“Our preference is for a flail mower rather than a topper,” explains Rob. “The resulting finish is far better – cuttings are mulched, and in combination with a front-mounted unit, wheelings are invisible.” Based at Woodhall Park and operating from Great Gobions Farm, United Kingdom, he says the farm’s flail mowing requirements are now met with a pair of Kverneland machines supplied by Tuckwells and wrapped around a John Deere 6155R. He adds that all hydraulic controls and side-shift functions are set-up on the tractor’s Command Pro joystick, simplifying use and making full use of hydraulic float for both mowers, which provide a working width of almost 5.3m.
“We’ve recently swapped our older rear flail for a Kverneland FHP Plus 250 rear-mounted chopper and a front-mounted Kverneland FRD 280 chopper,” he says. “These units smash up debris and evenly distribute this across the surface, rather than leaving clumps of matted cuttings. A fine finish also encourages faster regrowth with our wild flower margins.” He says that one advantage of the rear mower with its offset is the ability to tilt the head vertically to trim the base of hedgerows where necessary, and also tilt below horizontal for tidying ditch banks. “It’s a versatile and flexible solution, rather than a one-trick pony,” adds Rob. “These are both well-built machines, and should be good for five to eight years with our current workload.”
“When the flail knives do need replacing, we’ll be looking for replacement items that offer an even finer cut,” he says.
