Are "Affordabe" Cream Separators any good?

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Are these "Affordable" cream separators worth the price? I've got the family drinking our ever so healthy goat milk, but I'm not sure we all need to be drinking 5% butterfat all the time (heaven knows I don't) and I'd also like to make butter and ice cream. I hate to spend $200 if the thing gives me more headaches than it's worth.

-- Brooke Scherlie (BScherlie@aol.com), April 05, 2001

Answers

Brooke, I own one of the russian built units.They will do the job but they are mostly conctructed of plastic.Including some of the gears.If you need one "right now" it is about your lowest price choice.If you have the time to look around and I do mean looking.You can generaly find an old montgomery ward or delaval for the same price or much less at antique stores or auctions.I paid $35.00 for my montgomery wards seperator and the dealer thought he was really ripping me off.

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), April 05, 2001.

My experience with one of the Russian units: The first time I used it milk got into the gearing due to poorly fitting joints. Hoegger Supply sent me a replacement gear kit and I carefully sanded the joints. Once the fit problem and the leaking were fixed it worked quite well. If you can find a used DeLaval unit that would be better but be aware the separator disks might need to be retinned.

-- Jay Eckert (jaydeckert@lycos.com), April 06, 2001.

Jay is right about making sure all the metal is good on old separators.Even if you are able to find soemone that can retin the parts with food grade tin the price will blow your mind.Mucho dinero!

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), April 06, 2001.

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