Springer MK 6,s

[mole trapper 1,693]

There has been a bit of discussion about Fenn verses Springer recently on here, Well i bought 75 springers off Ian Hodge a little over two months ago and they have been in the ground everyday since, (not the same holes). Snareman very kindly sent me a pm suggesting that i would be better off getting Fenn,s because of the springs having seven coils as opposed to Springers five etc, Unfortunatly i had already parted with my £520.

Now then i say unfortunatly but to be fair at the moment i am very pleased with them, if set correctly they kill very well, big old bucks and little fryers alike. quite a few of the adults being caught across the middle of the head and the shoulders, invariably the heads are crushed, so very humane.

Obviously time will tell if the quality of the springs are the same as that of the Fenn,s as i have some Fenn,s that are about seven years old and still giving good sevice.

Another point was there was some speculation as to where Springers are being manafactured, i know there are cheap far eastern copies going around, but mine have made in england stamped on the plate, so unless they are blatant liars i believe they are still being made up near redditch.

This is not ment to be a better than Fenn thread so dont start jumping on me i am just stating what i have found so far, and that is they dont have a penchant to blow up, they so far kill well, and they do appear to be made in england, it will be interesting to see what the long term use will show.

In the meantime i need to get hold of another fifty, but i have asked Ian to get me two boxes of Fenn,s which he was not overly happy about doing as the last lot he had quite a few were sent back because of this springing apart lark. We shall see.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

MT,

 

I would be interested to hear what you find out in your comparisons between the Fenn and Springer; it interests me both as a trapper and as someone particularly interested in trap invention and development.

 

Personally I always found that the early Springer 4's seemed to set more 'smoothly' than the Fenns but my own comparisons took place before the Chinese imported steel and traps arrived on the scene. There was little to choose between them as far as killing ability back then, but I always bought direct from Fenn and had my business account with them.

 

OTC

[mole trapper 1,693]

Just thought should add that GW was if i remember correctly refering to Springers lack of killing ability on mink which are apparently notorious to kill with a trap. Sorry if i mis quoted you Glenn.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

MT; Just to say mate that I was talking to 'Mr Springer' last about fifteen months ago. He most certainly was then in his usual place and making his traps as he'd always done. It certainly didn't sound then as if he was about to jack in and start retailing chink crap.

 

I think it's quite safe to say then that traps stamped " Springer ~ Made in England " will remain the genuine article

 

If ye've never yet actually handled one of these pieces of shit from the Dog Skinners, I'd strongly suggest ye pop onto the Bay and buy one. Compare it to a genuine Fenn or Springer and ye'll be amazed at even the outward, obvious differances. I have a load hanging on one of my fences. I put them there to weather and get them out of the way. They're still there. Probably will be ..... till I get round to hiring a skip and dumping the crap I have stored up around this place!

[gnipper 6,521]

I bought 4 of them cheap ones off ebay that were sold to me as Fenns so wasn't too happy. The plates stick up too high on them imo and one of them the catch that the brass bit goes into is wonky and nearly caught me the first time i tried setting it but I hate to say it the buggers work.

[Hob&Jill 258]

When your fecking about with something that is powerful enough to kill a Rabbit or Mink, you cant really afford to buy shit Ive had a rat trap go of in my hand, and that was bad enough, cant imagine the pain of a Fenn or Springer

[gnipper 6,521]

I didn't want the cheap ones mate I was pissed off when I opened the box but needed to shift some rats so they got used.

The Springer/Fenns are much better.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

the catch that the brass bit goes into is wonky

 

 

That's the bit generally known as the " Tiller Hook ", mate. I have one of those chink shit jobs gathering dust behind this work station. It's there because I threw it there, in disgust and contempt, when I took it out of it's package and the bloody Tiller fell off in my hands. It did so because the bloody things are just punched in. Crap materials and crap manufacture. Crap.

 

Little tip for ye; If ye look on the Bay for Fenn Traps, run a search for John Dee Humane Traps. Believe me, there's no love lost between myself and that outfit. But they DO supply only Genuine Fenn Traps, direct from Fenn.

 

Otherwise, have a word with our own 'Moley'. I believe he sells Fenn's.

