Frequently Asked Questions
General
We are third generation NZ family owned and operated for the past 60+ years.
The majority of parts within our products are made in our Waikato factory from raw materials.
We have an Aluminium Foundry, CNC machine shop and in house assembly on our site.
For additional manufacturing that we are unable to process on our site, we use local services and businesses in support of keeping productive manufacturing within New Zealand.
We do ship overseas. We have customers all over the world.
We have an established salesperson in Ireland.
If you are not in New Zealand, simply Contact Us with your needs, and we will help you from there.
We try to match the price for our overseas customers. But currency exchange, and freight costs will impact the final pricing.
Contact us for a quote.
Agitator Motor
~32RPM under normal load.
The AC agitator motor is rated at 0.11kW.
Our Agitator Motors are only being repaired onsite at the McConnel factory in Te Rapa, Hamilton.
This is because our Agitator Motors require specialised equipment and assembly knowledge for an item that runs productively post-repair.
Click Here to see our location and contact details.
Gate Drives
Mounting the Gate Drive
Position assembed drive unit under the backing gate, within 1m of moving end. Drive wheels are to be behind the gate, away from the cows being crowded. Position get across centre of mount saddle and align rear wheel shaft with centre post with the aid of a string line.
Front Wheel Alignment
Align front axle with centre post. Do this by lifting the gate in a safe manner until front wheel is just clear of the ground. Loosen front shaft mount bolts and using a string line from the centre post as a guide, align front wheel shaft so it points directly towards centre post. Tighten front axle bolts and lower gate to the ground again.
Correct attachment and alignment of your Gate Drive unit will greatly reduce the maintenance required over the life of your backing gate.
The power used by the motors can vary, depending on how heavy your gate is, how many cows are pushing against it, and how fast it's set to run (normally 50Hz without a controller).
Our new Guardian GE.E1 controller allows you to adjust the speed and the overload percentage to protect your Gate Drive.
1-Phase powered motor uses ~0.37kW when running
3-Phase powered motor uses ~0.25kW when running
3-Phase powered brake motor uses ~0.25W when running
Note: numbers below are based on fresh wheels, worn wheels will run slower due to smaller wheel diameter.
2, 3 & 5 Wheel Gate Drives: ~11 metres per minute
6 & 8 Wheel Gate Drives: ~9 metres per minute
The overload clutch is intended to limit the maximum load electric powered Gate Drives can
exert on the backing gate. This limits the adverse effects of over loading on your cows, gate
and the gate drive unit.
New 5 and 3 Wheel Electric powered Gate Drive units can be fitted with an optional friction overload clutch for added safety during milking.
The overload clutch is included as standard within all new 6 and 8 Wheel Gate Drive units.
A Brake Motor will brake the motor when it's not running, this stops your Gate Drive from moving. Saving you the trouble of locking your gate up with chains or other means. Click here to order a brake motor upgrade.
We repair Gate Drives inhouse for customers close to our Waikato factory. Most of our service agents are able to repair Gate Drives, you can click here to find your nearest service agent.
Note: You must set your Overload Clutch using the following procedure before first use for your Gate Drive to work properly.
Adjustment is done from outside the gear casing as follows:
1. Ensure the oil level is up to the sight glass.
2. Chain the end of the backing gate securely to a yard post with the gated drive wheels on a clean yard.
3. Remove the overload cover plug (GK016) from the gear casing.
See Figure 1.
4. Insert a 5mm AF Allen key into the adjusting screw and turn it anti-clockwise until all tension is released from the clutch.
CAUTION: For safety, always stand behind the backing gate for parts 5 to 8 of this procedure.
5. Get an assistant to start the gate drive in the forward direction.
6. Turn the Allen key clockwise to slowly tighten the clutch until the electric motor starts to stall or the drive wheels begin to slip and stop the gate drive.
NOTE: the Allen key will rotate if the wheels slip on the yard.
7. Turn the clutch adjustment back a 1/8th turn anti-clockwise.
8. Replace the cover plug taking care not to over tighten it.
9. Finally untie the gate.
2, 3 & 5 Wheel Gate Drives: ~1:63
6 & 8 Wheel Gate Drives: ~1:76
We recommend the following for prolonged and reliable service:
Monthly:
- Check oil level and top up with SAE EP90 or equivalent grade gear oil as required.
- Grease front wheel bearing.
- Check wheel wear. Replace the rim if it is worn down to the aluminium, failure to replace in this state may result in permanent damage to the gear casting.
- Check for any loose fasteners or damage.
We recommend that drive wheels be replaced as a set to prevent uneven loading on the gate drive unit.
Yearly or if the gate drive looses power:
Adjust optional overload clutch. See your owners manual for instructions
Oil Change:
5 yearly or if milky due to water contamination.
Wash Glands
Find here a brochure detailing our 2" Wash Gland installation. You can also go to our Wash Gland page for details.
Square Yard Gates
1. Contact us and we will scope your yard for quotation
2. We will give you a quote based on the information provided, including the estimated delivery date
3. A 10% non-refundable deposit on confirmation of your order
4. We will start manufacturing immediately
5. Upon successful installation and testing, an 80% payment is required, the remaining 10% is due a month after installation
6. The total lead time is currently around 3 months for a 2 gate square yard system. Contact us for further information.
The maximum yard dimensions are 12.5m wide (inside posts) and 70m long.
The price is highly dependent on your yard layout and size. For a single gate system (for a 12mx20m yard), the starting price is approximately $60,000, excluding freight and GST. For a two gate system (for a 12mx40m yard), the starting price is approximately $96,000, excluding freight and GST.
For a relevant estimate please contact us.
Guardian Controllers
You need a McConnel Gate Drive unit installed on your backing gate. Up to 2 Gates can be controlled.
Drive units can be 3 phase Electric or Water driven.
We recommed a McConnel Wash Gland and/or McConnel Through hole Electric slip ring be installed on centre post.