M²erlin Milking Robot vs Vector
Two robotic barn machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
The independent alternative to the big-three milking robots — Fullwood (milking robots since 1996, rebranded from Fullwood JOZ) has built the M²erlin since 2014 around an open box, natural walk-through entrance/exit and a quiet electric robot arm. Ten years of incremental upgrades include TDS2 laser udder recognition (2020), FullCount real-time somatic cell counting (2021) and the FULLSENSE software platform (2023). Hundreds of farms run it worldwide; the Meridian variant does robotic batch milking in groups.
Best for: Dairy farms wanting a low-stress open-box robot with per-quarter monitoring from a long-established independent maker, or batch-milking herds (Meridian) that keep parlour-style routines with robot labour.Lely's automatic feeding system — a feed kitchen plus a battery-electric mixing-and-feeding robot (MFR) that weighs, mixes and dispenses fresh ration on demand, scanning feed height at the fence 24/7. Current generation is the Vector MFR Next (launched March 2025) with 800 kg loading capacity; over 1,000 systems sold, in use in 31 countries. Sold and serviced in Switzerland via Lely Center Härkingen.
Best for: Dairy and beef farms wanting frequent, precise group-specific fresh feeding without a mixer wagon and daily tractor passes.| M²erlin Milking Robot Verified 2026-07-16 | Vector Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Robotic barn | Robotic barn |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | Netherlands |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Mains electric; energy-efficient electric (non-pneumatic) robot arm | Battery-electric robot · mains-powered feed kitchen |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Open-box design with natural straight-through cow entrance and exit | Feed kitchen sized to farm; MFR robot with mixing tub |
| Weight | Fixed installation | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Feed kitchen + robot sized from mid-size herds upward |
| Productivity | Higher milkings per cow per day claimed vs conventional parlour routines | MFR Next loads up to 800 kg per run — 35% more than previous generation |
| Max speed | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Sensors | TDS2 laser teat/udder recognition · FullQuestFC per-quarter conductivity · FullCount real-time somatic cell count sensor · AfiCollar ID integration | Feed-height scanning at the feed fence · feed grabber with weighing in the kitchen |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy via Fullwood dealer network worldwide | Buy via regional Lely Center; installation project incl. feed kitchen |
| Ongoing cost | Service contract; liners and consumables; software/herd-management subscription terms not disclosed | Service contract via Lely Center; electricity; mixing-auger wear parts |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Milking frequency Higher number of milkings per cow per day (voluntary traffic) · vendor | Feed loading capacity +35% · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked | CE marked |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU/UK markets by Fullwood under the applicable machinery regimes | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230; Swiss market access via CH–EU Mutual Recognition Agreement |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes in several member states | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.