Mowing out in the open (part 4)
“Standard hitches mounted on the mower mean that it can be used with any type of tractor. The TC 910NSRD is ideal for mowing vast areas and as its bottom tractor hitching points have a floating system with maximum oscillation of 45deg, it can follow ground contours.
Hayter’s David Sturges suggests that purchasers consider whether they have additional uses for a tractor if opting for mowers such as its TM549/TM749 trailed gangs. “It may be that if the tractor is tied up with mowing virtually all year round, there will not be spare capacity for other jobs. Ride-ons can get into tighter areas, too. But the higher transport speeds may give a tractor the edge over a ride-on if a lot of road travel is involved,” he says.
David comments that Hayter has focused its developments more on ride-ons in recent years, although it continues to evolve a smaller range of gang mowers for customers who prefer that format.
There are several advantages of tractor-powered mowers over selfpropelled decks, says Trimax’s Helen Kinnon. “Generally speaking our tractor powered machines are heavier duty and for council work this is an important issue. The tractor can of course be used for other attachments when mowing is not taking place and if one tractor breaks down the mower can be transferred to another available power unit so that mowing can continue.”
A place for cylinders and flails
Where quality of finish is the priority, cylinder mowers rule the roost, reckons John Deere’s Henry Bredin.
“Our 2653B utility triple is mainly aimed at the golf market, but has also sold to local authorities for ornamental areas and to schools for cutting sports pitches,” he explains. “Cutting head units which can be fixed or floating and its light weight have allowed the 900 commercial triple to fill a niche market in this sector. Fixed heads can cope with rougher areas, while floating heads give a higher standard of presentation.
Some contracts still specify a cylinder finish, points out David Sturges of Hayter, who adds that cylinder mowers can be versatile. “Cylinders are a good choice for amenity areas but can cope with sportsfields and formal areas too. The main benefits are the quality of finish and lower minimum cut heights, while the risk of scalping is minimised as the heads follow ground contours.”
With purchasers able to specify 25cm diameter cylinders, David says that even heavy grass growth can be tackled. “Although this will obviously affect the finish – the more grass there is to cut, the more that will be left on the surface.”
Turfmech has concentrated its mower development on the production of wide-area trailed cylinder gang mowers for use primarily by turf growers who have a need for high output machines capable of producing a first class finish quickly and efficiently over large areas of cultivated turf.
Sales director Leigh Bowers explains: “Hydraulically powered and using tried and tested Ransomes cutting units, the MaxiMow 13 and MaxiMow 17 machines have cutting widths of 9.06m and 11.75m giving maximum outputs of around 9ha and 12ha an hour.
“Both models can be folded hydraulically down to 2.5m for transport, which allows unescorted movement along the road and easy access through gates and narrow openings. This feature gives the MaxiMow greater versatility and makes it an option for maintaining other large areas of grass including polo fields, sports training academies and parks.”
The Triflex gang flail is a serious alternative to both cylinder and rotary machines for all types of large area amenity mowing, suggests Mark Harrison of supplier Ryetec.
“Its main advantages over cylinder mowers are that it is much cheaper to buy and run. There’s less down time and the mowers are easier to set up. Flails will cut wet grass of any length and give an even distribution of cuttings and they are less susceptible to damage from stones and other debris than cylinders and rotaries. “Ground following characteristics out-perform rotaries and there is less scalping especially when cutting very low,” he asserts.
“We have now supplied Triflexes to many different applications including turf growers, golf courses, amenity contractors and local authorities, who have found one machine will cope with all their mowing needs especially in conditions of high growth and heavy rain combined with less frequent cutting.”
The Trimax flail range can also be used in such a wide variety of areas from recovering long overgrown grass to mowing fine turf to a surprisingly high standard. Contracts manager Nick Wragg of Rugby BC reported that their Trimax FlailDek2s “do a good job and don't leave bents or seed heads... You can get through tall grass but the result is also very presentable on turfed areas.”