[gnipper 6,521]

the catch that the brass bit goes into is wonky

 

 

That's the bit generally known as the " Tiller Hook ", mate. I have one of those chink shit jobs gathering dust behind this work station. It's there because I threw it there, in disgust and contempt, when I took it out of it's package and the bloody Tiller fell off in my hands. It did so because the bloody things are just punched in. Crap materials and crap manufacture. Crap.

 

Little tip for ye; If ye look on the Bay for Fenn Traps, run a search for John Dee Humane Traps. Believe me, there's no love lost between myself and that outfit. But they DO supply only Genuine Fenn Traps, direct from Fenn.

 

Otherwise, have a word with our own 'Moley'. I believe he sells Fenn's.

 

I've already been in touch with JD mate, next payday i'll buy meself a few more.

Now to stop the kamikaze hedgehogs from jumping on the buggers

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Hedgehogs? Bit of a no, no. Just block the tunnel ends off down to a round, 2" hole, mate. Industry standard for Rat Boxes. Rat's use such holes and anything liable to go after a rat can do the same. I doubt a hedgehog could squeeze through such a hole and, if it did, what else could ye have done to prevent it?

 

Trouble is, ye could very easily wipe out a localised population of hotchie's. Not really in the game plan, surely?

 

Alternative of course, in such a 'sensitive' area, is Cages. Not to be reccomended where there's a dense badger population, of course. But then, where there is there'd hardly be that many hotchie's left anyway

[gnipper 6,521]

Hedgehogs? Bit of a no, no. Just block the tunnel ends off down to a round, 2" hole, mate. Industry standard for Rat Boxes. Rat's use such holes and anything liable to go after a rat can do the same. I doubt a hedgehog could squeeze through such a hole and, if it did, what else could ye have done to prevent it?

 

Trouble is, ye could very easily wipe out a localised population of hotchie's. Not really in the game plan, surely?

 

Alternative of course, in such a 'sensitive' area, is Cages. Not to be reccomended where there's a dense badger population, of course. But then, where there is there'd hardly be that many hotchie's left anyway

 

I'd pushed bits of bamboo in the font of the tunnel to block out unwanteds but the little sod had shoved them out the way . Im gonna make some wire narrowers and nail them onto the front of the tunnels

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Gnips; If ye don't mind me saying so, mate; That does rather seem like a lot of hard work for, quite possibly, a negligable result. I'm speaking from personal experiance here.

 

Locally, having a very 'stones on the surface' sort of enviroment, I like to build up the entrances of my tunnels with such rocks. And some time back now, as I was explaining all this to someone else on this site, " Moley " came along and very succinctly pointed out that my own suggestion too seemed like a lot of trouble. As he said; " Why not just nail a bit of wood with a 2" hole over the entrances? ".

 

Tough f*cker to argue with, that one!

[moley 115]

Gnips; If ye don't mind me saying so, mate; That does rather seem like a lot of hard work for, quite possibly, a negligable result. I'm speaking from personal experiance here.

 

Locally, having a very 'stones on the surface' sort of enviroment, I like to build up the entrances of my tunnels with such rocks. And some time back now, as I was explaining all this to someone else on this site, " Moley " came along and very succinctly pointed out that my own suggestion too seemed like a lot of trouble. As he said; " Why not just nail a bit of wood with a 2" hole over the entrances? ".

 

Tough f*cker to argue with, that one!

 

or 2" sqaure weld mesh over the entrances, mine are cut the size of the tunnel and i leave two legs on the bottom to push in the ground to steady the mesh, it keeps out hedgehogs , birds and most young rabbits, that can be a pain in spring and summer, stoats rats and squirrels have no fear of hopping thru the squares, i also place the trap just inside the overhang of the tunnel , so that when a varmint hops thru the square it drops straight on the plate and you get clean catches,

[Netter 0]

or 2" sqaure weld mesh over the entrances, mine are cut the size of the tunnel and i leave two legs on the bottom to push in the ground to steady the mesh, it keeps out hedgehogs , birds and most young rabbits, that can be a pain in spring and summer, stoats rats and squirrels have no fear of hopping thru the squares, i also place the trap just inside the overhang of the tunnel , so that when a varmint hops thru the square it drops straight on the plate and you get clean catches,

 

Cant argue with that one.

[proper job 1]

yep, nice one moley.