It's finally time to retire the old Priefert. Been a good one over the years.
Any recommendations on other brands? Have not looked at squeeze chutes in 20+ years. Looking for one easy to haul, set up and operate. Plan to look at many brands including Priefert.
Just would like some input from experience. The Priefert we have can be set up by one person. It's not real easy but it I've done it many, many times. Getting older now though so I don't have the strength I used to. We have cattle at 6 different locations so it needs to be pretty easy to move and set up. Thanks.

I'd get one one mounted to a trailer if I had six locations.





http://www.linnpost.com/

Where are you located?

If you are ever close to Mt. Pleasant, take your Priefert to them and have them rework it, and paint it. You practically get a new chute for $500.

If you are looking to sell your old one, I'm interested.

Located in Bastrop county. Definitely have to have one with a trailer mount. The Priefert we have now is on one.
We are no where near Mt Pleasant. Was gonna send it to them but can't find a way to get it there for a reasonable price. It's just time to get a new one. Probably will keep the old one as it is still usable when working a few head. Not so much when running lots of cattle through it.

I've used Filson squeeze chutes and a WW headgate before. The Filson manual headgate has changed a lot compared to the one I use that is close at least 25 years old - I never saw another one like it.

I am just starting to look for a new chute myself for another place, but from what I saw at the rodeo exhibits, the Priefert has some good features. I hate the old WW/Filson automatics where you have to let an animal out backwards before opening the headgate up forward for the animal to exit the chute when the animal is pulling back on its head. We use the old Filson manual chute the most because it is the easiest to use for a wide variety of animal sizes. Baby calves to herd bulls, just pull down however much is necessary to get a tight neck hold. Some of the automatics on the market require adjusting how wide it can be set. I wouldn't want to have to do that on a new chute. The Priefert auto feature on the Model 91 was interesting, but I would like to see it in action.

The downfall of an up and down rear rope-pull tailgate is that sometimes, the next animal will end up using its head to lift the gate and get into the chute before you are ready for it. This caused me to miss a calf at one place last year when I couldn't get the automatic headgate closed fast enough when the prior cow was exiting, and the next calf made it out too.

The upside to the up and down rear gate is that you can drop the gate when the animal is most of the way thru the back end of the chute and focus on catching it at the front. This is why I would want to see the S04 in action before buying one.

I've never used anything other than a drop tailgate, so I wonder how the sliding tailgate would work on the Priefert S01. I would buy a chute where the operator could easily operate both ends of the chute at the same time more like the S04 (with a scissor tailgate in back) although I would like to hear other's experiences regarding tailgate options.

The neck extenders Priefert might be worth a look to on a new chute.

Whatever you do, post your decision here so I can learn from your selection process.

^^^ milkman's post brings up a point about comparison. The rodeo is one of the few places you can see more than one brand located close to another brand. Farm and Ranch Expositions can be hard to catch. There is one coming up in Victoria in October, but good look finding a list of the names of the exhibits.

Personally, I only have a Preifert head gate for my little 29 cow operation and I get by. I would love to have a full squeeze chute, especially one made to lay over for easier calf castration. So I cannot help with experience as the only squeeze chutes I have ever used were old and I have no idea what manufacturer's names were.

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I've never used anything other than a drop tailgate, so I wonder how the sliding tailgate would work on the Priefert S01. I would buy a chute where the operator could easily operate both ends of the chute at the same time more like the S04 (with a scissor tailgate in back) although I would like to hear other's experiences regarding tailgate options.

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I like the scissor tailgate on the Priefert. It's a fast close but it is not flawless if one gets their head in right behind the one going in the chute. And, this chute is easy for just one person to work. If the terrain is fairly level, I can unhook it from the trailer and set it up by myself.
Overall, we like the Priefert and may well go back to another one. I was just wondering if any others had some good experience with other brands.

I would definitely look at the Q-catch 8500-V since you are not too far from Gonzales (Arrow). I don't know anything about them but they make them look pretty handy on Youtube.

If the calves are small enough for bands, I find it much easier to just band them standing up in the chute, Allen. Never have had a calf table to experience with though.

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If the calves are small enough for bands, I find it much easier to just band them standing up in the chute, Allen. Never have had a calf table to experience with though.

