Prattley or Rappa?

[Downton_shep]

Lots of people love the Rappa but you do get the odd horror story.
Cant say I’ve heard anyone saying bad things about the Prattley.
Both could do with slightly higher hurdles though.

 

[hally]

Always amazes me that we are told to buy British but a company like prattley design a product and manufacture it then ship it round the world but yet a company like rappa who lost the prattley franchise then rip off the design, manufacture it locally with no shipping costs yet wont undercut the NZ guys. Tests my idea of loyalty tbh but I would still go with British when possible

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Prattley do make pretty good yards, possibly depends to a degree the numbers you're putting through them - and "what"

Prattley gates do bend before they break and very easily repaired, I have no experience of the Rappa design but I would give Prattley a vote anyway; you don't want overengineered gates that are only worth throwing out if a mob crashes them.
That's why they are the bestseller around here, they have tweaked and tweaked til they got their design right. Other engineers attempts are too industrial

 

[hally]

My Prattley is 15 years and has been excellant

 

[Sorbaer]

I have a Rappa and overall it's slightly better than the Pratley I used previosuly. Not in a big way but little things like the pin holes are slightly bigger which makes life easier on rough ground and the winch is easier to use. As a bonus it's made buy a small british firm who are great to deal with.

Do you have the standard 36inch hurdles over the 39inch? if so do you find lambs/sheep jumping them? Looking at either a series 10 standard or super myself! Thanks

 

[NZDan]

Prattley do make pretty good yards, possibly depends to a degree the numbers you're putting through them - and "what"

Prattley gates do bend before they break and very easily repaired, I have no experience of the Rappa design but I would give Prattley a vote anyway; you don't want overengineered gates that are only worth throwing out if a mob crashes them.
That's why they are the bestseller around here, they have tweaked and tweaked til they got their design right. Other engineers attempts are too industrial

A Rappa is almost exactly the same as a Prattley but slightly better, they have taken the Prattley design and tweaked it a little, the only fault I've seen with the Rappa are the drafting gates, they are bloody flimsy.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

My Prattley is 15 years and has been excellant

When I was tailing, the boss had the proper contractor setup, still in use and it's done 25+ years, probably sees 65-70k lambs a season there will be many like that down here (and it isn't flat, and the sheep aren't quiet! )

 

[NZDan]

When I was tailing, the boss had the proper contractor setup, still in use and it's done 25+ years, probably sees 65-70k lambs a season there will be many like that down here (and it isn't flat, and the sheep aren't quiet! )

Mine Prattleys were built in 1974, they're worth the same now 4th hand as they were brand new.

 

[MDL POWERUP]

Retailers can’t get a guaranteed supply of consistent UK lamb all year, it varies from tender/less tasty ‘Easter’ lamb, right through to almost gamey hogget. Their customers don’t want that, they want a consistent product, that lies somewhere between the two.

I'm reality they don't know what the customer actually wants because half the time the customer doesn't even know! They just want cheap.

 

[neilo]

I had a Prattley for 19 years, then traded it in for a RAPPA when they came out, 8 years ago. The RAPPA hurdles are a lot stronger and the position of the drafting gates & winch far more sensible. Maybe Prattley hurdles have got stronger since then too though? I’m not at all convinced by all the lights & gubbins that have been added by RAPPA recently though, in order to keep VOSA happy, just bits to break off in use I suspect.

To be honest, I doubt there’s a lot to choose between the two.

Of course there is another UK manufacturer in Alligator. The original ones were made of twiglets, but the ‘Pro’ at least looks to be built better, but with a price nearer to the market leaders too.

 

[Yale]

I had a Prattley for 19 years, then traded it in for a RAPPA when they came out, 8 years ago. The RAPPA hurdles are a lot stronger and the position of the drafting gates & winch far more sensible. Maybe Prattley hurdles have got stronger since then too though? I’m not at all convinced by all the lights & gubbins that have been added by RAPPA recently though, in order to keep VOSA happy, just bits to break off in use I suspect.

To be honest, I doubt there’s a lot to choose between the two.

Of course there is another UK manufacturer in Alligator. The original ones were made of twiglets, but the ‘Pro’ at least looks to be built better, but with a price nearer to the market leaders too.

We‘ve got two Rappas,one is serial no. 007 ,will be one or two from yours Neil.The new one is about 2 years old and the new type.

