Mulchers are commonly used for controlling Kikuyu grass in Northland, but many Maxam owners have shown their mowers can do the job just as effectively. Maxam mowers cut low, use the Wilter Spreader to break down thatch for quick decomposition, and complete tasks faster, using less diesel. The very nature of the blunt flail on mulchers means they are quite inefficient at grass topping. They are best left to mulching gorse and waste growths - which is what they are designed to do.
Toppers, (or rotary slashers) are inefficient for farm topping as they are primarily designed for mowing parks and school grounds. Models competing with mulchers use heavy blades that bruise grass rather than cutting it cleanly, hindering regrowth.
The key difference between slasher-type toppers and Maxam mowers is blade tip speed. Maxam mowers and disc mowers have a high blade tip speed of around 80 m/sec (288 km/h), while toppers operate at 40–50 m/sec to spread grass, which compromises cutting efficiency. This works in light conditions like parks but causes blockages or clumping in heavy conditions. Maxam mowers overcome this with high-speed blades for clean cutting and the Wilter spreader tynes (25 m/sec) for effective spreading, ensuring no compromise in performance.
