Slashers versus Haymakers
Although the Haymaker® and Slasher range may appear similar from the outside, they are in fact completely different in their design. Some of the unique features of the Falcon Haymaker® include a special long-shaft gearbox to provide extra height under the deck and additional width on the left-hand side. This design ensures that the hay is cut just once and then laid in a neat windrow. It also has special cutting gear with a blade beam and two unique blades, designed to cut cleanly, leaving a neat stubble that will re-grow without delay, making it possible to get more cuts in the season. The Haymaker® is the ideal machine for quality haymaking and has been South Africa’s most successful hay cutter for more than thirty years. There are 9 models in the range with cutting widths from 1,2 m through to 3,5 m.
The wide range of Slashers that Falcon offers are designed for clearing rough grass and bush, literally slashing it and reducing it to a shredded mass that can decompose or be otherwise disposed of. The extensive range of 20 implements ensures there is a slasher to suit every tractor size and cutting widths from 0,9 m through to 4,5 m.
The specific design differences of the two ranges are illustrated in the diagram below which compares the F50/150/4 Slasher with the F80/180EV Haymaker®.
Flap: On the slasher a single steel flaps at the rear of the implement provides protection from flying stones and debris. On the Haymaker® there are 2 flaps with guiding fingers allowing a windrow after cutting.
Side panels: The Haymaker® has higher side panels to allow for high clearance and space under the deck for the material to flow freely. It also prevents double chopping. On both implements the side panels can be raised or lowered to adjust the cutting height according to the required finish.
Blades: In general two blades are more efficient for cutting hay because they produce a crop that has been cut only once. In some cases slashers will also have 2 blades where the conditions are rough and there is heavy growth. 4 blades are preferred for slashers for a cleaner cut.
Specialised Slashers
The RG slasher is specifically designed for use in orchards and the semi trailed F60/300 slasher is designed for grass-cutting and slashing larger areas. The Falcon F60/450 Flexwing Slasher is currently South Africa’s largest locally- manufactured rotary cutter. Having a cutting width of 4,5 m, it combines high productivity and durability with low maintenance cost.
Specialised Haymakers – V vs. EV and V vs. VH
V vs. EV: There are two versions of the implements with 1,5 m and 1,8 m cutting widths: the V (Veld Cutter) and the EV (Extended Veld Cutter). The deck of the EV is ±300 mm wider on the left-hand side then the V equivalent. This design allows for a larger space for the cuttings to move out of the blade path into a windrow. This configuration further reduces the possibility of double chopping and creates a bigger and wider windrow, which assists the baling process. In the case of lucerne and teff (softer grass), we recommend the EV, which is fitted with specially designed high-lift blades (H1460) that create a vacuum which will lift the material and also direct it into a window. This will result in a cleaner and more effective cut.
V vs. VH: There are also two versions of the Haymaker® with a 2 m cutting width: the V (Veld Cutter) and the VH (Veld Cutter with Blowermower™ blades). The V is fitted with the standard banana Haymaker® blades and the VH is fitted with Blowermower™ blades. The VH is the ideal implement to cut tufted or heavy grasses, like blue buffalo grass, which tends to lie flat when it gets long.
Naming the implements
Finally, let’s look at the Falcon naming convention on our slashing and haymaking implements to further assist choosing the correct implement.
