Loose Screws in a Burdizzo

Baralis1

I was castrating some bulls today and one of the small screws on the handle of the burdizzo kept loosening. Before I started, both this screw and and middle small screw were loose and I tightened them by sliding a screwdriver into the little slot and hammering it. I don't have a tool to tighten them.
I have noticed on previous occasions that this has happened also.
Has anyone else noticed this and will this have any effect on the castration?

TEAT SQUEEZER

yeah it happens mine all the time... i just hand tighten after every animal. i dont think it reduces the effectivness.. squeezing on a sunday , your lucky you werent struck down by lightening ( or a kick in the goolies):D:D

Bodacious

good lashing of silage tape around the butts of the handles of my one.. maybe thats why the tape is there.. i inherited it!

hoseman

Happens here,one other thing when you are finished store it with the jaws open.

sh1tstirrer

Do any of ye store the burdizzo by spraying it generously with WD40 and placing it in a plastic bag? I wish I did, it's been a while since I used the two burdizzos I have and I need to use them again. They are completely rusted over and unusable so I'll have to purchase a new one :mad:

Bodacious

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

Do any of ye store the burdizzo by spraying it generously with WD40 and placing it in a plastic bag? I wish I did, it's been a while since I used the two burdizzos I have and I need to use them again. They are completely rusted over and unusable so I'll have to purchase a new one :mad:

i keep wd40 on it and store with jaws open in a canvas /cloth bag,,.. its an antique:P

sh1tstirrer

Bodacious wrote: »

i keep wd40 on it and store with jaws open in a canvas /cloth bag,,.. its an antique:P

Maybe I can borrow yours

greysides

There is a tool for tightening the nuts and it's a pain to use............

Around here the 'loose screw' is behind the burdizzo......

pakalasa

Is it the Torx Drive, as in below pic?

limo_100

lads any of use no were to get a replacement screw for the burdizzo its one of the 3smalls ones, iv being trying allthe coops and online cant see them anywhere

greysides

Limo 100, get your vet to try their suppliers. I was able to replace all the screws in mine (and buy the tool to tighten them) from a veterinary supplier some years ago.

limo_100

greysides wrote: »

Limo 100, get your vet to try their suppliers. I was able to replace all the screws in mine (and buy the tool to tighten them) from a veterinary supplier some years ago.

I must try them thanks... can you only get the burdizzo from them vet none of the coops have them only cheaper versions of it.

greysides

I've only ever seen old Burdizzo bloodless castrators...... I imagine they are still available but you'd be paying through the nose for the name to be stamped on it. I use a Chanelle version, AFAIK, the bolts are same. Or at least the ones I ordered suited my version.

limo_100

greysides wrote: »

I've only ever seen old Burdizzo bloodless castrators...... I imagine they are still available but you'd be paying through the nose for the name to be stamped on it. I use a Chanelle version, AFAIK, the bolts are same. Or at least the ones I ordered suited my version.

the ones i need are 7mm in diameter aperently there hard got. I tried ebay and everything the only problem is its not mine its borrowed

greysides

http://www.chanellegroup.ie/productDetail.asp?cat=5&subCat=-&subSubCat=-&id=3470

Product code AH 1051.

That might be what you're after. Or at least a starting point.

If you have no joy what's the chances of having what you need machined for you?

patsy_mccabe

Old thread, but rather than starting a new one.

Relative has a burdizzo but the jaws don't click when you close it. There's no obvious way to adjust it. Screws all seem original. Can they be adjusted, so it's clamps tighter?

Limestone Cowboy

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Old thread, but rather than starting a new one.

Relative has a burdizzo but the jaws don't click when you close it. There's no obvious way to adjust it. Screws all seem original. Can they be adjusted, so it's clamps tighter?

How do you mean they don't click, are the jaws not meeting? You can't adjust mine anyway.

patsy_mccabe

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

How do you mean they don't click, are the jaws not meeting? You can't adjust mine anyway.

The jaws do meet, but there's no pressure there. I put some tissue between the jaws and it wouldn't even cut it. A guy was using it and he said the jaws were too loose. He went and got his own one and you could hear that one clamping shut, if you know what I mean.
To me, it seems you need to take it apart and restrain it some way and hit it with a belt of a lump hammer to bend in one of the jaws a bit.

K9

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

The jaws do meet, but there's no pressure there. I put some tissue between the jaws and it wouldn't even cut it. A guy was using it and he said the jaws were too loose. He went and got his own one and you could hear that one clamping shut, if you know what I mean.
To me, it seems you need to take it apart and restrain it some way and hit it with a belt of a lump hammer to bend in one of the jaws a bit.

