A new linkage-mounted reach mower added to the Razorback range features a combination of chains and ratchet turnbuckles to keep the machine stable on the back of a tractor.

The 57 Series – representing 5.7m of reach – comes with a 1.2m or 1.5m flail head with an adjustable front hood and a rear roller.

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Flails are carried on a soft-start rotor powered by a 68hp gear pump drive system, with the 200-litres of oil in the tank passing through a cooler in the circuit.

Parallel linkage on the first arm aims to keep the head level as reach adjustments are made and power slew brings it behind the tractor for awkward corners.

Cable controls are standard – electronic proportional operation is an option – and Razorback’s Active Contour Intelligence (ACI) is available to provide hands-free height adjustment when mowing road verges.

This system comprises a spring suspended rear flail head roller with sensors detecting contour changes to trigger the hydraulics to raise or lower the head accordingly, with the operator able to fine tune the response and sensitivity.

A combination of chains and links aims to keep the machine stable © Razorback

Tractor mounting

The 57 Series’ mounting arrangement comprises the tractor’s regular three-point linkage arms and top link, two support chains attached to a pair of bottom mounts on the machine, and a combination of chains and ratchet-adjusted links running from a pick-up hitch frame to upper mounts on the implement.

Based on the principle of tensegrity – balancing compression and tension to create a stable structure – this arrangement is said to counteract the twisting effect of mounting a side-arm machine on the tractor linkage, while retaining the ability to quickly dismount the mower and use it on different tractors.

On-farm prices start at £23,500.