Suggestions for scraping slats

C0N0R

Hi, me father is getting on in years and would like to get some easier way or scraping the slats when he is getting the cows out for milking. Currently we have a scraper you push with two wheels about four foot wide and it's not doing him any favours! He was looking at getting a quad and mounting a scraper on one as be seen something about this somewhere but reckons it could be tough to turn at the top of the shed. Other option is like a small rotavator type thing but with a scraper in, seen a few adds for things like that about. Had anyone any other ways or suggestions or advice on this? Automatic scrapers are out due to cost. I'm trying to get him to go for the quad because he will be able to use it for other jobs about the farm but he isn't sure, reckons the 135 does the job of a quad.

Any help greatly appreciated
Conor

pakalasa

This is probably what you're thinking of;
http://www.uniqueinventionsco.ie/Power-Scraper/powered-scraper.htm

Made by the Unique Inventions Company in Kilkenny. The guy who owns it is a farmer. He was featured on 'Ear To The Ground' there one night. I asked him for the price of it at the ploughing. Cant remember exactly but it was over 1000 Euro. I have it written down at home somewhere. ( around 1200, I think).

I have a 3 bay cubicle shed and I clean it every night with a hand scraper, so I know what you are talking about. It takes me 10 minns to do,, handier than bringing in the tractor, but my back is destroyed from it. Pushing against something like that is one of the worst things you can do with your back. It shears right across your back bone. We covered this at a Manual Lifting course at work too.

C0N0R

See if you can dig out the price because the auld man was talking about 2k so it must be a different make he is looking at. Do you know if u can take the scraper off and put the brush head on?

Pacoa

Cant remember exactly but it was over 1000 Euro. I have it written down at home somewhere. ( around 1200, I think).

I think your your wrong there or else he screwed me 3 years ago when i paid 2000 euro for one of them scrappers. It's still going strong and in use every day cleaning out my cubicle sheds, I wouldn't like to be doing them with a hand scraper.

pakalasa

Sorry guys can't find where I wrote it.
How do you find it Pacoa? Is the noise of the petrol engine load. I have visions of my red limousin cows clearing the walls, if I started it in the shed.:D

C0N0R

Pacoa wrote: »

I think your your wrong there or else he screwed me 3 years ago when i paid 2000 euro for one of them scrappers. It's still going strong and in use every day cleaning out my cubicle sheds, I wouldn't like to be doing them with a hand scraper.

Ah well, 1200 sounded like a decent price! How do you find it? You had much problems with it? How wide is the scraper? I assume you have to lift it off the ground manually when not scraping? And does it have enough weight to it? Any use for scraping yards?

Years ago we mounted one on the back of a tractor lawnmower but the scraper when it was down didn't really have the weight required for the job, if it was lose watery ****e it did a grand job but on frosty mornings or if it was real dry solid sorta ****e she would just skim over the top. So this is a problem we have tried to solve before so hoping to get it right this time!

irishh_bob

pakalasa wrote: »

This is probably what you're thinking of;
http://www.uniqueinventionsco.ie/Power-Scraper/powered-scraper.htm

Made by the Unique Inventions Company in Kilkenny. The guy who owns it is a farmer. He was featured on 'Ear To The Ground' there one night. I asked him for the price of it at the ploughing. Cant remember exactly but it was over 1000 Euro. I have it written down at home somewhere. ( around 1200, I think).

I have a 3 bay cubicle shed and I clean it every night with a hand scraper, so I know what you are talking about. It takes me 10 minns to do,, handier than bringing in the tractor, but my back is destroyed from it. Pushing against something like that is one of the worst things you can do with your back. It shears right across your back bone. We covered this at a Manual Lifting course at work too.

ive seen that gadget in action and tbh , i think its a bit of a gimmick

Pacoa

I find it a good machine, it's noisey alright but the cattle take no notice of it now. They get used to it, i move em out the shed anyway when im cleaning. It does a good job cleaning too, you just lift up on the handle bars to get it to scrape the ground better. Dryish dung can be a problem alright you end up having to push it a bit to shift dry stuff but most times thats not a problem. It had an issue at first with one belt but that problem was solved with a kevlar belt i got from the inventer. Will need another one soon so not bad after 3 years at 16 euro cost. other than that there haven't been any other major problems with it.

This is my one working

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tUyA53g27s