The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: cambee on March 01, 2017, 07:01:23 pm
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Hi all we have been looking at all the brochures for 6 x 4 trailers as we think that this size is the right one for our plans of 2 weaners to pork weight and a small flock of no more than 20 sheep ( starting with 4!) All the second hand stuff is beyond our capabilities to put right plus I've heard so many scare stories about buying on eBay and so we are considering an investment in new. Has anyone got a view on the Bateson 6 x4 livestock trailer? It's our nearest dealer but seems more expensive than the rest? At the moment for the Ifor there is a 10 week lead time.
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I got a Graham Edwards and would recommend them to anyone.
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Bit late on this but I've got a Graham Edwards too and it's fab. Bought ours as shop soiled for a bargain price, it's got the lift off roof and loading gates- the 6x4 ones hold their value well.
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How about a second hand P6 from a dealer, and then buy the livestock canopy and ramp to fit on it?
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How about a second hand P6 from a dealer, and then buy the livestock canopy and ramp to fit on it?
Our P6 came from a dealer and already had the canopy and trailer on it. It had hardly been used and looked like new
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I have one of these- superbly made and I think a bit cheaper than the 'names'
https://www.clhtrailers.com/catalogue/online/livestock-trailers/livestock-canopy-trailers-unbraked/ (https://www.clhtrailers.com/catalogue/online/livestock-trailers/livestock-canopy-trailers-unbraked/)
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I have one of these- superbly made and I think a bit cheaper than the 'names'
https://www.clhtrailers.com/catalogue/online/livestock-trailers/livestock-canopy-trailers-unbraked/ (https://www.clhtrailers.com/catalogue/online/livestock-trailers/livestock-canopy-trailers-unbraked/)
We've got one of the CLH trailers too. Had it about 4 years and never had a spot of bother with it. until recently was used for a 100 mile round trip every week. Light, easy to handle and well made.
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Hi all we have been looking at all the brochures for 6 x 4 trailers as we think that this size is the right one for our plans of 2 weaners to pork weight and a small flock of no more than 20 sheep ( starting with 4!) All the second hand stuff is beyond our capabilities to put right plus I've heard so many scare stories about buying on eBay and so we are considering an investment in new. Has anyone got a view on the Bateson 6 x4 livestock trailer? It's our nearest dealer but seems more expensive than the rest? At the moment for the Ifor there is a 10 week lead time.
Cambee where do you reside?
What sort of money are we looking at?
It my be cheaper to use a tank of fuel to come to somewhere that trailers are made cheaper than the rest of th UK or the area you live in .
The CLH trailers mentioned are widely used in this locality ( Just off the west end of the M4 ), I used to be an electro mechanical engineer so am happy to say that they are very well constructed well zinc plated & robust . The trailers are made about 15 miles away near St Clears just off the A48 , in an eminently suitable engineering workshop . They also do almost any adaptations you might want .
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Hi all and thank you for the replies. They sort of got overtaken by the fact that we stumbled upon a second hand P6 in pristine condition that had just come into the Ifor dealers near us in Lancashire on the day we rang to enquire saving us several hundred pounds. We are thrilled with it and have already used it to collect our goats.
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Trailer keep their value - its not an outlay its an investment if you look after them.
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Sorry resurrecting this- anybody have either a Nugent or an Indespension unbraked livestock trailer? Looking at both next week but user reviews much more useful than shiny brochures!
I was all for CLH but the main company told me to use my local dealer- as my local dealer seems to just be a farmer's courtyard without any signage (and the satnav couldn't find it!) I was a bit wary. Silly but when you're spending grant money given to the school you have to be doubly-sure that everything is going to work with your purchasing protocols etc!
There is an ifor dealer as well but I'm just not sure about the design of the little trailers- they look to be solid-sided? Have I got that right? I don't know why that puts me off, but....
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The small Ifor trailers (P6e and P7e) are basically standard trailers with 1 ft high ish walls, and then a canopy which fits over the top. They're a bit spendy, but work very well.
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I do like them but I worry about the ventilation- all their 'proper' stock trailers have vent flaps and things down the sides but canopy looks like it turns the trailer into a kind of metal tube?
But then lots of people use them and google doesn't bring up horror stories so maybe I'm overthinking it :)
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Our Graham Edwards trailer is unbraked and has a livestock top so doubles up as both a small trailer for bags of cake etc, or with the top on it's a cracking little livestock trailer. I too am not keen on IW trailers with little ventilation...
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canopy looks like it turns the trailer into a kind of metal tube?
Well it sort of is!!
There is a fixed louvre grill at the front though, and a large gap at the rear above the folded up ramp. Also there are two lift up vents on the top of the canopy of ours. You may not see that in the brochure right enough, but I honestly don't think there is a problem.
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So in the end I have gone for the nugent, really liked the look of it when I went to view and the guy had one the exact spec I was after in stock. Just waiting for our finance officer to sort out a cheque (no modern banking systems here!) then I'll be off to collect it. It'll be taking two pigs to slaughter as soon as possible after I get it so will let you all know how we get on!
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Just to update this again as I've been using the trailer for a while and I'm sure this will be a thread that comes up in a lot of forum searches.
I still, on balance, like the Nugent trailer (should say it's a utility trailer rather than a livestock trailer). However there are a few things to be aware of.
1) The ramp is chequer-plate and quite steep, and the pigs HATE it so I've used carpet tape to stick some foam squares onto it (the EVA squashy flooring stuff). It's a £20 fix but something to be aware of. The sheep bound up without a second thought, though.
2) And this is REALLY annoying- there isn't a divider gate available for the utility trailer so I'm going to have to do a home-made one.
3) The front lights stick out and can easily be knocked off by a sheep with an itchy arse if you leave it in the field ;D but that's just a cable tie fix as well.
It tows nice, it's sturdy and spacious, it's versatile BUT it's very annoying not being able to split the trailer.
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1) The ramp is chequer-plate and quite steep, and the pigs HATE it so I've used carpet tape to stick some foam squares onto it (the EVA squashy flooring stuff). It's a £20 fix but something to be aware of. The sheep bound up without a second thought, though.
Our tailgate is also steep and is see through, it probably offers reasonable grip for pigs trotters but i have to cover well with straw to prevent them baulking at it.