Approved 'fenn' type Spring Traps

[snareman 3]

I agree John b. If the copies were challenged most if not all would perhaps be found to be wanting in some respect. The point is however that other traps not listed COULD in theory be used if they compared to approved traps . As I said the ultimate test would be in a court but I for one don't want to volunteer to test the theory just yet!!

At the moment I will continue using genuine Fenn mk6 traps which definitely comply with the legislation and just as importantly kill quickly rather than injuring. However if someone manufactured a decent quality 'equivalent' which was of a similar power and reliable I would consider using them.

 

All the best

 

AF

the fenn trap may comply with the legislation, but they certainly don,t kill mink , and i,ve seen squirrels still alive in them, i don,t know who passed them , or the springers which are even weaker than the fenn trap , but they are not a humane trap in mink control and i have trapped hundreds over the last 30 years , especially when dog mink are ranging in weight from 4 lbs. to 6 1/2 lbs , the two best traps for these fellows are the 120 bodygrip, and the kania 2000 trap, i have never used the solway trap , but otc. says that they have a pretty strong spring stronger than a fenn trap , i will be purchasing some of these traps shortly .

[Axholme Ferreter 0]

I agree John b. If the copies were challenged most if not all would perhaps be found to be wanting in some respect. The point is however that other traps not listed COULD in theory be used if they compared to approved traps . As I said the ultimate test would be in a court but I for one don't want to volunteer to test the theory just yet!!

At the moment I will continue using genuine Fenn mk6 traps which definitely comply with the legislation and just as importantly kill quickly rather than injuring. However if someone manufactured a decent quality 'equivalent' which was of a similar power and reliable I would consider using them.

 

All the best

 

AF

the fenn trap may comply with the legislation, but they certainly don,t kill mink , and i,ve seen squirrels still alive in them, i don,t know who passed them , or the springers which are even weaker than the fenn trap , but they are not a humane trap in mink control and i have trapped hundreds over the last 30 years , especially when dog mink are ranging in weight from 4 lbs. to 6 1/2 lbs , the two best traps for these fellows are the 120 bodygrip, and the kania 2000 trap, i have never used the solway trap , but otc. says that they have a pretty strong spring stronger than a fenn trap , i will be purchasing some of these traps shortly .

 

I am sure you are right. You have far more experience than me in this respect. I only set Fenn Mk6 traps for rabbits and find them very satisfactory for this. I have caught stoats and ferral ferrets and all but the very occasional catch is cleanly killed.

 

All the best

 

AF

[john b 38]

As for the Solway, I'm impressed with the feedback so far, but those pictures look worrying.

 

Are you looking at the right pics - not the copies ?

 

The build looks OK to me

 

 

[Matt 160]

Look at that gap down the right hand side....(the top as you look at the picture).

 

It just doesn't look 'balanced' somehow......

 

I could be wrong - it did happen once in 1983............................

 

I'm biased anyway, being a Fenn Fan.

[Netter 0]

Look at that gap down the right hand side....(the top as you look at the picture).

 

It just doesn't look 'balanced' somehow......

 

I could be wrong - it did happen once in 1983............................

 

I'm biased anyway, being a Fenn Fan.

 

It looks like the camera angle to me, I'm also going to try a few.

[Matt 160]

It looks like the camera angle to me, I'm also going to try a few.

 

Maybe it is. Ignore me, I'm prejudiced.

[moley 115]

Bit harsh, Moles? ONE example of a brand new trap? Blimey, mate, do ye run XP? Only look at the 'teething troubles' they had with that. Yet 95% of us now have it and use it. You should see some of the weird shit Frank Sawyer got through, before the world settled down to its love affair with his Final " Imbra " trap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

harsh or not , that is a fault and a bloody big one , if solway want to send me thier one and only faulty trap then thats whats going to loose them the order,(looks like john got the other one) i was interested in getting 200 of these , and i did try to bend the round rod to make it a better fit , it still didn,t make the grade , you yourself have complained about cheap copies for long enuff get yourself a few and lets see how you get on , but as a pro , you should strive to use the most humane tool for the job , i have trapped many thousands of rabbits and had a few alive, more trapper error than trap error, it happens , we don,t like it a but thats life , fenns clamp up tight and don,t leave a gap , apart from the odd bent bit on the odd new fenns , i have not found a problem as big as this, just talking from experience, seems it don,t count anymore and its all down to ££££,s, most traps are sent out to trappers to field test , do you know where we can find the findings of the trappers that field tested these solway traps , cos they want thier arses kicking

[moley 115]

Moley

I wonder if that was an early production problem - the one I had a few weeks ago looks fine, although not been used in anger

 

 

 

could be , but they shouldn,t send out samples of older models as it looses them orders, could you put up a pic of a fenn for comparison please?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

if solway want to send me thier one and only faulty trap then thats whats going to loose them the order,(looks like john got the other one) ..... do you know where we can find the findings of the trappers that field tested these solway traps , cos they want thier arses kicking

 

 

 

I wonder when you two got ye 'duff' examples then? Could it be they were both the earlier models? Only - and don't 'quote me on this as I'm only going from casual memory - didn't 'Mr Solway' say, on here somewhere, that they found faults with the first run and got it sorted for the later models? Could be that ye both bought examples of the early ones?

