TIP OFTHE WEEK
TIP OFTHE WEEK
This weeks Tip of the Week comes from George Smith, of West Bolton, near Alnwick, Northumberland. His suggestion is prompted by the common problem of quickly fastening farm gates, which more often than not is solved with a length of baler twine.
To make a simple gate fastener for use in cattle handling pens where a gate sometimes needs to be secured in a hurry, Mr Smith welded a short section of angle iron to one of the gates horizontal bars at hand height.
He then welded a short length of chain to the gate, long enough to wrap around the keeping post and cut a slot in the angle iron big enough to drop a link of chain into.
The result is a simple gate fastener which can be opened and shut quickly and overcomes the problem of getting the gate pushed up that last two inches when it has dropped – or getting it closed completely flush to the post when cattle are leaning against it.
Mr Smith says he also uses the system to fasten two gates together – end to end, either in the yard or to split a cattle shed in half.
"The fasteners work just as well in the field (ramblers can just about work it out) and, above all, it is cheap."
Send a brief description of your Tip of the Week to the Machinery Editor, farmers weekly, Quadrant House, the Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
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