# What's the best kind of milking machine?



## happydog (May 7, 2008)

Do any of you use a portable milker on your cow(s)? Looks like I'm going to need to get to get one. What's the easiest kind to use and clean up? Where's a good place to buy them?

Thanks.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I have a Surge belly milker. It is portable and I love it. I am not currently using it, because the cow I am milking is an easy milker and I share with her calf. I wouldn't sell it though because you never know when it will come in handy. I got mine from an ebay merchant. Here is a link to a dealer:

http://www.portablemilkers.com/page/page/1576325.htm


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I've got an old Universal brand milker I picked up on ebay a while back. I've decided it's a real pain in the backside to buy an older brand that's not new with ready available replacement parts. I did get it going with a lot of advice from UpNorth and MyersFarm, but whenever it gives me trouble I have to either "manufacture" or search for days online to find the correct parts to fix it. It's even hard to find replacement inflations and air hoses. 

I'd definetely reccomend something deleval or surge brand as long as you check on the availability of replacement parts before you buy.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I use a DeLaval floor milker with an Interpuls pulsator and I couldn't be happier. I have my vacuum pump set at 15hg.

I was using a Surge bucket jimmy-rigged with a DeLaval claw, but my cow kept getting mastitis. Now that I've switched to this set up, the milk filter is as clean as can be.

Very happy with my setup. I bought mine off an ad on Craigslist, but the milker came from a guy on E-Bay, Perrys Milkers.

There is also a person on the "Keeping a Family Cow" forum who makes and sells milkers too.

They all take some care in cleaning to keep the milk fresh, but your milk will be so much cleaner than if you hand milk, to me it's worth it.


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

I use a Universal. I can still get parts around here, so I don't know what problems Francis has. Mine works fine on goats and cows. I still remember the first time I used it- We had a Jersey/Holstein cross freshen and he calf couldn't keep up with the milk. Fearing an onset of mastitis I hand milked her. Once we got beyond the "kick his head in" phase things went okay....seemed like forever, and that was the right side. I still had the other 2 quarters to do. There I was thinking since I was hand milking 30+ goats at the time that I was in shape for this. HAH!!! That night my father in law held the flashlight while I search for all the pieces to a Universal bucket milker I'd bought years before. Got the pump too, thank goodness. It wouldn't hold vacuum so after milking the next AM I went to a neighboring dairyman and he helped me get things set up right. He had a bunch of buckets (mine had a ripple in the top that leaked) and lubed up my pulsator better. Then he told me about the vacuum control I needed. I knew a guy that had one and grabbed it quick. That night, with brand new inflations and hoses we hooked her up. My FIL and I just stood there smiling while the cow chewed hay and the bucket filled and filled and then we emptied the bucket and got another gallon or so!!! No wonder my arms were tired. 

The cow went to my neighbor when I realized I was throwing 6-7 gallons of milk to the pigs every day because we just couldn't use so much. She milked there for 10 years before she fell and hurt her hip too bad to stand anymore. Good cow. Great milker.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Any milker is great when it works.

Most older vacuum pumps are impossible to find parts for. You can probably find bearings OK but vanes for some or pistons for others may be an issue.
Hard to find parts for old bucket top Universal pulsators. Some places don't make gaskets for certain claws anymore.....
Find something that is all together and working decently when you get it and take care of it.
Find a local dairy equipment company or 2 or 3 and see what they have in the used pile. Stop in every month or so. 
A DeLeval bucket with the Interpuls pulsator stuck on top is a pretty good combo from what I've gathered, and most any parts place can get parts for the Interpuls, you can even order them online. (Being an old service guy I recommend buying from a local store though)
They all clean up about the same. Get a good brush to scrub the claw and shells and the bucket. Get an inflation brush and a hose snake/brush. Use a good quality milking equipment detergent and acid rinse.

We use a DeLeval floor bucket a Universal 3 HP pump (which you can't get vanes for anymore) a Sentinel vacuum controller and a Universal 6000 pulsator which is electronic.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I`m with Sam, any milker that works is great. I have used both Surge and DeLaval, and I like my Delaval milkers, mostly because they don`t hang on the cow and have to pull that much milk out from under her all the time. But find a newer model, mine are older and are hard to find parts for. Good luck, thanks Marc


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

Whole lotta supplies here- http://www.partsdeptonline.com/


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