# Help! New goat milker driving me bonkers!



## Off Our Rocker Ranch (Jun 23, 2013)

Anyone use a bucket milker with goat claws willing to offer advice? 


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Your question has me a scratching my head. What is a bucket milker with claws?
Im imagining a great milk doe with lots of milk who kicks your hands.


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## Off Our Rocker Ranch (Jun 23, 2013)

Yea, well.... Lol
I have neuropathy in both hands (as well as my feet) and cannot hand milk. 
We've been using an old surge belly pail that was converted for goats. I just had to update and get a new two goat milking machine. The claw is an automatic shutoff that stops the suction if the milker is kicked off. Supposed to keep from sucking contaminates into the milk. The claws seems to be the problem. Just thought there might be someone on here that I could pick their brains. 


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Which claws are you using? Can you post a pick of your milking machine?


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## Off Our Rocker Ranch (Jun 23, 2013)

Yes, I'll have to go back out and snap one in a bit. 
A little background:
I ordered this two bucket setup thru parts dept online 
http://www.partsdeptonline.com/mobi...ATS-35-W_62997-CLUSTERS/productinfo/62585G-2/
With the intention of using my 40 year+ surge vac pump and ballast. When it came in, The old pump wouldn't power it decided it was because of the two goat setup, so I ordered a new 8cfm vac pump from amazon. Still wouldn't work, so they sent a new lid and pulsator. Arrived today and works kind of. Powers up to 12" hg w/ no problems, (my old pump would have worked had the lid/pulsator been right) but now the auto shut offs won't seal tight and are causing a constant vac loss. 
Needless to say, the old surge.setup didn't have claws and I'm wondering if I just don't understand the operation.

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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Off Our Rocker Ranch said:


> Yea, well.... Lol
> I have neuropathy in both hands (as well as my feet) and cannot hand milk.
> We've been using an old surge belly pail that was converted for goats. I just had to update and get a new two goat milking machine. The claw is an automatic shutoff that stops the suction if the milker is kicked off. Supposed to keep from sucking contaminates into the milk. The claws seems to be the problem. Just thought there might be someone on here that I could pick their brains.
> 
> 8)


Boy oh boy:rainbow: See what happens when you don't know what a claw is? Thank you.


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## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

What do you want to know?

I'm using a interpulse plastic pail with plastic lid, Interpulse L80 pulsator, a Vanguard vented claw set up for alternate pulsation going into to 2 of the auto on off claws and with silicone lines and inflations.

I'm running it off of an ancient 1/3 hp universal pump and using a Harbor Freght Tools captive air tank as the vaccum reserve tank.


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## christinajh (Jan 24, 2013)

This is all a foreign language to me! lol


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## Off Our Rocker Ranch (Jun 23, 2013)

Well, pretty foreign to me to. I was very familiar with the old surge belly milkers of 40-50 years ago (telling my age) but am unfamiliar with the new stuff too. basically the surge without claws were easier to clean than the new systems, but just keep telling myself that I will get used to this and find shortcuts. 



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## coso (Sep 19, 2011)

I would call Parts Department and see if they can't answer your questions. They have always been helpful with me. I have only used the single claws that go with each inflation. I have never used the Vanguard claws. Thee is usually a button or switch that you turn when you get ready to put them on the goat and take it off, but like I said never used the Vanguard before.


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## Off Our Rocker Ranch (Jun 23, 2013)

Hollowdweller, my system is similar to yours, but have SS tank, knock-off pulsator and claws, but they claim to be interchangeable with interpulse. exception is that I now have a new vacuum pump and a homemade PVC ballast tank. I'll have to check harbor freight out, as I want to replace the PVC tank too. 
This morning I increased the vaccum to 14-15" hg, as a suggestion from someone off of another list. Everything seemed to work better, but one of my does couldn't take the extra suction and almost immediately noticed "pink" milk flowing thru the lines. ( silicone tubing, inflations, shells ). So I backed the vac pressure back down. I'm going back to where I bought it today to resolve claws leaking at low pressure. I just can't increase suction and risk hurting my gals. 
What do you recommen for " hg? 
Then, on cleanup, I had to break each piece down and wash and sanitize and put it back together. What I'm used to doing is to to just invert the shells and liners in a bucket of cool water, pull a couple of gallon thru, then a bucket of hot soapy water, then rinse, then do the same with sanitizer. Clean up between 5-10 min. This system takes forever. Inverting shells in bucket of water takes 5 minutes to pull 2 gal water thru for 1st rinse. Any suggestions : tips for cleanup? 



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