Warning about B&B scales

[bird dog]

I am not usually one to stir things up but you good folks need to be warned here. I have had a very unpleasant transaction with B&B scales. My ordering experience was horrible and their quality control is non-existence. To start off it took three weeks to get them after being promised shipment in 5 days. Here is everything else that was wrong.

1. I was bolting down to concrete so they ship bolt down feet that screw into the load bars. The feet I received had the wrong bolts welded on them. The man who owns the company said he would send me new ones the next day. I still haven't received any. He also said I could build my own and he would reimburse me. I did and sent him a email with the modest charge. No refund has been given yet.
2. None of the bolts in the load cell were tightened. They are a large socket head screw. Of course I didn't have a allen wrench large enough to fit.
3. Weigh bars are only painted on the sides and bottom. The top is raw steel. These should be powder coated. I painted them with Priefert blue. They look like $#%t but at least they won't rust as bad.
4. The cable that goes from the junction box to the indicator was missing a tiny screw that held the plug in place. It didn't matter as two of the solder connections were not done correctly and had come lose. Luckily I had a extra cable.
5. The box the unit came in had enough packing peanuts to fill a large garbage bag. I now have them scattered all over Hill and Limestone counties not to mention the ones in my pens. I hope the calves won't eat them.

After two long hot days and a 56 mile round trip to Fastenal in Waco I finally got them installed under the chute. This is my second set of scales to install. The first ones were built from a scale kit sold to me by A&A scales from New Jersey. They have worked fine. They were installed under a pan in the alleyway and I would have done that again but that wasn't an option with this set of pens. Nest time I think I had better stick with a more reputable company.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Might give them some free publicity on Yelp.com

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Might give them some free publicity on Yelp.com

And Facebook as well as their website (if they have a FB page and a website).

 

[machslammer]

Bird Dog,

Mine haven't worked right since I got them. Had to get a second box sent to me. 2 more weeks of waiting, and if they are under the chute, mine work and weigh right about half the time. Otherwise the front set works fine and weighs correctly when standing on them, but the back set weighs me 100# less on one side versus the other. Been that way since bought. I use them some with ok results and other times they way off. I get frustrated with them often. True test would be my next set cause that is the priefert correct fit.

 

[tom4018]

Wow sorry to hear you had a problem. I know a couple of us have had good luck with them. Although I do think there are some packing peanuts still floating around the yard. I had some problems getting mine set up and called and talk to him on Saturday with no issues to get mine going. Weighed some calves this week right off the cow the day before going to the sale barn, they were 13 pound lighter at the sale barn than here which I think would be about right for pulling them the day before and hauling them on 6 weight calves.

 

[bird dog]

The man was always quick to call me back but the promises were never kept. I got the felling it was a one man and one welder operation and the welder doesn't speak very good English. I had weaned 35 calves and was wanting their weight right off the mamas. This is how I judge the cows performance. I finally got them weighed three weeks later just before they shipped. The weights were after they had been on some creep so my effort for accurate weights right off the cow was lost. I have now weighed about 50 animals on the scales and I believe they are accurate.
One thing I have learned is that the components on all the main scale makers are basically the same and can be interchanged. B & B's readout monitor has some features that make it better for weighing animals that won't stand still. I'm sure the other big names also have these features. If I build another set it will be from scratch using commodity components.

Losing only 13 lbs on 6 weights is very good, right at 2%. I have seen unweaned calves lose 10% when the weather is hot.

 

[cmf1]

I hate the peanuts. And the bolts for the feet were well to long for my set up.
$5.00 a piece for shorter bolts and a little welding by my neighbor fixed that.
Left the head plugged in to charge the battery. Unplugged it and no battery power.
Called him and he said he would send a new battery.
Got a hunch, opened the head, and the wires were coiled neatly to the side not hooked up to the battery. Hooked them up, plugged it back in, next day, had battery power.
Took it out to the chute, weighed people, on the money.
Added a piece of angle under the front feet to make a curb to keep it from moving forward, stabilized the rear, and weighed the cows.
Got little more bouncing than I wanted but I think that is due to leveling.
I'll fix that with a shim I believe.
All in all I like it and think it will do well. Mine is mostly covered and permanent installation.
When I called to tell him about the battery the next day, he said he already mailed me a new one and to just keep it.
If it ever gets here I will.
He does sound like he's got a lot going on and may be understaffed, but I think it is a good scale.
The price difference between the B&B versus trutest is pretty wide, and suupposedly the B&B uses a 10,000 lb. envelope calibrated down so it is beefier. The tru test has more features, and is more " finshed" but this one will cover what I need. For now.

 

[HOSS]

I've been happy with my set for the most part. Most of my problems have been created by myself. They have been helpful the one time I have called but I found out my problem was water in the gray cable junction box. As long as I keep it dry I have been problem free. I am building a cover over my working pens this fall so that should help with that.

