Topper

mallethead

I'm looking at getting a topper
can anyone recomend a good one /type
Thanks

jomoloney

mallethead wrote: »

I'm looking at getting a topper
can anyone recomend a good one /type
Thanks

do you consider a disc mower, ?

easier on the grass , cuts cleaner, resulting in faster re growth

reilig

jomoloney wrote: »

do you consider a disc mower, ?

easier on the grass , cuts cleaner, resulting in faster re growth

I'd have to disagree. Topper tops, disc mower cuts. Slower regrowth from disc mower which can only cut at max 1 inch high. Topper on skids can be set to top 6 inches high. Faster regrowth, much cheaper to buy and easier to operate.

pakalasa

I have a Belmac topper. Happy with it. I do keep an edge on the blades, which I think helps big time. These type of single blade toppers are really meant for light topping though. I have cut heavy crops of rushes with them but they put the tractor under serious pressure.
It's a simple machine so little to go wrong with it.

Conor556

Go for the fully offset one, you can get them in 6,7 or 8 foot sizes and give a better cut from the semi offset ones because you are not driving over the grass you are trying to cut.

nashmach

Conor556 wrote: »

Go for the fully offset one, you can get them in 6,7 or 8 foot sizes and give a better cut from the semi offset ones because you are not driving over the grass you are trying to cut.

I'd agree with Conor and if at all possible buy new as anything second hand is usually a wreck!

Bought a new Fleming three years ago and while we wouldn't do much with it, it has been a God send.

severeoversteer

go for a nine foot major great yoke can raise and lower the rear wheels as you go along to adjust height

Dont be daft

Conor556 wrote: »

Go for the fully offset one, you can get them in 6,7 or 8 foot sizes and give a better cut from the semi offset ones because you are not driving over the grass you are trying to cut.

A lad was telling me the other day that he worked in a place with a topper like that and they did all the topping in reverse
I had to laugh. Dunno if thats the done thing but this lad is such a messer if there's a hard way to do anything he'll find it.


We're topping here with a krone mower for last two seasons. Its 8ft,topping skids, side mounted and no conditioners. Its working well.

Has mowed about 60 acres for silage ground as well this year that contractor didn't have time or wouldn't mow.

Dunno how lads are topping at 6 inches. Surely the point of topping is to get all that butty material out of the sward and that stays going well below 6 inches

nashmach

severeoversteer wrote: »

go for a nine foot major great yoke can raise and lower the rear wheels as you go along to adjust height

The problem with a trailed though is they take up more storage space and need wider lanes to get them in

I will admit though they need less power to drive them as the lift capacity is not needed but I do most of the topping now in 1000rpm and at that the tractor will go on the smell of the green stuff.

Anything is a step up from a mowing bar :D

Our topper is down to the last on the skids or on the setting above that depending on the ground.

jomoloney

reilig wrote: »

I'd have to disagree. Topper tops, disc mower cuts. Slower regrowth from disc mower which can only cut at max 1 inch high. Topper on skids can be set to top 6 inches high. Faster regrowth, much cheaper to buy and easier to operate.

I've tried 3 toppers before I opted for dics mower, althought my topping is minimal, the sheep do that for me

you obviously not dairying other wise you know the benefits

yellow50HX

Dont be daft wrote: »

A lad was telling me the other day that he worked in a place with a topper like that and they did all the topping in reverse
I had to laugh. Dunno if thats the done thing but this lad is such a messer if there's a hard way to do anything he'll find it.


We're topping here with a krone mower for last two seasons. Its 8ft,topping skids, side mounted and no conditioners. Its working well.

Has mowed about 60 acres for silage ground as well this year that contractor didn't have time or wouldn't mow.

Dunno how lads are topping at 6 inches. Surely the point of topping is to get all that butty material out of the sward and that stays going well below 6 inches

My neighbour had a 9ft rear mounted topper a few years ago that he used it in reverse, he did get a sore neck from it though. His next idea was to use a hydraulic motor a mount it on the front loader. Uses all silage bales now so doesn't do any topping anymore.

freedominacup

Get a disc mower. Kuhn, Lely, JF etc. I don't know why anyone would have a topper unless it was for set-a-side. Most mounted mowers come with topping skids, haven't used the skids for at least twenty years.

reilig

jomoloney wrote: »

I've tried 3 toppers before I opted for dics mower, althought my topping is minimal, the sheep do that for me

you obviously not dairying other wise you know the benefits

You went through 3 Toppers before you figured out that they weren't for you????

We've had a topper for the last 25 years. For some of that time we were in dairy. The topper worked well. Topped low when we wanted and high when we needed. We keep it sharp. We have a disc mower. As I said it cuts at the roots which isn't ideal for fast re-growth. Disc mower also doesn't chop up grass like the topper does, so if you're topping long grass with the disc mower it'll just lie on top and new grass will be slower to grow up through it. The topper chops the grass to pieces.

