• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Which Manual squeeze chute should I get.

Help Support Ranchers.net:

K

ksgrassfarmer

New member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
ks
Which manual chute is the best? I know probably like asking the Ford or Chevy ?. I have kinda narrowed it down to a Pearson or a WW. What do you think or should I consider another brand? Any comments, pros or cons on any chute brand would be great. thanks
 
I personally like the Priefort with For-Most a close second. The Priefort is better for cattle that have horns but the For-Most is better if you work a lot of cattle without someone there to push them up. I will admit that I don't know a lot about the Pearson or WW though.
 
I'd definately get a sternum bar they work really well for semen testing or A'I'ing or preg testing-cuts down on them dropping to their knees.
 
What are you doing with the Chute and what is your budget? I wll preface this to say I am biased in that I sell Powder River Chutes out west. I sell them because I grew up using them, have used a lot of other brands and always prefered the Powder River. I have seen Chutes built in the 50's and 60's still in use today, even though those old chutes aren't as big nor applicable to a cow calf deal as the new ones. Actually, most knocks I hear on a Powder Rvier go back to the old chutes that were a lot smaller.Dang thins would not wear out, so guys put up with those old deficiencies to long ....So, there are my biases....

A lot of good chutes out there, many times it goes back to what you are familiar and comfortable with.....

I like a lot about Stampede manual chutes, but where I live, I can get a Powder River Hydraulic for about the same price.....I have not seen the hi-Hogs, but hear they are a very heavy built chute....

I personally like the Squeeze leverage of a Powder River Manual chute. It is why they have the long handles. Some guys can't get by them, but that is more of a Ford/Chevy deal....It is heavier than the Priefert, Pearson, W-W, or Foremost I believe. I just talked to a guy that bought a Powder River Chute 25 years ago. He run about 8,000 yearlings a year through it and it finally wore out.....Southwest is another pretty heavy one....

If you are looking at possibly used, Thorson is another brand that just went out of business, but very well liked...

One side on a Powder River.....Change the Springs (I think they are like $7.50 and only two of them) and Ratchet Gears occasionaly. Tehey are the parts that wear. If they get too worn, they don't catch as positively....

One guy in Enterprise, Oregon told me he runs about 7,000 head a year and changes those parts anuually....Kinda like changing the oil regularly in your pickup.
I have seen Teco's modified. Teco's had a great squeeze and the worlds worst headgate,

But again, what is your use and budget......Heavy use, get a Silencer Hydraulic and be prepare to pay......

I think most manual Chutes that are worth a darn will cost nearly $3,000...The reason I like the Powder River hydrauic is it is a simple one that will run about $6,000...Nothing like having Hydraulics in my book....

Just a note on Sternum Bars.....It would be pretty easy to builc one and put it in the bottom of any chute......I have a friend in Alberta that sells several brands. He told me he knows of several guys that lost cows that layed down wrong on one....I say that as not a knock, but as something you need to watch out for. Kinda like the choke deal on the old style manual headgates that were yoke shaped,

Good luck. Getting the right equipment make everything easier...On you and the Cattle....

PPRM
 
I am with you we have always used powder river chutes on most places i have worked her ein Arizona , i like them alot only bad thing i have ever seen is when that front end starts to get warn out i have seen guys with broken jaws cause the head catch gave way while they were standin over it you know the old guillotine style . But other than that i like them , we dont use them very often but when we do they are powder river .
 
My dad has a Pearson and I recently bought a Hi-Hog. The Hi-Hog is similar in design and based off a Pearson, but they made quite a few changes to make the chute better. They are both stout chutes.
 
I like my Strong Hold chute. Takes a beating, has a handle in the back to run the head catch...that is a great tool. Don't know how I ever worked cattle without it.
 
Good to see someone likes their stronghold.. I don't like the rear mechanism on mine, sticks a lot (Fallng gate). Had some issues with the headgate that I hope are fixed now after some welding and replacement parts were put in.. I will say it is built like a tank and the portalbe option on it is pretty nice. We got ours in 2001 I think after Palco sold it and before they were sold by Hagie.. I do like our OB chute that we got from them, that comes in darn handy for the most part.. Not even using the Stronghold squeeze chute right now as it is too big for small calves so we have been using the small formost one we have..
 
Would like to stick to around the $4000 budget. Cow/calf operation here. Deffinetly want something that works well on weaned calves as well as AI work.
 
IL Rancher said:
Good to see someone likes their stronghold.. I don't like the rear mechanism on mine, sticks a lot (Fallng gate). Had some issues with the headgate that I hope are fixed now after some welding and replacement parts were put in.. I will say it is built like a tank and the portalbe option on it is pretty nice. We got ours in 2001 I think after Palco sold it and before they were sold by Hagie.. I do like our OB chute that we got from them, that comes in darn handy for the most part.. Not even using the Stronghold squeeze chute right now as it is too big for small calves so we have been using the small formost one we have..
Click to expand...

