6 Common Slasher Questions - Answered!
Feb 02, 2024 Posted by Stewart Knight
In this blog, we will cover 6 of the common questions we often get asked about Slashers!
- Should my Slasher cover the tractor's wheel tracks?
- What does Offset mean?
- Are the skids on a slasher important and why?
- Will I need weights on the front of my tractor to counterbalance the slasher?
- When is the best time to slash my grass?
- How can I get rid of sags?
Should my Slasher cover the tractor's wheel tracks?
It is ideal for your slasher to be wide enough to cover both wheel marks when slashing. However, if your tractor doesn’t have enough drive to handle a slasher that wide you can opt for a narrower slasher with an offsetable headstock. This means the slasher can be offset behind the tractor to cover 1 wheel. The reason behind this is when you drive over the grass the wheels flatten the grass. This gives a less clean cut and so you want to minimise this as much as possible. It is good practice to have one wheel out of the slashed grass.
What does Offset mean?
Offset simply means that the headstock or 3-point linkage hitch point frame can be moved to one side to allow the machine to protrude past the width of the tractor. This allows the operator to get close to things like trees and fence lines without having to put the tractor too close and risk damaging it. Keep in mind the further the headstock is offset the greater the angle on the joints in the drive shaft, and when a slasher is offset the weight is no longer balanced behind the tractor so greater care needs to be taken when operating on slopes.
Are the skids on a slasher important and why?
The width of slasher skids is something to be looked at when purchasing a slasher, this is the diffrence between working width and overall width. When slashing grass one side skid will be running on previously mown grass, so should that skid drag on the cut grass not slide over it cleanly it will create a clumps of mown grass which can block the slasher. For this reason the narrower the side skid plate the better. A typical slasher should be around 50mm wide with heavy duty around 75mm.
Slasher skid thickness is also very important as this is what takes the punishment on a slasher. Everything gets thrown at the sides. A well-built slasher with have a 5 to 6 mm plate on the sides. The thickness of these plates and the gussets on them is what determines the longevity of the slasher.
Will I need weights on the front of my tractor to counterbalance the slasher?
This depends entirely on the make and model of the tractor. Your owner's manual or local dealer should be able to give you the rear carrying capacity of the tractor and your machinery dealer will be able to give you the weight of the slasher and tell you whether your tractor will handle it. Most slashers up to 5 to 6 feet will be fine without any counterweight if fitted to the appropriate size tractor.
When is the best time to slash my grass?
Slashing grass can be done anytime that it's getting too long and looking untidy. Old tall grass is best slashed down to encourage new fresh growth and allow light into the base of the plant. New fresh grass is more palatable to livestock and the old grass mulched down rots and provides nutrients back into the soil.
It's a great idea to get it done before summer as a bushfire reduction method. However, care needs to be taken when slashing dry grass on hot days as a spark from a blade contacting a stone can start a fire.
How can I get rid of sags?
The best way to get rid of sags or rushers in your pasture is to slash them down and while they are freshly mown and the fresh cut ends exposed. To then run over them with a wick wiper to poison them while they have a fresh sappy end exposed.
Do you have other pressing slasher questions? Check out our learning centre for more slasher information or submit your question to our team by clicking here or calling 1800 335 623.
