Shearing

[Cab-over Pete]

It's a shame, as have 1200 to do and just keep being let down.

Well I did five here a few weeks ago, first time for nearly thirty years. It took over an hour and then three days to recover, but I can give it a lash if you like.

I reckon at that rate it would take 640 days.

 

[Pollman]

We are in Suffolk,not a big sheep country.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Oh.

There’s travelling time to consider as well then.

 

[yellowbelly]

I can give it a lash if you like.

I reckon at that rate it would take 640 days.

Don't tell @Kevtherev - I fear he'll want to start another of your 'schemes'.....

 

[The Seeker]

if anyones struggling to shear again then get a back spring thingy they take all the weight out of the job jut make sure you spend an hr or two integrating it into you set up and not just dangling it from a beam - tho you probably could get away with that if needed mines on a pivot giving me 2-3 meters movement for error also a nice big fan blowing at you as you work makes things a lot nicer !!

 

[CaliMo]

We sheared yesterday after a huge amount of rain the the last week or so. Very wet ground. Sheep were dry, but the shearer was getting shocked through the sheep. He had a Lister machine with a flexible drop and we ran an extension cord from the house for the power. We've done this a few times and never had a problem, but the ground has been dry. He was on a rubber mat on a wooden floor off the ground. Anyone ever had this? It did stop after awhile.

 

[shearerlad]

We sheared yesterday after a huge amount of rain the the last week or so. Very wet ground. Sheep were dry, but the shearer was getting shocked through the sheep. He had a Lister machine with a flexible drop and we ran an extension cord from the house for the power. We've done this a few times and never had a problem, but the ground has been dry. He was on a rubber mat on a wooden floor off the ground. Anyone ever had this? It did stop after awhile.

Was there a circuit breaker at the power socket? A must when shearing, especially with older machines that can have dodgy wiring

 

[CaliMo]

Was there a circuit breaker at the power socket? A must when shearing, especially with older machines that can have dodgy wiring

No, but there was a surge protector plugged into the machine (between the power source and the machine). And its a newish machine.
I'd definitely like to figure out what happened as electrocuting your shearer is not the best way to encourage him to come back next year.

 

[Bury the Trash]

No, but there was a surge protector plugged into the machine (between the power source and the machine). And its a newish machine.
I'd definitely like to figure out what happened as electrocuting your shearer is not the best way to encourage him to come back next year.

Cant beat a 12v outfit for safety and portability. A Good modern unit will shear ok not just dagg.

 

[westom]

Sheep were dry, but the shearer was getting shocked through the sheep.

Currents are flowing thrown the ground. Ignore magic box solutions from the many without basic electrical knowledge. There exists a voltage diference between the safety ground and earth ground. That must never exist if the main breaker box is properly safety grounded and properly earth grounded. Note - safety (equipment) ground is completely different from earth ground. And both must meet in the main breaker box (not sub-panels).

For the same reason, four legged animals would be feeling shocks. In one case, milk production was severely reduced. Electric currents flowing in earth were passing up cows hind legs and down fore legs. That is why properly wired barns are surrounded by a buried bare copper wire. Then any earth currents flow around the barn on that loop. Then currents are not inside the barn being felt by animals.

The shearer had facts that clearly said a serious electrical fault existed. But he did not understand why that fault existed. The investigation starts with inspection of the earth ground and how it connects to the safety (equipment) ground in the main breaker box. Only then does no voltage different exist between shearer and earth.

Sometimes this electrical fault has been seen at the barn entrance when four legged animals pause or turn back at the door. They are feeling at current there.

 

[westom]

No, but there was a surge protector plugged into the machine (between the power source and the machine).

Eliminate that protector that is not doing (and does not claim in its spec numbers) to do anything useful. Something completely different, unfortunately called a surge protector, would be effective because it connects low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth ground. It is necessary even to avert fires created by that tiny (hundreds or thousand) joule protector.

That plug-in protector would do nothing to avert ground currents. Worse, its leakage currents can be a source of those shocking currents.

 

[CaliMo]

Currents are flowing thrown the ground. Ignore magic box solutions from the many without basic electrical knowledge. There exists a voltage diference between the safety ground and earth ground. That must never exist if the main breaker box is properly safety grounded and properly earth grounded. Note - safety (equipment) ground is completely different from earth ground. And both must meet in the main breaker box (not sub-panels).