Once I learned the right motion to getting the rear gate to open and close smoothly, I've had no problems. I work cows alone quite often. And this unit was the easiest for me to handle. You are right, The chute is too big for the calves but most often I don't need to run the calves thru.
Ours is about the same year as yours. We ended up putting grease fittings in the pipes in the head catch. As long as they are greased it seems to sold the sticking problem. Ours is out in the weather 24/7/365. Hubby built his own trailer for it, molded after the big valley trailer.
 
We run the calves through for castration and preweaning shots.. We also have a scale under ours which makes it tough for the gal who works with our vet to run the front if she is out so I get to work up front (Hey, that is a bonus, no kicked shins, lol).. We have gone to greasing it up and oiling the back end real good before every working.. Has done WONDERS for all the chutes we have worked with... Know all about working the cows alone btw. Have done that a few times, especially with the OB chute and pulling calves... Don't ask me why my 8 month pregnant wife didn't want to come out at 3 am in Feb. to pull a calf out of a heifer, lol.
 
I would recommand a priefert with the horizantal back gate. this keeps the cows from lifting up the back gate unlike the sliding vertical gates and if you have a chute wise cow they don't just slide under the gate backing out and you can run the back gate and head gate at the same time .
 
IL Rancher said:
We run the calves through for castration and preweaning shots.. We also have a scale under ours which makes it tough for the gal who works with our vet to run the front if she is out so I get to work up front (Hey, that is a bonus, no kicked shins, lol).. We have gone to greasing it up and oiling the back end real good before every working.. Has done WONDERS for all the chutes we have worked with... Know all about working the cows alone btw. Have done that a few times, especially with the OB chute and pulling calves... Don't ask me why my 8 month pregnant wife didn't want to come out at 3 am in Feb. to pull a calf out of a heifer, lol.
Click to expand...

That is huge! Proper maintenance......Of any brand......I think the Chutes are often the most neglected piece of equipment we have.....Oooohhhh....Don't lube up friction locks though, they won't grab like they are designed to,

PPRM
 
We are the point that we will do it ever 100-150 head that run through.. Sometimes just with heavy machine oil.. If we don't do it based on that we will do it before starting back up after a break for lunch or brining a new group into the holding bin.. We always lubed it but we have just greatly increased frequency..

Lube he friction lock.. Haven't been that silly yet, lol.
 
This is the best manual chute I'e been around its a titan west it has preifert head gate and is easy to use alone.

m008.jpg

________
girlfriends pics
 
rawhider said:
This is the best manual chute I'e been around its a titan west it has preifert head gate and is easy to use alone.

m008.jpg
Click to expand...

I have never been around one of those, but the picture gives me a chance to look at things I personally look for....It is not to pick on any chute, and I am not as that appears to meet a lot of what I look for....It is just easier to illustrate when there is a picture....Maybe we should tal about features we like or don't like as we are in different parts of the country and exposed to different brands. The features are easier to talk about...


That Chute has a side exit. A must....If a weak cow goes down, you can let her out the side, no need to get a tractor to yard her out. Likely, she has a chance to live....

Is the Chute 8 foot long? I can't tell, but that is a minimum in my book....

I like a two sided squeeze so the cattle stand square...There a re a loit of one sided squeezes out there. I have noticed if cattle aren't standing square, they tend to fight more trying to get thier legs under them...

Adjustable bottoms....I found out how much a coorect bottom adjustment made when processing 700-1,000 head a day in a feedlot. They were Hydraulic Chutes and it seemed you'd get to where you would adjust the Chute bottom slightly if the next group of calves were 50 pounds heavier or lighter....Makes a big difference....

I likea rear trip handle for the tail gate. That way, if I am alone i can close the tailgate while still behind the cow....

I also like a sheeted tailgate. Calves behind tend to stay quieter if they can't see thru......

I like straight headgates instead of yoke shaped ones that tend to choke cattle...

Another important thing is the squeeze leverage. Cattle don't fight a Hydraulic because they feel caught. There is no give. I know a lot of guys like Prieferts, but I had a guy show me that if I stood outside the chute and held the sides, a 250 pound guy could not squeeze me with the foot pedal fully extended.....I'm only 210, so, imagine a 1200 pound cow?...I just prefer a squeeze that has leverage....

Some guys will like other things that aren't as important to me. But bars and Brisket bars are something I have not used.

PPRM
 
It is the same as a lynn. It has a manual or auto headgate, side opening gates, horizontal sqeeze, lower panels come out, 8 foot long, slideing vertical endgate with a rear latch, gravity rear bar that rolls ahead and you can ratchet it ahead from side to side or from the rear, headgate has strait bars and a neck extender, easily adjusted sqeeze, rumber floor. I have used alot of different chutes on many different places and when a manual chute needs to be used this is my choice for this operation and its easily operated when you are alone, used a powder river for many years till it wore out and we traded it in on this one. This chute works very well for our operation and for a manual is my personal choice, just my thoughts on the matter. There are alot of chutes out there finding the right one for YOUR operation is all that matters, hope you find the right one!
________
Yamaha YZF-R6
 

Latest posts

Top