 

But I can only reitterate that the FENN Mk I Vermin was a real piece of shit. What if you'd bought one of those (Yeah, I know; If Only!, eh ) But so on and so forth for the Mk II and most of the Mk III's. They all left a Lot to be desired, but they were, by and large, all people had. The Mk IV's not perfect. But it's now being lauded as the best of quite a range of 'identical' traps.

 

I suppose what I'm saying is that Fenn got the trap we have today after Years and years or redesigning, reshaping and listening to people like us. That process, started probably even before ye were born, has now Finally brought ye the best of a bunch. Yet ye swearing off the new kid on the block on the strength (or otherwise) if One Single Example? I just wouldn't be so fast to burn my bridges, mate. That's all

 

 

As for who field tested the Soller? Very good and interesting point One has to imagine it'll have been someone from DEFRA. The guy who tested the Fenn Mk I Vermin was actually seconded from the Forestry Commission, to test on behalf of the MAFF. Would be an interesting, if academic, point to know the new boy and a little about him. Sadly, I doubt we ever will.

 

Anyway, I imagine 'Mr Solway' will be back some time and can give us more in put.

 

Oh and, just for the record; I call him that simply because I can't remember his name. I have no 'interest' in his product. I have none. I've no money to buy any. I haven't got a great deal of use for them if I did. I have my own traps here. If I ever buy even a dozen traps of the type under discussion here - Fenn, Solway or otherwise - it'd be quite a red letter day and probably the last I ever bought, regardless of maker. I simply haven't the use for many more. I'm just enjoying the discussion from a really quite objective point of view

[Matt 160]

DEFRA usually contract out the field testing to the CSL these days. It would be very interesting to see the results of those tests though. Chalkwarren may be able to enlighten us to the process, as they put the Magnums through the whole rigmarole back in the early nineties.

 

Fenn Mk1's? I've a couple here, and you are quite right Ditch; load of crap.

 

I did smile to myself about Mr Solway. Somehow, 'Made in Taiwan' is better than 'made in China' There is another batch on its way I understand; and I'll buy a couple just for the collection and see what they're like.

 

You can't change the fact that both Springer and Fenn are made in England. That's worth a quid of anyone's money!

 

What about the 'specials' ditch? Got any info?

[Guest little_lloyd]

I have A.FENNS,, Springers and a few of the solway ones. But the old solway ones i purchased last year are nothing compared to my fenns or springers for that matter. Alough i will maybe purchase a few of the new Solways to see what i think myslef.

[john b 38]

Bloody hell, what have I started

 

Here we go then, Solway 6 an Springer 6 side on - sorry there opposite ways round. The Springer has a bend in the 'flat' bar near the top which brings the flat bar and round bar together. This is also found on the fenn.

 

 

For comparison here is a Springer 4 -both the Springer and Fenn 4s are much tighter

 

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

DEFRA usually contract out the field testing to the CSL these days. It would be very interesting to see the results of those tests though. Chalkwarren may be able to enlighten us to the process, as they put the Magnums through the whole rigmarole back in the early nineties.

 

Fenn Mk1's? I've a couple here, and you are quite right Ditch; load of crap.

 

 

What about the 'specials' ditch? Got any info?

 

 

 

What ye have there, Matt, would be the so called " Mk I Rabbit Trap ". Bow topped jaws. I was refering specifically to the Mk I Vermin. What I always used to call, " Made from bent coat hangers "

 

 

Those " Specials " ? Nothing much 'special' about them, mate. Just - as has been indicated - the Tiller was pressed up out of the body of the pan, rather than being a seperate addition. Just one more of the little quirks and wrinkles I've aluded to throughout. Part of Fenns lengthy process of attempted improvement. He started with a piece of shit. So did Solway. And ....?

[john b 38]

Just for the record I don't think this should be taken in isolation - this is just a comparison between two indiividual traps

 

From above

 

Solway 6 left and Springer 6 right - the SOLWAY is noticably tighter than the Springer here.

 

 

And a Springer 4 - much tighter than the 6

[Matt 160]

What ye have there, Matt, would be the so called " Mk I Rabbit Trap ". Bow topped jaws. I was refering specifically to the Mk I Vermin. What I always used to call, " Made from bent coat hangers "

 

You are quite right ditch. Mine are the Rabbit ones.

 

I always suspected that the specials where just an experiment in saving materials, but it does give you the ability to set the trap very hard.

 

Doesn't that Fenn in the photo look better? Its so much tighter, and it actually looks 'engineered' rather than just 'made'.

 

Edited to add: The man from Solway is called Andrew Kennedy.