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That's the problem with being a Sunday Rancher. I am stuck at my real job six days a week while my baby calves are growing up. A lot of times I don't even castrate them. It makes it a little harder when we are getting good rains (a good thing) because they take a little longer to catch in the pens. I would prefer to rubber band the small ones.

Last year I tried to Burdizzo a fairly large bull.... he was probably 350 lbs..... standing up in the headgate. DO NOT EVER TRY THIS ! I had my son helping me. I tied bully's back legs enough to where he couldn't kick me. The problem is getting the Burdizzo in there at the exact angle and location required. NOTE TO SELF: Do it the old fashioned way next time you want to Burdizzo a larger bull. Go ahead and throw him down to the ground (I have no squeeze chute). This was a rare occasion as it was just one that happened to be slightly small last time I took calves to the auction. So I kept him for a while longer, and then he started really acting too much like a bull and I knew he would be showing off his huge nuts the next time I had a chance to sell him. Looking at him now, he is probably about 600 lbs and nuts shriveling up.....thank goodness. Probably should have just used a knife, but I have never done it that way so I have zero confidence. I grew up using the burdizzo, and we had no working equipment (no headgate). We threw them the old fashioned way, tied 3 legs and burdizzod and earmarked them.

I am looking for one also in the Giddings area..

I just called on the Linn product and their fixed chute, not the one on wheels, is $6100....a little to rich for me.

City boy here...but what's a cattle chute for exactly?

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City boy here...but what's a cattle chute for exactly?

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They are used for working cattle. The chute keeps cattle relatively still while giving them medicine, castrating, dehorning, branding.

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City boy here...but what's a cattle chute for exactly?

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It's tool used to trap cattle in where they can't move so you can basically do anything you need. It's like something you might find yourself in when you buy a toolbox online and show up at someone's house to pick it up.



Sorry...couldn't resist.

Following this thread, as well

Getting tired of the old head gate. Thinking automatic since the wife is 8 mo preg with twins and my son is only 3

FIL got one from OK from flying W. It is all hydraulic with an electric motor as well. Can run gas or you can plug it in. He loves it.

Pearson
EOT

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Pearson
EOT

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The former shop/Ag teacher has my attention.

Grew up working at the Priefert factory after school and during the summers. My first three years of college I'd also call Bill when I was home for Christmas break and Spring break and he'd always find me some work around the docs to make some money during the non-college weeks. Good people and a company I really admire (above and beyond their products, and I love their products).

Truly a one man operation if you need it to be. When I was working for my order buyer uncle in the summers, we could process 300+ head before noon. One guy keeping the pot full, one tipping horns and tagging, one vacc'ing and branding. Self catching head gate and sides squeeze down far enough to work a goat if you need to. I've gotten to use all the other major mechanical chutes plus hydraulic ones, and hands down would buy a Pearson before any other.

Great info

Thx EFE

I think for 1 man operations the Pearson and Priefert's probably fit the bill the best. Maybe throw in Foremost and WW. The different places I go these seem to be what people have AND like, not just what they have. At some point it comes down to where are the head knockers on the thing I'm commonly going to have to work around for the things I typically do in my operation. Each of those has a little different location/feel for where the head and knee knockers are.

I run a Stampede Steel hydraulic chute. I don't think I would ever change. Simple to operate and can work anything needed.

I watched the video of the Priefert SO4. They have done a lot of nice improvements to their chutes from the one we have now that is around 20 years old. I like it. Priced at $4,789.

I think someone quoted me around $4300 @ san antonio rodeo for the 04 model. Was cheaper than the ww D&d was pushing.

How much does the Pearson run?

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Following this thread, as well

Getting tired of the old head gate. Thinking automatic since the wife is 8 mo preg with twins and my son is only 3

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You should never get tired of head at the old gate... Your chances will decrease significantly for the short term possibilities once the twins arrive!

I worked many squeeze chutes when I was national sales rep for Tru-Test scales and my favorite was a Pearson chute with their auto head catch ( which was actually a Foremost brand head gate).
Priefert is a great lightweight, inexpensive chute but a Pearson, WW, Pearson or Southwest are really great built chutes for Texas cattle. Hydraulic chutes are the Cadillac but only feasible if you have 1,000's of head.
WW has really good portable chutes that holdup well.