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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:15 pm
by timmy23
hi guys ,i have quite a large area of grass that requires turf cutting, i have been doing some work recently with a friend using a turf cutter where the oscillating blade is located centrally on the machine. I have found this type of turf cutter pretty ineffective when the ground is not level (like my garden ) ive been doing some research on the net and found a turf cutter where the blades are mounted at the back, anyone got any opinions on these type of turf cutters over the centrally mounted type and also where i might be able to hire one from
thanks 
ps if the turf cutting idea fails is my only option a mini digger ??
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 9:42 pm
by Stuarty
Ive used the yellow cutters with the single blade in the middle and only had any success with them when someone is pushing and another is pulling it from the front. The only one ive found that works is some big green thing, with the blade nearer the back, but the blade is split in 2, its heavy enough to drive itself and to keep it on the ground. But a mini digger is quicker i feel.
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 10:43 pm
by Pablo
If its a large area then your best bet is to spray it with roundup leave it for 2-3 weeks then rotavate it. The sod will break down to nothing and you'll save a few quid on disposal fees etc. The turf cuters you're talking about are commercial greenkeepers ones which you can sometimes hire from places that specialise in grounds maintenance or agricultural machinery hire. Should be about £60 for a weekend. What's going down in place of the turf?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 5:55 pm
by thegardensurgery
Hi
i have used the single blade turf cutter on many jobs and i can see how groundforce used to speed the film up...it bloody hard work unless you have a CAT D10 to pull it lol....it does the job ....! lol
i don`t recommend the yellow one.
Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 6:52 pm
by andpartington
if you had the d10 the turf cutter is a wast of money lol
andy
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 8:56 am
by Dave_L
"I've come to take up your trufed area, Sir!"
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 12:07 pm
by Bob_A
An old thread I found while searching. I always try searching before asking.
I have a 50-60sq/metre area of grass that I'll be turning into a patio.
Apparently turf isn't cheap in London and rather than the turf going into a skip someone has said they'll hire a turf cutter to remove it.
This is the machine http://www.mowers-online.co.uk/itm00720.htm
He is coming Sunday (forecast is hot. dry and sunny) but neither of us has done this before, has anyone got any tips or advice. For example......
Technique?
Soak/saturate the ground beforehand? (I have been using a sprinkler for a couple of hours for the last few nights)
Go for short/long lengths?
Anything else?
Cheers
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:07 pm
by dig dug dan
had one of those yellow cutters. Got nicked by the pikeys and i never bothered to replace it. It was useless.
But i did hire a husqvarna one, and that was four wheel drive, with a gearbox, so it had some serious grunt to it. you could adjust the depth and take off 20mm up to about 75mm
costs about £50 a day
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:26 pm
by Edgecraft
I have owned both types of turf cutter and can confirm that the single centre blade type are bloody hard work and near useless, what you need to try and get hold of is a Brouwer mini turf cutter they have a split blade below a mesh roller the same as Ryan turf cutters but a lot more compact.
I am pretty sure they don't make them anymore but you can still pick them up from time to time on Ebay and the likes for around £250 - £500, but they are well built and not to be confused with their yellow and red centre blade cousins !
Darren
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 12:47 am
by Bob_A
I've got no control over what machine he decides to hire. I don't think there's a lot of choice, the Power-Mec seems to be standard issue in our local hire shops.
Good news is it's only 50-60sq/metres so hopefully beween us we can push and pull.
Stuarty wrote:Ive used the yellow cutters with the single blade in the middle and only had any success with them when someone is pushing and another is pulling it from the front.,,,,,,,,,,
Is ground moisture an important issue?
When it comes to turf removal is better to have earth that is slightly too damp than earth that is a little too dry?
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 6:02 pm
by dig dug dan
the wetter the better!
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:03 pm
by Bob_A
dig dug dan wrote:the wetter the better!
Cheers mate gonna leave the sprinkler on for the night then turn it off a couple of hours before starting work.
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:14 pm
by seanandruby
Cost of the water bill and cutter hire, i would of thought be cheaper to buy new turf ???
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:39 am
by Bob_A
Water is not on a meter. £50+vat to hire the cutter (weekend rate)
Not sure how much turf is to buy but the other person is paying and is keen to do it.
I'm happy cos I don't have to dispose of it
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 2:12 am
by Tommy
I dont agree with 'wetter the better' - damp made it a bit better, but soggy just made it a full on ball-ache
I used the yeller machine, and less said the better.
We used it on a golf course, where the turf was on good, if slightly compacted topsoil. And still took most of a day to move, and the sods came up in bits.
Used the sprinkler system, and made it 10 times harder.
In the end, we used the Golf course Greenskeeper's lifter, which was the rear mounted, split blade, which was infinately better.
That said, Mini digger, grading bucket and competent operator could do just as well, quicker.