Mulcher/Flail mower with 80hp

PoorFarmer

Anyone running a mulcher on smaller hp tractors here? Have 80 & 100 hp one either block and stuck a mulcher on at the end of my BHs TAMS application.

Looking at 25 acres of rushes etc over the year and a run under the fences maybe twice a year.

Was thinking about something like this: https://www.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-forestry/mowers-mulcher/187/flail-mower-jansen-efgch-240-with-hydr.-sideshift?c=1001541137

Local contractor does about 10 acres a year for me (180hp on a 3m heavy duty flail) but will go nowhere near the fence line as he has no offset and won't come near me when there is silage on.

Am I wasting my time even thinking about it with small hp? Wouldn't be facing into knocking big acres at a time really. If I did an acre every week I'd be happy out.

The Nutty M

There is no problem if you are not in a rush.

I have the same mulcher as that but it's a verge mower / mulcher and using 90hp. When you hit the heavy stuff you know it but it is manageable.

This is the one I have.

https://www.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-forestry/mowers-mulcher/113/verge-mulching-mower-jansen-agf-220?c=1001541137

A bit more versatile than the sideshift but the downside is you are carrying more weight. Mulching is definitely doing a better job that topping.

Thekeencyclist

Was talking to a what i would call a "no nonsense" sort of a lad about Mulchers only last week.

He reckons the Major Cyclone is the way to go. Said the Cyclone (8ft) will do about 3 acres an hour and burn less diesel (as its easier to run) whereas the Flail Mulcher will do about 2 acres an hour but is a lot harder to run so will use more diesel.

Am interested to hear what the thoughts are about that.

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810492#Comment_120810492

Is the major a proper mulcher or a half topper/mulcher?

Think local contractor has a cyclone and it wasn't as good as a local farmers proper mulcher for leaving pure dust. If that's the case then that's the reason for the output and diesel usage.

Thekeencyclist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810505#Comment_120810505

He did mention the cyclone will chop it up into 2 inch lengths effectively and the mulcher will leave it as dust.

Cyclone has 4 discs with 4 blades each. Funnily enough, I logged onto youtube last night and Farmer Phil had one out on demo and done a video on it.

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810593#Comment_120810593

Well it's up to you if you rather 2 inch or dust.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810492#Comment_120810492

Spoke to one of the lads on the Major stand at the ploughing last year about the Cyclone. Was looking at getting a price on the 2m one but he had no price for me, I don't think they sell that many of them by the way he was talking. He said the next one up was around 2.5m IIRC and was getting close to 10k to buy but he reckoned that 80 hp would drive it ticking over, he would say that though in fairness. I would imagine there is around 10% on top of that price again with the way things are going in machinery sales.

I have only seen one of them around here and never saw it working but a good few of the contractor would have mulchers, none with a Cyclone. Would always be plenty of work in this area for cutting rushes too.

The lower HP requirement and diesel usage is very attractive with the Cyclone in fairness but is not exactly a like for like comparison with the chop length. As far as I know the Cyclone uses the vortex created by the lower set of knives to push the brash up into the top set and that's what gives it the shorter chop than a normal topper. Other than that there is not much of a difference between it and a topper but I am open to correction, maybe a heavier construction but same basic set-up.

Wouldn't have thick mats of rushes here on most of the ground so probably would fly through a lot of it as only be hitting the rushes with the mulcher rather than doing the whole field. There are about 10 acres with a heavy cover and my hope is that if I can get them twice a year with my own machine that they will become much more manageable as time goes on.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120790821#Comment_120790821

Was looking at this originally too as it is much more versatile but the smaller tractor only has 1 double and a single acting spool so need 2 double acting ones for that. Might look at upgrading the valve chest though see how I would get on.

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120811740#Comment_120811740

Does the ordinary Major toppers have the same blade set up with the 2 sets of knives on each rotor?

Thekeencyclist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120811740#Comment_120811740

Yeah Price i was given for the 2.5m was 9.5K, Cyclone does have a galvanised frame etc. Id say a 80hp might be under pressure on a 2.5m, I was told 100HP needed.

I have also priced a Technos Mulcher - 7.5K for a 2.5m.

Hard to know what to do, like yourself i would be hoping to tackle the ground twice a year if not three times for some of it just to keep on top of the bits that can get bad quickly.

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812066#Comment_120812066

Looks like a different set-up on the ordinary topper

This is the Cyclone then in the background

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812253#Comment_120812253

Different alright. Is it so that the saucer floats on the ground or what is the purpose of it?

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812098#Comment_120812098

If you have your own one it's very easy hitch on and head off to do a couple of acres, be surprised how quickly you can get it turned out once everything is ready to go. The parts that need it the most are always that bit wetter too so my idea that I can get in when I want with a lightweight set-up rather than at the mercy of a contractor with heavy gear and when he can get to it might stand to the ground a bit more too.

I am assuming with the Tehnos you are up in the contractor type heavy duty models at that price? I'd be guessing 110-120HP requirement then too for that. The lighter weight models is what I'll be limited to but will I manage heavy rushes then?

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812318#Comment_120812318

I'm not sure to be honest. One would have to imagine that the saucer would be suspended above the ground or god help you if you caught a stone or some other obstruction fairly square-on with it.

To me the Cyclone looks like it has the heavier topper flails on top to break things up and a smaller maybe sharper type blade doing the actual cutting further down on the rotor.

Would like to see one in action before I'd commit to it though, see the cut height, chop length and how well it actually deals with different types of rush cover. I might host a demonstration day a couple of times a year and let them all fight it out. 😅

hopeso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812318#Comment_120812318

No, it doesn’t float on the ground the whole time. It’s just to protect the rotor on uneven ground. It will float over a high spot, lifting the rotor out of trouble…

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812449#Comment_120812449

Seems a good solution to one of the problems that other toppers have with scalping the ground in uneven terrain.

ABitofsense

How is the cyclone on normal pastures vs. out to the side Major topper?

I need a new topper and I'm tempted by this as made very cheap with TAMS3 for me. My ground would be very good and level. It looked fairly good on Farmer Phils videos.

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976461#Comment_120976461

A topper is very hard on grass. Regrow this will be very slow. A mower makes a way cleaner cut.

endainoz

I have a cyclone since 2016, bought new for 7.5k best think I ever bought. What I like is the versatility of it. It can work great for clearing heavy rushes, small furze, heavy old grass, but it's equally good at topping at a decent speed. It can take a bit of punishment as well, due to the robustness of it.

Major themselves don't call it a mulcher, it's technically a shredder according to them. It does a great job at rejuvenating pastures as most of my own heavy rough areas are cleared with it. Id say 80hp would run it ok, but it might be under pressure with heavier stuff.