“We had been using an old 2.8m front/rear combination, but took the opportunity to go a bit wider,” explains Gareth Roberts of Plas Heaton Farm, Denbigh. “Our aim was to cut 100 acres/day.”
The family farm opted for a 3332FT for the front, and a 3332MT for the rear, with both units combining to give a 6.2m cut. Having used the combination for two seasons, Aeron Roberts, who operates the mowers, said the quality of cut and ease of set-up have been beneficial, and the farm can now comfortably hit its 100 acres/day target.
“A contractor provides the forager, rake, trailers and clamp, while we mow and ted to get our grass to the dry matter content we prefer,” explains Aeron, pictured. “It’s a good system – our contractor chops 100 acres/day, and we can now match that to make the most of weather conditions and achieve a satisfactory wilt.”
“I really like the Quattro Link suspension on the rear mower,” says Aeron. “It lets the rear mower float, which makes it very easy to pull at forward speeds of around 12kph using my John Deere 6155R.”
The Roberts’ cut around 300 acres each season, often in two cuts, with a heavy first cut being split between clamp and bales. While bales are used for dry cows and beef cattle, clamp silage is exclusively for the farm’s 125-cow herd.
“We want as much milk as possible from grass, but when the grass quality is no longer there, our silage has to be top notch,” he says. “And that starts with making a clean, tidy cut.”
