Tractor / Topper speed - Stupid question

[phib]

So this being Pistonheads it has to be about speed !!

This is no doubt a stupid question however ....

We have a massey 135 which runs a 6ft topper and gives a good finish to the paddocks ( 14 acres) however it takes ages !!! Usually have it in low 3 or occasionally high 1. Otherwise it boggs down.

So the question is if I buy a bigger tractor will it cut the paddocks faster ? I.e. can I run at more ground speed ?

Phib

[Murph7355]

I only have experience of my ride on, but not necessarily.

The kit doing the cutting will also be a potential bottleneck, so a bigger "engine" may just shift the bottleneck.

We have similar issues with our grass if left too long. The other half leaves the deck on a low setting and the wonders what the smoke is coming out from under the tractor (the belt melting usually! ). The trick is to do it more often over summer.

[C Lee Farquar]

You would benefit from a few more horses and a wider topper, 9' would speed you up. I use 100hp tractor on one and it doesn't labour.

[AC123]

Yes, more power will stop it bogging.

Your next problem will be whether the topper can handle the extra power

[RedLeicester]

Sounds like you're cutting it too low or not often enough (or both). That's a tiny topper for a large acreage, so you're never going to get it done quickly to be fair. As has already been said, more power will always help, but only if the topper can cope with it otherwise you'll destroy the gearbox.

One thought, ignoring the forward speed, are you keeping the revs up at the right level to run the PTO efficiently? Usually around 2000rpm or so if not a little more. When working with the flail I tend to find that it's that which defines my forward speed - IE if it's bogging down, I'm going too fast.