Rotary Slasher Recommendations/Possible Hire?

[LGP Eddie]

I've got a particularly nasty job involving some Rushes on a pretty waterlogged site and have been looking at all options.

 

Basically Flails are out as from experience, once they start shovelling water through themselves it's like hitting the brakes and much power is lost.

 

I need a pretty low cut so at times it will be cutting in some water, hence looking at a Rotary Slasher with blades not Chains that should have less resistance.

 

Two models I have seen are of interest, the Foster GG2000 and the Spearhead Destroyer.

 

I just wonder if anyone has experience of either or actually knows of someone hiring them out?

 

I have been looking for a half decent trailed 'Drum' not disc mower as this could be an option also, but they all see to have reputations for eating belts gearboxes etc so the Rotary Slasher should at least be strong enough?

 

This Foster one seems to be going ok, but it's not a big crop to what we usually have to cope with.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec1mv0VdhoQ]Foster GG2000 Scrubcutter with heavy duty blades cutting wetland rushes - YouTube[/ame]

 

Eddie.

[hedgesparrow]

hire a BCS with finger bar mower or as in the old days a alen sythe. you want it with spade lugs wheels iron wheels with lugs will go throught marshy ground and the bar mower will cut the rushes down no problem. a lot of trusts use them to cut there rushes and reeds. contact Tracmaster Burgess Hill they sell the BCS range. and maybe able to get you one to have on demo if you want to buy

[tommytopsoil]

+1 for the fingerbar. I've covered my share of ground with a rotary type topper as well as drum/disc mowers and in my experience every rotational type blade saps a lot of power when in water. The reciprocating blade on a fingerbar has - as you know - a short stroke, a low power requirement and does a great job underwater, just look at reed buckets for ditch cleaning.

[doobin]

hire a BCS with finger bar mower or as in the old days a alen sythe. you want it with spade lugs wheels iron wheels with lugs will go throught marshy ground and the bar mower will cut the rushes down no problem. a lot of trusts use them to cut there rushes and reeds. contact Tracmaster Burgess Hill they sell the BCS range. and maybe able to get you one to have on demo if you want to buy

 

A Tracmaster won't touch the sort of ground or amounts Eddie deals with!

[doobin]

Thinking about it Eddie, there are a few giant reciprocating knife style hedgecutter attachments for diggers amout. Might be ideal for you, plus good for trimming up willows and what not.

 

One here with a 1.8m cut:

 

Hedge cutters - Excavator attachments for hedge trimming

 

HTH

[hedgesparrow]

did not know how big a area was needed to be cut. as other post drum mower. and the like water will slow it down and it will then start clogging up. have a look for one that goes on a pto of a tractor. used to use them for cutting hay fields. old one may need work.

[Lee Winger]

By the sound of it he's cutting acres not a few metres Tracmasters lol I watched a contractor cutting in the summer he had a decent tractor 130hp [at a guess] he was constantly stalling with a rotary slasher, he was cutting 4-5ft rushes

[tommytopsoil]

...involving some Rushes...

 

Missed this bit...! In that case, fingerbar will struggle with rush clumps at low level. We have a 7ft off-set Abbey twin rotor topper that does a pretty mean job on rough ground with rushes. You can pick used ones up at handy enough money. Maybe want a dual on that side though if it's wet - they're pretty heavy and I wouldn't think you'd want all of the weight on the skids in boggy ground?

 

http://www.abbeymachinery.com/products/abbey-topper-range.html

 

On a side note, reciprocating blades are available in colossal widths - just look at combine harvesters...

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Products -

 

We used this as good on overgrown paddocks and 1m high and thick moorland rushes. Chops up material fine so no need to remove waste.

 

It was on a U600/421 60HP machine.

[LGP Eddie]

It's a really hard one and I've been pondering over many different methods, including getting it off with a long reach excavator and weed cutting bucket.

 

However the simple fact is they if the long reach goes down at any point on the site it's not possible to give much assistance with a weed cutting bucket fitted, plus the weed cutting bucket possibly won't be too effective.

 

I'm happy to take the Valtra on with Duals all round, as if she goes down It'll take no plucking out with the winch and the Rotary slasher wouldn't come to any harm.

 

I simply couldn't risk a Fingerbar, they're too fragile and wouldn't handle this amount of Rush I fear with a very low cut required. However I've always seen the advantages one of the big Reciprocating Mowers could bring in many applications and seem a very controlled bit of kit when you're used to Mulchers.

 

I'm really down to two options at present, Long Reach Excavator on Bog Mats and simply dig the turf/Rushes off with a traditional bucket, thus enabling me to move the mats or try the Valtra and some form of Rotary Mower that is strong enough to cope.

 

A simple traditional side mount twin drum disc mower would be the one to risk, but the problem is they mount so close they'd catch on the duals when swung into the work position.

I've even considered lengthening one and fitting longer belts to go past the duals, as these can be found in the nettles at handy money that's worth the risk.

 

No doubt we'll sort it one way or another!:big grin:

 

Eddie.