Mole Drainers - JA Silk - TWB Magicmole

[Neddy flanders]

bought this from J Silk Agri a few years ago. never really got it to work mainly because ground conditions were too dry in autumn 2018 and 2019. problem is it has a ball joint to tow it with just behind the headstock so it can tilt. which it annoyingly does.
anyone used one? if not has anyone used a TWB magic mole. is this in any way similar? is the beam fixed to the headstock on a magic mole by a pivot rather than a ball joint?

 

[dirty harry]

Should have gone to maidwell molers....!!!

 

[Michael S]

I have seen these on the internet, looks keenly priced. When you say that it tilts you mean it tips sideways? I would say if that is what it does it hasn't got enough draw on it.

 

[Will 1594]

Looks like a copy of terrys .
terry has one in his yard he hires out and demo’s. , had it last week it has a link that pulls off headstock it does not swivel like you say , give him a ring

 

[Michael S]

I need to find a mole plough with some sort of break back protection, Matching airfield claimed another victim last summer.

Any recommendations?

 

[dirty harry]

Maidwell !

 

[grainboy]

No shear bolt protection?

 

[Banana Bar]

Two Maidwell mole drainers here. I’ve tried a few others but I don’t think I’ll bother trying anymore. I have made a part which means our trailed twin leg can be mounted or trailed despite Maidwell saying it couldn’t be done! Can now pull it with a Cat 765 / 775 rather than the Quadtrac.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I need to find a mole plough with some sort of break back protection, Matching airfield claimed another victim last summer.

Any recommendations?

Can that not be repaired?

 

[Michael S]

Can that not be repaired?

The back piece fell off when we straightened it, I'm sure it is repairable with time, however it has had a subtle curve in it for some years and sadly I don't think that we are done hitting buried treasure.

This is most of what came out the ground where the Moore got broken. The Miles and Simba mole ploughs we had previously used to break the blades. One 15ha part field I did with the Simba cost over £100/ha in parts 10 years ago.

 

[Neddy flanders]

Looks like a copy of terrys .
terry has one in his yard he hires out and demo’s. , had it last week it has a link that pulls off headstock it does not swivel like you say , give him a ring

not sure hes gonna want to talk to me if ive bought one of his rivals machines.

 

[Neddy flanders]

I have seen these on the internet, looks keenly priced. When you say that it tilts you mean it tips sideways? I would say if that is what it does it hasn't got enough draw on it.

do you mean not enough slope on the mole to pull it into the ground firmly enough?

 

[snarling bee]

Another vote for Maidwell. We have a twin leg and tow it with a Quaddy. Great tool.

 

[Will 1594]

I need to find a mole plough with some sort of break back protection, Matching airfield claimed another victim last summer.

Any recommendations?

Twb has shear tab protection , have a look at terrys , you maybe able to mod yours

 

[Michael S]

do you mean not enough slope on the mole to pull it into the ground firmly enough?

In a word yes.

 

[Nigel Wellings]

Ron Hankins and family at Maidwell have been building only Molers for the last 30 odd years. There is a lot of thought, experience and decent steel put into them! Have never heard a complaint about them, just many excellent reports and still competitively priced.

 

[tr250]

Ron Hankins and family at Maidwell have been building only Molers for the last 30 odd years. There is a lot of thought, experience and decent steel put into them! Have never heard a complaint about them, just many excellent reports and still competitively priced.

1984 model here not particularly pretty but still makes a good job and is as good as new really except paint.

 

[J Silk Agri]

Hello, I know this is an old post but the JSA mole plough has now had a design change to prevent the tilting of the beam, but still allowing the left to right steering and up down float.
The mole now also has a damper system to keep the mole straight when out of work and transport.
Other upgrades include full length Hardox Skid, Hydraulic float system and uprated shear tabs.

 

[Will 1594]

Hello, I know this is an old post but the JSA mole plough has now had a design change to prevent the tilting of the beam, but still allowing the left to right steering and up down float.
The mole now also has a damper system to keep the mole straight when out of work and transport.
Other upgrades include full length Hardox Skid, Hydraulic float system and uprated shear tabs.

you have even stolen the twb blue paint

 

[clbarclay]

I don't have any issue with the spherical bearing and the beam running at an angle on the JSA mole here. It did when I first tried it, but that was running a 4" mole at only 18" deep. The rule of thumb is 6:1 ratio of minimum depth to expander size. Worn down leg and expander of my old mole plough made all the difference. Unfortunately new 3" wearing parts seem to be like hens teeth.

I have had a tweak a few other parts to get it working well though. The disc pulled up damp soil which stuck straw together and that built up in front of the leg. It goes a lot better with the disc currently removed, but it will get a fixed blade similar to a TWB mole at some point. I feel that discs are fine, so long as they have sufficient space around them and the leg. Proforge design looks a lot better for having a disc set in a beam, otherwise maidwell style looks best frame for disc cutters.

Trash bulldozing in front of the skid was also very common. So far adding an extension to the front of the beam with much shallower approach angles seems to have improved trash flow a lot, though that mod only got added this spring.

Adding some dampers is on my to-do list, but for transport, keeping the lift arms low so that the top pivot of the ram is not ahead of the beam pivot helps.