LIVESTOCK: When it comes to hoof-trimming discs, there is a vast amount of choice. We look to narrow down your alternatives by testing 13 different discs to suit your needs.
Quite a few hoof trimmers use nothing but a sharp hoof knife for trimming cattle — respect! But working with a knife can be tiresome, so farmers and hoof trimmers alike may go with an angle grinder with a special trimming disc. To cater for such demand, makers offer a wide range of these tools. So, which discs do farmers and hoof professionals enjoy the most?
The needs vary
A heads-up on the test result: only four of the 13 discs meet the tastes of both camps — the DL-Disc from Demotec, the Muh-Cutter 3.0 in black, the GKS Profi from Wahl and the multi adjustable WG 2060 from Wopa.
Four of the 13 discs are intended exclusively for the hands of hoof-trimming professionals; the other five are aimed at farmers. We have chosen to differentiate between farmers and hoof professionals, because the two groups have different requirements. For example, a
hoof trimmer often chooses a particular disc because of its high removal rate. But in the hands of less experienced users, they may be overtaxed with using such an efficient tool — no matter how skilled they may be. The S35 from Allredo or the ProTrim from Kerbl, for instance, may remove too much horn within seconds.
Farmers should also take into account that some discs are very difficult to master. One example is the Cow 98 Hydra disc from Auer Feintechnik. The briefest lapse in operator concentration, and the disc has chopped the horn right down to the bone. This is why we recommend trying your new cutting disc on a piece of softwood to get a feel for how agile the disc is. And such a testing pass will take off the initial sharpness from the new disc.
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