[castletop]

I have just bought a compact tractor to use on our smallholding. Our grassland is getting pretty high now and have been told that a topper won't cope with it now. I am not sure if a small offset drum mower would be a good option instead of a topper? Could I use it later in the year to keep weeds down after I have cut it for hay? I cannot really stretch to a topper and a mower. We cut it last year with a hired in 2 wheeled flail mower and chain harrowed in the spring so it is stone free and pretty flat.
Any thoughts about using a drum mower as a topper replacement later int he year?

[cumbriandan]

Hi castletop,
There shouldn't be any issues using a drum mower for topping. with the simple types you will need to extend the top-link to rock the mower back, this will raise the cutting height. You will get practice altering the height when you are setting up for mowing your hay (weather permitting of course !)

[Still playing with tractors]

Buy a flail, drum mowers are only for hay and silage making, and toppers are as the name suggests for topping perm pasture in spring and mid summer.

[cumbriandan]

Can you make hay / silage with a flail mower ? If he wants one mower to do both jobs surely an old drum - mower would be cheaper ?

[Julestools]

Of course you can use a flail mower for silage and hay but it does smash thw grass to bits somewhat.
A home made topper can be made from a van axle (RWD) and wheels. Weld a drawbar to the axle so that the propshaft drive flange is level with the ground (ie horizontal) and fit steel blades (or chains) to the flange (not long enough to hit the tyres!) As it is dragged along (behind a landrover say) the blades rotate 4 times faster than the wheels chopping down the weeds, thistles and docks. A guard will need to be constructed for safety though. I used to see these crude contraptions being dragged roung the Pennines as a lad

[cumbriandan]

"Of course you can use a flail mower for silage and hay but it does smash thw grass to bits somewhat"

Everyday's a school day as they say ! We have only ever used drum - mowers and mower conditioners for hay / silage work. 

[Still playing with tractors]

Yes there are dedicated flails for fodder, with special cutter heads and opening rear swathing shoots, but they will probably be too big for the tractor mentioned in the original post.

Drum mowers are no good if you have a rough field yes they will scalp a field as they are designed to do but with a rough field you will go through blades like they are going out of fashion..........

[castletop]

I went for a small offset drum mower. The fields are pretty good and not too rough and I cut them all last year with a flail.
I am hoping to cut for hay next week weather permitting and will try to store the hay loose in the loft of our stone barns. Does anyone have any expereince of this? I have a small haybob but no baler and am almost spent up this year on kit.

I think the drum mower will be more useful than a topper and I am hoping to get some store lambs later on in the summer to keep the grass down once it has been cut for hay and also to eat the hay (assuming I get it in ok)!

[stufe35]

We did this years ago at my dads,  make hay by turning as usual, we then rowed it up and borrowed a buck rake for the back of the tractor.  Reversed up the rows and drove it to the barn, forked it up as high as we could.   In the old days they used hay sweeps,  essentially huge buck rakes, useable because hay is so light, but you don't see many around these days.

Baling rates aren't that dear, do you have any vintage enthusiasts in your area, you might able to get someone to bale it.

[castletop]

Thanks.Will look into a hay buck?

[stufe35]

A buck rake !

Do you know what one is ?   If not ill try and post some pics


Where are you ? .........watch the offers flood in to bale your hay.

Cheers

Stu

[castletop]

Got mower yesterday and hoping to cut the hay on Saturday as rain forecast for the next two days. Also hopefully picking up an old used haybob on Saturday morning as well, which will make life easier. The only problem with getting someone to bale it is we are pretty inaccessible and have narrow stone gate posts into the fields. We are near Cromford in Derbyshire. Think I will have to invest in some more pitch forks to get it into the barn!

[Julestools]

I used to work for an International Tractor/Baler dealer at Ashover. All the new balers were delivered to Matlock station and we used to go down with a convoy of tractors and collect the balers by road for PDI and delivery. It was a long time ago and i've lost contact with the farmers round there but i'm sure someone could help you out

[stufe35]

Most older balers were 9ft wide, designed to fit through a 10ft gate way.  Tape measure required.

Some more modern are wider to suit the swath left behind a combine as combines got bigger.

[castletop]

Great thanks for the advice. Will go and measure the gateways!