I always take the old one when the two are back at the farm yard,the winch system is so much handier and easier.

Don‘t trade yours Neil,you’ll be disappointed.

 

[Al R]

We‘ve got two Rappas,one is serial no. 007 ,will be one or two from yours Neil.The new one is about 2 years old and the new type.

I always take the old one when the two are back at the farm yard,the winch system is so much handier and easier.

Don‘t trade yours Neil,you’ll be disappointed.

I tend to leave the winch system in place on mine, only a few times I’ve ever taken it off

 

[Yale]

I tend to leave the winch system in place on mine, only a few times I’ve ever taken it off

I tend always to take the winch off as it does my head in,gets in the way of seeing what’s happening,doesn’t take much effort but every time I take it off the new one I say to myself ’effing M....s B.....k,effing excuses about VOSA.

 

[Al R]

I tend always to take the winch off as it does my head in,gets in the way of seeing what’s happening,doesn’t take much effort but every time I take it off the new one I say to myself ’effing M....s B.....k,effing excuses about VOSA.

I thought when I first had mine “f... using a lighting board on the back” then all the hurdles vibrated off the back, put a ratchet strap around the back to keep them on for a few months then was going a fair few mile away and needed the lights on The back, only then I realised the lighting board was a perfect fit to stop the hurdles and panels sliding off, always put it on now

 

[Yale]

I thought when I first had mine “f... using a lighting board on the back” then all the hurdles vibrated off the back, put a ratchet strap around the back to keep them on for a few months then was going a fair few mile away and needed the lights on The back, only then I realised the lighting board was a perfect fit to stop the hurdles and panels sliding off, always put it on now

Our lighting board is good as new in the back of the shed.

We don’t go far so not as important.

 

[glasshouse]

I love the way British sheep farmers are often so keen on Prattleys yet complain about New Zealand lamb being sold in the UK. (Tin hat firmly on).

I bought a prattley in 2004, rappa wasnt thought of then

 

[Yale]

Just to clarify things the newer Rappa winch is virtually the same as Prattley.

I‘d go for the 10ft Rappa as Prattley used to be on smaller wheels,may still be.

 

[Bury the Trash]

They've actually gone up in money over the last 3 years so how long was I
waiting ,my retirement?


It's not comparable to supplying the supermarket as they can be guaranteed
UK lamb 12mnts of the year ,all Rappa had to do was guarantee delivery.

Grant job would've pushed prices up, supply and demand does that.

Some people will buy stuff just because they think they are missing out on a bargain / something ..want or just have some thing because others have it and feel secure ..that's what consumerism feeds on.
Or just to sound clever and 'up with it'

Supermarkets....They only buy from 'down under ' the bits they need so its apretty efficient way of doing it really.

 

[lloyd]

Grant job would've pushed prices up, supply and demand does that.

Some people will buy stuff just because they think they are missing out on a bargain / something ..want or just have some thing because others have it and feel secure ..that's what consumerism feeds on.
Or just to sound clever and 'up with it'

Supermarkets....They only buy from 'down under ' the bits they need so its apretty efficient way of doing it really.

Grant's aside most things have gone up alot in the last 10 years ,
so if your offered 40% off something you were considering buying
anyway why would you not see it as a good deal?
Building pens out of steel hurdles is not something we are going to miss
as you get older .

 

[Bury the Trash]

so if your offered 40% off something you were considering buying
anyway why would you not see it as a good deal?
Building pens out of steel hurdles is not something we are going to miss
as you get older .

yes i agree.

Not sure what a prattley system would've cost in 2010 but 3.5 k would now be approx. 4.25 k under normal, inflation rate.

Alli hurdles are very good for sweeping up /funneling in to a race or pen in a temporary situation and yes we could do with more to save moving the ones around that we do have,ours could be a bit taller as well min 40 inch ir.
Just dont need the trailer bit, thats the most expensive as well .
don't want the pita setting up caper either thats why we build permanent but basic pen/race at each place we keep stock,find it saves time a well, especially if we only need to get a few or pick out one or 2 or a handfull.

Grants always seem to spoil their good idea by certain built in qualifying criteria,like the chap on another thread about fencing having to fence with certain amounts of barbed wire or no creo alowed
any good Fencing contractor or stockman even will advise on good fencing not a blinking office theory so called expert.