Toppers - educate me please !

[sheepdogtrail]

Non PTO options:

Combcut | Lyckegård EN

Selective weed cutting in growing crop

lyckegard.com

The company also has a tool called Bionalan

https://lyckegard.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/Bionalan-ENG-2022.pdf

All four of these tools can be used for topping in a raised position if need be without using PTO.

 

[Bury the Trash]

only topper ive ever bought and worth every penny

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www.dormeo.co.uk

 

[ollie989898]

The Waste of resources .


Livestock / grass farms and the rural / Countryside communities they are the back bone of will struggle with lack of financial support from diminishing subsidy yet large arable units continue to coin it in . ridiculous expensive large soil compacting machinery burning diesel for no environmental or other wise reason.

It's not a waste of resources. I think the stipulation that these areas in these schemes must be topped at least once annually is because the ministry knows that this is the bare minimum needed to keep the land in a condition which permits rapid and easy conversion back into cultivation. If you just let thousands of land owners leave land for 10 years a lot of it will grow some serious woody weeds and scrub in no time at all and putting that back into production would prove a lot more problematic.

 

[Henarar]

It's not a waste of resources. I think the stipulation that these areas in these schemes must be topped at least once annually is because the ministry knows that this is the bare minimum needed to keep the land in a condition which permits rapid and easy conversion back into cultivation. If you just let thousands of land owners leave land for 10 years a lot of it will grow some serious woody weeds and scrub in no time at all and putting that back into production would prove a lot more problematic.

Should have just stuck with BPS and GAEC

 

[casemx 270]

We have one sold by Spalding's and to be really honest it's a good machine.I m not sure of the make but I think it's Italian built.Copes with everything we throw at it but if I could choose I d have it front mounted.

 

[henry]

TMC Cancela from Spaldings is a proper well built heavy duty machine, our 2.8 metre needs a weight block on the back when used on the front of a 6155R. Have run Kuhn and Maschio in the past but this is in a different league.

Flail Toppers & Mowers | TMC Cancela Toppers | Spaldings Ltd

At Spaldings we stock a range of TMC Cancela flail toppers & mulchers. Contact our team today for assistance.

spaldings.co.uk

 

[Bury the Trash]

It's not a waste of resources. I think the stipulation that these areas in these schemes must be topped at least once annually is because the ministry knows that this is the bare minimum needed to keep the land in a condition which permits rapid and easy conversion back into cultivation. If you just let thousands of land owners leave land for 10 years a lot of it will grow some serious woody weeds and scrub in no time at all and putting that back into production would prove a lot more problematic.

It is a relative waste of resources to me .
no waste ground here all grass fields grazed and any corners and watercourse margins have quick growing trees shrubs for game/wildlife cover but mainly to coppice/harvest for logs .
no topper owned or needed to be used .
do have a mower mind for forage harvest and the occasional spear rush cut and stuff

Worlds gone mad with values distorted and resourceful thinking seems to be gawn .up the road by a lot of the pop. ...for the time being ...

 

[ConanPB]

WFN 280 Flail Mower

WFN 280 Flail Mower

www.weavingmachinery.net

We bought this in spring. Very handy, heavy duty (it'll chop 3" diameter no bother)
It's good for roadsides, margins, stewardship, scrub, cross compliance.

My tips?

As heavy duty as budget allows - I'd rather a second hand heavy one than a new light one
Big diameter rear roller with big bearings is important
Pto shaft spec varies between manufacturers hugely - the bigger the better
Big flails way better than the little swingy on chains type
Don't overlook the usefulness of a parallel linkage for field gateways and dykesides - it's taken hours off our hedge cutter
Remove the break back transport pin when in work or it'll get expensive
If your margins are like ours (ie straighten meandering ditch sides a fair bit) then 5*2.8m will be needed for a 12m margin

Rotary toppers are faster in lighter going with no scrub (we have a 4.9m batwing for topping grass & cover crops) but invariably cross compliance margin topping is a wet day job and hedgebacks have suckers, brash, rough grass, bikes etc in them. You'd never be happy with the finish from one pass and would do them twice - and be forever sharpening the blades.

What hp requirement for a 2.8 m ?Would 150 run it

 

[Spud]

What hp requirement for a 2.8 m ?Would 150 run it

Yes no problem
I've had it on our 3075 and wouldn't want it on anything smaller, 150hp would be well on top of the job

 

[yellow belly]

my average field size is not huge and we do have plenty of hedgerow and trees, I’ve also planted many thousands of trees here in my lifetime so far

however if i can get paid to do MORE and it stacks up financially I will

i’m actually beginning to enjoy taking public money to improve biodiversity / wildlife / environment which people WANT far more than i ever have liked taking public money to produce cheap/ hardly viable food that clearly very few give a dam about

the biodiversity gains are tangible already and we have only just got started on this

anyway ……….. what topper should i buy ? !

Imho a flail front mounted for tractor width
if you have a big area a wide flail 8 or 9 m at slower forward speed than a 4 or 5 m at high speed on year old margins
on Ab 15 that has been regularly cot higher speeds will be more cost effective


front mounted is essential where wheeling flatten short weeds that get missed

 

[yellow belly]

What hp requirement for a 2.8 m ?Would 150 run it

Depends how fast you go and how thick the stuff is but should
any more hp and belt issues will be the result

I have a 3m front 6m rear total 9 m with mulching grass flails on 260 hp knee high ab15 6 to 7 k max but much faster and it does not chop properly