What Is a Sheep Shearing Mechanical Handpiece?
When I first started shearing more than 30 years ago, I was obsessed with buying the latest and greatest sheep shearing handpiece on the market. When I was 16 years old I visited our districts farm field day where there was a new shearing handpiece being demonstrated by a gun shearer from the Riverina in NSW. He convinced me to purchase this handpiece to begin my new shearing career. I thought the handpiece would turn me into a better shearer more quickly. I had a lot to learn about shearing before I became a professional shearer.
What is a Mechanical Handpiece?
A sheep shearing mechanical handpiece is a handheld device used by a shearer which enables a cutter blade to move in a back and forth motion across a comb blade to remove the wool from a sheep. The power which runs the handpiece comes from an overhead mains powered shearing plant which spins an internal drive, which attaches to the back of the handpiece, which moves the cutter across the comb, giving you a cutting edge to remove wool.
A mechanical handpiece is used by most professional sheep shearers in the world. The overhead gear that drives the mechanical handpiece delivers maximum power to the cutting edge making for a smoother easier cut.
Who uses a mechanical handpiece?
Professional Shearers.
Mechanical handpieces are used by professional shearers who make a living from shearing sheep. A professional gets paid for how many sheep they shear at each farm. Rates for shearing a sheep vary all over the world so no matter where they are shearing a professional shearer wants to shear as many sheep in a day as possible so they can maximise their income. To get a reliable and consistent cut through the wool a professional shearer will always use a mechanical clipper over an electric clipper. The mechanical clipper gives them full power to the cutting edge from the more powerful overhead motors, then a smaller self contained motor in an electrical clipper. The mechanical clipper is more sturdy and robust then a electric clipper and can take the rough and tumble of everyday shearing.
Commercial Farmers
Commercial Farmers who own many hundreds or even thousands of sheep use a mechanical handpiece to shear some or all of their sheep. As many farmers around the world have their own overhead shearing plants on their farms it makes sense for a farmer to buy a mechanical handpiece to shear or crutch their own sheep.
Hobby Farmers
Hobby Farmers or small farm holders who run sheep may also use a mechanical handpiece on their small farms to shear or crutch their own sheep. Some hobby farmers who have bought a small farm may have inherited a shearing shed on their farm, that is already setup with an overhead shearing plant. So all they have to do is buy the mechanical handpiece to attach to the overhead plant and they can start shearing their own sheep.
Competition Shearers
Professional shearers competing in shearing competitions use a mechanical handpiece to compete at the highest level of shearing sports. In order to perform at their best all sheep shearers competing in competitions use a mechanical handpiece. The shearing plant speed will never slow down even when a shearer is shearing a sheep at full speed. This allows for maximum speed and shearing quality.
Learner Shearers
Most people who are learning to shear sheep at an organised shearing training course will learn on a mechanical handpiece. As most people learning to shear at a shearing school want to become a professional shearer, then it makes sense that shearing training is taught using a mechanical clipper. If a shearer learns on a mechanical handpiece they can then apply what they have learnt to an electric clipper.
Professional Crutchers
Professional Crutching/Dagging teams will crutch many thousands of sheep using a mechanical handpiece. There are many shearers who work on a crutching trailer to remove the wool from the backend of a sheep to prevent flystrike. These shearers will use a mechanical handpiece to crutch these sheep as the shearers will usually use a flexi tube instead of a rigid downtube to crutch the sheep allowing for easier access to the backend of the sheep without having to use an electric clipper with a mains powered cord.
Overhead shearing plant
This overhead shearing plant provides much more power then an internal electric clipper motor. Making the cut through the wool much more consistent.
There are 2 Different Types of Mechanical Handpieces.
Bearing Mechanical Handpiece. This handpiece has bearings in the barrel which generates a very smooth feel and minimal vibration. These handpieces are the most popular for professional shearers.
Oil Bath or Oil Barrel Mechanical Handpiece. This handpiece has no internal bearings and has a crank and spindle in the barrel which needs to be oiled from the oil screw hole on the left side of the handpiece. The handpiece is not quite a smooth as a bearing handpiece but should last longer then the bearing handpiece, as the bearings ware out quicker, especially in dusty conditions.
A Bearing Mechanical Handpiece which needs no oil in the barrel as the bearing provide free movemet of the spindle.
Oil Bath or Oil Barrel Handpiece with a spindle drive in the handpiece which has to be lubricated every 2 hours
How long will a mechanical handpiece last?
A mechanical handpiece will last much much longer then an electric clipper. Most professional shearers will use a mechanical handpiece for a bout 1 year before they either upgrade to a new machine or refurbish the original. You can buy replacement parts for a mechanical clipper and “do it up”.
It is more accurate to describe a handpieces’ life by time or hours used, then number of sheep shorn. Shearers have varying degrees of skill and speed that they will shear a sheep but a shearer that shears 100 sheep a day more, each day, will most likely use their mechanical handpiece the same amount of hours as the slower shearer, shearing next to him. A shearer will shear in a range of climatic condition from lush wet areas to hot arid dusty areas and the dusty areas will increase ware on a mechanical handpiece causing it to ware out quicker then wetter climates.
A mechanical handpiece will either need replacing or refurbishing when the handpiece starts to;
vibrate a lot more,
gets hot even with correct oil application or
loses its smooth crisp cut even when you have sharpened your blades correctly.
