M²erlin Milking Robot vs Butler Gold Pro
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.Free-driving feed pusher and concentrate dispenser from Austrian feeding specialist Wasserbauer — a 700 kg, 24 V robot that navigates by 5 mm floor magnets set roughly every 2 m, makes up to 99 passes per day and, unlike a plain pusher, uses a special auger to throw feed loosely back to the trough without pressing it. Its 120-litre container (or 2 × 60 l for two components) doses concentrate, minerals or liquids onto the base feed along the way; the drive-over charging station manages batteries automatically.
Best for: Dairy barns wanting more than a pushing drum: fresh, loosened feed plus in-pass concentrate/mineral dosing from one robot, with typical energy use under 4 kWh/day for a 100-cow barn at 14 passes.| M²erlin Milking Robot Verified 2026-07-16 | Butler Gold Pro Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Robotic barn | Robotic barn |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | Austria |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-17 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Mains electric; energy-efficient electric (non-pneumatic) robot arm | 24 V battery — 2 × 105 Ah standard (up to 600 m/pass), optional 2 × 160 Ah (up to 1,200 m/pass); brushless maintenance-free motor |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Open-box design with natural straight-through cow entrance and exit | 2,000 × 1,100 × 850 mm |
| Weight | Fixed installation | 700 kg |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | Higher milkings per cow per day claimed vs conventional parlour routines | Up to 99 passes/day; <4 kWh/day at 100 cows and 14 passes (vendor) |
| Max speed | Not applicable | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | TDS2 laser teat/udder recognition · FullQuestFC per-quarter conductivity · FullCount real-time somatic cell count sensor · AfiCollar ID integration | Magnet navigation — 5 mm floor magnets at ~2 m intervals |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy via Fullwood dealer network worldwide | Buy via Wasserbauer and country distributors; distributed by BouMatic in North America |
| Ongoing cost | Service contract; liners and consumables; software/herd-management subscription terms not disclosed | Electricity; battery packs and auger wear parts; distributor service |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Milking frequency Higher number of milkings per cow per day (voluntary traffic) · vendor | Feed-pushing workload -70% · 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 (AT manufacturer) |
| 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.