# Milking Machine Recommendations ---



## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

I only have two does and am looking for an affordable milking machine option ... any recommendations?? you guys are a wealth of knowledge. :fireworks:

I have seen the Henry milker .... the ez milker .... Dansha Farms Off grid PRO


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Don't get the Udderly EZ. It doesn't work and they don't accept returns


----------



## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

Thanks that is good to know. It takes one out of the running.... anybody have any experience with either of the others or even some other product out there??


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The Dansha Farms milker has a big blob of polyurethane epoxy on the underside of the lid where it is in your milk. The manufacturer won't tell anyone what it is, the ingredients, or even if it is food safe. 
I'd save my money and go with the Simple Pulse.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I have a Dansha Farms that I never use. I don't like it much. I bought the milker I use from this person. He does ship. I bought the model that hooks directly to a 12V battery, because I don't always have electricity. I did improve it by buying inflation liners for the teat cups. I just cut off the bottoms of the liners and it worked. There are better milkers, but I don't think there are better milkers for the money. https://nashville.craigslist.org/grd/6097525216.html


----------



## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

We converted a Babson surge milker for our girls and I love it. I put it on my website with where we got the parts and the prices. It cost about half of what most milking machine are and if you have the pump it would be very reasonable. My website is windingrvrfarm.com


----------



## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I have the Dansha Farms milker and have used it for 3 years. The blob doesn't come into contact with my milk. My jar is big enough to hold the milk below the lid. Wash up is easy. Very inexpensive to replace parts, even the pump is at Walmart. I think its good for a starter.


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The Henry milker is constant pressure. Used occasionally on a goat is ok, but it can ruin teats if used all the time. It's a hand vacuum pump that goes to a mason jar, the inflations are large syringe bodies. It works the way it is supposed to, I am not slamming the product. It just isn't that healthy to use exclusively.


----------



## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

I must disagree until I suffer some unhealthy goat teats. There must be vairables to the situation. My goats are Oberhasli. Maybe that hàs an impact on the results. So after 3 years, shouldnt I have some ruined teats by now? Maybe its also how I use it.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Do you use the Dansha milker or the Henry milker? Goats rock is talking about the Henry milker.


----------



## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Oh. Sorry.


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I've never tried the Dansha. Only Henry! I can only speak from my experiences. Like goats, there are many different ways to do everything . What works great for one goat person may be awful for someone else.


----------



## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Yep. Sorry I didnt read thoroughly.


----------



## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

I bought a Henry and thought it was over priced crap.Am now saving for a proper electric machine.Friend has one and I'm impressed and she loves it,each to their own,teejae


----------



## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

Is the dansha milker a constant pressure or intermittent?


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

LoriH said:


> Is the dansha milker a constant pressure or intermittent?


 Constant, not pulsing.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Has anyone here tried the Viot milking machine?


----------



## dorkfish (Mar 19, 2017)

I built my own. Gotta say, by the time I got it right, I probably could have bought one. But what I have works great and cools right away. 
I'm using a thermal water jug with a flip up pour spout. Inside is a mason jar with two holes in the lid. Two eight inch lengths of aquarium tubing go into holes and are sealed with epoxy against air leaks. Then both fit through flip top and attach to two longer lengths. One goes to an auto hand pump. The other attaches to a syringe with no plunger. The jar rests in a bath of ice and water.

Wash those teats, put on the syringe and pump that milk through a closed system that is immediately cooling. I'm a germaphobe, but I will drink this milk raw. When I'm finished, I just detach the long lines and replace the jar lid. By that time, the milk is already cold! I'd show you a picture, but I can't figure out how to attach it.


----------



## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

Is it a constant pressure or pulsating then. I like the idea of pulsating but all the simple designs like you are describing are based on a constant pressure system.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Look at the Viot. I don't know anything about the company, but it looks like a decent pulsating milker.

The key to not ruining a doe's teats with the constant suction is to use the lowest pressure you can that achieves a milk flow. And when that pressure stops pulling the milk, immediately switch to hand milking to finish it. Another thing is to use a teat cup that is large enough to allow you to use inflation liners. Most of the cheapies that I have tried use too large a cup and allows mammary tissue to be sucked into the cup as the quarter empties. That causes harm to the udder itself, not just the teat (which would be bad enough.) You need the inflation liners! Just cut them short enough that they don't touch the bottom of the teat cup.


----------



## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

The surge milker modified for the goats works so well. I can adjust the speed and pressure - never ever had a problem with their udders and if you have the pump already all the other parts are quite reasonable. It doesn't seem to even upset the FF to get it put on them so it must not be too uncomfortable. Like I said already - it is on my website what it cost and where we got the parts. The surge milkers are easy to get replacement parts for also -new pulsators and lids are in the dairy catalog.


----------



## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

The Surge is one of the foremost names in the business.


----------



## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I don't have personal experience, but I have heard of people using old breast pumps and modifying it to fit goat teats. Lots of people nowadays can get a breast pump paid in full from their insurance company when they have a baby and then sell it on craigslist when they are done with it.


----------

