Replacing Portable gas dehorner- Portasol or express???

Bodacious

I have the normal Portasol gas dehorner but its starting to play up has done alot of work in fairness but basically i have to light it now with a cigarette lighter and it doesn't seem to hold the gas like it used to i think refill nozzle is faulty. forever putting gas into it. new one is 85euro.

was thinking of going few euro more and getting the express one that you actually screw a small bottle of gas into it might be a better job as reckon refuelling problem would play up again on another Portasol.

anyone experience the same with the Portasol and does anyone have the grey coloured Express model looks a bit bulkier/thicker to use but im sure it works grand.

Thanks

vanderbadger

Bodacious wrote: »

I have the normal Portasol gas dehorner but its starting to play up has done alot of work in fairness but basically i have to light it now with a cigarette lighter and it doesn't seem to hold the gas like it used to i think refill nozzle is faulty. forever putting gas into it. new one is 85euro.

was thinking of going few euro more and getting the express one that you actually screw a small bottle of gas into it might be a better job as reckon refuelling problem would play up again on another Portasol.

anyone experience the same with the Portasol and does anyone have the grey coloured Express model looks a bit bulkier/thicker to use but im sure it works grand.

Thanks

have the normal gas one and the express one, dont use the express one, dunno just didnt like it, found the tip of it is quiet thin/sharp as opposed to a more curved edge and ends up being over severe on calf

JOAT

We bought the old model aswell a few years ago at the ploughing championships. started giving a bot of trouble last year but when we went using it this year, we had the same problem as you. not holding gas and nozzle not heating up. So I got onto Portasol few weeks ago. tmurphy@portasol.com was the man I was dealing with. He got back to me saying that the model we had were obsolete because they had a lot of problems with them and they weren't repairing them either. Problems mainly with the gas injection and the nozzle which he said they had resolved in the later models.So he said he would give us a trade in for our old one. We paid €55 plus VAT and postage for the new one last week. usually €125.Was working it this morning and it worked a dream. Tip was constantly red hot. Couldn't draw calves to it fast enough!! I'd say give that lad an email and see what he will do. seemed like a sound bloke

deerejohn

Have used both a lot:( portasol much handier and does a neater job on young calves, express way more hp for stronger calves but it gets VERY tiring if you are doing a lot of calves. You would never think that a little weight diff would amout to a huge diff in useability. Interesting to hear the comments on the older portasol models, that would explain a lot, very finicky when older. Express very robust and lights like a rocket so far,
so small calves portasol, bigger calves express imho:D

David brown

if u hav access to esb go for the electric one. always works.

reilig

David brown wrote: »

if u hav access to esb go for the electric one. always works.

Ah no, I used the electric one for years and it was only when I got the portasol that I found out how useless the electric ones are. They are slow to heat up and do not heat as hot as the gas one. Find them cruel on the calf - they take so long to burn the horn in comparison to the gas one.

As Joat said, Contact Tony Murphy in Portasol. I ordered a new tip off him for mine just last week. He's a nice man to deal with.

funny man

David brown wrote: »

if u hav access to esb go for the electric one. always works.

once i used gas there's no going back

Bodacious

JOAT wrote: »

We bought the old model aswell a few years ago at the ploughing championships. started giving a bot of trouble last year but when we went using it this year, we had the same problem as you. not holding gas and nozzle not heating up. So I got onto Portasol few weeks ago. tmurphy@portasol.com was the man I was dealing with. He got back to me saying that the model we had were obsolete because they had a lot of problems with them and they weren't repairing them either. Problems mainly with the gas injection and the nozzle which he said they had resolved in the later models.So he said he would give us a trade in for our old one. We paid €55 plus VAT and postage for the new one last week. usually €125.Was working it this morning and it worked a dream. Tip was constantly red hot. Couldn't draw calves to it fast enough!! I'd say give that lad an email and see what he will do. seemed like a sound bloke

Thats good i thought i was the only one that thought they were both difficult to refill and see if there was actually gas in it! Windy day and cows roaring it can be hard enough sometiimes to hear her burning so id stick a shot of gas in it and on to the next one;) So the new one is much better. Guy in coop said he'd have one for me monday 85 euro but i may cancel it as if its not direct from portasol it may be the older model again:mad:

leg wax

i have the express one and have it for years .

Baralis1

I think the gas dehorned with cylinder is much better that the portable gas dehorner or electric dehorner. Its much hotter, quicker and less severe on the calf.

