We are looking to build a lure coursing machine for our guys as the closest fun run days are 12 hours drive in either direction. I've seen a few pictures on a whippet forum of hand cranked ones made out of old bicycle parts. Does anyone have any experience with these and know if they would go fast enough to out run a deerhound? I'm assuming you would need a gear system to get enough power?

Thanks in advance

I looked into this some time ago, although I've not got around to it I did gather some facts. It would seem that a "mini" starter motor,solenoid and rheostat running from a car pattery would provide the power and speed control. The motor would need mounting on a wooden or metal frame. Some wheels on the mounting would be a good idea as it would make the device much easier to move around. You would also need a reel to wind the line onto/from, possibly from a heavy duty sea fishing reel that would be mounted on the starter motor drive shaft.

Then you would require some line, cotton coated, and optionally pulley wheels if you wanted to have some bends in the run rather than just a straight run.

The motor ones would be better but I think you have to use them fairly often to keep the battery alive whereas the hand run ones you can just pull out whenever you want.

Did you find any plans on how to make one or were you just going off pictures/ experience?

I researched on the Internet and also spoke to several people "in the know". One was Wayne Drew who slips the dogs at the Lodge Park coursing event and who I sometimes bump into when walking my dog. He suggested the Mini starter motor. I also phoned Kevin Rose, Sue's husband who built the machine that they use at Sue's event in Scotland. He uses a converted Quad bike as the motor.

If you use a car battery you would just need to keep it topped up. You can get battery conditioners that are intelligent battery chargers that you can leave connected permanently to a battery that is not in everyday use. It will just use a minimal amount of power once it is charged and then just keeps it topped up.

We have made a very simple, portable machine using an old Ford Mondeo heater motor.
I got all the bits from ebay, including the switch which allows different speeds.
I use nylon fishing line about 600m and give the dogs about a 400m straight line run.
For power I use a small motorcycle battery (portable).
All in all cost about £30.
I only use top speed now for the dogs as the other speeds are to slow.
Hoping to get a machine built for me in the New Year.
I have the instructions which I can email if anyone is interested, pm me.

Spring

Thanks guys, sounds like we have a project for the new year!!

Daves just made me a lure coursing machine, Alfie thinks its great, i am not very mechanical but its made from a starting motor from a MK1 ford escort, with a metal frame,a plastic cable drum , and two fan belt pullies, speed can also be adjusted,by two fan belt slide things, with a handle, all made out of scrap grand total £5.Here goes attempt of a photo

Hello,

I have found a web site over a coursing machine(in a suitcase) in the internet.

Link to the web site: www.hasenzugmaschinen.de/...tartseite.shtml

Has somebody experience with this coursing machine?


Best regards
Joerg and Yoki

Hi Joerg and Yoki,

There is somebody on this site who purchased one of these although I don't remember the make. Details are on the site somewhere.

It does seem rather expensive and you can make one for very little cost. I would think that you are paying for convenience and quality as it's probably well made and designed for that price and is certainly easier to transport and use than a home made one.

I have seen other suit case designs on the internet. One was American and the other was UK, I'll try to find links to them later when I have more time.

Found the thread, its www.scottish-deerhound.co...4-lure-coursing

If you do a google search on "Lure coursing machine" there's plenty that it returns.

Robb wrote:


Thanks Rob for the link to the thread and your search tip.

Regards
Joerg and Yoki