After seeing Ventrac’s Tough Cut deck in action, many people believe it’s a flail mower as it easily tames tall grass, thick weeds and heavy brush. It is, in fact, a highly efficient rotary deck with a large front opening that directs material to three heavy-duty counter rotating blades that cut and deposit waste evenly without windrowing. To aid efficient operation while in the field, the blades are sharp on both sides so they can be used on the right or left-hand spindles, allowing for extended blade life.
Capable of tackling saplings up to 2.54 mm (1 inch) in diameter, the Tough Cut makes short work out of overgrown thickets. It has three cutting heights: 76 mm, 92 mm and 108 mm. Easy servicing of belts and pulleys is provided by the hinged and removable cover, while the flip-up deck – with optional hydraulic lift – provides easy access for cleaning and changing blades.
Norse Commercial Services (NCS) maintain the embankments of the Broadland Northway, a 19.5 km (12 mile) dual carriageway formerly known as the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR), that connects traffic from the eastern approaches to the northwest of Norfolk’s county town.
Martin Adcock, Operations Manager, was tasked with finding a solution to the maintenance of these embankments.
“My first action was an internet search for slope mowers. Remote controlled mowers featured prominently but productivity was an issue due to their limited width of cut. The Ventrac also featured in the search and with its 1.7 metre Tough Cut deck and maximum speed of around 16 km an hour, it appeared that it could do the job.
“Our dealer arranged a demonstration and it was brilliant; it tackled the embankments with ease and left a very acceptable finish. With a ground pressure of just 6 psi, it’s gentle on the newly established slopes and can be used at 30 degrees, something no other ride-on machine can achieve. It’s versatile and we also use it around the lagoons that take the water run-off from the road.”
While the Ventrac’s Tough Cut deck excels in any groundscare scenario, it is equally at home on golf courses.
Iain Dye is the Courses Manager at The Royal Automobile Club in Woodcote Park, and included a Tough Cut deck when he bought a Ventrac package.
“It really comes into its own when mowing the steep sides of the retention walls on our new reservoir”, he said. “It would take a huge number of team hours to strim this area, so it’s saving a lot of time that can be used productively elsewhere on the courses. The health and safety aspect is also an important factor; nobody likes strimming at the best of times, but on steep slopes it’s a particularly onerous task. The Ventrac can operate on slopes of 30 degrees in complete safety; it seems to go anywhere. We also use it for woodland management as it gets into the margins for clearing brambles and brush.