Greythundercloudys
Member
Just wondering what's the best thing you've ever bought for the farm? Mine is a Rambo hand held shearing machine, a great thing for dragging etc, 1000 times better than a to year old electric lister.
Most important buy (&I really do urge every shepherd to buy one) is a multi-tool, I started on cheapo's, now got a leatherman wave, the most important bit is the pliers.
So far I've cut out of fences...
Several hoggs/ewes
2 deer
And most importantly my best dog.
In all cases there was no other pliers around, except a drive back to the yard.
All were hung up where they'd tried to jump fences but caught the barb and twisted the barb and top wire of the net in such a way the only option was to cut the wire.
It the dogs case she was also lashing out biting (she's not a biter but was obviously seriously distressed)
IMO absolutely invaluable tool for so many other reasons to.
Id agree with these 2 and carry both most of the time. Not exact same makes of models but multitool and good knife. Multitool for exact same reasoms and more and good knife that locks and opens with one hand because its so much quicker to get out than a cheap penknife when its pissing with rain and you want to open a silage bale and get back in the cab but more importantly its a LOT safer than a cheap penknifeEasily a high quality (Benchmade) full hand grip pocket knife that can be opened with one hand. Probably my most used tool and I am a bit of a tool junkie. Not sure if it would be legal to carry over there.
The dog is always king (or queen).
But my choice has to be the most under rated bit of kit which most shepherds think nothing of and take for granted but almost none could do without... which has changed shepherding more than any other 'thing' or invention:
The Quadbike/ATV.
(OK I know @exmoor dave is just a peasant and doesn't have one, but the rest of us do!)
When you do get one you will kick yourself for not buying one sooner!I want one though
To be fair though I can get the Landy nearly everywhere I want too, if it's too wet to drive the fields I walk.
Stock every where at the mo is fairly near to a road or lane.
Even the moor has a good road through the middle then hard tracks all over the place over the top, access down the combes and cliffs is on foot, could get a quad down there though.
Do like cruising round with the radio on.....and the heater going
When you do get one you will kick yourself for not buying one sooner!
My dad was very resistant at first but when the first quad broke down during lambing at about three yrs old we sent him off to get it repaired and he came back with a new one.Quads are dad's red line, doesn't matter who's paying for it either.
Likely to be doing a lot more outdoor lambing this year...... I can see the landy showing it's limits if the weather is wet
My dad was very resistant at first but when the first quad broke down during lambing at about three yrs old we sent him off to get it repaired and he came back with a new one.
I'm sure far more people die whilst crossing the road.Trouble is just as i'm making progress wearing the red line down......he reads of another quad accident or death