cutting hay meadows in Sept and removing arisings

[difflock]

A daft enterprise if I ever heard of one, since "they" think

(i) either a farmer will do it for free i.e for the value of the dog **** and rubbish strewn grass.

I suggested a 40 year old single chop rather than a modern Big M or Class Katana might be more appropriate technology for disgesting the somewhat varied fodder:confused1:.

OR

(ii) Purchase a dedicated machine to be used for one month of the year, capable of cutting quite a few Ha of heavy hay meadow.

And transport the arising 20 odd miles for disposal at a green waste site.

A small round baler was mentioned:lol:

All

For £15,000 or £20,000:lol:

So, thoughts please.

Marcus

[woody paul]

How many acres and what are fields going to be used for after this work carried out.

[briquette_seller]

I know a man with one of those mini round balers for sale if your interested?

[csservices]

I've had one other day flailed it last year but this year they want the grass taking off to make it less fertile to encourage wildflowers, thing is its full of ragwort,dock and thistle, builders rubble dropped down one side and fenced out trees mean you can't cut it properly with a hay mower and I have no wish to import that much weed seed to the farm to spend weeks burning it all, so have convinced them to have it flailed again.

[difflock]

I imagine I will recommend the only machine I am aware of this no of years, an Amozone, (and probably one of the larger trailed GDS ones), high tip flail collecters, then into a skip or direct into the back of the green waste 8 wheeler BigBite refuse truck.

We already got 2 Agri tractors an 80HP Case and the wee honey of a JD 3720.

Still need to sort the issue of us running Agric spec tractors on the road mind, regardless of the colour of the diesel, and we run on clear anyway.

Next up will be an HGV beavertail to transport this kit.

Marcus

PS

Unsure of total acreage, but some sites are quite small with narrow akward access/weak bridges etc.

Typical Council operation.

So I figger the JD 3720 would be the most likely contender.

[aspenarb]

We have one of those Amazon 2.5meter cut top and collect mowers, we used it on a council contract for a high cut on wild flower area`s , its the sort that hangs off the back of the tractor. They only hold a few cubic meters of grass cuttings and then you have to stop and empty the thing ( about five minutes cutting) the up side is they will high tip into the back of a tipper lorry. Very time consuming compared to normal topping and if the grass is wet forget it, you will spend more time unblocking it than working. I reckon it takes six times longer than normal for top and collect, then you have the cuttings to dispose of

 

Bob

[difflock]

Bob,

"BINGO",

Your experience is exactly what our Council is planning.

Any my pref would be to contract it out to a local contractor, who specializes in a mix of Agri and sports pitch construction and maint etc.

but 2nd choice would be to buy the Amazon and spot hire a suitable tractor, if ours arnt suitable.

btw.

Exactly the type of comment/info I was after, and indeed it confirms my gut feelings based on 25 years experience grass cutting.

Job Done!

PS

I can only presume you run the Amazone kit because it is the best you are aware of?

cheers

Marcus

Edited July 25, 2015 by difflock

[Treemover]

Just hire a silage contractor - mow with a tractor mower and collect with a silage wagon.

Only issue will be foreign contaminants esp something like wire , steel or worst of all timber that wedges in rotor of wagon.

 

Would an aerobic digester take the material?

[aspenarb]

Just hire a silage contractor - mow with a tractor mower and collect with a silage wagon.

Only issue will be foreign contaminants esp something like wire , steel or worst of all timber that wedges in rotor of wagon.

 

Would an aerobic digester take the material?

 

As you say there are better ways of doing these jobs but ours is not the reason why unfortunately. When they spec top and collect thats what they want, they dont want tons of ag equipment romping around over their precious wild flower area`s. The guy that drove the tractor and amazon for us suggested a forage harvester and blow it straight into a silage trailer but that was rejected.

 

Anyway I was down the other yard this morning and the old amazon is festering in the corner of the yard edging its way nearer death valley:)

There were quite a lot of mods done to it for this high cut, all the wheels had to be made in steel because we could not keep tyres on it no matter what we did and all the adjusters had to be jacked up for the high cut and braced. We had five years of this and not used much since so if you want to try/buy/rent it just ask.

 

Edit, initially we were dumping the cuttings on their compost heap but it got so full that they were paying us to run it to the local council tip on their account, I cant even begin to imagine what they were charged for that.

 

Bob

 

Edited July 25, 2015 by aspenarb

[difflock]

Bob, I seriously figger an old single chop Tarrup or similar and an 1980's sized silage trailer, I have suggested contacting our very active local classic tractor club, hopefully they could sort out some sort of PR exercise deal, most of the sites will be adjacent 12th or Halloween bonfire sites, ergo expect rubbish, though fewer old gearboxs, now scrap is worth of collecting, or has been.

But I would not expect the arisings to have any fodder value.

The Council do however run their own green waste recycling operation, so that will be the disposal site, prob del in a humungeously expensive and expensive to run green waste bin lorry.

sigh

all quite mad!

marcus