Put a piece of straw between paper and close it. Burdizzo should cut the straw but not the paper. If it cuts the straw it’s working properly.

greysides

To my mind proof of a burdizzo working is it doing its job. Mine went slack recently. It was easily closed on it's own but put it in place and it still took some effort especially in a big lad. To my knowledge even in the last place I used it it didn't miss any. I'd replaced all the bolts (the appropriate spanner is a pig to use) but still wasn't happy so I bought a new one. I still carry the old one as it's much harder to close and if I meet one of those strong lads it might get another outing. I'm not going to hurt my back closing a burdizzo that's too tight again!
Things to bear in mind:
Never store a burdizzo shut as the metal loses its spring.
Inherent in using a burdizzo is the fact that you'll miss the odd one. The sin is not in the missing, it's in not checking on them 4-6 weeks later. So unless you're missing more than the odd one the burdizzo may still be functional.

I wouldn't try to fix a burdizzo that's gone too loose.

greysides

K9 wrote: »

Put a piece of straw between paper and close it. Burdizzo should cut the straw but not the paper. If it cuts the straw it’s working properly.

I think that test is hogwash. All you got to do is think about it. How could it possibly be the case.

patsy_mccabe

Well looking at the mechanics of it, surely it's about the pressure applied between the jaws. Not having a way of adjusting it, leaves everything to the accuracy or quality of the device.
On the other hand, I can see how an adjustment could lead to animal abuse with the skin being cut.

K9

greysides wrote: »

I think that test is hogwash. All you got to do is think about it. How could it possibly be the case.

It was something I was shown in ag college. Isn’t the job of a burdizzo to cut the cord without cutting the skin of the scrotum? What I was told was that paper and straw replicated the scrotum. Any better way of checking it?

greysides

K9 wrote: »

It was something I was shown in ag college. Isn’t the job of a burdizzo to cut the cord without cutting the skin of the scrotum? What I was told was that paper and straw replicated the scrotum. Any better way of checking it?

The version I heard was paper and a rubber band. The theory is that it doesn't cut the skin but... it bruises it badly and if the animal moves it will tear.

That test is like saying if you catch your finger in a door it will break the bone but the skin will be fine...

Base price

greysides wrote: »

I think that test is hogwash. All you got to do is think about it. How could it possibly be the case.

Explain. I'm not trying to be smart but the straw between two pieces of paper is what I learned how to check if a Burdizzo is functioning.

When you close a Burdizzo (x2) it cuts the tube/vas deferens but it doesn't cut the skin on their balls.

greysides

Base price wrote: »

Explain. I'm not trying to be smart but the straw between two pieces of paper is what I learned how to check if a Burdizzo is functioning.

When you close a Burdizzo (x2) it cuts the tube/vas deferens but it doesn't cut the skin on their balls.

The 'test' presumes the vas deferns construction as an 'elastic tube' is similar to a straw which would be thinner walled, stiff but cracks easily. Similarly paper v. squashable skin.

I doubt the burdizzo cuts the vas deferns, the elastic band I have tried was barely marked but it likely causes fairly severe damage to the blood vessels in the area (the small artery accompanying the vas deferns and the vascular part of the spermatic cord) which while having an elastic mid layer would be more likely to respond with thrombi in their lumens. The trauma also causes bleeding in the area indicating blood vessel damage (if an animal moves before the jaws are fully closed and you have to squeeze it again properly, the cord feels like a sausage very quickly).
The skin doesn't escape, it is well and truly bruised/squashed.

In this game of rock/paper/squeezers the squeezers also trumps paper.

Limestone Cowboy

I know mine was as stiff as hell last year, I'd be fairly strong and it was taking awful pressure to close it on weanlings. Gave all the bolts it's turning on a good shot of wd40 and it was like chalk and cheese to use after, took no great effort to close. I always check the small nuts after each animal. They are a nightmare for coming loose.

K9

greysides wrote: »

The version I heard was paper and a rubber band. The theory is that it doesn't cut the skin but... it bruises it badly and if the animal moves it will tear.

That test is like saying if you catch your finger in a door it will break the bone but the skin will be fine...

It would be if that was the function of a door but it’s not

greysides

K9 wrote: »

It would be if that was the function of a door but it’s not

There's no 'Intel inside' to a burdizzo, it just crushes.

To cut the vas deferns it would have to cut everything on the way into it, it simply crushes and damages all it meets. The skin is not left intact, the scar seen on it a month later bearing testimony to that.

However, this is just my opinion based on using a burdizzo. I would be interested to see a pathology report on the effects.