The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
It can be done: A more efficient mulcher that does everything
A brand new bespoke tractor-mounted device that can prepare rough land for sowing to a new grass ley is proving a hit
Having asked several mulcher manufacturers for a more versatile machine and repeatedly getting the answer “it can’t be done”, Methlickbased agricultural contractor Roger Glennie was pleased to finally get a positive response from a new name in the forestry and land management arena.
“Instead of having to run one machine for surface mulching and another for below ground mulching of roots and stone, I wanted a mulcher that could run the rotor at different speeds and do both,” he explained.
“This is more efficient and reduces soil compaction as there is less activity in the field to get the same end result.
“With the one machine, we can now prepare land for a new ley in a single pass, repair farm tracks and clear spent Christmas tree plantations ready for replanting; it’s just what I wanted.”
The mulcher in question is manufactured by Spanish machinery specialist TMC Cancela, a firm based in the heavily forested north-west of the country with many years’ experience producing this type of equipment.
Its extensive range was introduced in 2017 by UK and Ireland distributor Spaldings, whose forestry machinery sales specialist put Roger Glennie’s requirements to the manufacturer’s design and engineering team.
“TMC Cancela is a very accessible company and invited Mr Glennie to the factory to talk directly to the engineers,” says Mr Evans.
“They developed a prototype, which he put to work before it was returned to the factory and stripped down to see how it had fared. It was then rebuilt to as-new condition with some improvements, and it’s this machine that Roger Glennie now operates.”
In addition to regular agricultural services and land drainage installation, Roger and Jean Glennie’s enterprises at Hillhead of Ardo include growing Christmas trees, land reclamation and farm track renewal.
“Farms need as much productive land as possible, so on the land reclamation side of things we’re increasingly asked to recover ground that’s become overgrown with gorse,” said Jean.
“We’re also preparing rough land and old leys that are no longer as productive as they could be by preparing them for re-seeding to grass or to a catch crop such as kale.”
For those jobs, the new mulcher is capable of leaving a firm, level tilth ready for sowing with all the valuable organic matter incorporated below the surface.
Roger said this process is quicker, more cost-effective and arguably a better approach than spraying off the grass, ploughing and harrowing.
“It’s a one-pass job, so there’s less compaction, all organic matter is retained, and fields can’t be prepared and sown any quicker,” he added.
TMC Cancela’s MPK-225 is different from other mulchers in the manufacturer’s range in having a twospeed gearbox to drive the rotor at a relatively slow speed for mulching and incorporation, and a fast speed for grinding away tree stumps up to 450mm diameter.
Each of the 54 rigid hammers across the 2.25m working width has a single carbide tip that shreds residue against six rows of replaceable counter knives.
A steel finishing roller is mounted on hydraulic cylinders to regulate the working depth.
Hefin Evans of Spaldings says the combination of an intensive-action mulching rotor, consistent working depth, the adjustable hood and rearmounted roller leaves a fine, level and consolidated surface.
“There’s now a good demand for what the machine can do,” added Roger.
“After it was returned from the factory, we put it to work in January last year and it’s been used pretty much non-stop since then, not only on land and plantation recovery but also for farm track renewal.
“It’s a big time and cost-saver on that job because there’s no need to buy in material to fill potholes; the mulcher just grinds away the surface, we put a grade on it and roll the finished track to complete the job.”
With the one machine, we can now prepare land for a new ley in a single pass, repair farm tracks and clear spent Christmas tree plantations