Tuckaway - Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is where we answer some of the common questions about the Tuckaway Staple system and the way Tuckaway operates. If your question isn't here, please ask us.

Tuckaway Staple (Viticulture)

How are Tuckaway Staples packaged? How many Tuckaway Staples per package?

Tuckaway Staples come in cardboard boxes of 1000 staples. The box is approximately 30cm long by 20cm high by 20cm wide, and weighs approximately 12kg. 100 boxes fit nicely in 5 layers of 20 on a CHEP pallet.

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Do they wear out the trellis wires?

No more than U-shaped staples, and in fact because the load is spread across two legs rather than just one, the wire should wear less. Correct tensioning of foliage wires plays a big part in the longevity of trellising wires, especially in areas frequently subject to gusty winds.

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Can I install Tuckaway Staples with a hammer?

Usually the result of attempting to install Tuckaway Staples without one of our specially designed tools is disappointing, because the outer end of the staple has two outermost points; the top of the tab and the bottom. All installation force must be directed against the bottom, in line with the legs of the staple. Unless you are very skilled with a hammer or only have a few staples to install, save yourself the frustration and hammered fingers, and use our affordable Hand Driver.

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Tuckaway Staple (Aquaculture)

Where can I buy Tuckaway Staple aquaculture risers?

Aquaculture staples are available directly from Tuckaway, until the product is well and truly proven in the market. At that time we will consider establishing agencies for the product. For oyster growers on Eyre Peninsula, we can post single boxes, or freight multiple boxes using Coachfreight.

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Don't they rust or corrode?

316 Stainless Steel is designed to be exceptionally resilient in sea-water. We've had Tuckaway Staples installed at Cowell since 2004, and on removal from the post, they exhibit no signs of major corrosion beyond slight surface pitting, and are demonstrably not weakened. In fact, they are still dangerously sharp even after several years of use. Given the projected lifespan of most permapine posts is around eight to ten years (and compare this with the lifespan of alternative plastic risers), we fully expect Tuckaway Staples to outlive the post they are installed in.

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Won't they pull out or damage my lines?

Each leg of the Tuckaway Staple features a barb designed to hook behind the fibres of the timber grain, and the twin leg design ensures a section of timber is wedged between the staple's legs, providing outstanding retention compared to nails or single-legged fasteners. Oyster growers report no staple failure or line damage despite harsh conditions. Some growers have taken the extra step of using short sections of slit plastic hose over the line at the point where it is held by the staple, as added investment in the longevity of their infrastructure.

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Pneumatic Driver

What kind of air compressor do I need?

An airflow rating of 6 or 7 cubic feet per minute is sufficient to run the pneumatic driver. Several drivers can be run from the one compressor, as the short bursts of operation ensure that they will infrequently be operated simultaneously.

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What options do I have for the location of the compressor?

For optimum performance, the pneumatic driver requires a lot of air, but only while actually operating. Either the air line needs to be large enough to supply a lot of air very rapidly, or a reservoir of air close to the pneumatic driver is required. Tuckaway Engineering supplies a Surge Bottle which allows the use of a long thin air line, so you have two basic options:

With a mobile compressor (on a quad bike, tractor, ute, etc.), a hose of 10mm inner diameter to a maximum length of 8-10m is feasible.
With a semi-mobile compressor at the end of the row, a hose reel of smaller diameter air line can be used, with the Surge Bottle acting as a source of immediate air supply between the line and the driver. The length of the thin line is only limited by issues of practicality of use (for instance, 400m is possible but may not be ideal).

Many of our customers place their compressor and a box of staples on their vehicle, with two hoses and drivers directly coupled, and one driver and two operators. The two operators install the staples on the inside faces (and outside faces, if no wires/vines are yet in place) of the posts before moving on to the next row, which seems to be the most workable method for rapid installation.

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What maintenance is required?

It is important that no dirt is allowed to enter the pneumatic driver, as it will stop the internal components from seating properly, leading to premature failure and increased wear. Daily lubrication is recommended - add a couple of drops of auto transmission fluid or light machine oil to the air intake before use. If the driver becomes sluggish in operation, it may be due to build-up of grease, dust etc on the main piston inside the driver. Disassembly, removal of excess residue using degreaser or dieseline, and lubrication may restore the driver to as-new condition.

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What spare parts should I have on hand?

If time is precious and you need to be working rather than waiting on parts, you may like to have some spare parts on hand. A spare pneumatic driver tool head will ensure that you can continue working when the head in use reaches the end of its life. A spare tool retaining spring may be useful. Inside the driver, there are only two assemblies; a flapper valve assembly at the back of the barrel of the driver, and the trigger valve behind the trigger button. Either can be replaced without much difficulty or specialist tools. These parts can fail after extended use due to normal wear, but installing the appropriate replacement part makes the driver as good as new.

