silencer chute

[Gomez]

I would like to stay "silent" about the silencer chute, but just can't. I thought we were getting the cadillac and turns out to be a fixer upper. The issues are around lack of hydraulic power and draw of electrical power. Silencer manufacturing want to run electrical motor (231 volts and 40 some amps) at 180% of its rated capacity (22 amp max) under load. With no load just idling its at 16 amps and 238 volts. ( 16/22 = 72% of capacity idling with warm oil)

We checked electrical motors for performance (performing as mfg intended) and restrung heavier wire (8 gauge ) and fooled with it for two days trying to resolve the issue.

The explanation from Silencer is the I have a poor power supply - like I can tell Sask Power to change. Other than that they tell me to turn down the hydraulic pressure below factory settings so the electrical motor will not be above 40 amps at peak draw and hopefully that doesnt slow down the headgate too much. I wonder how long a electric motor will last when max rating is 22 amps and is operated at 40 amps under load.

Finally , they told me it was working on the factory floor when it left kansas and it sucks to be you.

We will reengineer and make it work, but shouldnt have to. If anyone has any experience and solutions with a similar issue, please let me know.

 

[Big Swede]

Sorry Gomez, I converted my Powder River to hydraulic 15 years ago and it has never given me one ounce of trouble. I always thought I wanted to upgrade to a Silencer some day, maybe not now.

 

[Faster horses]

Our friends just got one, used it for the first time Sunday,
ran without a hitch. I will talk to him about your problem
Gomez, as he understands a lot of how things work.

 

[Wyoming Wind]

Can you hook the hydralic lines up to a tractor for power? That's how we do it around here; sorry you are having problems! Something that pricey ought to work without a hitch!

 

[flyingS]

I've only used an electric model once, it works great. As far a portable power units, I think silencer's own is a little slow. I have used a unit manufactored by Parasal manufacturing in Valentine, Ne. they work very well. I also like using a tractor, but you will want to run plenty of line so you don't hve to listen to it idle next to you all day.

 

[block]

We installed 00 cable from the yard sub-panel to the panel for our silencer. I thought we could get away with lighter cable until I checked with an electrician. Never had any problems with the chute, likely have run 20,000 head through it. Have been very happy with the service from silencer, but have only dealt directly with the factory. Are you talking to a dealer or the factory?

 

[Cedarcreek]

The one that I have been around most belongs to a vet. He runs his electric pump and his ultrasound machine off a portable generator that isn't big enough to put out more than about 22 amps to the chute. Works good, he pregs several thousand head each fall. Next time I see him I will look at his generator to see how big it is.

 

[Gomez]

I have been dealing with factory. I think I may try the using the bobcat which has 20 gpm of flow. i just have to now get the automatic transmission fluid out of the lines. The silencer is set up in a building so it shouldnt be too noisy. The chute is very heavy and appears well built. It's a good thing it is so heavy and difficult to have put inside our processing barn - otherwise it would have been in the scrap metal pile last night
:wink:

Thank you everyone for the feedback.

 

[Soapweed]

We used an older hydraulic chute made by HiQual a couple weeks ago. It is owned and was run by a veterinarian and his son who ultrasound cattle. The chute worked very well, and was powered by a diesel pickup with a Hydra-Bed. We had a pretty full day running 340 yearling heifers through, ultrasounding them for pregnancy and approximate calving dates, and giving them appropriate vaccinations as well as a zero year brand. We got to listen to the idling pickup all day, but it didn't bother me as bad as I thought it would. :wink: As far as purchasing a hydraulic chute, I'm not quite ready to go that route just yet. The old manual excercise machines suffice for our purposes, as we work cattle in three different locations and I'd hate to haul around a fancy chute everytime we worked cattle.

 

[gcreekrch]

I'm with Soap on this one. The exercise machines may mean a little more elbow grease but a welder is the only repair tool they occasionally need. We have 2 locations for handling facilities and no desire to haul a chute back and forth.

The first dealings I had with a hydraulic chute was on a 40 below day in Dec 1980. We had taken a job with a ranch in Penticton and the first task we were given was to pick 400 cows from 600 as they were being preg tested at a ranch west of Williams Lake.

The oil in the system was so thick it wouldn't flow enough to operate the chute, factory in Nebraska said it wasn't designed to operate in those temps. An hour with three space heaters and we were working cows. :roll:

Simple is good. :wink:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Our Stampede Steel Hydraulic chute works great. It has never been too cold for it to work. We did have a planned power outage a couple of Sundays ago that we also planned to work calves so I had to hook the generator up at the pole. I never want to go back to a manual chute. We had one of the best manuals in a Ranger chute and still have it at another place but the hydraulic is so much easier to operate.

