Portable Corrals Materials Matter
Why Portable Corrals Materials Matter
Here’s one thing we know: In the agricultural industry, Portable Corrals Materials Matter. Products that are made of strong, durable, and long-lasting materials can stand up to the intense activity within the cattle industry. John McDonald, founder and owner of Rawhide Portable Corral understands too well the necessity of designing and manufacturing products that feature materials that can stand up to heavy use by cattle producers. As well as the interaction with the animals themselves.
Since 2002, when McDonald introduced the first Rawhide Portable Corral, he has worked diligently to bring this durable, efficient, and streamlined corral system to thousands of farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. Thanks to McDonald’s focus on continuous improvement. The team has enhanced the Rawhide Portal Corral through the years. Resulting in a one of the toughest corral systems that meets the needs of today’s producers. All because of the materials chosen in its design.
Cowboy Tested
“It all goes back to being a cowboy and being around wild animals, bucking bulls, and doing televised bull ridings,” McDonald explains. “I was able to see what equipment could take the hits of all the animals and the pressure involved.” Portable corrals materials matter.
When designing his original portable corral, McDonald instinctively knew that the panels had to be coped and saddled for strength. He also recognized the need to use 13-gauge material to offer the strength and durability required by producers.
“The material was something that was denser than the muffler on a car, and that could take the hit when animals were running into it,” McDonald explains.
Being portable, the corrals also are often transported down highways or on tough terrain. So, the mainframe of the corrals had to be designed durable enough to withstand both interactions with cattle, as well as the jarring along roadways and fields. The Rawhide’s enhanced suspension system ensures stability and reduces the strain on the corral’s core components.
“I decided to use the square tubing for the mainframe because it provides the framework for the trailer,” McDonald says. “3/16” and 1/4’ thickness provides the strength needed as the unit travels up and down the highway and in rough pastures.”
Years of Design Work
McDonald says that he knew there was only one other portable corral on wheels in the world when he invented his. I found that it wasn’t a very large corral. Because the material they used was oil field pipe, which is very heavy. You just can’t add too much of that type of pipe. It made the product very heavy and unstable in transport going down the road as well.” Recognizing the importance of constructing the Rawhide Portable Corral with panels consisting of round tubing, McDonald could also get more equipment on his product’s construction.
Heavy material specifically Schedule 80 pipe and Schedule 40 pipe that collars onto the tubing and the 2” round 13 gauge on the panels creates strong ends when cattle run into or fold the corral.
As pipe schedule values increase, the pipe wall thickness also increases, resulting a durable and stronger support. It also allows for more equipment to be included on the mainframe for larger corrals.
Built Many Things, But No Manufacturing Experience
“When I first started building the Rawhide Portable Corral, I had built a lot of things in my life, but I had no manufacturing experience nor had I ever sold something that I had built for others,” McDonald says. “So, most everything that I used (connectors, gussets, flat iron, square tubing), was heavy.”
“I did a lot of research and development with my own animals, since I was raising bucking bulls,” McDonald says. “I could take something home and I could find out really quickly if it was going to handle the things that animals were going to do to it. In my eyes, I felt like I had to build something that’s going to last forever.”
McDonald says that the team had to make the gooseneck heavier because of the strain it might experience. I designed the long gusset on the front of the gooseneck, and I attached it to the front mainframe. The buffer absorbs the impact. It bounces against the front where the two by six is attached. That long gusset also transfers up. The team purposefully keeps the Rawhide bow gates close to the stability of the mainframe.
Transport Wheels
“Our mainframe is the foundation for our corral. I knew it had to be the trailer and the racks,” McDonald says. “Knowing the importance of bow gates to our system. We tried various locations for them.” Early on, McDonald tried to place a gate on the end of a panel. But quickly found that it didn’t make it easy or possible to fold it up and move it around in fields and pastures.
McDonald states that any kind of bow gate away from the main frame is not supported. McDonald explains that a bow gate anchored to the main frame is also not supported. “The strength of the anchor can protect it.” The farther you move away the weaker it becomes. The builders firmly anchor the gates to 3 x 3 1/4-inch square tubing. The builders construct them with the frame three inches off the ground.
“In our design, there’s no need to have them anywhere else. Because of the pinning system that I invented. All of my panels can hinge like a gate,” McDonald says. “So not only do you have a panel that you can sort with and that hinges like a gate. But it’s on solid rubber wheels.” This results in flexibility and the assurance that it is not going to go flat, unlike other companies that have tried unsuccessfully to use metal wheels and aluminum wheels. Portable Corrals Materials Matter.
Design of Wheels Critical
“For example, when using metal wheels and you try to roll your panels open on frozen ground with a bunch of frozen cow pies, you just about break your jaw because the panels come to a dead stop because there is no bounce in those metal wheels,” McDonald says. “Not only are the metal wheels too hard, but they’re also heavier.” Portable Corrals Materials Matter.
The axles on the Rawhide Portable Corral are another area that McDonald has refined. As he explains, although he has used the heaviest, most durable materials in his designs. His original design did not factor in the intense treatment the axles were going to endure on rough roads or at high speeds through pastures.
“Over time, I’ve gradually beefed up the axles. I use an inch-and-a-half cold rolled rod. There are two types of solid rod in the material world. Hot rolled and cold rolled. Hot rolled is less expensive and quickly made. But you can hit it with a hammer and put a huge dent in it,” McDonald says. “Someone may get a flat tire from something they did, or they may damage their pickup from bouncing too much. But they aren’t going to hurt the corral – from the gooseneck to the axles – from how fast they drive because the materials are heavy, durable, and built to last.”
Portable Corrals Materials Matter.