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My pneumatic driver has stopped working. What should I do?

Tuckaway Engineering offers an inexpensive repair service on Tuckaway pneumatic drivers, where you send us your faulty unit and we fix it and send it back. Turnaround is usually only one or two days. Alternatively, you may like to repair it yourself. In this case, there are basically two things which can go wrong. This information should enable you to deduce the problem and order the appropriate part:
The driver operates regardless of whether or not the trigger is being pressed: the trigger assembly is faulty.
The driver fails to operate, or operates in an obviously feeble fashion, when the trigger is pressed: the flapper valve assembly is faulty.

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How long can I expect a Pneumatic Driver Head to last?

In a perfect world, it would last forever. We go to great lengths to make the heads as robust as possible, but they have a hard job, being smashed repeatedly between the piston of the pneumatic driver and the steel staple as it is forced into unyielding timber. They are milled from specially sourced high strength steel, and then heat treated to an optimal hardness. Even so, they do tend to break eventually, and we can't make any guarantees. If you believe yours has broken without having performed a reasonable amount of work, please contact us.

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Hand Driver

What kind of hammer do I need?

It largely depends on the strength of the user. A 3lb hammer does a great job, but may be too heavy for prolonged or accurate use. A light hammer will do the job but requires more blows to achieve the same result.

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Sales

I live in the Adelaide area. Can I collect my order?

Yes, factory door sales are welcome, but we don't have full-time retail staff, so it's essential that you let us know you are coming ahead of time.

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There's no-one near me who stocks your products. How can I buy them?

We support Australia's regional businesses, and your local agricultural supplies retailer may be interested in contacting us to discover how easy it is to act as an agent for Tuckaway products. If this doesn't work, you can buy directly from us, and we can organize freighting to just about anywhere.

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Agents

I am an agricultural supplies retailer. Can I sell your products?

We don't have any exclusivity agreements with any retailers, which means if you are a legitimate, reputable business and you see a demand for our products, you are welcome to sell our products. Please contact us to request a credit application form - it usually takes very little time before we have your first order on its way.

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Where is the closest agent to me?

Please see our agent information, but be aware that this is only a list of suppliers who have at one time supplied our products, or have already expressed a willingness to do so. They may or may not have any of our products in stock at present, so it would be a good idea to check with them before you visit. If you don't see a convenient location, please ask your local agribusiness supplier to contact us and we'll work with them to supply you through them.

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Payment

Do you accept credit card payments?

In order to minimize overheads and due to lack of customer demand, we are not currently equipped with credit card facilities. However a personal cheque, bank cheque or money order is fine, or direct deposit (see below).

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Can I pay my invoice by EFT direct deposit?

Yes, this is the most convenient payment method for many of our customers who use internet banking. If you use this method, we need to be able to match your payment against your account. It is essential that you advise us of any remittance you make by direct deposit, either by email, fax, mail or phone call. If you are only paying one or two invoices, please use the invoice number(s) as the reference when you perform your direct deposit.

The banking details for Tuckaway Engineering are:

Account Name: Badger Nominees Pty Ltd
BSB: 015-367
Account Number: 497918406

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Shipping & Postage

How do you get my order to me?

Within Australia, for installation equipment and parts, and orders of up to 6 boxes of staples (depending on your location and convenience to freight carriers), we generally use Australia Post (Express Post available on request), and we only charge what the post office charges us - no handling charge. For orders larger than 6 boxes, it is usually more cost-efficient to freight your order with a transport company. We freight all over Australia using your choice of company, or whichever one can get it there most cost-effectively. If you have an account with a transport company, we let them charge you direct. Otherwise, we get them to charge us, and we include a freight cost on your invoice.

Currently we provide a free of charge delivery service from our Mt Barker factory to freight depots in the Adelaide Metro area. We are unable to perform this service daily, and frequency is dependent on the number of orders and customer urgency. If you need it right away, we may need to charge for courier/taxi truck transport to the Adelaide freight depot.

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How much does it cost to ship/post to my location?

We use the chart supplied by Australia Post to determine postage costs based on your post code. The cost varies widely between locations, so please ask us for a quote, or visit the Australia Post website. Freighting costs are also dependent on location, and we generally get freight quotes from the transport companies before we ship orders, as on-forwarding charges from major centres can be unpredictable. Ask us to arrange a quote for you.

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I am outside Australia. Can you send an order to me?

We can post small parcels (installation tools, sample staples, single boxes of staples) pretty much anywhere in the world. There are several postage options, ranging from fast and expensive, to less expensive and slow. It depends whether you are in a hurry to receive the goods. Larger volumes can be shipped by sea freight, and we have shipped whole pallets of staples to customers in the USA, New Zealand and Malta without problem. To determine how much the freight will cost you, we need to contact shipping companies with a specific volume and weight, so please ask us to provide you a quote on the goods you require.

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