Topper vs disc mower

just do it

Typical small farmer here (that is the size of the farm I'm referring to ) that can only justify having one or the other. I've had a heavy duty major topper for 8 years and it has great service done. The land isn't as rough as it was 8 years ago thanks to it and paddock grazing, spraying etc. However alot of it is still too rough for harvesting silage. So the question really is what level of hardship can a disc mower handle? Case 885 4wd tractor by the way.

djmc

I cut a lot of rough ground with a disc mower in the past rushes etc.
They can handle pretty much anything bar stones or branches of furze lumps of earth
Any of those will wreck a disc mower and you will waste time at repairs and changing blades
If its level with no big stones work on otherwise stick with what you have.
Personality I think a 7 foot disc mower could put up with more than a 9 or 10 foot as you can keep it of the ground a bit in rougher areas with less bouncing around than a wider mower

mf240

Have a topper the same as yours.

And a malone 8ft disc mower.

Im going to sell the topper as i never use it anymore.

The disc mower will work a lot better in rough boggy ground than a topper. With the topper it goes down it the ruts or hollows and the blades scalp the ground. The mower floats out over them. Way nicer cut too and the grass comes back nicer. Better able to cope with rushes too (but you probably dont have any of them!!!)

Disc mower all the way.

Dozer1

How do you rate the malone mower mf240?
I see this lad in Cork selling them with payments split out over 3 payments,
not the cheapest way but still an option.

http://www.donedeal.ie/mowers-for-sale/malone-mowers-for-sale/9424059?offset=7

twin_beacon

I prefer to us the topper in heavy ground, especially if there are lots of rushes, nettles or thistles. I find it chops them up, where as a disk/drum mowers are designed to leave the whole crop behind.

mf240

Dozer1 wrote: »

How do you rate the malone mower mf240?
I see this lad in Cork selling them with payments split out over 3 payments,
not the cheapest way but still an option.

http://www.donedeal.ie/mowers-for-sale/malone-mowers-for-sale/9424059?offset=7

Finest so far. Have it three years. Was a good bit cheaper than the other makes at the time.

MFdaveIreland

Mower. Toppers are useless and regrowth is terrible

rangler1

I've a fort disc mower here, kinda the zetor of mowers, but it has done hundreds of acres topping and apart from the hood continuously breaking (driving too fast) it just keeps going, thinking of changing to Malone now, it looks a good job

anfieldrd

Looked at the claas disc mower 8 ft, 1700 deposit with 2 payments of just over 700 per year over the next five years! How does that seem?

I said

I've a semi offset handy to see what your driving over.A mix of terrain here it's suits all needs.

fanadman1

disk mower here and would never think of a toper not always in pool table like fields either if its rough slow down a we bit and if its good and level then you can cover alot of ground in a short time. cut far cleaner and regrowth seems better and faster only giveing my own 2cents

just do it

djmc wrote: »

I cut a lot of rough ground with a disc mower in the past rushes etc.
They can handle pretty much anything bar stones or branches of furze lumps of earth
Any of those will wreck a disc mower

I suppose this is what I mean by rough land! Thankfully the % like this is decreasing all the time.

just do it

mf240 wrote: »

Have a topper the same as yours.

And a malone 8ft disc mower.

Im going to sell the topper as i never use it anymore.

The disc mower will work a lot better in rough boggy ground than a topper. With the topper it goes down it the ruts or hollows and the blades scalp the ground. The mower floats out over them. Way nicer cut too and the grass comes back nicer. Better able to cope with rushes too (but you probably dont have any of them!!!)

Disc mower all the way.

It's funny that's the mower I'd in mind. I'm coming around to the idea of keeping the topper and getting a good service done on it and I hope it can be retired in 1-2 more years!

just do it

Dozer1 wrote: »

How do you rate the malone mower mf240?
I see this lad in Cork selling them with payments split out over 3 payments,
not the cheapest way but still an option.

http://www.donedeal.ie/mowers-for-sale/malone-mowers-for-sale/9424059?offset=7

Do malone do a finance deal directly?

just do it

anfieldrd wrote: »

Looked at the claas disc mower 8 ft, 1700 deposit with 2 payments of just over 700 per year over the next five years! How does that seem?

1700 + >7,000 = ~€9k over 5 years. Price it straight and you'll be able to work out the interest.

agriman27

just do it wrote: »

1700 + >7,000 = ~€9k over 5 years. Price it straight and you'll be able to work out the interest.

You could almost buy two malones for that money! some of those finance dealsare very dear, wonder would there be much tax relief on them type of loans

just do it

agriman27 wrote: »

You could almost buy two malones for that money! some of those finance dealsare very dear, wonder would there be much tax relief on them type of loans

A straight bank loan is better in that regard as you can claim the interest as an expense.

You're right, the majority of those financial deals are really expensive. You've to get the straight deal price and do the sums in order to see if it's a good deal.

Mad4simmental

just do it wrote: »

Do malone do a finance deal directly?

I think they were doing a 0% deal but not sure of they are still doing it.

Jimlh86

just had a Malone 6' semi offset delivered this evening. Looks a solid machine anyone have one? The last topper we had was a fingerbar.

just do it

Mad4simmental wrote: »

I think they were doing a 0% deal but not sure of they are still doing it.

Not on their website anyway. I fear it was when the mowers were new just to get them established.

