Ferret Finders

[northern lad 2,292]

mk1 a heap of shit, collars are shite and let me down with dogs and ferrets in past, especially when its wet, boxes aint much better and can be temperamental ro say least, mk3 much better bit of kit, can find ferrets without stomping all over warren swinging your arms about like the funky gibbon. Battery life much better, next to zero interference, noisy but tape it up or disconect speaker and use led's to find ferret. Bet the guys that are moaning about new technology aint using carry bags or feeding mlk sops, bet most will feed the NEW fangled kibble lol

In the highly unlikely event of you being put on the naughty step.....the next reincarnation has to be FUNKY GIBBON

[OneManAndHisDog 513]

Well my friend. The funniest was when working a bury at a local Manor. My mate started the dig and was at it for a good few minutes. Then checking with the locator found the ferret had moved. Dug for a good few minutes. Ferret moved. Mate I have got to tell you that my guts were busting. After quite a number of digs he realised that the ferret had lost the collar and all he was doing was moving it from dig to dig. Needless to say that story has never been repeated.

I had one like that not the collar though, the Jill had hold of a rabbit we could here it and see it bu couldn't reach it so dug 3 foot down to it got the ferret but no rabbit so put the ferret back in and she didn't move from about 2 foot from where we just dug so this happened about 6 times digging 3 foot every time it ended up being a baby rabbit that she was dragging then stopping to eat then dragging again

[johnrussell84 2,832]

The mk1 for me only thing I find is the wheel loosens a lot ave got four to be repaired but don't think there's much wrong with them so get to that this year an stop hoarding ha think its jus what ur used to am sure the mk3 givin time would be jus as useful

[Raymond 618]

Had mk1 for a few years. got fed up with the wheel and bought mk3m.Took a bit of getting used to as I was so used to the mk1. Useing the mk3m a few years now and I mostly dig the burrows I ferret.Too dirty to lay nets. Always get my rabbits with mk3m.Well used to it now with all the digging I get to do.

[jok 3,254]

aaaaam I thick, What the hell is that comment meant to portray.?? Why do we have locators.? You actually say that you dig all your rabbits because of dirty ground Down here the ferrets to the work and if we have to dig once or twice a session the we would be less than pleased. I assume you play rugby for a top team and have been instructed to get into extra curricular activities

[Raymond 618]

aaaaam I thick, What the hell is that comment meant to portray.?? Why do we have locators.? You actually say that you dig all your rabbits because of dirty ground Down here the ferrets to the work and if we have to dig once or twice a session the we would be less than pleased. I assume you play rugby for a top team and have been instructed to get into extra curricular activities

Id love to have lovely clean ground burrows. If your ever in Dublin I give you a look at what we have to do to get our rabbits. You never know you might like it or it will make you appreciate your land more. Most the digs are very shallow unfortunatelty the burrows are covered in blackthorn and brambles. Deffo need a locator with all the thick cover

[comanche 2,991]

I had a mk 1 15ft until the collar gave up on me last year and loved it, The only replacement collars I could get were 8fts and they are useless so I bought a mk 3.

I've found it to be a pain in the arse at times but it's usually something I'm doing wrong that causes me problems, You need to be a bit more thoughtfull with the mk3's whereas you just switch a mk1 on and point it.

You could've just bought a Mk3 collar-they work up to ten or eleven feet with a Mk 1 box. The only good thing about the "Phasers on Stun" Mk3 is the search function. We always switch to the old grey box for the final dig.

Now if someone made a locator based on the old Mk1 but with the search function -no flashing lights ,no stupid Space 1999 noises-something that isn't so intrusive with just a single knob(ooer missis).....They might be onto a winner.

The Mk1 is so simple to operate one handed while you peer into the distance watching for bolting rabbits and wayward ferrets that I wonder if the person who developed the Mk3 did much single handed rabbiting.

For me ferreting is about rabbits and ferrets not fiddling about with four or five switches and an led display while listening to one of Hawkwind's rejected backing tracks .

[comanche 2,991]

I also suspect that the Mk3 was a bit of a rushed -out, damage limitation job. It certainly seems that way.

 

The Mk2s really were a pile of poo that looked space-age but were no better than the Heath Robinson locators people were knocking-up in their sheds before the MK1came along. And if you are offered a supposed Mk3 collar in black plastic that ticks like a time bomb don't pay more than a tenner for it. Its a MK2 collar;it'll work but cost you a fortune in batteries!

 

Only by Deben going back to fitting a volume /squelch dial and quickly announcing it as the MK3 were they saved from looking like Chinese market traders selling knocked-up junk. So basically even Deben discovered the hard way that rejecting basic MK1 technology was a mistake .

 

Seems the commonest complaint about the Mk1 is the screw in the middle of the dial working loose. Horror of horrors; some of these things have been knocking about in all weathers and the bottom of folk's ferreting bags for getting on for thirty-five years. Too late to get your money back so put a dab of Araldite on the screw head.

[maxwell 88]

Does anyone know the size the little screw that holds the wheel as i need one

[RIP.JD 21]

The mk3 would have to be an amazing piece of kit to be better than the mk1. Mine is Bob on, I have 100 % confidence in it.. The only improvement I made was to wrap it in yellow tape so it's easier to spot and a little more water proof...

[Guest vin]

Old vs New the same old argument...lol

 

If you seriously think the Mk1 is better than the Mk3 you must be using it wrong.

 

the Mk3 is pin point accurate for finding the collar...its a straight line no matter how far the dial and all the flashing lights say...tape up the speaker holes...sorts the sounds out. and the flashing lights actually tell you something about where and how deep the collar is... I will agree totally that the measurements that it gives in regards to the flashing lights can almost always be incorrect....But once you accept this and work accordingly you would have to be a complete numpty to not be able to find your ferret..Its simples really innit...you just hold receiver over collar while ferrets in box,look at lights on receiver and work out what the distance really means...They are usually about 1-2 foot out on locate when your at max distance...But get down to the last few measurements and they get more accurate so that you end up pinpointing the ferret/collar... Its more a case of ignoring the lights really and listening to the beeps and tuning it in for the last foot.

 

I have a mk1 grey box that i would willingly swop for a mk3 anytime.

[Guest vin]

If Bellman & Flint brought out a ferret finder to add onto their terrier set up... I would be very very interested.

 

But would you boys with an old mk1 grey box still think these new fangled bits of kit are rubbish....?

[Country Joe 1,411]

I do like to move with the times, i bought the MK3 but we just did not get on, so it was back to the MK1,

Im waiting to see if Deben bring out a MK4, even a new MK1 which did not pick up wire, metal would be good.

Will they just keep producing the MK3, or do you think they will bring out another model soon, anyone in the know?

[jok 3,254]

Got to be a numpty Worked last winter with two guys using the Mk3. When all else failed they asked me to locate with my old grey box. No numbers, no depth, no nothing. Found the ferret and two rabbits backed up to each other. Trust the old grey box my friends. Oh and by the way I ain't a numpty. LOL

[Guest vin]

Got to be a numpty Worked last winter with two guys using the Mk3. When all else failed they asked me to locate with my old grey box. No numbers, no depth, no nothing. Found the ferret and two rabbits backed up to each other. Trust the old grey box my friends. Oh and by the way I ain't a numpty. LOL

 

you obviously aint a numpty jok..lol. you found the ferret..sorted.

 

But I would be questioning the other 2 guys who could not use the Mk3 finders...lol.