# New Old Milking Machine



## Suellen (Mar 9, 2008)

With three goats needing to be milked this summer, we decided to give our hands a break and buy a milking machine. We bought an old surge milker, a used vacuum pump, and a "goat" conversion kit, since goats are much smaller than cows. The total price was about half what a new machine would have cost us.
The surge milker was introduced in the 1920s and produced until 1999. Literally millions were produced over the years. Ours was (we think) manufactured in the 1950s. It works great, though cleaning it takes a bit longer than cleaning a milk pail. We find that for one full goat, it takes about the same time to use the milker as to milk by hand. For a partially-full goat, it's quicker to milk by hand. But for two or goats, the milker is much faster. Besides, Wind's teats are so small, I milk her with my index finger, my middle finger and my thumb, so without the milker, milking her would be all but impossible.









This is Christy being milked. All the goats love to be milked because they get really good stuff to eat. It's the same stuff we feed them outside. Some how it being in the milking stand makes it taste better :?

Suellen


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

thats cool. Glad they are cooperative about it for you, makes it so much easier


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Oooo :drool: :drool: I love it!

I want a milking machine sooo bad! I am going to have 5 does to milk soon! :shocked:


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## Pheonix08 (Mar 9, 2008)

COOL!


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## all1965 (Oct 6, 2007)

I don't have any does that are milk does, I just have does that need to be milked so they won't get mastitis while drying up and I want a mlking machine. I hate milking but I want the milk lol.
Just curious, about how much did it cost? You can PM me if you don't want to post it and where did you get the stuff at? I've seen some of it on ebay for relatively cheap I just didn't know what all you would need to get one running.


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## Farmer Gab (Jun 25, 2008)

I am very interested in any feedback regarding milk machines. We really want to get one for our little herd, but I don't really know where to start. I have looked at the pricey ones, the Ebay one, the make-it-at-home ones, and more. Right now I feel really confused! How do you decide which kind you need. Are used machines okay? Where can you find used machines? I can't imagine ever having more than five goats to milk and right now I have three. So, what do you think?????


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