 

[Lawson Farms]

We bought our B&B scales a few years ago. We had some issues initially getting it calibrated. But we recieved great phone support on trying to calibrate it. We determined with phone support to have a faulty load cell. They sent a replacement cell out very quickly.

BL

 

[xbred]

i ordered a kit from the new jersey group today. hope they work well. any suggestions or tips?

 

[bird dog]

Are they going under the chute? Make sure you don't do any welding while the load cells are in place.

 

[machslammer]

Question to anyone who has these scales under their chute...

I have my prefiert chute positioned just on top of the scales, not secured to them. I can strap, tie, use tightening rods ect the back of the chute to keep it from sliding and the scales read fine when I get into it. BUT, when a calf gets into the chute, hits the head catch and puts tension on whatever I have securing the rear end, the scales will not read correctly. Then when I let them out it gives me a number ect and I can figure out what the true weight was, but it does not help me know if I need to keep or sort that calf while they are in the chute. After letting them out, readjusting the rear secure straps, ect then it will weigh correctly again until another calf hits the front of the chute again. I have had nothing but headache trying to figure out what to do to get these things to work correctly on even 2 calves in a row. What do I use to secure the chute with, or whatever to make my scales stay weighing correctly ect???? Thanks for HELP!!!

 

[bird dog]

If you are on concrete you can bolt down a piece of angle to act as a stop so the chute doesn't slide. I have mine attached at the rear with loose chains, They only serve as a safety in case the chute decides to tip over. Anything binding in the front or rear will give you a false reading.
Why did you decide not to attach the chute to the weigh bars?

Update on my B & B scale. I never could get them to work correctly and with no help coming from the company I sent him an email asking if I could return them. I would pay the freight. Again I received no response. I contacted Chase Visa whose card I used for the purpose. They immediately refunded my purchase price including freight and told me they would act as the arbitrator between me and the company. I guess he did not want to contact them either as nothing has come up since. Chase said he has two billing cycles to protest the charge back and that time is now just about up. I uninstalled them and packaged them up but they are still sitting in the barn. Start over time I guess.

 

[machslammer]

None of the bolt holes line up with the chute. I have the bars mounted down through the concrete but they not attached to the chute. Plus we move the chute a few times a year and didn't need them bolted down to it. What kind of angle are you talking about? And how tall would i need to get as these scales make the chute sit way up. Pics of something would be appreciated

 

[dun]

From the stuff I've heard locally abuot some of the "independant" scale companys, it sounds like in a lot of cases it's penny wise and pound foolish to not go with the more expensive but reputable dealers. No one I've talked to has used B&B but they have used several of the others. Results ranged from really good to just awfull even using the same companys.

 

[machslammer]

It reads me correctly but when added chains, tensioners, ect it holds the chute off the scales and registers wrong when the calf hits the head chute. Any ideas on keeping the chute from sliding forward if i undo the rear straps/chains to allow the scales to read correctly?

 

[machslammer]

continued help please...

 

[bird dog]

None of the bolt holes line up with the chute. I have the bars mounted down through the concrete but they not attached to the chute. Plus we move the chute a few times a year and didn't need them bolted down to it. What kind of angle are you talking about? And how tall would i need to get as these scales make the chute sit way up. Pics of something would be appreciated

It is best to weld on some bars or pipes to the bottom of the chute and use a u-bolt to attach to the weigh bar holes. This way they can be easily unbolted if you want to move the chute. You can use a piece of steel angle iron across the front of the chute to stop the slide. It would probably need to be 4" x 4" or maybe 5 x 5 to allow for the height when on the load bars. This still might bind the scales so you might want to attach a piece of Teflon or something smooth to the contact edge of the angle and chute so it would slide op and own easier. It don't take much to give you a false reading as you have noticed.

 

[JSteim]

I bought a cattle weigh scale from them in November 2015. By June 2016 it was falling apart with broken welds. It had and has not been used and is still sitting on pallets in my yard awaiting installation.
B&B said leaving the scale outside was extreme neglect.
First they offered to give me a letter showing the broken welds were lightning damage so I could try and get my homeowners to cover it.
Finally they offered to re weld it if I brought it back to them. Since that would cost me a large fraction of the purchase price for a 1200 mile trip, days off of work etc. and I have no confidence that the reworked scale would be of any use at this point its a total write off.
I wish I had never heard of these guys.

 

[Anonymous]

wow glad i read this i had a post once about scales and ive been looking at there chute set up really hard .also looked at a site called floor scales direct and i have talked to both companys they have given helpful info so far tru test an galiger seem so expensive next cheapest ive found from the top two is digi star seems there a good quality but not as expensive as the other two big names an digi star is U S A made!