The field days have been on hold during COVID and exhibitors and organisers were happy to be back at Elmore, Victoria, for the three-day event.

The Faresin telehandler, exhbited by McKee's Garage, Echuca and Elmore, Victoria, has a 2600kg lift capacity, maximum lift height of 5.9m and offers a battery life (per charge) of about six hours depending on work conditions. The battery is an 80 volt lithium design.

Re-charging the battery can be done overnight and there is a four-hour fast-charge availalble.

Being fully electric, there is no engine noise and no emissions. Top speed is 12km/h and the dry weight is 4800kg.

The sheep catcher is a prototype and part of an Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) project. The catcher is a mechanical system which aims to deliver the sheep to the shearer, eliminating the need to catch and drag the sheep from the catching pen.

"Significantly, the new system will not only eliminate the time and energy that shearers spend having to walk to the pen, catch a sheep and drag it back to the shearing stand, but it also minimises the chance of injury to the shearer from the dragging and twisting movements," said AWI chief executive officer, Stuart McCullough.

The design focuses on a ‘modular' concept in which portable, singular shearing stands can be joined together to make a multi-stand shearing platform, which can be stored away after use. Added design elements will allow for straight board or U-shaped configuration.

Once the sheep is in the capture part of the system, the shearer pushes a button and the sheep is moved ontro the board and then tipped up.

More details on the catch and drag project can be found here: https://bit.ly/3fMH2xC