After a rain-soaked opening day at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., the clouds are starting to break and sunshine is in the forecast for the remaining two days of the 80-acre show. At 11 a.m., the traffic in the Dairy Center as well as the Hoard's Dairyman booth was very brisk.

Yesterday, we reported that Hoof Supervisor made the finals for World Ag Expo's Top 10 New Products. Another product with direct dairy ties that made The Top 10 New Products is McLanahan's 44 Super Magnum Sand Pump. Many herds across the country have turned to sand because of the great cow comfort benefits. However, sand has one major downside; it simply wears out farm equipment due to its abrasive nature.

The new pump which debuted at the World Ag Expo has been tested in field conditions at a commercial dairy in Pennsylvania for the past year and has been working quite well. McLanahan also tells us that a pair of pumps recently were installed in New York and Wisconsin.

In order to deal with sand's abrasive action, the 44 Super Magnum Sand Pump has split castings that are protected by replaceable rubber liners while the impeller is made from molded rubber. Both rubber components are made of nitrile -synthetic rubber polymer. Nitrile was the material of choice because it not only stands up better to sand, but it is also oil resistant and stands up to most milk house chemicals which improves its life in many dairy environments. A heavy-duty mechanical seal made from tungsten carbide/silicon carbide protects the bearings and shafts from sand and manure.

To check out the other Top 10 new products at World Ag Expo, go to www.worldagexpo.com/attendeeschoice You can cast your vote based on a five-star scale for your favorite new product once you've previewed them.