Many dairy farmers these days are asking themselves “what are the benefits of a farm scraper versus robots?”, as they weigh the pros and cons of automating their farming processes. While manure cleaning robots are often promoted as the future of dairy barn hygiene, electric walk behind scrapers and compact tractor ride-on machines, like the Westermann WS800 Vario Farm Scraper and Westermann CM2 Ride-On PRO, offer many advantages for farmers who want to prioritise reliability, control and cost-efficiency.
Recently, we spoke to our friend, and specialist when it comes to farming with Westermann machinery, and also the Northern Ireland distributor of Westermann scrapers and ride-ons, Aaron McFarland. As a farmer, he really believes in the power of a Westermann farm scraper over robots (as do we!). So, let’s breakdown some of the key benefits of using an electric farm scraper or petrol-powered ride-on over an automated manure robot system.
Lower Initial Investment
Manure robots can cost tens of thousands of pounds as a starting point (the 2025 Rural Payments Agency’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund expects the average cost of a robot slurry pusher to be £18,933), and that often doesn’t include any installation and setup fees.
A farm scraper with a human operator, by contrast, is a fraction of the price, and typically requires no fixed installation or complex electronics. A Westermann CM2 Ride-On PRO is priced from £5,275 + VAT (not including attachments), while a walk behind Westermann WS800 Vario Electric Farm Scraper with a Double Scraper attachment is priced from just £2,925 + VAT.
Even if you invested in a Loncin 2-Cylinder engine Westermann CM2 PRO Compact Tractor (the larger engine option, priced from £8,080 + VAT) which has multiple attachment options, you still wouldn’t be close to the cost of a single robotic slurry unit, and you’d be better equipped to deal with multiple different applications around the barn, from cleaning slurry to spreading lime to pushing feed. You could even invest in attachments for maintaining the outside of your sheds too, with wire brush, snow plough and path re-edger attachments available.
As Aaron puts it, investing in a Westermann farm scraper is a “no brainer investment for the price you pay for farm insurance”.
Minimal Maintenance
Robotic slurry systems rely on sensors, navigation software, batteries and charging stations - all of which require regular servicing, and run the risk of potential downtime. A simple electric walk behind scraper or petrol-powered ride-on scraper requires no software updates and no dependency on sensors - just robust German engineering from Westermann that’s built to last.
As we all know by now in today’s modern age, digital technology and automated systems can be unreliable, and are not usually a quick DIY fix if something goes wrong. If your robotic scraper system goes down for whatever reason, you’re still left with a job that needs doing, so you will still find yourself relying on non-automated farm scraper equipment as a backup, even if it gets less use.
Greater Control, Flexibility and Versatility
Manned farm scrapers let farmers decide when, where and how to clean. You can target problem areas immediately, which is especially useful during milking or feeding times when cows may block automated routes.
Aaron points out that robots often won’t deviate from their programming, meaning that spots that need particular attention on a run could be missed, and they also can’t go from shed to shed like a farm scraper can, leaving little room for deviation.
With a farm scraper, the farmer stays in control of the time and schedule, rather than relying on a preset cleaning schedule or a robot’s route algorithm. “The farmer is the motion sensor”, as Aaron so succinctly puts it.
A Westermann farm scraper machine is truly versatile. With a myriad of different attachments for different applications, it makes keeping sheds clean and clear and cows happy and fed quicker and simpler than ever. For a ride-on farm scraper, Aaron recommends adding an axial side sweeper cubicle brush and a lime and feed spreader box to clean as you go. Spreading lime as you go kills bacteria and neutralises acidity near the udders within the cubicle. As a result, your cow’s udders require less cleaning, which then speeds up the milking process.
Works in Any Barn Layout
Robots require uniform barn designs, smooth flooring and clearly defined navigation paths which, especially if you have an older farm, will most likely not be the case.
Westermann farm scrapers can adapt to older or irregular barn layouts, handle uneven floors, and are nimble enough for tight, awkward corners without needing costly renovations or mapping to accommodate them. With narrow stall passage cleaning capabilities (a minimum width of 800mm on all models), a Westermann effortlessly moves through tight barn spaces, leaving no slurry behind.
Consistent Cleaning Results
With heavy cows laying down and working dirt into the ground, you need a machine that can really get in there and clear it out. While manure robots can miss spots or struggle with heavy build-up, a farm slurry scraper allows for direct operator oversight. If an area needs extra attention, you can tackle it immediately for consistent cleanliness and hygiene every time. This is particularly valuable when managing wet, compacted slurry.
The Westermann Farm Scraper’s double scraper really clings to the ground for supreme cleaning. Its rigid design with dual rubber scraper blades on the front and back of the box unit deliver consistent results, making it ideal for pushing manure, straw or bedding material.
Precise cleaning on the slats also means that more waste is repurposed and goes back into the land from the collection tank as fertiliser – helping farms to be more self-sufficient, sustainable and economical.
Easy to Use, Easy to Train
A new farmhand can learn to operate a farm scraper in minutes. A Westermann farm scraper is user-friendly and intuitive, with minimal training required. Even younger farm hands can easily get to grips with a Westermann ride-on – perfect if your dairy farm is a family affair.
By contrast, manure robots require technical setup, app management and ongoing monitoring. This can be daunting for less tech-oriented operators or more traditional farmers. Plus, isn’t operating the machinery yourself simply more fun? With a Westermann scraper, you can still have an easy, hands-on approach to cleaning your sheds without the farmer fatigue.
Better Time Savings
You could argue that, with the ongoing pressures on staff time, that cleaning sheds is a job that could, and should, be delegated to a robot. However, although a human-operated machine takes up more of a farmer’s time compared to automation, it’s still a job that will take less time with a scraper vs a robot (Aaron suggests that one run of a shed takes an average of 20 minutes on a ride-on, compared to one hour for a robot).
So, by putting in the effort of doing it yourself with a Westermann eliminating the worry of extra physical exertion, you are still reducing labour times and opening up more time that can be utilised in a more productive way. You’re not waiting for a robot to finish its job in 3x the time that you could get it done, and you’re saving far more time and labour compared to manual scraping methods.
Reduced Cow Stress and Better Husbandry
Manure robots move autonomously, which may cause some cows to react with caution or stress around them. Farm scrapers operated by familiar humans, on the other hand, will typically cause less disturbance in the herd environment.
Aaron says it’s a common misconception that a ride-on scraper will scare cows. Did you know cows are known to recognise and remember faces? This means that cows will see a friendly, familiar face cleaning out their shed and feel at ease, promoting a calmer barn atmosphere. Cows are intelligent creatures and will put two and two together, positively associating the ride-on with cleanliness, better comfort levels and better health. Healthy cows equal happy cows, which equals more productive livestock!
Being an active participant in your shed’s cleaning routine also keeps you more involved with your cows’ health and promotes better husbandry by checking in with them at least once a day. With a farm slurry scraper, you’re already in control of scraping at the most optimal times (i.e. feeding times). Then, while you’re scraping, you can multitask and observe your cows and their health at the same time, looking for signs of lameness and other possible health concerns that might affect your livestock.
A Westermann farm scraper remains a robust, low-maintenance and cost-effective choice for maintaining barn hygiene - especially for farms that value simplicity, control and proven reliability over automation.
At SPA Power Machinery, we supply and service the full range of Westermann scrapers and other agricultural cleaning machinery. Built to last, these German-engineered machines are trusted by farms across the UK, Ireland and beyond for reliability and performance.
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If you’d like to know more about using Westermann machinery for farming purposes, please get in touch with us via the contact form on our website, or you can call us on +44 (0)114 2699 119 or email info@spapowermachinery.com.