FW Inventions Competition 2021: Alastair and Stephen Maxwell’s ATV ramps
© Alastair and Stephen Maxwell Simple category winner
Alastair and Stephen Maxwell’s ATV ramps
Alastair and Stephen Maxwell no longer have to put up with the tedium of opening and closing gates when checking their livestock thanks to their sets of gated ramps.
Having toyed with various designs, they found that standard ramps weren’t enough to deter particularly adventurous cattle from challenging them – and risking injury in the process.
See also: How to make fence posts on farms last longer
Their final iteration features galvanised angle iron inclines that lead to a pair of stock-proof sprung doors.
These are made from recycled plastic Stokbord sheets from Solway Recycling, framed on two sides and held in place by old trampoline springs with adjustable tension.
This allows the ATV rider to drive straight over without dismounting.
It now takes about five hours to make a set, they say, and is easily justified in just a few rounds of stock checks across their farm at Thornhill, Dumfries.
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