Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Stall Shi*fter?

The Stall Shi*fter is a sifter on wheels with an electric motor driven sifting screen. The Shi*fter is rolled into a stall and turned on. As the sifting screen shakes, the user shovels the mixture of bedding and manure onto the screen. It's like magic, the bedding sifts through the screen and falls to the floor in a nice fluffy pile as the manure moves back to the low end of the screen and falls off the rear into a muck bucket.

How much does it cost?

The Shi*fter should be considered an investment in equipment, not a cost. As any business person knows, the best way to improve profits is to control cost. The best way to control cost is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. The Shi*fter does both. It will return your investment many times over for years to come. The investment can be recouped in a 12 stall barn in as few as 3 months. It can pay for itself several times over in a year, better than any other piece of equipment you can purchase for your farm. It can be completely depreciated as business equipment on taxes. Click the Prices link to find current model and pricing information.

How long have Stall Shi*fters been around?

I built the first Stall Shi*fter in November of 1996 and introduced it to the public at the Hoosier Horse Fair in Indianapolis in April of 1997. We have been improving and fine tuning it ever since.

How can it save me money?

A survey of our customer base taken in November of 1999 reveals the following: Our average customer reduced cleaning time by 65%, cut bedding cost by 50% and is very happy with the overall operation of their Shi*fter. The range of cost saving varied from farm to farm but the overall average dollar savings were significant. It adds up quickly in large operations.

What do you do with the wet spot?

When using the Shi*fter in the preferred manner, the stall is prepared for sifting before the Shi*fter is rolled in. This preparation takes less than a minute. Wet spots are easily identified and scooped up into the tub with your grain shovel. If small wet spots are missed, don't worry, the wet bedding has a tendency to clump together and most of it goes off the end of the screen into the tub anyway. What falls to the pile of sifted bedding is inconsequential and will be well mixed with the dry bedding.

How long can you keep recycling bedding?

Bedding life depends on many factors. In most stalls, fresh bedding is added every few days to replace the wet spot that was removed, some stalls more than others depending on the horse. When the bedding gets to the point where it is too dusty it should be stripped out and replaced with fresh bedding. Application of Arena RX will eliminate dust and greatly increase the life of bedding.

What is the best stall flooring to use?

We found rubber mats to be best. The cost of the mat is recovered in the labor and bedding savings in just a couple of years. Rubber mats are easy on the horses, they do not absorb urine, and they are a better surface than dirt to scoop bedding from. The mats will also help reduce the amount of bedding necessary.

What is the best bedding to use?

There are many good types of bedding available, rice hulls, wood shavings, peat moss, wood pellets, Guardian Swift Pick, sawdust etc., etc. Any bedding used with the Stall Shi*fter must be small enough to pass through the screen which is a 1/2 inch by 1 inch diamond grid. A informative table showing average absorption rates is shown on the "Benefits" page comparing automatic sifting to manual sifting.

Will wood pellet type bedding work with a Shi*fter?

There are numerous brands of "pelletized bedding" available in different parts of the country and they are becoming quite popular with barn managers. When used as directed this type bedding works quite well in the stall and the Stall Shi*fter sifts it quickly because it is so fine. Most of the pelletized bedding comes from Canada and is made of pine shavings. Guardian Horse Bedding is one of the brands available in the Midwest and Mallard Creek miniflakes the Northwest.

How easily is the Shi*fter moved from stall to stall?

The The Shi*fter has four wheels and pushes around much like a shopping cart. Narrow work aisles are no problem because it can be turned completely around in an aisle 8 feet wide.

What are the physical dimensions?

The Shi*fter is 30 inches wide, 72 inches long and 36 inches high and weighs 125 lb. when fully assembled. It ships in two boxes. The box dimensions are: Box one is 62" x 9" x 28" and Box two is 30" x 12" x 12". Box one weighs 90 lb. and Box two weighs 45 lb..

Can the Stall Shi*fter roll over a step?

The Standard Hybrid Woody Shi*fter has 14 inch rear wheels and the Deluxe Hybrid Woody Shi*fter has 20 inch rear wheels; pushing down on the handle raises the front wheels, much like a baby carriage going up a curb. It will pull over a six inch step with ease.

What kind of motor does it have?

Both models are equipped with a Leeson 1/3 hp, 115 vac totally enclosed fan cooled electric motor.

