Thousands of farms in New Zealand have improved their pasture quality through the use of a Maxam mower. There are two key reasons for this; the grass is cut cleanly at the optimum stubble length for quick regrowth, and the toppings are spread right across the field so they decompose quickly.
Slasher type toppers cannot mow close enough to the ground without scalping so they cannot mow at the correct height. Also the blades are generally thicker and moving slower so the grass gets bruised – hindering regrowth.
The toppings often ball up in clumps so they break down much slower – in some cases harbouring eczema spores. Owners often commented their Maxam topping mower made an amazing difference to the grass quality across their farm.
There are obvious advantages in owning one mower that can handle all the farm mowing and topping tasks, rather than owning a mower, a topper and perhaps a tedder.
The Maxam mower has proven to be the ultimate farm mower - often selected by owners over disc mowers for their all round ability.
Mulchers, Toppers, or a MAXAM Mower?
Mulchers are often used to control Kikuyu grass in Northland, and some farmers think this is the only machine that is suitable. Many Maxam owners however have proven that their Maxam mower is more than capable of mowing low enough and using the Wilters to break open the thatch so it decomposes quickly. Not only was the job comparable - they completed it faster and with much less diesel used. The very nature of the blunt flail on a 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 - which are often known as rotary slashers, are also quite inefficient at farm topping. Mostly they have be designed to mow parks and school grounds which they are good at. The models that are made to compete with mulchers also have heavy thick blades that do not cut the grass cleanly - often bruising it which hinders regrowth.
The fundamental difference between a slasher type topper and a Maxam mower is the blade tip speed. Disc mowers for example have a blade tip speed of around 80m/sec (288 km/h). Maxam mower are about the same as this. Toppers have a blade tip speed of 40 - 50 m/sec. The reason for this is the designers need the blade to spread the grass out as well as cut it. This is an unfortunate compromise that doesn't matter in the light cutting conditions of a park, but when heavy toppings conditions are encountered, the topper either blocks up. or leaves the grass in big clumps which don’t break down. The Maxam mower uses the Wilter spreader tynes (which have a tip speed of about 25m/sec) to spread the grass. This tip speed is about the same as a tedder rake. So the combination of the fast blade and slow tyne means there is no compromise of either cutting or spreading. Maxam mowers cover the field!
