PRODUCT of the MONTH Is an in-depth review of a product selected at random from our extensive range of animal related equipment. Products are chosen for their aspects of innovation, benefit to their particular market, and overall value for money merits.

Manufacturers have no influence on the comments made but may be consulted to verify aspects of the technical data. All comments made are those of Peasridge and/or field operators who have tested the product on our behalf.

For the purposes of the review a normal "off the shelf" product model is selected.

For those many folk who have a small number of sheep - say between four and ten (indeed even up to 50 or more) the annual shearing task has always presented problems. Professional shearing gangs are not normally willing to break off from a flow of large flocks to shear a mere handful and to be honest when you stop and consider what is involved in both travelling to the venue and setting up the gear - you can see why they wish to avoid small numbers.

Professional shearing gangs are also used to, and depend for their earnings, on a smooth flowing system involving large numbers. Many of the very small flocks are not the easiest to shear in the same way as a larger commercial flock. Small flock owner don't always have the basic penning facilities and you can waste a lot of time rounding up breakouts!

Another factor is that even if you are able to persuade your "local" good-natured farmer to include your half dozen "yoes" in his "mob" you will have (a) to "truck/car them down to his place, (often without a great deal of prior notice) and then either wait or return later to bring them back! If of course farming is your business it is not necessarily a problem, but if say you have a job in a 9 to 5 office it could make for few difficulties! (The alternative is naturally to leave it to the wife to sort out! -positive thinking!)

Sheep do have to be shorn each year, so one can't buck the issue. Shearing equipment as used by the professionals is both expensive and a "bit over the top for say a pen of four!" Hand shears are cheap - a good pair of shearing shears will set you back no more than 35 quid top whack, including vat and postage. Fine! There are several folk about who still shear their sheep using hand shears and make a fantastic job of it - but they are a dying race!

There is a solution however, it will certainly cost rather more than a pair of hand shears, but still a good deal less than a professional shearing unit. The answer for the small flock owner - with say 2 to 100 sheep - is a motor in the handpiece sheep-shearing machine.

Out of a half a dozen or more shearing machine with the motor in the hand piece, we recently we had a relatively new one submitted to us for field testing which we felt stood out above the rest!

Known as the Premier "Dominance" 3000s this was a pretty neat tool! The "Dominance" range includes two sheep shearing models - the 3000s and 4000s. The difference between the two is power basically. Visually they look identical. For the small flock owner with up to say 20 - 100 sheep the 3000s model is the one to go for.

Cattle farmer with big in wintered beef herds, say 500 head plus, may well find the 4000s model the preferred machine, and would no doubt appreciate the added power for getting in among the "claggs" and ripping off those thick coated winter backs to prevent "sweating."

One very important feature about the Premier "Dominance" machine is that they have been actually designed by people who keep sheep, understand what is required of this type of product, and know the problems of both the small guy and the commercial farmer whether cattle or sheep! Now that does not suppose we are knocking the other manufacturers, indeed they all make excellent and worthy machines, but experience proves time and again that equipment made by people with a practical involvement leads invariably to a superior product.

A good deal of thought and innovative design work, especially within the head of the clipper has resulted in the production of an extremely light and quiet shearing machine the body shape of which favours especially the smaller female hand. (Great for the many ladies owners of Rare Breeds of Sheep! The Premier 3000s will automatically appeal to not only the small flock owner, but to many commercial cattle farmers seeking a powerful, reliable and totally professional tool for cleaning in-wintered store cattle and those pending shipment for slaughter. Many owners of Alpacas will find it immensely suitable for clipping the coats of their herds.

With an American designed clipper head, and a German made motor and body it is an evolution from the very best features of the Hauptner 2000 - a machine which sets new standards for both horse/cattle clippers as well as this type of motor in the handpiece shearing machine some five years ago. The Hauptner 2000 was an instant success, especially with those who clip horses, due to its slim line features, lightweight and low noise level.

Over the ensuing years the appeal of the Hauptner 2000 has steadily grown! Now to build further on those successes, comes the Premier 3000s with already a season of successful shearing behind it! Compact, with powerful 180w motor - but now with the air-exiting forward, instead of downward, through the head to reduce the temperature of the blades.

On the under side of the clipper head with the cutter and comb removed one can see the twin forks -right and left, with the cutter retainer bridging both. Cutter blades of most European makes (Heiniger and Lister for example) will seat comfortably and can be easily fitted and used with excellent results. The movement of the whole drive shaft mechanism is very fluid and well engineered, as one would expect from a high quality German manufacturer.