What about shipping?

We can ship via truck to anywhere in the Continental United States or Canada. Alaska orders will include some sea travel. Shipment is by UPS. We have shipped to Germany, Norway, England, Puerto Rico, Canada, Hawaii and Alaska with no problem.

Is any assembly required?

There is some assembly work required but nothing too difficult for the average person. There is a fully illustrated assembly manual with many photos. It takes about 45 minutes to assemble.

How long will it last

We expect them to last a lifetime if they are well maintained. We have many of our original wooden models still operating every day. We honestly don't know how long they will last but it is many years.

What kind of maintenance is required?

A regular drop of oil on the tie rod ends or bearing when it squeaks and normal reasonable cleaning.

Are replacement parts available?

It was designed so that no special tools would be required for repair. All repairs are simple and seldom required. There are normal wear parts that will require occasional replacement. They are tie rod ends and roller bearings and wear rails.

Are there many adjustments that need to be made?

No adjustments should be necessary.

Isn't it harder to run everything through the Stall Shi*fter than to pick with a fork?

The manure fork is much more tedious and requires shaking which is very hard on arms, wrists, shoulders, backs and elbows as many already know. Much less strenuous palms up labor more friendly to those body parts replaces this shaking. On average a 10 x 12 stall with 3 inches of bedding takes 5 minutes to clean using the Stall Shi*fter and a grain shovel. When it is cleaned with the Stall Shi*fter it is really clean, all particles larger than a kernel of corn have been removed. This cannot be done with a fork.

Can it be used when the horse is in the stall?

We do not recommend cleaning stalls with horses in them. It is not very noisy, about 50 db, and we have not had any problem with spooking horses in adjacent stalls. You must find out for yourself if your horses are excited by the Stall Shi*fter. If they are don't use it while they are in adjacent stalls.

How many people use them?

We have been making Shi*fters since 1997 and have shipped them all over the U.S.A. and Canada/ We've also shipped to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Great Britain, Norway, and Germany. Total users number in the thousands.

How do I order one?

Simply pick up your telephone and give us a call at 812-837-9607 or you can email us at shifter@hughes.net. We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

15 day free trial and warranty?

Each Stall Shi*fter comes with two or three year warranty against breakage caused by defective material or workmanship. We also offer a 15 day free trial.

WARRANTY

What the Warranty Covers and How Long

If a Brockwood Farm product ("Product") is defective in material or workmanship, return the defective part Brockwood Farm within _____ years* (see other conditions below) of the original date of purchase on the invoice, and we will repair or replace it (with the same or an equivalent part), at our option, with no charge to you. It is the customer's responsibility to remove the defective part and re-attach the replacement part. 

How to exercise your warranty or obtain service: 
You may arrange for service or for warranty repair by contacting Brockwood Farm at 812-837-9607 

There will be no charge for warranty replacement service except for your PRE PAID shipping cost to our location. When returning a defective part, please be sure to include: your name, address and phone number. 

We cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage during shipping. After we repair or replace (at our option) a defective part under warranty, you will be shipped the replacement part at no cost to you. 

What this Warranty does not cover: This warranty does not cover damage resulting from accidents, alterations, failure to follow instructions, misuse, unauthorized service, fire, flood, acts of God, or other causes not arising out of defects in material or workmanship. 

What we will not do: WE W1LL NOT PAY FOR LOSS OF TIME, LOST PROFITS OR SAVINGS, INCONVENIENCE, LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT, WORK OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. 

THIS WARRANTY SETS FORTH ALL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING THIS PRODUCT. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AT AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE LOCATION IS YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. THIS WARRANTY IS THE ONLY ONE WE GIVE ON THIS PRODUCT. THERE ARE NO OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, FROM BROCKWOOD FARM. 

Other Conditions: We may use reconditioned replacement parts or materials. If we replace your defective part, we may replace it with a reconditioned part or functionally equivalent part. Replacement parts will be warranted for (90) days from the date the part is shipped back to you or for the remaining warranty period on the Product, whichever is longer.

Electric motors are warrantied by the manufacturer not Brockwood Farm. Motor warranties are one year not two years. 

This warranty extends only to the original customer purchase of a Brockwood Farm Product. This warranty is based on normal daily use in a 10-stall horse barn with 12 x 12 stalls. Larger barns will be pro-rated.

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