Manual Squeeze Chute Converted to Hydraulic

Manual Squeeze Chute Converted to Hydraulic LIVESTOCK Handling 24-4-33 When he bought a box of 12 small hydraulic cylinders at an auction a few years ago, Armin Scripter didn't have a clue what he'd do with them. But, he says, "I only paid $19 for the lot. I figured I'd eventually use them." The Abilene, Kansas farmer and cattleman, with help from his son, Marvin, put several of those cylinders to use this past winter, converting an old My-D Handy squeeze chute from manual to a hydraulic operation. They cut the old chute apart, built a frame, and hinged it back together and added the cylinders so they could squeeze from either side, top or bottom. Both head and rear gates open and close quicker than could be done manually. And, Scripter says, "this is really easier on the cattle than our manual gate was, because we can set the hydraulic pressure so it doesn't squeeze too tightly," he says. The hydraulic controls were taken from an old fork lift. By mounting them all in the same place, one person can operate everything. "Before it took two people to operate the chute," he says. The rock shaft for the main squeeze panel was salvaged from a 715 IH combine. They mounted a 5 hp 220-volt electric motor atop the chute and attached a hydraulic pump Scripter found in the box when he bought the cylinders. The only new parts they bought were hoses and some fittings. "We used 3/8-in. hoses, but the valves were for 1/2-in. so we had to use adapters," he says. "It works fine, and is plenty fast, especially once the fluid gets warmed up." Scripter says they finished it up just in time to use it last spring. He filled the hydraulic reservoir with used transmission fluid from a tractor. "I think automotive automatic tranmission fluid might work even better, but I didn't have enough on hand when we needed to use it," he says. Scripter figures he has less than $100 in the conversion, not counting the value of the old squeeze chute. "Mostly, it was just labor in cutting and welding and making sure things worked right," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Armin Scripter, 3421 Mink Road, Abilene, Kan. 67410 (ph 785 461-5642).

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