that proves to not be an easy spot to work in.


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## Catalytic (Sep 15, 2010)

Cheryl aka JM said:


> I don't have a barn. And I'm incredibly jealous of yours! I do have a barn like building I put up~ but no power or water out there~ just a shelter for the chickens and goats. Nothing as nice as your pic!
> 
> I currently keep my goat stand on my front porch and milk there. I'm planning to build a portable stanchion on skids with a small roof for the cows. I'm thinking 6'X3' and 6'tall. Topside (member name) offered to sell me a pretty nice one that I could have put a roof on several months ago and I really wanted it~ but I broke my hip and somehow getting a stanchion wasn't so important to me. Hip surgery is expensive even with insurance so now I'm trying to pinch every penny~ so I'm thinking of building one myself now. I'm thinking with something like his, with skids and a roof, I could move it around the property until I find the perfect spot for it. Right now I'm thinking that might be off the far side of my porch~ wouldn't be too visibly in the way over there, I would have access to the covered porch for my things, electricity for the pump and water for clean up when needed. If I build it on skids then I can change my mind and move it if that proves to not be an easy spot to work in.


Mine didn't start out as a barn, but just a roof with a bunch of junk left by the previous owners. If you want to see the before and after pics, I posted it on BYC. Right now I have cattle panel in front of the double doors and the side door, but the chickies will need their coop back in the next week or so, so I have to build some stalls in there for the moos. It has been empty for a few weeks in an attempt to eradicate frickin' mycoplasma. Having NPIP come after we put the new chicks in there, and if any test positive, I'm culling completely. (BTW, I absolutely LOVE our state vet labs, the people that work at them are fantastic in my experience!)

The stanchion i posted is temporary, it may even come down next week when I put the stalls in, depending on whether hubby balks at me closing in that much of it for the cow(s). I was really frustrated with my girl's horns, and I really wanted to get a halter on her, so I built that so I could take care of those things ASAP. My grass is getting pretty deep, so i want to get her trained to lead (I think we've got her trained to electric now, she literally runs when she sees the polywire in our hands) so I can start moving her around the front yard to mow, while I let the fertilizer in the backyard work in.

I am planning to build something like Topside's stanchion for in the future, but higher off the ground. I may put something like mower wheels on it so it's mobile, but that may be beyond my limited realm of expertise LOL. Right now, i milk the goat (WHEN I milk her) on a PVC stanchion on the back porch. Once I get a milk machine, though, I plan to do it all in the shed, unless DH is calm about me putting a huge stanchion on the back porch. I figure on windy winter days, though, the shed will be a bit warmer.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Wow, a milking machine AND concrete? Tres chic! :grin:

I just milk by hand in the pasture. Thinking of tying my Jersey up at the wash rack we made for the horses. That way when she gets antsy and starts to paw with her front feet, she won't be able to kick dust all over her freshly washed udder.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Isn't it amazing how much manure those little ladies can make when they get antsy while waiting on you to finish up. You either keep shoveling that high-dollar feed to them or get quacomole on the floor and ground all around you. 

Great looking milk setup!


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