Flail Mulchers

[FarmerAlex]

G'day just wondering if anyone has experience with flail mulchers and how effective they are in heavy stubble? Do they do a better job than just a standard pasture topper, or do they burn too much fuel for very little benefit?

Cheers
Alex

 

[Plebeian]

Hi,
What type of stubble are you chopping maize/ corn or wheat, how much pto hp do you have available and what width are you expecting to chop in one pass ? What type of ground preparation do you intend for the next crop ?

 

[FarmerAlex]

I have a 100hp FWD MB Trac, i have a 2.3m Falc mulcher on behind it, its a heavy vineyard unit, with hammers rather than the Y type blades. I was hoping to run the mulcher on the front of the tractor with a direct drill unit on the back. Nothing super wide, but killing two birds with one stone so to speak.

 

[Plebeian]

What see are you planting? What is the depth that it requires?
http://www.constructionsales.com.au...__Nne=15&trecs=1&__D=berti&__sid=14111A972079
They use a newer German tractor to run this mulcher on the front.
I would think if there are small stumps still remaining you might over sow the area with a roller drill/ air seeder combo instead damaging direct drill tynes.
http://www.duncanag.co.nz/products/seed-drills/roller-drill (this type has been around for a while)

http://www.allencustomdrills.co.nz/cms/ (these guys put robust drills together)

 

[FarmerAlex]

The pastures i am sowing are ryegrasses, clovers, vetch and other cereals. So round the 5cm mark. A good many properties are burning their cereal stubbles because they cannot get a seed drill to successfully drill in without blocking. The mulcher will be used to reduce the stubble to crushed mulch, and the seeding will be through that layer.

 

[Plebeian]

Are there any cross slot drills in your area? I do not know what your soil dynamics, how heavy your stubble residues etc are. Cross slots book is worth reading.
http://youtu.be/3Cwzc-iN8N0 (Cross slot planting in stubble- usa) You can re-equip an old seeder with cross slot equipment sometimes.
Some people like cross slots, others prefer strip till and other methods. Strip till, direct drill into stubble. http://youtu.be/NlpNg6RiG_0
Using something like a spiked rotor with a mounted air seeder would be a bit slow for a large area.

 

[FarmerAlex]

Intetesting concept there I was thinking of using a standard double disc opener. The soil conditions I work in range from heavy red volcanic soils to sand to very heavy black clay.