What topper to buy

severeoversteer

hi
have a 9 foot major trailed and its seen better days
I always found it very awkward to use and a complete pita in small fields

my ground is mainly half good, and the other half needs work to get it up to speed but the cost of doing this would be hundreds of thousands and all I intend to do with it is keep it topped and use it for grazing sucklers

Question:
what topper should I get?
field size range from 1.5 acres upto 24 acres

I was looking at a mc Connell rhino 9foot topper and wondering if anyone had it ?
also major have 9 foot mounted toppers

I am reluctant to get another trailed topper and I need something robust with nothing or very little to go wrong with it !

Timmaay

Why don't you want another trailed Topper? Have had 2 major offset trailed 8ft toppers here, both bought 2nd hand, both lasted 8yrs or so, and get dogs abuse every year in rough fields etc, I'll probably go replace the one I have now with another major again.

visatorro

Timmaay wrote: »

Why don't you want another trailed Topper? Have had 2 major offset trailed 8ft toppers here, both bought 2nd hand, both lasted 8yrs or so, and get dogs abuse every year in rough fields etc, I'll probably go replace the one I have now with another major again.

Have you a mower Tim?

Timmaay

visatorro wrote: »

Have you a mower Tim?

Nope, tempted to buy one also, but will definitely keep the Topper as well.

Cattlepen

I had major toppers over the years and I found them about the best. Abbey we’re dung. They bashed the grass instead of cutting it. Nothing will beat a mower for topping though imo. Clean cut, better regrowth

White Clover

severeoversteer wrote: »

hi
have a 9 foot major trailed and its seen better days
I always found it very awkward to use and a complete pita in small fields

my ground is mainly half good, and the other half needs work to get it up to speed but the cost of doing this would be hundreds of thousands and all I intend to do with it is keep it topped and use it for grazing sucklers

Question:
what topper should I get?
field size range from 1.5 acres upto 24 acres

I was looking at a mc Connell rhino 9foot topper and wondering if anyone had it ?
also major have 9 foot mounted toppers

I am reluctant to get another trailed topper and I need something robust with nothing or very little to go wrong with it !

Welcome back! I have an 8 foot mounted Conor topper that I bought second hand. It's a grand topper but a balls in rough ground. When i lift it; it's inclined to not clear the ground on the outside, particularly annoying when trying to go over a stone.

severeoversteer

White Clover wrote: »

Welcome back! I have an 8 foot mounted Conor topper that I bought second hand. It's a grand topper but a balls in rough ground. When i lift it; it's inclined to not clear the ground on the outside, particularly annoying when trying to go over a stone.

so your saying its an offset topper and it wont lift because of the sag ?
that would be annoying alright

I was eying up the mc connel topper 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kcUVsK9-bM

seams like its made of good metal

severeoversteer

Timmaay wrote: »

Why don't you want another trailed Topper? Have had 2 major offset trailed 8ft toppers here, both bought 2nd hand, both lasted 8yrs or so, and get dogs abuse every year in rough fields etc, I'll probably go replace the one I have now with another major again.

the one I have is the 9 foot major trailed and find it very cumbersome, grand for the big fields but a nightmare on smaller fields less than 5 acres as I seem to spend most of the time turning on headlands and in irregular shaped fields.

also seems to love rusting away

which is why I think they have started selling them galvanised!

Bullocks

I'm with cattlepen on using a mower for topping , cheap secondhand one will do , no bursting shear bolts in rushes and you can trip along pretty fast with it

severeoversteer

Bullocks wrote: »

I'm with cattlepen on using a mower for topping , cheap secondhand one will do , no bursting shear bolts in rushes and you can trip along pretty fast with it

so should I change heading to whats the best mower to buy for topping?:rolleyes:

would a mower leave thufts of grass or rushes after it? as a topper seems to flither the rushes

Bullocks

severeoversteer wrote: »

so should I change heading to whats the best mower to buy for topping?:rolleyes:

Do , and then I'll try and convince you to buy a marrangon mower :P

Bullocks

severeoversteer wrote: »

so should I change heading to whats the best mower to buy for topping?:rolleyes:

would a mower leave thufts of grass or rushes after it? as a topper seems to flither the rushes

Heavy rushes will leave a bit of a row in fairness but when they are that heavy nothing is really ideal to get rid of the bulk except a mulcher type

Timmaay

Main thing with the Topper, I sharpen the blades at least every 20ac, makes a big difference as to how clean a cut you get.

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

Do , and then I'll try and convince you to buy a marrangon mower :P

Have you got one?

Bullocks

Reggie. wrote: »

Have you got one?

I have one for topping and a lely for mowing the silage .

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

I have one for topping and a lely for mowing the silage .

How ya fond the maragon?

Bullocks

Reggie. wrote: »

How ya fond the maragon?

Good despite the bad press it gets . We had it for five or six years mowing silage and for the last few it has got dogs abuse topping rough ground and the only thing I broke was the guard holding on the cover

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

Good despite the bad press it gets . We had it for five or six years mowing silage and for the last few it has got dogs abuse topping rough ground and the only thing I broke was the guard holding on the cover

Yeah they have a bad reputation. Deserved or not I don't know

Cattlepen

severeoversteer wrote: »

so should I change heading to whats the best mower to buy for topping?:rolleyes:

would a mower leave thufts of grass or rushes after it? as a topper seems to flither the rushes

It’s not something i’d Worry to much about. It seems to get eaten anyway

riemann

Have a 9ft major trailed.
Like the day it was bought.
Takes getting used to manouevring in tight spots but with a wide angled shaft it's handy enough.

No idea how you could break shear bolts topping rushes unless serious speed involved.

Sillycave

Timmaay wrote: »

Main thing with the Topper, I sharpen the blades at least every 20ac, makes a big difference as to how clean a cut you get.

What way do u sharpen the blades on the topper? Angle grinder??

riemann

Sillycave wrote: »

What way do u sharpen the blades on the topper? Angle grinder??

I take mine off and sharpen with grinder.

If I had a mini grinder I'd chance them left on.