Scales

[Quello]

I am looking for a set of scales that wishfully thinking I could use both for hogs and cattle.  Does anyone have any suggestions for this use or a suggestion just for cattle.  Thanks.  Attached you will see one of them I have been looking at.

 

[willow]

We purchased load cells from somewhere on the web and built our own scale frame.  It worked perfect and we use it for hogs, sheep and cattle.  The scale head came with the load cells and the place even had a little blueprint to show a suggested design for the scale frame.  For the life of me I cannot think of the place, but just google it and you will find something.  Ours wasn't the platform type thing you show in your post though.  Cost effective as well, because we built our own frame.

 

[cpubarn]

I purchased a similar looking scale with a 20x60" platform. 

Didn't like it.

It functions just fine , but has 4.5" legs, so it is taller than it looks.  It didn't fit well inside my chute like I hoped.  With a different chute, or enclosure it would be fine.  I have mine listed on craigs list for $300.  No takers so far...

Mark

 

[nate53]

We got a True - Test set of scales that would work for both pigs and cattle (digital, on wheels), I forget what they cost.

 

[pjkjr4]

I bought a set of scales just like the one pictured almost 2 years ago. I bought them from www.palletscales.com I believe. Very helpful. It is either a VS 2000, or a PS 2000. Can't remember. Very helpful bunch of folks. As someone mentioned above, it does set a little higher off of the ground, but that's not an issue for me. I don't put it in any kind of chute. We start weighing ours when we get them halter broke, at first monthly, then every other week, and finally every week when we get to the last 90-120 days. Once they get used to what your doing, it's not an issue whatsoever. My only problem with it, is the platform is not big enough, so I screwed 2 3'X6' pieces of 3/4" plywood on it to make the platform bigger for the calves to walk up on. A friend of mine is an aluminum welder by trade, and is going to build me a platform the size I need, and put the load cells on it, where it's a little easier to load and take to shows. It is vary accurate, and it allows you to adjust where zero is so you can be the same as official scales, whether they're right or not. I believe it cost somewhere around $600.00 with shipping, and I got it within a week of ordering.

 

[firesweepranch]

I bought a set of scales just like the one pictured almost 2 years ago. I bought them from www.palletscales.com I believe. Very helpful. It is either a VS 2000, or a PS 2000. Can't remember. Very helpful bunch of folks. As someone mentioned above, it does set a little higher off of the ground, but that's not an issue for me. I don't put it in any kind of chute. We start weighing ours when we get them halter broke, at first monthly, then every other week, and finally every week when we get to the last 90-120 days. Once they get used to what your doing, it's not an issue whatsoever. My only problem with it, is the platform is not big enough, so I screwed 2 3'X6' pieces of 3/4" plywood on it to make the platform bigger for the calves to walk up on. A friend of mine is an aluminum welder by trade, and is going to build me a platform the size I need, and put the load cells on it, where it's a little easier to load and take to shows. It is vary accurate, and it allows you to adjust where zero is so you can be the same as official scales, whether they're right or not. I believe it cost somewhere around $600.00 with shipping, and I got it within a week of ordering.

Is the platform long enough at 56"? A full grown cow and stand on it? I am thinking this might be a good investment, since we have no scale and you could use it to weigh calves (versus the hanging method we use, very laborious!)
Thanks!

 

[pjkjr4]

I bought a set of scales just like the one pictured almost 2 years ago. I bought them from www.palletscales.com I believe. Very helpful. It is either a VS 2000, or a PS 2000. Can't remember. Very helpful bunch of folks. As someone mentioned above, it does set a little higher off of the ground, but that's not an issue for me. I don't put it in any kind of chute. We start weighing ours when we get them halter broke, at first monthly, then every other week, and finally every week when we get to the last 90-120 days. Once they get used to what your doing, it's not an issue whatsoever. My only problem with it, is the platform is not big enough, so I screwed 2 3'X6' pieces of 3/4" plywood on it to make the platform bigger for the calves to walk up on. A friend of mine is an aluminum welder by trade, and is going to build me a platform the size I need, and put the load cells on it, where it's a little easier to load and take to shows. It is vary accurate, and it allows you to adjust where zero is so you can be the same as official scales, whether they're right or not. I believe it cost somewhere around $600.00 with shipping, and I got it within a week of ordering.

Is the platform long enough at 56"? A full grown cow and stand on it? I am thinking this might be a good investment, since we have no scale and you could use it to weigh calves (versus the hanging method we use, very laborious!)
Thanks!

I don't know about a mature cow. I believe that I would go too large as opposed to too small. The max on my scale is 2000#, so it should be fine weight-wise.

 

[cpubarn]

My opinion is that the platform on this scale is just not big enough for full grown cattle.

Mark