Author Topic: Hello/Topper Question (Read 2754 times)

Hal · « **on:** September 04, 2018, 02:25:37 pm »

Hi! My wife is into horse's, and we have a 5 acre smallholding. I've got a small 14hp Kubota which I have had for about 3 years. I have a Fleming 4 foot topper which I use to top each paddock, mainly of docks, after the horses have ate all the grass. I am somewhat embarrassed to discover that the 2 blades mounted on each end of the main arm of the topper should spin independently, but are fixed for transport. I have been using them in the "fixed" position for the last 3 years. The topper works fine and I am always pleased with the results. So should I be worried, and release the spinning blades (which will be a total pain as I have a severely bad back), or just carry on regardless?? Thanks in advance.

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2018, 10:43:43 pm »

Hi. I haven't a clue about your topper (whatever that is) but wanted to welcome you to the forum.

Hal · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2018, 11:04:59 pm »

Thank you for the welcome. A topper is just a glorified lawn mower. In my case it's mounted at the rear of my tiny tractor and uses the tractors engine to drive the blades. At 4 foot wide it's pretty much the smallest one you can get. Very popular with people who have grassland they need to keep under control. Mr Big Farmer has much bigger ones which he uses for cutting hay/silage etc.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #3 on:** September 05, 2018, 07:05:43 am »

Welcome!

I think you've answered your own question. If you've been using it (wrongly) for the last 4yrs and have been happy with the job its done I can't see why you'd need to change the way your doing things? If by not releasing the secondary blades you were damaging the topper, I think the damage would be done by now. Presumably it would do a 'better' job with the additional blades released, but if its done its job well, why bother?

If your worried about damaging the topper long term, maybe best to speak to the manufacturer and see what they say?

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #4 on:** September 06, 2018, 12:17:18 am »

Thanks for explaining, Hal. As I don't have as much as a lawn I've never come across one before. I am a back garden smallholder, with fruit and veg and goats in the garden as well as the odd flower or two and weeds.

Hal · « **Reply #5 on:** September 06, 2018, 08:21:25 am »

Quote from: bj_cardiff on September 05, 2018, 07:05:43 am

Welcome!

I think you've answered your own question. If you've been using it (wrongly) for the last 4yrs and have been happy with the job its done I can't see why you'd need to change the way your doing things? If by not releasing the secondary blades you were damaging the topper, I think the damage would be done by now. Presumably it would do a 'better' job with the additional blades released, but if its done its job well, why bother?

If your worried about damaging the topper long term, maybe best to speak to the manufacturer and see what they say?

Thank You. It is the long term possible damage I'm worried about. I'm less keen to contact the manufacturer as they may adopt the "it's your fault" approach if something completely unrelated goes wrong with it. I was just hoping to find someone with the expert knowledge so I could cover up my own stupidity with only you guys knowing!!

?

arobwk · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2018, 01:09:38 am »

Welcome to the forum Hal.
Doubtless a knowledgeable topper user will come along shortly with a definitive answer, but, in the meantime ... "spin" on the actual cutting blades must surely be designed to help reduce risk of damage to the topper/pto if a blade should hit an immoveable object (or perhaps reduce stresses on the machine when working through stubborn plant stalks).
If I'm right and taking your bad back into account, the alternative question might be why the manufacturer has provided the facility to fix the blades during transport of the topper.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2018, 04:24:35 pm »

We have a Fleming 4' topper which we've had now for a few years, used to top 9 acres. I asked Mr F, the mechanical half of me, to cast an eye over your question [member=182278]Hal[/member] and he crawled back saying...'err, I think I've been using ours with those blades locked in the travel position too...

What he has suggested, given your bad back, is to get to the blades by: put the top links as short as they will go, raise the topper on 3 point as high as it can go, watching PTO shaft in case it catches, prop the topper safely when in that raised position, then you can get to the blades without having to crawl around under the machine to release the blades. I expect he'll be doing the same thing with ours when I'm not looking.

Hal · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2018, 01:36:54 pm »

Thanks so much for that! It's good to know that I am not alone!! The advice for getting under it is also appreciated. I think I'll do some further reasearch before loosening them just in case it really doesn't make any difference!

Quote from: Fleecewife on September 10, 2018, 04:24:35 pm

We have a Fleming 4' topper which we've had now for a few years, used to top 9 acres. I asked Mr F, the mechanical half of me, to cast an eye over your question [member=182278]Hal[/member] and he crawled back saying...'err, I think I've been using ours with those blades locked in the travel position too...

What he has suggested, given your bad back, is to get to the blades by: put the top links as short as they will go, raise the topper on 3 point as high as it can go, watching PTO shaft in case it catches, prop the topper safely when in that raised position, then you can get to the blades without having to crawl around under the machine to release the blades. I expect he'll be doing the same thing with ours when I'm not looking.

Hal · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2018, 01:55:03 pm »

Quote from: Scarlet.Dragon on September 10, 2018, 11:16:25 am

Others are probably more experienced than I, but I have an ancient topper... as the bearings seize on the old model you wear out the belts more frequently (burning rubber smell and snapped belts).

The "play" is similar to limited slip diff on the 4wd car - it stops "wind up" occurring.

If you think about a vehicle where all 4 wheels must move at exactly the same speed and distance to work - it's ok in straight lines but there's a lot of stress on corners as the inside wheels go less distance than the outside wheels. If it's a fixed axle that makes for very big circles whereas if you have the ability for one wheel to turn faster than the other and go further than the other, it makes for a tighter circle.

The blades on the mower are the same - if you hit a rough patch with the left blade while the right blade is spinning fast it puts significantly more wear and tear on the machine if the blades are "fixed" than if they're "free".

I would guess the ability to "lock" the blades for transit is safety related - you don't really want blades spinning that someone could be injured - and these are the outside blades where people are most likely to put their feet.

Personally, I'd have them in the "free" position at all times unless you're likely to cut someone's foot off in transit.

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain this. What you say adds up, especially as it's a direct drive system (I think) i.e. No belt.

Hal · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2018, 11:12:19 pm »

I eventually plucked up enough courage to ask the dealer who I got the tractor, harrow and Topper from! Happily, we have nothing to worry about!! On the 4 foot Fleming Toppers, the nut and bolt that attaches the two blades to either end of the spinning arm are already set at the right tension to "give" if the blade hits an object like a stone. Then centrifugal force will return the blade to its correct position. No need to get underneath and loosen anything!! Thank goodness. Thanks for all your help guys, it was a positive learning experience! Cheers, Hal.