Maschio rotovator - what's your experience?

[dudders]

Recently bought a new one of these, and I'm not impressed. They claim to work up to a depth of 22cms, which I don't need, but I would like to do say 18cms. Can't see that happening. For a start, the height adjuster for the skids on each side can't be set to its max, because it comes up against a bolt on the frame that holds a safety shield in place. The rep says to remove the safety shield. ??? What kind of design is that? All the promotional material shows the adjusters in a vertical position, with no obstruction to their use. Looking at mine, it's pretty clear that if the adjuster bracket had been set 2 inches further back, it would be fully-usable.
So one pass gives me about 12cms at the moment, except that the blades are so positioned on the rotor that I get a series of ridges of untouched soil. Looks like I'll have to make 2 passes at right angles to each other, which will then leave a series of little peaks instead!
Is this normal, or am I missing something? Apart from what I'm normally missing, which is just about everything...

 

[the-mad-welder]

Just a shot in the dark really, but are the skids left and right handed and they've been put on the wrong sides?

 

[dudders]

They are left and right-handed, but they're on the correct sides.

BTW the spare hole above the offending bolt can't be used, because the shield has cleverly been cut away behind it. Simple solution otherwise!

 

[sulky]

Recently bought a new one of these, and I'm not impressed. They claim to work up to a depth of 22cms, which I don't need, but I would like to do say 18cms. Can't see that happening. For a start, the height adjuster for the skids on each side can't be set to its max, because it comes up against a bolt on the frame that holds a safety shield in place. The rep says to remove the safety shield. ??? What kind of design is that? All the promotional material shows the adjusters in a vertical position, with no obstruction to their use. Looking at mine, it's pretty clear that if the adjuster bracket had been set 2 inches further back, it would be fully-usable.
So one pass gives me about 12cms at the moment, except that the blades are so positioned on the rotor that I get a series of ridges of untouched soil. Looks like I'll have to make 2 passes at right angles to each other, which will then leave a series of little peaks instead!
Is this normal, or am I missing something? Apart from what I'm normally missing, which is just about everything...

just looking at the bracket has the adjusting bolt been fitted in wrong hole as its looks as if there is is another hole just showing to the left of the one its in that would let the bracket be more vertical and miss the top bolt and get a bit more depth not that theirs much more looking between skid and gearcase . also was their a choice of blades as some flat L shaped blades can be longer ? or they used to be on howard/dowdswell those rounded ones like fitted to yours were known as digging / spading just my bit hope ps just had a further look the shape of the skid dosnt match the shape/ profile of the gear box cant see the front mounting of the skid will it move rearwards that will olso make the bracket vertical

 

[Lazy Eric]

Shorten the top link, you’ll get some depth then. Spent many happy and unhappy hours rotavating in my youth.. we had 2 krones .
There was 2 different bolt hole positions for the blades. A shallow and a steep angle for the blades. If set at the steep angle you could get 9inches down easily, not that I’d want to.
Can you take a picture of the rotor?

 

[7610 super q]

Got rid of our Maschio 30 years ago. Power hungry, I thought. Poor old Ford 4000. Other makes at the time had more, but smaller blades, shaped like a right angle rather than curved, and were way less power hungry.
Is there another bolt hole at the front of the skid to move it higher, or will it be to close to the chain guard ?
As said above, shortening the toplink may help a bit.

 

[Lincsman]

Is the adjuster bolt in a slot,, the end of it just showing?

 

[ColinV6]

We have a fair age of maschio. Think it’s a cobra 250 if I remember. Must be 25-30 year old. Still works well and does a neat job!

 

[john432]

Just keep going, on the second pass the skids will be on soft tilled ground so should go down deeper,

 

[Macsky]

Why would you want to get any deeper?

 

[Kidds]

Are the blades bolted with the flange on the outside? If so, can’t you put the the other side to reduce the peaks?

Always felt two passes made a much better job anyway.

 

[Macsky]

Can the skid be mounted further back? Perhaps in hole A, with part B mounted on the inside rather than the outside, then it might not foul the chain casing?

 

[farmerphilly]

I’m very impressed with mine.
Do you expect a rotavator to work established grass land to a depth of 22cm in one go!
I took the decision to raise the bonnets whilst lifting the skids to increase working depth.
Perhaps I should consider sending my plough back when it won’t go in!
De stoner?
Dynamite?
Either way best of luck!

 

[sulky]

Recently bought a new one of these, and I'm not impressed. They claim to work up to a depth of 22cms, which I don't need, but I would like to do say 18cms. Can't see that happening. For a start, the height adjuster for the skids on each side can't be set to its max, because it comes up against a bolt on the frame that holds a safety shield in place. The rep says to remove the safety shield. ??? What kind of design is that? All the promotional material shows the adjusters in a vertical position, with no obstruction to their use. Looking at mine, it's pretty clear that if the adjuster bracket had been set 2 inches further back, it would be fully-usable.
So one pass gives me about 12cms at the moment, except that the blades are so positioned on the rotor that I get a series of ridges of untouched soil. Looks like I'll have to make 2 passes at right angles to each other, which will then leave a series of little peaks instead!
Is this normal, or am I missing something? Apart from what I'm normally missing, which is just about everything...

just a little more if you go on to the machio gaspero site not the machio uk site look at power tillers ,then go to model u type theirs a good picture in gallery photos of the gear case end the bracket on that one is laided different again its more back over but is missing the bolt i think a word with your dealer is called for ps ive never used a machio but they useually have a fair name

 

[puntabrava]

Got rid of our Maschio 30 years ago. Power hungry, I thought. Poor old Ford 4000. Other makes at the time had more, but smaller blades, shaped like a right angle rather than curved, and were way less power hungry.
Is there another bolt hole at the front of the skid to move it higher, or will it be to close to the chain guard ?
As said above, shortening the toplink may help a bit.

I bought this for 10k in the spring after borrowing a similar one before, they do smaller models and would be two leagues above maschio kit.

 

[Horn&corn]

I bought this for 10k in the spring after borrowing a similar one before, they do smaller models and would be two leagues above maschio kit.

What make is that? We need something to just cut the roots off the grass before ploughing etc and found rotorvator works best but slow at only 2m ish

 

[puntabrava]

What make is that? We need something to just cut the roots off the grass before ploughing etc and found rotorvator works best but slow at only 2m ish

https://standen.co.uk/

 

[Lincsman]

https://standen.co.uk/

Is that what was Peter Standen as in beet harvesters?

 

[puntabrava]

Is that what was Peter Standen as in beet harvesters?

I do not know, sorry.

 

[Big Dom]

something doesn’t just look right, is there a possibility it was assembled wrong at pdi?? If you look at the skids it has a tray that sits over the chain/belt casing, if it was fitted to the hole where the white arrow shows it would align the two yellow arrows and move the depth slide left as per the green arrow and give you more adjustment as no bolt to hit?