When it comes to handling cattle, having the right equipment will make all the difference. For many cattle operations, the manual cattle chute is a critical tool to help ranchers handle their cattle safely and efficiently. However, many chutes in today’s market haven’t kept up with the evolving needs of modern-day ranchers. From securely holding the growing sizes of today’s cattle to hard to use levers, most cattle chutes often leave operators frustrated, and in extreme cases, injured, which can lead to lesser profits in the long run.

Someone operating the Arrowlock 88 with a cow

Common Problems with Today’s Manual Cattle Chutes

Manual cattle chutes are often known as the rancher’s right-hand man when handling cattle. They’re used to hold cattle for many different procedures such as branding, vaccinating, and tagging, among other things. This is why it’s so important that your squeeze chute is built to withstand anything. Unfortunately, many equipment manufacturers have been designing the same chutes for decades because the chutes they’re manufacturing are “good enough to get the job done.” This has led to many injuries to both operators and cattle alike, and poses the question: where exactly are manual cattle chutes failing to cause these injuries?

Struggling to Hold Large Cattle: Cattle come in all shapes and sizes, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach cannot work. Larger cattle breeds and bulls, whose necks are often wider than their heads, pose a unique challenge that most manual cattle chutes struggle to handle. Often, you’ll hear of cattle slipping out of head gates, which is why most operators with larger breeds or lots of bulls will choose a hydraulic chute over a manual chute. Head gate and squeeze mechanisms that can’t securely hold cattle increase the risk of injury to both cattle and the operator.


Too Many Handles: Handling cattle is already a time-consuming task, so having to constantly adjust multiple levers for different sized cattle will only add to the workload. Additionally, often ranchers are struggling to find good help for their operation, which means they’ll have to be the ones to run up and down the chute to move the levers and make constant adjustments. This will take valuable time away from other tasks that need to get done around the ranch – and trust us, we know there are a lot. In operations where efficiency is key, the last thing you need is a chute that slows you down.

Not Built for Longevity: When investing in equipment that is thousands of dollars, you’re going to expect it to last for years to come. However, with most manual cattle chutes, this isn’t the case. Most chutes are manufactured using materials that cannot withstand the daily wear and tear that comes with cattle handling, which can lead to more frequent, costly repairs.

    Introducing the Arrowlock Advantage

    Arrowlock 88 Series Head Gate adjustability

    More Power than Most Hydraulic Chutes: No… your eyes aren’t mistaking you! The Arrowlock 88 is the industry’s first manual cattle chute that applies more pressure to your cattle than most hydraulic chutes. Unlike the Arrowlock 55 and 75 Series chutes, the Arrowlock 88 features an adjustable head gate with three settings (cow, calf, and bull) that allows operations to securely hold even the rowdiest cows or biggest bulls without the risk of them slipping away. When placing the head gate in the bull setting, operators can get up to 7.7x the pressure when compared to the previous Q-Catch model. Now, the whole family can get involved, whether you’re 7 or 87, without risking safety.

    True One-Person Operation: All Arrowlock chutes feature an adjustable head gate handle that can be operated at any point alongside the chute, including in the same spot as the squeeze handle and/or rolling alley gate to make it a true one-person operation. Having the ability to operate the entire chute from one spot reduces the amount of movement required, which will save you time and energy. This also helps to maintain a lower-stress environment and streamlines your operation to create a more enjoyable experience for all involved.

    Built for Generations: At Arrowquip, we only manufacture equipment that is made to last for generations – because we know that cattle handling equipment gets put through a lot day in and out, and it’s a big investment for your operation. All our cattle chutes, panels, and feeders are built using heavy-duty North American steel and then powder-coated for durability against the elements and string UV rays. The engineers at Arrowquip have also taken every step to ensure that the Arrowlock Head Gate will withstand the test of time by testing it through thousands of cycles to ensure there was no wear on any parts. Additionally, we are so confident in the ability of the Arrowlock that we feature the industry’s best warranty with a lifetime warranty on all locking mechanisms, the rubber floor, and rump fingers.

    If you’re tired of dealing with the limitations of outdated manual cattle chutes, the Arrowlock lineup is here to solve your problem and revolutionize your cattle handling process. Designed using feedback from ranchers across North America, the Arrowlock chutes prioritize safety, efficiency, and durability to ensure you have the best tool to get the job done right every time.

    Connect with our team today by filling out this form or calling us at 1 (866) 383-7827. Don’t let outdated equipment hold your operation back and step into the future of cattle handling with the Arrowlock.