Mowers

I know disc mowers are more popular than drum mowers but I really dislike my Krone disc mower. It's on its fifth season, it's unreliable and is hard to get as tidy a job as with the vicon drum mower we used to have.

Looking at alternatives, has anyone got a Weaving drum mower which I think are Samasz?

Alternatively how do people get on with Malone mowers and if so does using the topping skids replace having a topper. I'd rather have 1 machine than 2

TIA
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
I'm on drum mowers, due to multiple igneous issues.
Cutting 120-150 acres a year. (some easier ground is farmed out to contractors)

Whatever badges are on PZ now....they're junk due to vastly lowered spec, as far as I can see. Ne'er saw the end of a 2nd season with the latter ones- which is a great shame, as they used to go on and on.

Tried a generic eastern European PZ rip off....less than a season before it broke in half.

We spent a LOT on a Fella drum, but a lad really walloped it on a rock.
And despite spending a LOT on repair, it's been chucked in the hedge in despair. Don't think it ever cut a whole season.

We went to Samaz maybe 7-8 years ago, and are number 3 now.
We still break them, but have found Weaving very straight, helpful, and sensible with spares.
First make our spanner man has consistently been mending when summat breaks......

I am likely to try a small disc at some point, but endless 'you ought to use disc mowers like ours....but no we wouldn't want to cut your grass with it' stories have long deterred me.
If you're on safe ground...i would've thought a modest disc machine would be a good bet, but Samaz are OK for what they are.
 

Farmer_Joe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
The North
We used to have a fella 3 dum mower always thought it seemed power hungry was on 6 cylinder 100hp? It struggled on slightly inclines bed disk movers always seem
Easier to drive?
 

Wellytrack

Member
I'm on drum mowers, due to multiple igneous issues.
Cutting 120-150 acres a year. (some easier ground is farmed out to contractors)

Whatever badges are on PZ now....they're junk due to vastly lowered spec, as far as I can see. Ne'er saw the end of a 2nd season with the latter ones- which is a great shame, as they used to go on and on.

Tried a generic eastern European PZ rip off....less than a season before it broke in half.

We spent a LOT on a Fella drum, but a lad really walloped it on a rock.
And despite spending a LOT on repair, it's been chucked in the hedge in despair. Don't think it ever cut a whole season.

We went to Samaz maybe 7-8 years ago, and are number 3 now.
We still break them, but have found Weaving very straight, helpful, and sensible with spares.
First make our spanner man has consistently been mending when summat breaks......

I am likely to try a small disc at some point, but endless 'you ought to use disc mowers like ours....but no we wouldn't want to cut your grass with it' stories have long deterred me.
If you're on safe ground...i would've thought a modest disc machine would be a good bet, but Samaz are OK for what they are.

Sounds like your land is where mowers go to die.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I'm on drum mowers, due to multiple igneous issues.
Cutting 120-150 acres a year. (some easier ground is farmed out to contractors)

Whatever badges are on PZ now....they're junk due to vastly lowered spec, as far as I can see. Ne'er saw the end of a 2nd season with the latter ones- which is a great shame, as they used to go on and on.

Tried a generic eastern European PZ rip off....less than a season before it broke in half.
The PZ/Vicon drum mowers went with Vicon balers to Kuhn. Still built to the same spec they ever were. Cheaper copies are, well, cheaper made copies.
 

Dave W

Member
Location
chesterfield
Drum mowers seem more popular abroad. I've had quite a few tailed and mounted imported from Holland and all sold well over here
I just sold this pottinger. Only managed to do some topping with it but a real nice thing to use. Finish line a lawn
35B252FB-B23F-47FA-B98D-217E05BEBB9F.jpeg
7D03BB30-2A5D-4F60-9416-BFC089EAB9DE.jpeg
 
I'm on drum mowers, due to multiple igneous issues.
Cutting 120-150 acres a year. (some easier ground is farmed out to contractors)

Whatever badges are on PZ now....they're junk due to vastly lowered spec, as far as I can see. Ne'er saw the end of a 2nd season with the latter ones- which is a great shame, as they used to go on and on.

Tried a generic eastern European PZ rip off....less than a season before it broke in half.

We spent a LOT on a Fella drum, but a lad really walloped it on a rock.
And despite spending a LOT on repair, it's been chucked in the hedge in despair. Don't think it ever cut a whole season.

We went to Samaz maybe 7-8 years ago, and are number 3 now.
We still break them, but have found Weaving very straight, helpful, and sensible with spares.
First make our spanner man has consistently been mending when summat breaks......

I am likely to try a small disc at some point, but endless 'you ought to use disc mowers like ours....but no we wouldn't want to cut your grass with it' stories have long deterred me.
If you're on safe ground...i would've thought a modest disc machine would be a good bet, but Samaz are OK for what they are.
What the hell you mowing to get threw mowers like that on only 120acre a year
 

Jsmith2211

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Somerset
I'd recomend a kuhn disc mower. We have a FC284, this will be its fourth season. Reliable (though i've cursed it now of course) easy to change the blades on, conditioner does a good job and it leaves a good finish if the grass isnt all laid flat. The one gripe i have with it is it doesnt fold vertical, only swings round the back. Its fine, unless you have tiny lanes. We have one field i have to reverse into, as its the only way to get in with all the tail swing. Apart from that, its a very good mower. Mowing about 120ish plus about 40-50 contracting acres (maybe more in the future).

On PZ, i wouldnt say the old stuff is good quality either, maybe the mowers are different to the tedders but i have a PZ 4 rotor tedder, fanex 45something and its junk. If you dont have the sway bars on the tractor tightened down as tight as possible the thing will sway from side to side as you drive along. I think it is the design of the headland swivel wheels, but its crap.
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
The PZ/Vicon drum mowers went with Vicon balers to Kuhn. Still built to the same spec they ever were. Cheaper copies are, well, cheaper made copies.
Respectfully, I'm afraid I have to disagree.
Once they had a Kuhn lick of paint, the spec clearly wasn't the same - and I'm pretty sure I'm safe from litigation, as there's dead'uns still in nettles of each.
Vicon slightly improved them with a combined breakaway/work/transport arrangement - then Kuhn dropped back to the original.

What the hell you mowing to get threw mowers like that on only 120acre a year
Granite. That's the big problem.
 
Respectfully, I'm afraid I have to disagree.
Once they had a Kuhn lick of paint, the spec clearly wasn't the same - and I'm pretty sure I'm safe from litigation, as there's dead'uns still in nettles of each.
Vicon slightly improved them with a combined breakaway/work/transport arrangement - then Kuhn dropped back to the original.


Granite. That's the big problem.
Pick the stones before the grass grows
 

Wee Willy

Member
Location
Tyrone
never sharpened or replaced? I find with ours it cuts far far better if it's got fresh sharp knives in
I bought a brand new 8' Major disc mower 5 years ago. First time I used it ,left a six inch stubble. Phoned dealer but he wouldn't come out."Shorten the top link" he said. Left it so short she was sitting at 45 degrees into the ground. Still left a big stubble. Fed up.
Left her in shed for 3 years.
Friend looked at her last year....blades in the wrong way round. Cuts clean now.
Dealer is a wonker.
 

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