Toppers!!

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
we have a 9' foster but only put 70 hp on it, had a seal go on one of the side gearboxes so I drilled little breather holes in the filler plugs and its been ok since

We are pretty steep ground... our tractors are 95hp and 135hp.

On either tractor if you find a rock, chances are you smash the gear, rather than break the shear bolt! Price of the gear, it's actually cheaper to just replace the whole gearbox.

They are exact same gearboxes Fleming, Star, Abby and whoever else use and only rated to about 60hp :oops:
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
We are pretty steep ground... our tractors are 95hp and 135hp.

On either tractor if you find a rock, chances are you smash the gear, rather than break the shear bolt! Price of the gear, it's actually cheaper to just replace the whole gearbox.

They are exact same gearboxes Fleming, Star, Abby and whoever else use and only rated to about 60hp :oops:
its not flat here but when topping I don't cut very low and its mostly just to cut the weeds the cows have left not much grass which is not so hard work
the seal went when I was topping some really heavy stuff for someone else which TBO is to much for this type of topper
 

slackjawedyokel

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
+1 for the Major topper; I’ve had a 9ft trailed one for a decade without much problem. I try to use it on a little sub 100hp tractor, mainly cos I’m stingy and it uses quarter of the fuel:p
 

wilber

Member
Location
wales
We had a major and it went off to the scrappy last week. (twas a few years old mind but dad swore he would never have one again). The Votex we have does the job well, although depends how much money you've got to spend. If i had my way we would of had a bomford or a spearhead.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
its not flat here but when topping I don't cut very low and its mostly just to cut the weeds the cows have left not much grass which is not so hard work
the seal went when I was topping some really heavy stuff for someone else which TBO is to much for this type of topper

I don't do grass often... but I do batter rushes, bracken or big areas of thistles/nettles. Going round doing Scotch thistles or working in fields it's grand for the job...

But we took on new ground last year which had been left rank. I wanted it obliterated back to the ground. I may have done a bit of harm to the topper :oops:


(Twice :bag:)
 

Jameshenry

Member
Location
Cornwall
Thanks for all the opinons, suprising how lost one can feel after depending on a brand gor years to find out there not available any more!! Anyone tried a fleming?
I got a 6ft offset fleming , not a bad machine but doesn't really cut tight enough for my liking on good flat fields ,
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Agree. Far heavier duty than many mentioned and leaves as good a finish as an offset does.
The updraft blades really do lift the grass up. Get no uncut stripes behind the wheels whether tractor has 650 or row crop tyres on it.
Mine does, even with new blades on, topping at 9-11mph isn’t ideal mind :/ havnt got many gears on my JD :/

Spearhead and mcconnel/Twose are all practically the same, with some models being just different paint. The big spearhead’s and the 9ft similar to a Topper 9 do look nicer mind?
 

Happy

Member
Location
Scotland
Mine does, even with new blades on, topping at 9-11mph isn’t ideal mind :/ havnt got many gears on my JD :/

Spearhead and mcconnel/Twose are all practically the same, with some models being just different paint. The big spearhead’s and the 9ft similar to a Topper 9 do look nicer mind?

Not surprised at that speed!
A disc mower might be more appropriate if it’s light enough stuff that you can tear about at 11mph without bothering the slip clutch:)
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Not surprised at that speed!
A disc mower might be more appropriate if it’s light enough stuff that you can tear about at 11mph without bothering the slip clutch:)
Never had a slip clutch go on the topper, we had a 8ft krone moco but it didn’t like my uncles driving, or bedrock :banghead: the tractor was dodgy light with it too, it’s bad enough trying to steer with the topper 9.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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