Stihl Launches BT140, Its First Battery-Powered Auger
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
The Handypiece Pro features variable speeds from 2400 - 3500rpm, typically carrying out dagging, crutching and trimming cows' tails at a mid-speed of 2700 rpm.
Listening to customers across all sectors of agriculture helps the Handypiece team design and engineer options to make its unit better suited for each application.
Inventor Dave Short says as part of the development process, any trial modifications are tested by experienced users, meaning if a perfectionist shearer is happy with the performance of the machine under load and at a selected speed, then farmers and farm workers will also be happy.
The standard Handypiece Pro, with the purple curly cord, remains the most popular style. It’s suitable for users of all abilities, on sheep, cattle, goats, deer, large dogs, horses, grass and plants.
A shearing style Handypiece, with a long straight cord, is designed for experienced users and shearers, with the extra cord length offering longer blows when shearing. It also allows a longer reach when TB testing deer, or when being used on animals held in a sheep handler.
The machines can be customised for left-handed users, or with the power cord exiting from the middle of the motor, making it suitable for use by right and left-handed users.
The Handypiece Pro features variable speeds from 2400 – 3500rpm, typically carrying out dagging, crutching and trimming cows’ tails at a mid-speed of 2700 rpm. Meanwhile, it offers a superior finish when shearing by running at the maximum speed.
Equipped with a brushless motor, the Pro units can crutch between 300 to 400 sheep from a single charge, while also weighing in at 100 grams lighter than a standard handpiece and developing less heat build-up.
Handypiece kits, supplied in a purpose-built carry bag, includes a 12 amp/hr lithium battery, charger, belt, holster and pouch, along with a 5-metre extension cord.
CD Field Days site G16a
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.

OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…