Hugh Hegarty operates a number of hedge cutters in the greater Cork city area and recently added a Major Cyclone flail mower to his fleet.

The addition of a Major MJ30-250 Cyclone mower was to replace a W-Perfect flail mower that Hugh traded in. The specifications of this machine are as follows:

  • Overall width 2.65m (8ft 9in)
  • Cutting width 2.5m (8ft 1in)
  • Four rotors with four blades per rotor.
  • Tractor hp requirement 50-120hp.
  • Cutting height 20-250mm.
  • Weight 785kg.
  • When asked what he thought of the 2.65 metre four-rotor machine, Hugh said:

    “It’s very easy to drive and does a good job on overgrown material. So far the tractor is light on diesel which is always welcome and it runs very quietly. On material about 25mm thick it handles it no problem and really mulches it well.”

    At the time of our visit, Hugh only had his machine a few weeks but was impressed.

    He did say he was very happy with his previous W-Perfect mower but decided to try the Major this time based on the feedback from other operators.

    On the day I met Hugh, the machine was making a very tidy job of old dead reeds and grass not cut in over a year on the banks of a lake.

    Some of the material was approximately 3ft to 4ft (91-120cm) in height and was no problem to the mower.

    the machine was new and the blades were sharp

    On more regularly cut grass, the mower did an excellent job of cutting away the dead material left over the winter and spread it evenly behind the machine despite the recent rain and ample moisture underneath.

    New machine

    Hugh did say however the machine was new and the blades were sharp, which would make chopping the material that bit easier. Added to this, the Massey Ferguson 6480 operating the machine has a rated PTO output of 120hp, which was more than able for the task.

    He also said on some of the thicker grass and vegetation that had become lodged and matted he had to give it a second run to get a tidier finish which was particularly noticeable.

    At the rear of the machine is a full-width steel roller that serves two purposes.

    It controls the working height and levels any material that is left standing up after the flails.

    Above this roller is a rubber flap that deflects any mulched material downward across the full width of the machine.

    Considering the tough conditions this machine is expected to work in, it has to be made of tough stuff.

    Strenx ™ MC high-strength steel is used in the manufacturing of the machines and the discs under the flails are made from Hadox R 450, a wear- and abrasion-resistant steel.

    The combination of these materials make the machine more suitable to handle rougher conditions which is the market Major is targeting.

    A point worth noting here is the four blades on each rotor are mounted at two different levels to ensure complete mulching.

    Asked if there is anything he would change about the machine, Hugh said:

    “I will probably run it on the front linkage as this would avoid trampling the grass with the wheels making for a better cut and I could also see exactly where the mower is running.”

    This could be easily done by turning the gearbox around and using the in-situ linkage brackets on the rear of the machine.

    The other advantage of this would be if Hugh wanted he could run this in tandem with one of his hedge cutters or in combination with another side-mounted mower if he pleased.

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