For the same reason, four legged animals would be feeling shocks. In one case, milk production was severely reduced. Electric currents flowing in earth were passing up cows hind legs and down fore legs. That is why properly wired barns are surrounded by a buried bare copper wire. Then any earth currents flow around the barn on that loop. Then currents are not inside the barn being felt by animals.

The shearer had facts that clearly said a serious electrical fault existed. But he did not understand why that fault existed. The investigation starts with inspection of the earth ground and how it connects to the safety (equipment) ground in the main breaker box. Only then does no voltage different exist between shearer and earth.

Sometimes this electrical fault has been seen at the barn entrance when four legged animals pause or turn back at the door. They are feeling at current there.

So-I think I understand that you're saying the fault was most likely in the earth ground in the house where the extension cord was plugged in, Is that correct? If so, that does make sense as we have had a few issues with grounding in the house. Nothing major and I thought we had it fixed, but perhaps not. Also, the problem seemed to stop when we plugged directly in to the generator. We have no power to the 'barn' such as it is. The protector's main function was to provide more outlets I think, rather than as a safety device. Thank you very much for your in depth reply-exactly what I was hoping to get.

 

[westom]

... the fault was most likely in the earth ground in the house where the extension cord was plugged in,

Extension cord must not connect to earth ground. That would be a code violation. Extension cord, other appliances, and those shears can only connect to safety ground. That to protect human life.

Safety ground must connect to a bus bar in the main breaker box. (No such connection must exist in sub-panels.) Earth ground is electrically different. Its only connection to safety ground is also through electrodes and a hardwire to that bus bar.

Shocks may be due to a voltage difference between between that safety ground and earth ground. No such voltage difference must exist. Or current passing through earth ground (that should not exist) is passing between two items (shearer and shears, shearer and sheep, etc). Again, creating a voltage difference that must not exist.

Be careful here. The expressions were explicit. Earth ground is different from safety ground.

 

[RushesToo]

Extension cord must not connect to earth ground. That would be a code violation. Extension cord, other appliances, and those shears can only connect to safety ground. That to protect human life.

Safety ground must connect to a bus bar in the main breaker box. (No such connection must exist in sub-panels.) Earth ground is electrically different. Its only connection to safety ground is also through electrodes and a hardwire to that bus bar.

Shocks may be due to a voltage difference between between that safety ground and earth ground. No such voltage difference must exist. Or current passing through earth ground (that should not exist) is passing between two items (shearer and shears, shearer and sheep, etc). Again, creating a voltage difference that must not exist.

Be careful here. The expressions were explicit. Earth ground is different from safety ground.

Before everyone worries - British standards are different. Earth problems are only experienced when you have substandard wiring or an electric fence.

 

[westom]

... British standards are different.

Electricity works same in all nations. Does not matter if grounding is done TN, TN-C, TT, etc. British create confusion by describing both earth ground and safety ground as "earth". Those grounds are electrically different. Shocks can occur when voltage of the earth ground (called earth in the UK) is different from safety (equipment) ground (called earth in the UK).

What was posted applies to every nation (assuming that nation has a safety ground). Safety ground in an extension cord must connect to safety ground - not to earth ground.

 

[Nithsdale]

Anyway...



Looking to make a start this week. Tups are getting done first dry day to make sure everything is working/set up, then hopefully chalk off either some low ewes or dry hoggs near end of the week... gently break myself back into it

 

[It was already broken.]

Who does what first? I always start with the biggest ewes in the pen, then anything that looks like its a bit felted, then anything with wool on the belly and leave any ewe that has had a bit of wool slip till last to make it an easy finish. I always think its a bit like eating yer greens first, then the roasties and leaving the pie till last!

 

[tepapa]

Who does what first?

The closest to the door. They all need doing so im not going to waste time sorting through them.

 

[Nithsdale]

Shear from a race, so you just take the next one which comes...


+1 to @tepapa they are all to do

 

[Jerry]

On Friday I bought a Horner Razor cordless hand piece.

Mainly to have on the quad to crutch out ewes and to dag lambs before they go.
Normally use a set of jakoti hand shears but have to say these cordless ones are great to use