Bodacious

got offered a deal on a buddex gas dehorner seems similar to the express dehorner 20mm tip and you screw in the canister, made in germany anyone have one?

kay 9

Seen that there is a few lads on dondeal on hire debudding calves. Hard to know how they make enough at that craic. We often get the neighbour to skull the older cattle we missed at budding and he wont take any money:eek:

Bodacious

kay 9 wrote: »

Seen that there is a few lads on dondeal on hire debudding calves. Hard to know how they make enough at that craic. We often get the neighbour to skull the older cattle we missed at budding and he wont take any money:eek:

nice neighbour!!:) do you not throw him something towards anaesthetic/wire/sprays etc

kay 9

Bodacious wrote: »

nice neighbour!!:) do you not throw him something towards anaesthetic/wire/sprays etc

We get the injection. He has the blades and saw. All else we need is a rope and man power. Neighbours like him are thin on the ground now though. He used to work with a vet so has some good experience. We help him out too when he needs. So it's win win.

reilig

If you have a semi automatic (like the Nugent gate) or automatic sculling gate then you'll find that it is easier to put a rope across the top of the animal's head and tie it down to the bottom bar. The animal will then be forced to pull backwards and you will easily be able to scull him. I can scull an animal on my own with this method - its much easier on man than having to hold the animal with a halter!!

Bodacious

JOAT wrote: »

We bought the old model aswell a few years ago at the ploughing championships. started giving a bot of trouble last year but when we went using it this year, we had the same problem as you. not holding gas and nozzle not heating up. So I got onto Portasol few weeks ago. tmurphy@portasol.com was the man I was dealing with. He got back to me saying that the model we had were obsolete because they had a lot of problems with them and they weren't repairing them either. Problems mainly with the gas injection and the nozzle which he said they had resolved in the later models.So he said he would give us a trade in for our old one. We paid €55 plus VAT and postage for the new one last week. usually €125.Was working it this morning and it worked a dream. Tip was constantly red hot. Couldn't draw calves to it fast enough!! I'd say give that lad an email and see what he will do. seemed like a sound bloke

Hi Joat and thanks for heads up,

Spoke to that man and traded in mine for new model that should be here tomorrow hopefully, they also throw in a repair kit with traded in models as they must know we are dog rough

3 Tips i got off them is
1) use high quality butane gas only from ronson/braun etc and avoid ones with higher propane content
2) Always fill gas with dehorner tip facing the ground and fill til it spits back
3)Avoid any bangs to the tip of dehorner as it will knock the ceramic inside and lead to ignition problems

Ill try and take better care of new one!! Thanks again:)

Chimevault101

Ive used Portasol for years, I get them from www.TruckElectrics.com they are based in Cavan i think

Moneyjojo.com

Hi, I know this post is old but would anyone know where I could get one of those Portasol dehorners? and are they the best on the market?. Brother has one you stick on a gas barrel but its not worth a dam. Nearly have to give calfs a second run.

tanko

Moneyjojo.com wrote: »

Hi, I know this post is old but would anyone know where I could get one of those Portasol dehorners? and are they the best on the market?. Brother has one you stick on a gas barrel but its not worth a dam. Nearly have to give calfs a second run.

I got a Portasol 3 gas dehorner a few years ago in the local co op store, I'm very happy with it. If you give Portasol a ring I'm sure they'll give you the name of a local supplier.

Feckthis

What age is to late to dehorn calves? Have one that's fairly strong.

Base price

Have done them here at 3-4 months FR bulls that would be showing a good bud. 6 mls of norocaine each side and give them 5 minutes for it to kick in. You will need a good hot iron though. Keep an eye out for infection developing around the site. We normally never have a problem with infection but with older ones it has happened before. Our vet says it is because the bud is large you have to leave the iron on a bit longer.
I prefer debudding to having to scull them as yearling etc. We & vet had to scull 53 12-14 month old ones last Friday week. Hateful job
Although the dogs were happy.

Count Mondego

When is the best age to scull a bullock? I have two lads that were missed last year and are 15 months now. Should I do them straight away?

tanko

Count Mondego wrote: »

When is the best age to scull a bullock? I have two lads that were missed last year and are 15 months now. Should I do them straight away?

I wouldn't, it's the wrong time of year. Too many flies about, you may wait until October now.

oldsmokey

Old thread i know, but had trouble with my old portasol yesterday, quick emqil to T.Murphy, and a trade-in sorted , new dehorner on way for €65.00 - great service from an Irish company.

sonnybill

oldsmokey wrote: »

Old thread i know, but had trouble with my old portasol yesterday, quick emqil to T.Murphy, and a trade-in sorted , new dehorner on way for €65.00 - great service from an Irish company.

I think tony has moved on! Girls in office were sound too though

oldsmokey

Got it today, lovely bit of kit, complete with spare jet , tip and tools..can't beat that i reckon - even at full retail, would be a good buy. I never twigged that to get max heat you shut it off after 10secs running, and restart just by opening the gas (NOT with the flint)..gets it hotter.
Thanks anyways Portasol.