Mulcher
A mulcher , also known as a mower , a mulching device or, depending on the design, a flail mower or a sickle mulcher (= rotary mulcher ), is a machine for mowing and, at the same time, shredding the crop. Mulchers are mainly used for fallow land or landscape maintenance. A distinction is made between handheld devices, ride-on mulchers and mulchers mounted on the hydraulic boom. The horticulture because of the mulch used shredders good designated also as a mulcher shredder are no mowing machines and therefore not comparable to those described in this machine.
Areas of application
In the municipal sector mulcher is used primarily for mowing and maintenance of the green strip along the streets or infertile land . In agriculture they serve u. a. for the care of fallow land and for breaking up green manure plants before incorporating them into the soil. In forestry, they are used to keep transition areas clear or to make usable areas that were previously planted with trees. In fruit and wine growing , mulchers are used to keep the alleys clear between the fruit trees, berry bushes or grapevines and to shred the timber from the pruning or fruit tree .
Execution types
Mulchers are usually driven by the PTO shaft or the hydraulic connections of a tractor or Unimog . Unless they are designed as a trailer device, they are attached to the driving vehicle either directly or on a hydraulically controllable arm, similar to that of an excavator. But there are also small self-propelled vehicles available in hand-held versions or as a ride-on machine.
The special design results in a clean cut even with tall, matted grass , at the same time the cut material is severely shredded and evenly distributed. At the same time, shredding and distribution promote the rapid rotting of the clippings, which therefore do not need to be cleared but can remain on the mown area.
There are two basic types of mulching mowers: rotary or sickle mulchers and flail mulchers.
With the sickle mulcher, the mowing and shredding process is carried out by rapidly rotating horizontal blades. For easier mowing around trees or fence posts, sickle mulchers are also available with a hydraulically controlled working width change by swiveling part of the mower (so-called stick clearer ).
With the flail mower, the working element is a shaft rotating rapidly in the opposite direction to the direction of travel (speed approx. 2300 / min) with numerous robustly designed knives, the so-called flails, attached to the shaft in a spiral shape. The power requirement of a flail mower is 12 to 18 kW per meter of working width, compared to other mowers. The advantage of the flail mower, however, is that, due to the robust design of the flail, branches and small pieces of wood can be processed and stones do not cause any damage to the machine.
swell
- Horst Eichhorn: Agricultural engineering . 7th edition, Ulmer, Stuttgart 1952/1999, ISBN 3-8001-1086-5 , p. 426 f.
- Werner Kuhn: Narrow track tractors . Posdzun, Brilon 2001, especially pp. 135 and 153 ff.
- Ulrich Sachweh (editor): The gardener, volume 3, tree nursery, fruit growing, seed growing, vegetable growing . 2nd edition, Ulmer, Stuttgart 1986/1989, ISBN 3-8001-1148-9