My own opinion is that a topper used properly is miles ahead of a disc mower. Cheaper to buy, easier to power, less likely to have parts to go in it and far better for grass growth for dairy, beef or sheep.

Farmer Pudsey

freedominacup wrote: »

Get a disc mower. Kuhn, Lely, JF etc. I don't know why anyone would have a topper unless it was for set-a-side. Most mounted mowers come with topping skids, haven't used the skids for at least twenty years.

I have a topper as opposed to a disc mower as much as a topper dislikes stone a disc mower actually hates them It is a 6'' semi-offset made by Belmac, the real good one without the belts using the arms to lift no upper three point linkage they do not make them anymore.

At this stage it is battle stained and worn and almost thread bare

severeoversteer

seriously lads A DISC MOWER ? a topper is for hacking around the grazing ground topping thistles docks stemmy patches etc, if there was somthing worth baling theres nobody that wouldnt bale it, i top ground that is not fit for silage as its stony in places and if you hit a stone with a disc mower its curtains, whereas a topper replace shearbolt or flail and carry on,,,,

1chippy

I have both a topper and a disc mower. i far rather the disc mower however theres always those headlands or corners that the topper is just safer to use on.

delaval

Toppers are for pencils, mowers are for pasture

ceannfort

What are people's opinions on the flail shredders for very heavy rushes?

pakalasa

ceannfort wrote: »

What are people's opinions on the flail shredders for very heavy rushes?

Waste of power & diesel, I think. Saw a place done a few years back and rushes grew back up strong as ever. Drain, spray, leave to die and cut at base. Only way to deal with them.

Farmer Pudsey

Both Disc mower and toppers have advantages. Disc mowers are grand for pastures that are the same as silage ground, fairly level with no stone showing. However for some farms where ground is rough and where wou will hit the odd stone then toppers are a better job.

They also have the advantage of being cheap. A 6' semi offset new ill cost around 1K for 2K you will get a bells and whistles one. A disc mower will set you back nearly 5K and by right if you want to cut your own silage you need one with a conditioner. For a small Livestoock farmer on 50 acres a topper will suit grand.

Dampintheattic

Six springers with their times up around now, fenced in nice and tight in a rough paddock, with past month, have proved to be most effective at topping:D

freedominacup

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Both Disc mower and toppers have advantages. Disc mowers are grand for pastures that are the same as silage ground, fairly level with no stone showing. However for some farms where ground is rough and where wou will hit the odd stone then toppers are a better job.

They also have the advantage of being cheap. A 6' semi offset new ill cost around 1K for 2K you will get a bells and whistles one. A disc mower will set you back nearly 5K and by right if you want to cut your own silage you need one with a conditioner. For a small Livestoock farmer on 50 acres a topper will suit grand.

Out of 40 odd paddocks on our main grazing block off the top of my head I can think of maybe 6 with no stone showing. Paddocks are level in the main apart from a few of the wetter ones which will have to be taken back in hand before the autumn.

Farmer Pudsey

freedominacup wrote: »

Out of 40 odd paddocks on our main grazing block off the top of my head I can think of maybe 6 with no stone showing. Paddocks are level in the main apart from a few of the wetter ones which will have to be taken back in hand before the autumn.

The issue is a problem more where you have rushes or are topping heavy are grazing of heavy covers a drystock issue rather than a dairying issue. In general if you cannot see the stone you will hit it.

I have only wire rush on about 10 acres and bull rush on 2-3 acres. It is very hard to remenber where the stone is exposed especially in one field. The other issue is cost most dairy farmer have a more profitable farm rather than drystock and can afford to lay out on equipment taht drystock framers may not be able to. The only machine/implement on my farm costing over 2K is the tractor and the 8X5 livestock box. It is a case of horses for courses.

freedominacup

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

The issue is a problem more where you have rushes or are topping heavy are grazing of heavy covers a drystock issue rather than a dairying issue. In general if you cannot see the stone you will hit it.

I have only wire rush on about 10 acres and bull rush on 2-3 acres. It is very hard to remenber where the stone is exposed especially in one field. The other issue is cost most dairy farmer have a more profitable farm rather than drystock and can afford to lay out on equipment taht drystock framers may not be able to. The only machine/implement on my farm costing over 2K is the tractor and the 8X5 livestock box. It is a case of horses for courses.

What does topping rushes achieve?

nashmach

freedominacup wrote: »

What does topping rushes achieve?

Stops the buggers going to seed and can achieve a better take up of spray.

reilig

freedominacup wrote: »

What does topping rushes achieve?

Rushes shelter grass. Topping lets light into the grass and let it grow more.

aidanki

you can mount skids on a disc mower ?, they are bolted to the bed are they?

have heard that you need to keep the bed on the ground with a good crop flow to keep it cool, any truth in that

would it not be easier fit something to the rams to stop them going full travel and thereby control the distance they stop at, thats how a trailed topper works ?

freedominacup

aidanki wrote: »

you can mount skids on a disc mower ?, they are bolted to the bed are they?

have heard that you need to keep the bed on the ground with a good crop flow to keep it cool, any truth in that

would it not be easier fit something to the rams to stop them going full travel and thereby control the distance they stop at, thats how a trailed topper works ?

