EQUINE
The two things about a hoof knife are sharpness and the ability to control the knife as you’re making the cut.

The general consensus of most people familiar with hoof knives is that the hoof knife is difficult to sharpen and requires a certain level of skill. Sharpening a hoof knife isn’t a problem for the Professional Farrier but for a Horse Owner who trims his own animal they find that one of the advantages to using chain saw technology is the ease in sharpening the four (4) teeth. It requires the use of a diamond coated chain saw file due to the tungsten carbide teeth. The whole sharpening process takes less than 5 minutes and should be done after every two or three trimmings. It only takes three or four passes of the file on the tooth to tune it up. This guarantees you a sharp tool the next time you need it and it helps extend the life of the blade.

You had to learn how to use a hoof knife and develop the feel in gauging the depth of a cut on the hoof while having enough arm strength to pull the hoof knife through the hoof.

It’s almost the same with MERLIN just not as strenuous. The operator will develop the ability to control the depth of the cut through feel. The combination of the grinder size, the unique cutting action of the chain saw blade and how the unit balances in your hand allows the operator to use the MERLIN in a very precise manner. You can remove hoof material as small as micro thin slivers.

The major difference is just how easy it is to trim with the MERLIN. You just let the tool do the cutting as you control the area and amount of hoof material to be removed.

DAIRY
Merlin can be used like the 4 1⁄2” grinders to trim the hoof but it is Merlin’s ability to duplicate the actions of a hoof knife that makes the tool ideal for doing precision work. Merlin can easily trim around sole abscesses, hairy tack and other diseases of the hoof. It can also assist in the preparation of both hoof and boot when treating an injured hoof.

During our extensive field tests we found an overwhelming need to develop a fixed speed Merlin for our professional trimmers. As a result the fixed speed mini angle grinder was developed. Whether Variable or Fixed, both grinders cut at a maximum 13,000rpm with the same effectiveness. But with the change in gearing on the fixed speed model, we have engineered a tool that delivers more torque to the blade. This means when you’re doing production work you have a little more power in reserve when you need to bear down on it a little.