The comb slides onto a broad base plate with two substantial blade screws for firmly tightening the comb blade. (A wide blade screwdriver is supplied with the machine for these screws.)

When fitting the comb and cutter to the shearing machine it is important to make sure that both blades are correctly "aligned". This is important with all shearing heads no matter what type you have! If this simple but important fact is overlooked then you are likely to experience difficulty in shearing the wool. Don't blame the machine or the blades - the fault lies with you!

Naturally before embarking on blade fitting disconnect the machine from any main electrical power supply! Next, before you do anything with the blades, first loosen the tension nut, on the shearing machine head to reduce any existing tension. The first blade to be attached to the shearing machine head is the cutter blade. This is the smaller of the two blades and usually it has four teeth. With a shearing machine the cutter is "seated" on two "cones" protruding up from the pressure yoke. (These look like two forked prongs)

Once securely seated you should take the other blade - known as the comb - this is the larger blade with considerably more teeth) and slide it - so that the two slot cut into back of the comb blade - slip under the two large head screws situated on the clipper head base. (These you will have slackened off first!)

Once both blades are in place lightly tighten the two large nuts, enough to hold the comb blade in place. Next rotate the machine until it is the right way up and then gently move the lower comb blade until the upper cutter blade tips are "riding" the crown of the bevel of the comb by the required amount as described in you appliance manual. (Usually 1.5 - 2.0mm) This is the important bit, which will determine the success or failure of your shearing activity! Get it incorrect and the machine will not clip as it is intended to! Check that both the right and left hand side teeth of the cutter blades to do not over shoot the sides of the comb blade. If either do, you need to check the alignment and correct accordingly. Failure to do so may well result in "nicking" the skin of the sheep. In essence it is all very simple - may require a bit of practice - but if over looked - you are doomed!

One last factor, which often catches the "novice" out, is if you forget to take up the slack with the tension nut, when you switch the machine on, blades fly in every direction! As a common sense factor always point the machine away from yourself, other people close by, and not least of all, the animal/s before switching on the power!

Remember shearing cutters and combs - just like horse or cattle blades - go blunt without warning. If you intend shearing all your flock the same day, make sure you have enough blades. Ensure you are not brought to an abrupt halt due to running out of sharp blades! If you have say: 10 sheep - a good ratios might be: 1 comb/3cutters. 20-30 sheep: 2 combs/ 5cutters. 50/100 sheep: 5 combs/12-15 cutters. 100-250 sheep: 10combs/25-30 cutters. Conditions vary from farm to farm and weather wise, you may only use a proportion of the suggested number, but one thing for sure it is a lot easier to have enough blades as opposed to rounding all your "woollies" up again and starting were you left off!

Lastly although one may have tensioned the cutter and comb at the start of the operation, as you proceed with shearing one may constantly need to "tweak" the tension head. This is quite normal, what ever the machine or the cutters and combs used. Tensioning the cutter and comb blades as fitted on the Premier 3000c is simple and within the grasp of all who might attempt to shear. Finally remember Oil the blades regularly! every few minutes!

The outer cap forming the regulation nut is nicely engineered to give a positive feel (even with oily fingers) and reacts crisply, yet with a smooth action. The whole head which is of a slender shape is beautifully engineered and finished to a professional standard with a black coated finish to the front and side cheeks. Two inset screws can be un-screwed within a few seconds to enable the fitting of a cattle/horse head. Embedding the head either sheep or cattle/horse onto the hand piece is a simple operation requiring only the services of a screwdriver. (A screwdriver with head width of about ¼ inch/6.3mm is ideal.)

The internal view of the clipper head gives a clear vision of the high quality finish of the German engineering as well as a clear picture of the Excenter shaft with 31 teeth.

The electric drive of the machine is to all intents "maintenance free" Carbon brushes do however need replacing after an operating period of 3/400 hours. Since the housing cannot be opened without special tool this job is best carried out by an authorised service centre. Servicing is regulated to use, but it is our view all machine should be services at a minimum of every two-years, annually if more frequently used. In the UK an electrical test is mandatory, especially for machines used in a public domain.

Air filters (top and under side) are easily located and readily accessible for easy maintenance. Air filters are a very important feature of any clipping machine as they cover the source from which air is sucked in to cool and ventilated the motor, thereby preventing wool or hair fibres and other foreign matter from entering into the mechanism of the machine. By its very nature it attract hair, and can become easily clogged. Therefore it is imperative that the air filters are always kept clean on both sides, which means you are required to unscrew the filters regularly and clean both faces. (The inside and outer face) The air sucked into the Premier clipper exits through the head instead of out of the bottom of the motor, as is the case with many other machines. Tests indicate that this lowered head and blade temperatures by 10 degrees C - an important benefit.

