Robotic milking

[New Merlin]

We're thinking of putting in 2 robots, is there anything that a Merlin can't do compared to a delaval or lely .We are pricing robots at the moment seems to be a big enough price gap between the two any advice appreciated

We installed a merlin m2 a little over a year ago, have had no problems with milking, it has attached to tall and short cows and all udder types. we have less alarms than other robots I know of in the area. The touch screen interface is very good. It is very quiet when operating, and the arm is well designed and tidy.
The service has been good it is useful that the engineers can log in remotely and do a system analysis of the robot, often able to resolve issues without having to visit the farm. The service has been very good for the few urgent breakdowns but less so for routine maintenance.
I would say Fullwood are let down by the computer software that comes with the robot. It is all text based and not very intuitive to use or find information . The MerlinView softare advertised on the website looks unfinished, some of it is still in dutch and the option to email alarms doesn't work.
The grazing gates are not well integrated into the system, they need a controller from a heating system to shut off the power for 10 mins 3 times a day while the software changes from paddock A to B to C. during this shut down I sometimes have cows pushing through the gates and ending up in the wrong paddock. The option exists in software to choose to send an individual cow to a different destination to rest of the herd but the gates cant handle this.

 

[happycows]

We installed a merlin m2 a little over a year ago, have had no problems with milking, it has attached to tall and short cows and all udder types. we have less alarms than other robots I know of in the area. The touch screen interface is very good. It is very quiet when operating, and the arm is well designed and tidy.
The service has been good it is useful that the engineers can log in remotely and do a system analysis of the robot, often able to resolve issues without having to visit the farm. The service has been very good for the few urgent breakdowns but less so for routine maintenance.
I would say Fullwood are let down by the computer software that comes with the robot. It is all text based and not very intuitive to use or find information . The MerlinView softare advertised on the website looks unfinished, some of it is still in dutch and the option to email alarms doesn't work.
The grazing gates are not well integrated into the system, they need a controller from a heating system to shut off the power for 10 mins 3 times a day while the software changes from paddock A to B to C. during this shut down I sometimes have cows pushing through the gates and ending up in the wrong paddock. The option exists in software to choose to send an individual cow to a different destination to rest of the herd but the gates cant handle this.

Which dealer and area are you in?? They must have been making the M2 for a couple of years now. You'd hope they'd ironed out any early glitches.

 

[New Merlin]

Which dealer and area are you in?? They must have been making the M2 for a couple of years now. You'd hope they'd ironed out any early glitches.

We are in the southwest of Ireland. Its Mc Namara milking systems.
Most of the glitches on the robot have been sorted I think, but the software on the computer works is common to all Fullwood robots and parlors.
I would say as not all their robots use grazing gates they are not a priority for upgrading.

 

[Scholsey]

Fullwood have just launched the M2mk2 with texas gates instead of a normal entry gate, a camera instead of a laser and few mods internally, anyone ordered any?

 

[Any robot]

We are in the southwest of Ireland. Its Mc Namara milking systems.
Most of the glitches on the robot have been sorted I think, but the software on the computer works is common to all Fullwood robots and parlors.
I would say as not all their robots use grazing gates they are not a priority for upgrading.

There is a woman in Tipperary who changed the time clock for the fullwood gates to every minute. She got a time clock that changes by the minute as opposed to every ten minutes. This sorts the issue regarding the gates changeover taking 10 minutes. I think the merlin robot is the best built robot on the market. The electric motor uses less electricity and it also takes the pressure off the air compressor. Air is costly and compressors expensive to replace. If others companies has the merlin2 way more would be on the ground. No push on Fullwood to sell either conventional or robotic machines.

 

[SolwayFarmer]

Quick query, thinking of 2 robotic milking units and wondered about how much space I need to have two units next to each other end to end. Just a rough guide would be great. Thanks

 

[Bald Rick]

Quick query, thinking of 2 robotic milking units and wondered about how much space I need to have two units next to each other end to end. Just a rough guide would be great. Thanks

Each Lely robot (A4) needs 4m of space for the machine including a squeeze gap of 300mm for your convenience plus if you have them exiting facing each other then you need at least 2.4m (8') and at least the same for entrance - preferably bigger - so all in all 2 machines in a line are going to need as a minimum 15.2m (50' give or take).

 

[upnortheast]

Quick query, thinking of 2 robotic milking units and wondered about how much space I need to have two units next to each other end to end. Just a rough guide would be great. Thanks

Ours are head to head, gap in the middle so straw yard cows can divert through

 

[Bald Rick]

@SolwayFarmer

Note that @upnortheast has A3 Nexts which have a different in/out to the A4s & may take less room for entrance/exit but there will not be a lot in it because A3s have the Central Unit included in the robot whilst they are stand alone for A4s

 

[SolwayFarmer]

Thanks that's really helpful. Smart looking set up.

 

[SolwayFarmer]

Thanks that's a good looking setup you have there. I like the idea of the portacabin

 

[upnortheast]

you are welcome to come and see it if you fancy. Not quite as clean now unfortunatly but still works great (most of the time)

 

[upnortheast]

I like the idea of the portacabin

We bought it to use as an office a couple of years before when son & I swopped houses. It has sink, water heater & heaters ready installed so ideal for the job
Shed men had a huge manitou which lifted it up there. Did you know portacabins do banana impressions when lifted from underneath.

 

[happycows]

End of a era. Last few going through

 

[Chips]

View attachment 550920 End of a era. Last few going through

Why so ?

 

[happycows]

Why so ?

 

[happycows]

Why so ?

 

[happycows]

Got first one going Friday and now swop over of the old one.

2x 225's that had done a fraction of the work mine had.

 

[nonemouse]

Got first one going Friday and now swop over of the old one.

2x 225's that had done a fraction of the work mine had.

Will it just drop in to the same space as the old one?

Trying to decide what to do with mine, currently have 1 A3 next with space in the shed to put another next to it, but secondhand A3 N's are a bit hard to find and what is available seem very expensive. Would probably be cheaper to put 2 newer A4s in and sell my old one, but if going that level of hassle could even consider a change of colour robot.
Or just sell a few heifers whilst price is good...
Decisions decisions

 

[Col555]

Are there any robots that actually head straight for scrap? I hear of A1's & A2's that have been going nearly 20 yrs, but at what point are they literally worth nothing more than scrap value? What working lifespan would you put on a brand new lely/delaval. Would 25 yrs + be realistically possible?