CloughCasey1

MFdaveIreland wrote: »

Mower. Toppers are useless and regrowth is terrible

I agree. Sure we top to try and get a better re-growth we wouldn't bother for any other reason. Mower cuts the grass clean where a topper tears it. Cleaner cut better growth.

limo_100

Jimlh86 wrote: »

just had a Malone 6' semi offset delivered this evening. Looks a solid machine anyone have one? The last topper we had was a fingerbar.

have a semi offset abbey good machine for taking abuse and lots of it. not so good for cutting the long stemey grass leaves it all standing

Milked out

Don't have a disc mower but have a 9 ft semi offset perfect topper. Don't top so much mainly a few paddocks too rough for contractors mower.

Jimlh86

limo_100 wrote: »

have a semi offset abbey good machine for taking abuse and lots of it. not so good for cutting the long stemey grass leaves it all standing

Yeah that's what I'm after we have rented heavy land and it's crying out for a good run with a topper..

limo_100

Jimlh86 wrote: »

Yeah that's what I'm after we have rented heavy land and it's crying out for a good run with a topper..

thats the one for your job so i leveled bushes and sticks under ours

Dunedin

mf240 wrote: »

Have a topper the same as yours.

And a malone 8ft disc mower.

Im going to sell the topper as i never use it anymore.

The disc mower will work a lot better in rough boggy ground than a topper. With the topper it goes down it the ruts or hollows and the blades scalp the ground. The mower floats out over them. Way nicer cut too and the grass comes back nicer. Better able to cope with rushes too (but you probably dont have any of them!!!)

Disc mower all the way.

same as that here. bought a new 8ft Malone 2 years ago - 5.5k at the time. it does both topping and mowing here and very happy with it.

the only (minor) issue is that the cover doesn't fold back but it's a farmers machine in that its affordable and the 8ft covers ground quickly.

smokey-fitz

Dunedin wrote: »

same as that here. bought a new 8ft Malone 2 years ago - 5.5k at the time. it does both topping and mowing here and very happy with it.

the only (minor) issue is that the cover doesn't fold back but it's a farmers machine in that its affordable and the 8ft covers ground quickly.

I have a malone too, if you take off the protection rail and leave it off it makes life alot easier. The cover is only left with the straps then and takes 2 seconds to lift it back to access the bed.

on the river

Disc mower without doubt.

just do it

I'm coming to the conclusion that the disc mower is the best option and for land that is too rough for a disc mower get a contractor in with a flail mower/ mulcher. One good clean out, pick worst of stones and from there on a mower should manage fine.

ABlur

Using the disc mower as a topper not such a good idea! Had to get the topper to finish the job.

ABlur

Using the disc mower as a topper not such a good idea! Had to get the topper to finish the job.

fanadman1

ABlur wrote: »

Using the disc mower as a topper not such a good idea! Had to get the topper to finish the job.

What broke if youndont mind me asking

ABlur

fanadman1 wrote: »

What broke if youndont mind me asking

I used it to collect some high tensile fence wire Id forgotten to remove in the winter! Going to be some job to remove it.

fanadman1

Been there done that unfortunatly cut cut cut it all i can tell you you will have done no serous damage id say

Zr105

ABlur wrote: »

Using the disc mower as a topper not such a good idea! Had to get the topper to finish the job.

Whip the top hat off, it's only 5 bolts holding it on and you'll be done in a few minutes with probably little damage done. Much better than trying to unwind and poke it out

smokey-fitz

ABlur wrote: »

I used it to collect some high tensile fence wire Id forgotten to remove in the winter! Going to be some job to remove it.

Had an encounter with a wrought iron gate hiding in a paddock with my brand new disc mower last year on its 1st run. The mower made s*** of the gate, bent up and around the bed and after all the untangling I had to do, the mower hadn't a scratch. Mind you I never want to repeat that experience..

ABlur

Zr105 wrote: »

Whip the top hat off, it's only 5 bolts holding it on and you'll be done in a few minutes with probably little damage done. Much better than trying to unwind and poke it out

Thats good to know I was at nothing trying to unwind it twas stuck solid.

ABlur

Zr105 wrote: »

Whip the top hat off, it's only 5 bolts holding it on and you'll be done in a few minutes with probably little damage done. Much better than trying to unwind and poke it out

Have the central nut off, do I need some bearing type puller to remove the next layer with the three notches?

yellow50HX

ABlur wrote: »

Have the central nut off, do I need some bearing type puller to remove the next layer with the three notches?

What model do you have? Google the manual and you might find how to do it.

Picking up wire is a curse. That said I made ****e of the old topper when I caught wire in it. Wire managed to find it way up un dear the drive belt and wrapped around the drive pulley.

ABlur

yellow50HX wrote: »

What model do you have? Google the manual and you might find how to do it.

Picking up wire is a curse. That said I made ****e of the old topper when I caught wire in it. Wire managed to find it way up un dear the drive belt and wrapped around the drive pulley.

Taarup 204, I downloaded the manual but the design seems to be different on my model. Bating it with a hammer and chisel doesnt seem to be a good idea!!

Zr105

ABlur wrote: »

Have the central nut off, do I need some bearing type puller to remove the next layer with the three notches?

I'm not 100%, on our potty that plate is only held down by the center bolt, when you take it out its loose, then underneath there's 4 bolts. It shouldn't need any special tool though, or atleast I don't think so as the top hat should be replaceable