 

[cure]

We have a powder river and it is the best thing we have ever bought. We did have a similiar problem with it in the the fact that we didn't have good power to it so we set some power poles down the fence line and ran some #2 power line cable to a panel next to the chute have never had any problems since. We have also ran ours of a 5000kw generator and didn't have any issues that way either. You might want to check with H on any suggestions I think he is either an electrician or lineman

 

[flyingS]

Gcreek, you have to think about your experience. While those days happen they are not the rule they are the exception. I have worked calves on days when I could not keep the vaccine thawed, but I didn't switch vaccination companies or expect the vaccine to perform outside of it capability. I guess what I am saying is that we tend to dwell on a bad experience to the point of not allowing ourselves to try something again. Not being able to operate with normal operating conditions is a problem, trying to operate something in extreme conditions is not a fair evaluation. I would have to say a poor hydraulic chute is better than the best manual chute any day. As far as having a portable chute there are some set ups that are tremendously simple and will allow you to put a chute anywhere you want.

 

[gcreekrch]

Gcreek, you have to think about your experience. While those days happen they are not the rule they are the exception. I have worked calves on days when I could not keep the vaccine thawed, but I didn't switch vaccination companies or expect the vaccine to perform outside of it capability. I guess what I am saying is that we tend to dwell on a bad experience to the point of not allowing ourselves to try something again. Not being able to operate with normal operating conditions is a problem, trying to operate something in extreme conditions is not a fair evaluation. I would have to say a poor hydraulic chute is better than the best manual chute any day. As far as having a portable chute there are some set ups that are tremendously simple and will allow you to put a chute anywhere you want.

I am well aware of all that... but... I don't have to start my generator or a tractor to run one or one hundred cattle through the chute with the two Morands I have now. (We are 15 miles from a powerline.)
They are both in place at each set of corrals if I need them at any time of the year, portable equipment never seems to be where you need it at the moment.
I have less investment in both of them (one was new and one I bought at an auction sale) than I would have in a single hydraulic squeeze and other than the regular rattling of steel when a critter is captured, I don't have another noise to listen to.

Until I'm too feeble to operate them or can't find anyone that can catch a bovine with a rolling headgate I'll stick with the "old way" and not worry about keeping up with the Jones's. :wink:

 

[flyingS]

Nothing wrong with a manual chute. A hydrualic is defineately on the wish list though. I think there is a certain number of hd that needs to be worked through a chute to justify its expense. You can sure move cattle through a hydraulic chute much faster. I like the Silencer chute as well as any I have been around, the power unit makes a huge difference though.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Gcreek, you have to think about your experience. While those days happen they are not the rule they are the exception. I have worked calves on days when I could not keep the vaccine thawed, but I didn't switch vaccination companies or expect the vaccine to perform outside of it capability. I guess what I am saying is that we tend to dwell on a bad experience to the point of not allowing ourselves to try something again. Not being able to operate with normal operating conditions is a problem, trying to operate something in extreme conditions is not a fair evaluation. I would have to say a poor hydraulic chute is better than the best manual chute any day. As far as having a portable chute there are some set ups that are tremendously simple and will allow you to put a chute anywhere you want.

I am well aware of all that... but... I don't have to start my generator or a tractor to run one or one hundred cattle through the chute with the two Morands I have now. (We are 15 miles from a powerline.)
They are both in place at each set of corrals if I need them at any time of the year, portable equipment never seems to be where you need it at the moment.
I have less investment in both of them (one was new and one I bought at an auction sale) than I would have in a single hydraulic squeeze and other than the regular rattling of steel when a critter is captured, I don't have another noise to listen to.

Until I'm too feeble to operate them or can't find anyone that can catch a bovine with a rolling headgate I'll stick with the "old way" and not worry about keeping up with the Jones's. :wink:

I never even considered the Jones's when I bought my chute.

I was more concerned about the wear and tear on myself and that my daughter or anybody else could run the levers with the flick of a wrist.
We run more cattle through in less time with less help then ever before. I can understand if you are working in remote locations or need more then one chute but it would be over my dead body if someone wanted to take away my chute. :cowboy:

 

[gcreekrch]

Gcreek, you have to think about your experience. While those days happen they are not the rule they are the exception. I have worked calves on days when I could not keep the vaccine thawed, but I didn't switch vaccination companies or expect the vaccine to perform outside of it capability. I guess what I am saying is that we tend to dwell on a bad experience to the point of not allowing ourselves to try something again. Not being able to operate with normal operating conditions is a problem, trying to operate something in extreme conditions is not a fair evaluation. I would have to say a poor hydraulic chute is better than the best manual chute any day. As far as having a portable chute there are some set ups that are tremendously simple and will allow you to put a chute anywhere you want.

