We are thinking about putting in new automatic scrapers for a 140 cubicals does anyone have any useful inormation or tip we putting them in

there more trouble then there worth they were always going wrong when i worked at the last farm i worked at. the motor packed twice in 12 mounths i was there the chain snapped  couple twices and is a horrble job to repair them because there normall shitty

I'd say hydraulics are far superior to chains, that is what we have anyway. Yes they can break down but so can anything mechanical.

As for tips, don't know if this is an existing building or a new one but if it's new and if you go hydraulic, work out where the ram boxes will be and put soil pipe under the concrete to run the pipes through. Try to keep the distance underground as short as possible, i didn't, and i also have pipes runing to 2 ram boxes in the same pipe which can make it quite a struggle getting pipes in and out when you get a burst.

The only other problems i have are with the magic eyes which stop the scraper at the end of the run and the solenoids on the ram which control which scraper runs. Neither are ridiculously dear and i can easily change them myself. You might get a bit dirty but i'm sure it won't be the first time and it's far from the worse job you'll do, infact if there's a hosepipe at hand it should be relatively clean.

Mine are MALGAR but i think they all work on the same principle.  

at the farm i used to work for when the new freestall barn was built we put in automatic scrapers with cains and had no problems for the first 6 weeks then as my boss was cheep and dident wont to by 2 drive units we started having problems of it ovaloading and activating the shutoffs but thats not realy a big problem if you are sensobal about haw maney drive uints you use. no real problems with the chains that we found had mor problems with the old stabal cleaner that broke every week i still have the *** ground into my skin. also with the automatic ones we found it took the cows a littal whial to get used to it but they had just come from a tie stall to free stall so that was probubley the main problem.

Auto scrapers are good if you go for the right ones, your building isnt too long and you run them often enough. Hydraulic ones with a bar down the middle of the passageway are best, they work by ratcheting themselves along, with a ram at the end thet only moves probally 12-18 inches in and out. If your passageway is too long you will have too much s--t by the time they reach the end, resulting in cows stepping over them getting a brown sock 6-9 inches up their legs, the same happening if you only run them 3-4 times a day-the idea of them is too save you time and effort and money eventually but also to give the cow a cleaner living/feed area which makes a big difference if you have a lot of cows bulling ie) they dont come in the parlour covered in muck. The pipes will burst sometimes as any hydraulic pipe but again too much pressure on them pushing too much muck doesnt help that. Some people hate auto scrapers some love them. Dont forget a tractor with a scraper on isnt beyond breakdowns.