Posted: Wed Jan 21, 15 7:46 pm Post subject: Mower for quad bike
We have quite a lot of reeds in our fields and have found that the spread can be contained by topping them off and also dumping mulch on them (aka feeding sheep hay and them dropping it all over the reeds).
We've bought scythes and find them good - but have not been doing nearly enough due to lack of time etc.
(We don't want to eradicate the reeds as they are a wild life shelter and also a windbreak for the sheep. We just want to control how many.)
Anyway, wondering about a mower to go behind the quad bike. One with a variable height, or can be quite a few inches above the ground. (Is topping off mower the right term?). Have heard of machinery with its own motor for towing behind a quad bike.
So was wondering if anyone has any experience of these? (Assuming they exist)
Any good?
Cost?
Hire?
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 15 3:38 pm Post subject:
I have no personal experience but exactly what you want is available with its own motor to drive it, and your quad tows it. I have seen them at agricultural shows I will ask the question at work, as we have lads on hill farms working here who I hope will know the names of the machines. Failing that if no one knows I will be going to the Spring fair and Garden festival at the Welsh showground in May.
Reeds may be significant as wild life shelters, but they also harbour the snail, Limnia trunculata, (I think thats how you spell it), which is part of the liver fluke life cycle; liver fluke being a serious problem in sheep. 'Topping' is the right term.
Well, luckily we don't seem to have fluke in our sheep. The ones we've eaten have had fluke free livers. Thanks for the info though. (We have done the double whammy wormer and fluke treatment in years when the vet/farm supplier has said "lots of fluke about")
Other than that, yup, hill farm sounds about right. Hope one of the guys you know can comment.
wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 15 10:39 pm Post subject:
I am debating whether to buy a quad and mower (and trailer) or whether to buy a garden tractor thingy with a mower that will tow a small trailer and perhaps a harrow. There's plenty out there, but starting from scratch having never used one means I don't really know what the right questions are. I'm leaning towards the mower at the moment, but I'm concerned it might limit my options more later.
Can you hire one for a day and try it out at your place?
There is also the question of what sort of quad bike. We asked questions on here and finished up going for the meaty end of quadbikes, with four wheel drive, diff lock, the lot. It has once made a difference by towing an overloaded landrover (not ours, don't ask) up a slope out of one of our fields.
We are on a slope, it gets wet, the soil is fine, peaty and very slippy - can make wheels spin even when on concrete if said wheels are coated with the lubricating stuff.
There are all sorts of little sporty quadbikes that whizz around for fun.
Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 34535 Location: Hereford
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 15 8:58 am Post subject:
When you say garden tractor with mower, do you mean a ride on? Or a towable mower? I'd go against the former, massively.
Greg further question for your hill guys if possible - how well the mower performs on reeds.
We've used a reasonably meaty Stihl petrol powered brush cutter on them (sort of mid range really) and that tends to get clogged. The scythe, slicing in from the side, works better.
So mowers that don't get clogged and tangled by reeds.....
I am debating whether to buy a quad and mower (and trailer) or whether to buy a garden tractor thingy with a mower that will tow a small trailer and perhaps a harrow. There's plenty out there, but starting from scratch having never used one means I don't really know what the right questions are. I'm leaning towards the mower at the moment, but I'm concerned it might limit my options more later.
a) I have a long hate-relationship with strimmer reels - I can never get the blasters to put out the thread when "just" banging them on the ground and when I take them off to disentangle they never go back in place cleanly. Spend more time faffing with them than using them. OK, maybe it was a cheap strimmer but .......
b) We are talking reeds in a rough, tussocky, hilly 18 acres. I am not pulling something on little wheels across the fields. OK, yes, I could put it on the trailer (when we've bought it) behind the quad bike, but I'd rather have something to hitch directly to the quad.
Agri-Fab 4ft trailed rough cut mower. 14.5hp electric start Briggs engine, adjustable height and offset, can be used behind compact tractor, quad, ride on mower or 4x4. Comes serviced and with new battery and starter solenoid. �275+vat Between Crymych and Newcastle Emlyn
This maybe? On our local smallholder facebook site.
wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 15051 Location: East Midlands
I am debating whether to buy a quad and mower (and trailer) or whether to buy a garden tractor thingy with a mower that will tow a small trailer and perhaps a harrow. There's plenty out there, but starting from scratch having never used one means I don't really know what the right questions are. I'm leaning towards the mower at the moment, but I'm concerned it might limit my options more later.
That was the sort of thing I was thinking of. A front deck, you reckon? I'll bear that in mind. The land is all flat, and not horrendous, but it's definitely a field and not a lawn. I shouldn't need much access in the winter, so 4x4 isn't really necessary. I just want a small machine to get down between the rows of potential trees to mow and a trailer to cart prunings, logs and mulch and stuff about. The rows will be close together, so I won't be able to get a vehicle down there. I may need to harrow occasionally. I have a petrol strimmer already and I'm planning to leave enough space around the perimeter to get a tractor in to do the hedges. Quads look a bit fancy for me!
Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 34535 Location: Hereford
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 15 9:02 pm Post subject:
A ride on will not work. The ground needs to be level to cut, it will drag and scuff, and your grass, if a field will be tougher to cut. Trust me, I've already made that mistake. And you'll die of boredom on it. They go at walking pace.
sean Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 42219 Location: North Devon
Hope one of the guys you know can comment.
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