Slurry collectors

[frederick]

How much additional distance do people have collectors doing between sheds basically idle time. What distance do they cover on a charge.

Now lely have a sand collector it's worth considering. However with sand the shed isn't really the right place to drop the slurry. I could do with them travelling another 100 meters to a reception pit. That means the furthest part of the shed would be 200m away and they would actually do 100m to drop it off.

Other options to move it that 100m aren't cheap. Channels that I don't think would work. Pump which I think would block pipe or a conveyor which is. Even more expensive.

If instead of needing 3 for 300 cows a fourth to allow them to act as wheelbarrows would actually be a relatively attractive proposition.

 

[dinderleat]

I think 1 per 75cows are at its limit anyway without traveling 100m. Price up four and sit down probably not much change from 100k

 

[Cotlandfarmer]

How much additional distance do people have collectors doing between sheds basically idle time. What distance do they cover on a charge.

Now lely have a sand collector it's worth considering. However with sand the shed isn't really the right place to drop the slurry. I could do with them travelling another 100 meters to a reception pit. That means the furthest part of the shed would be 200m away and they would actually do 100m to drop it off.

Other options to move it that 100m aren't cheap. Channels that I don't think would work. Pump which I think would block pipe or a conveyor which is. Even more expensive.

If instead of needing 3 for 300 cows a fourth to allow them to act as wheelbarrows would actually be a relatively attractive proposition.

Would it be possible to construct a settlement lane to collect sand before the slurry enters the store?

 

[Wesley]

I think 1 per 75cows are at its limit anyway without traveling 100m. Price up four and sit down probably not much change from 100k

I don’t think you’d get change with just three

 

[Wesley]

The more frequently they can drop the bigger the area they will cover. 100m each way would seriously eat in to running time. The newest version has a longer run time between charges but the price tag increases. Could you dump nearer & use wash water to flush regularly?

 

[lazy farmer]

This is making the clutch on my scrapper tractor sound cheap

 

[Kiss]

This is making the clutch on my scrapper tractor sound cheap

That cheap you won't get a grant for it

 

[pappuller]

I think 1 per 75cows are at its limit anyway without traveling 100m. Price up four and sit down probably not much change from 100k

Sand collector be well over £30k

 

[frederick]

This is making the clutch on my scrapper tractor sound cheap

True but a scraper tractor is 20-30k nowadays and it needs a man sat on it every day.

Ok you won't be 200 days. But 200 days at 2 hours a day at 30 an hour. And your sitting at 120k over 10 years. And your cubicles probably have too much sh!t in them for clean cows 8 hours a day.

 

[lazy farmer]

True but a scraper tractor is 20-30k nowadays and it needs a man sat on it every day.

Ok you won't be 200 days. But 200 days at 2 hours a day at 30 an hour. And your sitting at 120k over 10 years. And your cubicles probably have too much sh!t in them for clean cows 8 hours a day.

Unless you are removing a member of staff in putting in the robots your point is mute. How long is the warranty? . Do they wander off less than staff ?
Not saying we won’t all get there In the end but the savings aren’t all they are made out to be. Admittedly spring block makes this. Conversation easier.

 

[Farmer Keith]

True but a scraper tractor is 20-30k nowadays and it needs a man sat on it every day.

Ok you won't be 200 days. But 200 days at 2 hours a day at 30 an hour. And your sitting at 120k over 10 years. And your cubicles probably have too much sh!t in them for clean cows 8 hours a day.

Who’s paying a scraper tractor man £30 an hour? Or anybody on farm for that matter. I don’t think you can make a financial case for them as rope scrapers/hydraulic deliver the same labour savings at a fraction of the cost but by all means if you want them they’re there and no doubt there’ll be a grant on them.

 

[In the pit]

True but a scraper tractor is 20-30k nowadays and it needs a man sat on it every day.

Ok you won't be 200 days. But 200 days at 2 hours a day at 30 an hour. And your sitting at 120k over 10 years. And your cubicles probably have too much sh!t in them for clean cows 8 hours a day.

Will the collectors last 10 years and how much is going to be spent on them in that time

 

[frederick]

Who’s paying a scraper tractor man £30 an hour? Or anybody on farm for that matter. I don’t think you can make a financial case for them as rope scrapers/hydraulic deliver the same labour savings at a fraction of the cost but by all means if you want them they’re there and no doubt there’ll be a grant on them.

15 -20 for the man but the tractor doesn't run for free and that's another 10-15.

 

[vantage]

Channels that I don't think would work.

We’ve got V section sand channels here, they have worked well, just don’t think you can scrape manure the consistency of thick custard into them. Four years and running fine.

 

[Farmer Keith]

15 -20 for the man but the tractor doesn't run for free and that's another 10-15.

I think you’re at the top end for your costings regardless, there’s no way our scraper is costing £10 an hour to run, it takes 20l of diesel a month, granted it only does feeding yards as the cubicles are all hydraulic. So maybe runs for 20 minutes a day. So that’s £1.60 on fuel an hour. Where’s the rest of the cost coming from?

 

[Wesley]

Will the collectors last 10 years and how much is going to be spent on them in that time

In 26 months we’ve put on 3 scraper blades at roughly £45 each & 2 pairs of wheels at £261 each. There’s a tiny amount of gearbox oil that can/should be changed. Other than that it uses as much electric as a battery charger.

 

[frederick]

In 26 months we’ve put on 3 scraper blades at roughly £45 each & 2 pairs of wheels at £261 each. There’s a tiny amount of gearbox oil that can/should be changed. Other than that it uses as much electric as a battery charger.

How many cows a collector are you running.
If building new would you avoid collecting as much pee as possible perhaps with a centre passage drain.

 

[frederick]

I think you’re at the top end for your costings regardless, there’s no way our scraper is costing £10 an hour to run, it takes 20l of diesel a month, granted it only does feeding yards as the cubicles are all hydraulic. So maybe runs for 20 minutes a day. So that’s £1.60 on fuel an hour. Where’s the rest of the cost coming from?

If it avoids me having to sit on the scraper tractor at 5 in the morning perhaps that hour is worth 50 in my time alone to me.

 

[Wesley]

How many cows a collector are you running.
If building new would you avoid collecting as much pee as possible perhaps with a centre passage drain.

Ours isn’t really a fair comparison as we altered the design after we ordered the collector & were about to start building so we’re now on roughly 50% slats. So we have up to 125 cows on one collector.
To max out capacity it needs extra dump points so it’s not taking up sucking time driving to a single dump. The original model before they brought out the new charger & higher capacity battery had a guide of around 10 hours run time a day (think we’re nearer to 11). I think 100 cows on the higher end of yields would really test the limits on a single dump.
As for a centre drain I’m not sure, they don’t like pure water but also stiffer slurry wouldn’t suck quite as well so you would end up turning on the water sprayer. Depends if you’re planning on building a shed level or with a run on it.

 

[In the pit]

In 26 months we’ve put on 3 scraper blades at roughly £45 each & 2 pairs of wheels at £261 each. There’s a tiny amount of gearbox oil that can/should be changed. Other than that it uses as much electric as a battery charger.

Still a cost though