Should the machine become overloaded for any reason during operation an integrated motor protective switch will automatically switch it off. Should this occur during a shearing operation, having checked to see there are no obvious reasons as to why the mechanism has been trigged, a re-set button is provided at the rear of the clipper, which usually restart the machine. This should not be pressed until the machine has a few minutes to cool. If the fault persists you would be best advised to consult an authorised service centre.

The on/off switch is centrally located and is automatically in easy reach of your thumb for that "emergency" occasion when you need to cut the power quickly! We always impose a penalty in our Peasridge "Star ratings" on any clipper, which has the on/off switch, located in any position other than that which allow for instant access. The reason is simple - if an emergency should occur especially with a large animal, it is in our view, essential that the operator can access the "off switch" instantly!

In the case of the Premier clipper access is instant your thumb automatically falls on the switch without the need for any deflection of eye movement from the horse

Whilst at first sight the Premier 3000s may appear to look almost an exact copy of the already popular Hauptner 2000, and with the only apparent difference appearing to be in the colour of the body casing (grey as opposed to the Hauptner purple) they do differ in a number ways.

First the Premier 3000c is lighter by 0.3kgs. This makes it the lightest of all motor in the handpiece shearing machines. With many ladies keeping sheep, this will come as a huge relief for those intend to do the job themselves. Shearing sheep - whatever the breed - is hardly what one might call "light" work" Shearing is any numbers is physical and hard work, and so any added handling comfort will be welcomed. The last thing on wants is some hefty and cumbersome machine to hold! Noise level is another factor, and the Premier 3000s is low level and runs with a "sweet" note!

Premier offer two motor options. The 3000 motor is roughly the same speed as Hauptner's purple unit. The higher speed model the Premier 4000c, is currently not available in the UK. The Premier's shearing head will drive either Premier cutters and combs, or most European types including those from Lister and Heiniger. (Both makes are recommended by Premier.)

A Hauptner clipper head or sheep shearing head can be attached to a Premier grey motor, however this is not recommended and as such should never be done -- since the Hauptner clipper and shear heads do not have portholes to allow them to exit air forwards. Therefore the motor would have no air exit at all-and would overheat in less than 3 minutes.

CONCLUSION:
We stress the value of having a machine with a handgrip, which is both slim and comfortable - so important indeed two key factors when involved in the business of shearing! One cannot but feel confident with the power and the ease with which this machine copes with most shearing condition.

For many small flock owners shearing their sheep is never an easy task, for they do not always have at their disposable the equipment nor the practical expertise that comes with professional farming, therefore to have access to a reliable and user friendly shearing machine is a huge benefit. Backed with the ability to use cutters and combs from the superior range offer by the Swiss manufacturer - Heiniger - there won't be much that even a raw novice can't tackle whatever the wool type or the conditions.

For the cattle farmer, this has to be a serious contender for cleaning up those animals you send off to slaughter, or for preparing the winter store animals. Alpaca owners will delight in both the lightness, ease of handlings and the power provided from this machine. Select a suitable Heiniger comb and you will be away!

In today's difficult farming environment the end use seeks power, good value, and lastly reliability. Premier "Dominance" 3000s Sheep shearing machine given the normal care and attention as set out in the excellent manual supplied seems to embrace all these qualities.

Anyone contemplating shearing their own small flock of sheep this season, who have cattle, or alpaca herds should seriously add this machine to their shopping list!

Recommended as a “Strong BUY!”

Footnote: Those who are contemplating shearing their own sheep this season, should attempt to do it in the recognised manner. Trying to shear sheep standing up is frankly “sad” (its just not the way one does it!)

If you want step by step instructions with “blow by blow” diagrams you can get these together with written instruction from the unique 130 page PEASRIDGE CLIPPER WORLD Catalogue – the only publication in the world of its type – indeed considered by many - including manufacturers - as the “bible on the subject of clippers!

Incidentally it’s FREE on written or e-mailed request! info@peasridge.co.uk

Editors note:

Having once started with 2 sheep and over a period of a few years graduated to almost 3000 very woolly Romney’s, one can claim a degree of knowledge on the subject of shearing.

© PEASRIDGE 2004