# Surge or DeLaval



## mustrum (Mar 4, 2010)

We're going to buy a milking setup for he coming season, and have a choice between two styles...one is a Surge type that sits off o the side, used stainless bucket but new hoses, inflations, has the shutoffs, etc...and a New Delaval style...supposed to be easier to use, but costs $350 more...we're going to be milking 4 goats...

We're going to buy them from Perry's Milkers...found them on Ebay...

Does anyone have any suggestions about which you would prefer, or about Perry's Milkers?

THANKS!!

Joel


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

Honestly if you are only milking 4 goats (unless you are planning on expanding) those milkers are going to be more trouble and time to clean then milking by hand.

If you want a milker for only 4 look at Hoegger if you really feel you need a machine - no lines to clean and you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean.

If you will be milking more than 4 in the future then I would go with a Deval pulsation unit - I've heard good thinking about the Perry setup especially for the price but can't speak personally about the unit.

Just remember the lines and bucket need to be well cleaned rigorously right after every milking - I find that the time doing that is not worth it unless I'm milking more than 4 (which is almost all the time here except a month or two in the winter when I may have a couple that just wont dry off)


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

If you are going to be milking 4 Nubian x Alpine does a surge bucket will have to be poured up between does. A 5 gallon DeLaval bucket will probably hold all the milk from 4 of them without having to be poured up. Now it depends on how he is planning on setting up the surge. Is he setting it up with those short lines on it where you have to set the bucket on the stand close to the doe? You could always just buy it with the surge set up, then get you a DeLaval bucket off of eBay. The surge lid will fit the DeLaval bucket then you could just change out your lines, putting longer milk lines on it. You can get a nice SS 5 gal. DeLaval bucket for about $75.00 - $95.00. You can go to Home Depot and get your milk lines or you could order them from Parts Department. Keep your surge set up if you only want to milk 1 or 2 goats or you could turn around and resell it.

But then again you could put together your own milking outfit a lot cheaper. Check this out.
www.freewebs.com/cottoneyeddoes Click on Building your own Milker You can print out those instructions and take pictures and all to Home Depot with you.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Well, I built my own and I have a surge bucket and a delaval bucket with an interpuls pulsator. And don't laugh at me but I use the machine when I am only milking one goat. I got spoiled and I can clean that machine up pretty quickly. And Christine has some really nice instructions for building your own. There are plenty of spare parts around. I am collecting parts to build my second machine so I can take it to shows.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

LaNell, I don't really ever milk just one doe, but I can tell you if I didn't have a milking machine I would have goats. I use mine even for the first doe who kids in the year to milk out her colostrum 

A delaval pail is a pear shaped can.
A surge pail is a tea kettle can.

After that fact it is a motor, vacume pump and balast tank with guages and valves, and it makes no matter what the brand. All lids fit all cans as do all gaskets and all lines and shells and inflations. Never buy a surge pulsator, you want an interpulse, which needs a special fitting to fit a surge lid. Those are the basics. I would never want a belly pail milker like Hoegger carries, you have to dump milk between each doe and the can sits on the milkstand between the does rear legs, and that is where a large milkers udder is, especially as she ages! Vicki


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## Fiberaddict (Jun 4, 2009)

I bought my machine from Perry - it's the Surge one. I had to replace the pulsator right off the bat - the Surge one simply did NOT work properly. I replaced it with a new Interpuls, and LOVE it. We're only milking 4 - but I have a bad wrist and hand-milking was killing me!

That said......build your own. Seriously - you will save at least HALF what you'd spend on one ready-to-go. I looked a month or so ago; you can get a bucket for $100 - sometimes WITH shells and inflations. New inflations will run about $30 (these are eBay prices, 'cause I'm cheap!)...I've seen shells at about $20/4. Hoses are cheaper at Home Depot/Lowes. New gaskets run about $6. Lids....if you have to buy one, I think they run $20 or so. Pumps......that's where the $$$ come in. I've seen them as cheap as $100...but I've also seen them up over $400. Watch the shipping prices!

You don't necessarily need a balance tank at first - I didn't build one for a couple of months, and was milking just fine. My tank cost me a little over $100, but I already had the 4" PVC pipe.

I wish I had been more sure of myself - I would have saved a lot by simply building my own. But....I didn't. So I try to save other people money. :lol


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## VickiLynne (Feb 8, 2008)

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and it is hard for me to hand milk. I built my own with a DeLaval bucket I got off eBay for $90 and bought a new lid to accomodate two does at a time also with an interpulse pulsator, hoses, inflations and shells. Paul helped me and he also suggested a plug for one side so just incase I was only milking one doe. All for $200. Then I got my pump from Tooltopia for $230 new and free shipping. I just looked over the pictures from here and put it together. It was easy and sure saved me lots of money. I love my milker! You need to save money and do it yourself. It is easy and you can use the money you save for other goat goodies you will need. :biggrin

Vicki in NC


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Glad to know that I am not the only one goat in milk and have to get the machine out person.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

DeLaval over Surge any day. I happen to milk on a pipeline, but have a DeLaval bucket milker for fresh cows etc and I worked in the dairy industry for many years. Most emphatically a DeLaval milker is easiest and you can build them as cheaply as a Surge.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I only ever had the surge that I rebuilt and made my own set up. Was just so much cheaper. That being said if I had the money would go with a DeVal


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