I am well aware of all that... but... I don't have to start my generator or a tractor to run one or one hundred cattle through the chute with the two Morands I have now. (We are 15 miles from a powerline.)
They are both in place at each set of corrals if I need them at any time of the year, portable equipment never seems to be where you need it at the moment.
I have less investment in both of them (one was new and one I bought at an auction sale) than I would have in a single hydraulic squeeze and other than the regular rattling of steel when a critter is captured, I don't have another noise to listen to.

Until I'm too feeble to operate them or can't find anyone that can catch a bovine with a rolling headgate I'll stick with the "old way" and not worry about keeping up with the Jones's. :wink:

I never even considered the Jones's when I bought my chute.

I was more concerned about the wear and tear on myself and that my daughter or anybody else could run the levers with the flick of a wrist.
We run more cattle through in less time with less help then ever before. I can understand if you are working in remote locations or need more then one chute but it would be over my dead body if someone wanted to take away my chute. :cowboy:

Thought I might get a rise out of you, Ya feeble Ol' Phart! :lol2:

If you quit setting your calf table in the middle of the pen and wrasslin' calves into it maybe you wouldn't be so played out to need hydrawlicks on your squeeze. :wink: :lol:

I know the pros and cons but until a simpler option comes along I'll stick with what we've got. Just so you know, Lester worked the chute at MM the first day last weekend and Debbie caught 200, kept the books AND still made a great supper on Sunday.
I stayed in the back and pushed cattle with the neighbor lady. :nod:

A little grease every so often on a rolling headgate goes a long way. :wink:

 

[flyingS]

One of the Vet's in Valentine has a Silencer that has spindles and a tongue that pin right into the frame, the hydraulic unit is on a cart and wheels right up and attaches to the frame as well. You can set that chute up and take it down in a matter of minutes and it pulls good. Most people take a pickup to where ever they are working cattle anyway, a chute that is set up like that would be handy. The nice part about it is, if you have to you can get it into a tight spot and there is no cart to take out from under it and no manual work in setting it up.

 

[Faster horses]

I am well aware of all that... but... I don't have to start my generator or a tractor to run one or one hundred cattle through the chute with the two Morands I have now. (We are 15 miles from a powerline.)
They are both in place at each set of corrals if I need them at any time of the year, portable equipment never seems to be where you need it at the moment.
I have less investment in both of them (one was new and one I bought at an auction sale) than I would have in a single hydraulic squeeze and other than the regular rattling of steel when a critter is captured, I don't have another noise to listen to.

Until I'm too feeble to operate them or can't find anyone that can catch a bovine with a rolling headgate I'll stick with the "old way" and not worry about keeping up with the Jones's. :wink:

I never even considered the Jones's when I bought my chute.

I was more concerned about the wear and tear on myself and that my daughter or anybody else could run the levers with the flick of a wrist.
We run more cattle through in less time with less help then ever before. I can understand if you are working in remote locations or need more then one chute but it would be over my dead body if someone wanted to take away my chute. :cowboy:

Thought I might get a rise out of you, Ya feeble Ol' Phart! :lol2:

If you quit setting your calf table in the middle of the pen and wrasslin' calves into it maybe you wouldn't be so played out to need hydrawlicks on your squeeze. :wink: :lol:

I know the pros and cons but until a simpler option comes along I'll stick with what we've got. Just so you know, Lester worked the chute at MM the first day last weekend and Debbie caught 200, kept the books AND still made a great supper on Sunday.
I stayed in the back and pushed cattle with the neighbor lady. :nod:

A little grease every so often on a rolling headgate goes a long way. :wink:

I vote to give Debbie a raise in wages. :nod:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I never even considered the Jones's when I bought my chute.

I was more concerned about the wear and tear on myself and that my daughter or anybody else could run the levers with the flick of a wrist.
We run more cattle through in less time with less help then ever before. I can understand if you are working in remote locations or need more then one chute but it would be over my dead body if someone wanted to take away my chute. :cowboy:

Thought I might get a rise out of you, Ya feeble Ol' Phart! :lol2:

If you quit setting your calf table in the middle of the pen and wrasslin' calves into it maybe you wouldn't be so played out to need hydrawlicks on your squeeze. :wink: :lol:

I know the pros and cons but until a simpler option comes along I'll stick with what we've got. Just so you know, Lester worked the chute at MM the first day last weekend and Debbie caught 200, kept the books AND still made a great supper on Sunday.
I stayed in the back and pushed cattle with the neighbor lady. :nod:

A little grease every so often on a rolling headgate goes a long way. :wink:

I vote to give Debbie a raise in wages. :nod:

Buy her a hydraulic chute for Christmas. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: