Shearing legend hooked on CanAm
Sir David Fagan, world-renowned competitive sheep shearer with 642 shearing titles worldwide and a knighthood to his name, now runs beef and dairy operations near Te Kuiti with wife Wendy and son Jack.
New Zealand engineering firm Strainrite has been manufacturing its own pigtail standards for many decades, working closely with farmers to design and produce standards that are free of the faults farmers say are often found in cheaper, imported brand.
Farmer, engineer and owner of Strainrite, Maurice Wooster, says feedback received by the company suggests that one of the main problems amongst other pigtail post brands continues to be the foot bending, or breaking shafts.
"At Strainrite, we press-form the foot into a shallow 'U' shape, so that the edges curl downwards when it's trodden in. These edges, or sides, give it superior strength without adding any additional weight. Each foot is also machine press-crimped on to the shaft, which makes the join much stronger than if it was just welded on," says Wooster. "We're the only ones who do both things. Some other manufacturers use flat bar or wire section feet, but they aren't as effective."
Mark Mulholland, a dairy farmer in Darfield, agrees, commenting, "the foot on some of the opposition standards breaks off when you're pushing them in.
"The Strainrite standards have a more robust foot which stands up to a fair bit of abuse."
![]() |
---|
Farmers praise the strength and ground-hold of Strainrite's uniquely-designed foot, which features throughout its pigtail post range. |
"It also provides better ground-hold because the 'U' shape compresses the earth as it goes in," explains Wooster.
"Just like cleats do on a tractor wheel. That mean that our standards don't fall out, even when they're bent."
Strainrite uses hot-dipping in its galvanising process, that Wooster says provides corrosion protection that adheres better and gives a thicker cozating than other alternatives such as zinc-plating, which may only last one to two years.
Farmer feedback also identified sun damage to plastic insulators and fittings as another factor in pigtail standard failure. Strainrite responded by UV stabilising all plastic throughout its pigtail posts range.
The golden weather of international trade is well and truly over, according to New Zealand's top trade negotiator.
A record $10/kgMS opening forecast milk price for the new season means more money into Fonterra farmers pockets early, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the consenting experience facing some high-country Canterbury sheep and beef farms is "bloody tragic" and vindicates the Government's move to abolish the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Farmers appear to be backing the Government's recent Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms announcement.
For the first time, all the big names in agricultural drone technology are being brought together under one marquee at the National Fieldays.
Fonterra has announced an improved third quarter performance – with a profit after tax of $1.15 billion, up $119 million on the same period last year.
OPINION: The Free Speech Union is taking this one too far.
OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is…