FINE FINISHING FLAILS

Countryside Stewardship schemes are an important aspect of Woodhall Estate’s operation.

Of the 2,000 acres of arable cropping farmed by manager Rob Fox and his team, a further 1,500 acres are in grass and wild flower options, all of which require annual maintenance.

“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, Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire, 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 2.5m FHP Plus 250 rear-mounted unit and a front-mounted 2.8m FRD 280 model,” he says. “These units smash up debris that is evenly distributed into 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