They've come with any mounted disc mower we've had. There's usually a slot on mower bed that the front of skid slides into and bolted to bed at rear.

Farmer Pudsey

freedominacup wrote: »

What does topping rushes achieve?

If you top rushes 2-3 times a year it weakens the roots just like docks snd thistle but like docks it will not kill them. It prevents the spread of rushes 50 years ago farmers cut them continuely with a sythe and there tended to be less than now in some farms. Along with right fertility it prevents them becoming a problem as other posters said it prevents seeding and light gets down to grass to allow it to compete with the rushes.
On land where rushes are an issue even draining may not completly solve the issue and there may be no proper exit for water so topping can be used as a control mechanism. The wire rush cannot be sprayed as only gysophate will kill it and in my case for the sake of the corners that the wire rush is in topping can give fairly good control. I cannot mole drain because of rock and have drained some but it is not viable to drain the rest. No lad has a licker around and again it would not justify spending 1500 euro on a licker.

jomoloney

reilig wrote: »

You went through 3 Toppers before you figured out that they weren't for you????

We've had a topper for the last 25 years. For some of that time we were in dairy. The topper worked well. Topped low when we wanted and high when we needed. We keep it sharp. We have a disc mower. As I said it cuts at the roots which isn't ideal for fast re-growth. Disc mower also doesn't chop up grass like the topper does, so if you're topping long grass with the disc mower it'll just lie on top and new grass will be slower to grow up through it. The topper chops the grass to pieces.

My own opinion is that a topper used properly is miles ahead of a disc mower. Cheaper to buy, easier to power, less likely to have parts to go in it and far better for grass growth for dairy, beef or sheep.

relig

during the fine spell I was cutting in front of the cows ,gone too strong for grazing effectively, cut each morn between 9 to 10 am and the cows cleaned it up during the night

a back fence put in place every second evening

last mowing was last sunday week just before the rain, I walked that paddock to day & there is a lovely matt of re growth even after 9 days

first you talk about topping 6 inches high, utter waste of time and diesel,

leaving a matt of rotten stem

then you mention about topping long grass , not rotting, again poor economics ,
place for long grass is in a round bale

easy to vary the cutting height with a disc mower if you wish you don't have to cut "at the root"

we bought the mower about 10 years ago for 2700 second hand

other than blades and hanging bolts the only repair was a stone guard

we have 15 acres of high uneven craggy land with rock near and breaking the surface

this is "topped" once or twice annually to control thisles and furze ( not for the faint hearted one wrong move and your're curtains)

the disc mower glides along, maybe lose an odd blade and hanging bolt thats all

topper on the other hand was constanly breaking and losing flails , shear bolts going , slipping belts , pulleys

don't f$&(ing remind me .. never again

reilig

Is the op a dairy farmer?

jomoloney wrote: »

relig

during the fine spell I was cutting in front of the cows ,gone too strong for grazing effectively, cut each morn between 9 to 10 am and the cows cleaned it up during the night

a back fence put in place every second evening

last mowing was last sunday week just before the rain, I walked that paddock to day & there is a lovely matt of re growth even after 9 days

first you talk about topping 6 inches high, utter waste of time and diesel,

leaving a matt of rotten stem

then you mention about topping long grass , not rotting, again poor economics ,
place for long grass is in a round bale

easy to vary the cutting height with a disc mower if you wish you don't have to cut "at the root"

we bought the mower about 10 years ago for 2700 second hand

other than blades and hanging bolts the only repair was a stone guard

we have 15 acres of high uneven craggy land with rock near and breaking the surface

this is "topped" once or twice annually to control thisles and furze ( not for the faint hearted one wrong move and your're curtains)

the disc mower glides along, maybe lose an odd blade and hanging bolt thats all

topper on the other hand was constanly breaking and losing flails , shear bolts going , slipping belts , pulleys

don't f$&(ing remind me .. never again

pakalasa

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

..... The wire rush cannot be sprayed as only gysophate will kill it ....

Will MCPA not kill it? That explains a lot. Sprayed 2 areas last year. Complete kill in one area and nothing dies in the other. i was thinking i put no mcpa in the tank. This might explain it.

Farmer Pudsey

pakalasa wrote: »

Will MCPA not kill it? That explains a lot. Sprayed 2 areas last year. Complete kill in one area and nothing dies in the other. i was thinking i put no mcpa in the tank. This might explain it.

The only thing that will kill wire rush is roundup and that is with a struggle. This is a thin dark coloured rush , the other rush soft or bull rush bright green in colour can be killed by MCPA. Like you I found out the hard way.