Drum Mower

I don’t know of them but i have a Mesko Rol drum mower here for nearly ten years now and had a Sip before that, both good mowers imo. If you’re only doing 15 acres/year they should last for 10-15 years no problem if you keep away from roots and stones in the ditches.

Less bits to them. Disc mowers are full of gears and bearings.

Doing 15 acres a year then any mower should do it. Could ya even source a second hand one? We've a drum mower since 1985 here that will still work if needed. It was cutting around 500 acres a year in it's hay day.

Bit of grease, replace knives when needed and don't cut stones/trees then most will rot before they wear out

No. But bought bought new ztr 165 in 2005 for €2175.

plus it tops better with skids.

Valid point

Would a Massey 390 have enough for an 8ft mower?

Considering upgrade from 7ft

She will be fine with a non conditioner mower.

Edit DBK answered that!

We ran an 8ft kuhn on a mf135 at one stage.

Struggled to lift it though

Is it a Vicon CM168 ?

The good grass managers on here, might argue that letting cattle out a week earlier, shorter rotations, and saving an extra few acres for bales in the end of may, could curtail a lot of your topping

I actually like the drum mower here, does a great job but does take ages in fairness. I keep it as a back up and use it for small bits, I wouldnt top with it though, have an 8ft offset for that

I saw one years ago with three drums but I don't see them for sale nowadays. If they were around Id be tempted.

If it's a JF 245 that you are thinking of, you'd get paid to take one.

BBelieve they clog up in meadow and are belt driven, belts on top of the drums.

Had one here years ago, 8ft ,drop the heel skid and two skids spaced out, had no problems with flexing .

Were homemade skids about 2 inches

Yes they are. Had one here.

I bought a kuhn gmd 600 g2 what ever them numbers mean. Its an 8ft mower and it cost 3000 which I thought was good value. it was very well kept mower and with the bad weather last year I mowed a lot of my own meadows whenever the weather allowed. Actually it worked out great as contractor was swamped and all he had to do for me was rake and bale.

There's not a lot to go wrong with a drum mower, once it's holding grease and kept away from rocks and tree stumps.

TThere was a 10ft drum mower made in England years ago, a good bit of kit by all accounts , agrimech grasshopper