Evesham contractor Steve Smith has equipped his PA6085 Power Arm with a TwinCut flailhead in his quest for the perfect cut
Steve Smith is one of the UK’s most experience hedge-cutters with almost 50 years’ experience.
Based near Evesham, Worcestershire Steve and his team spend around 2,500 hours a year on hedge-rows, and he has seen all the major modern innovations in the market since starting out as an agricultural contractor in the 1960s.
"It gives a lovely finish, tackles mature hedges effectively and it’s faster than a normal flailhead. I wouldn’t swap mine for any other flailhead on the market."
For Steve one machine stands out as the finest innovation he’s seen – the McConnel TwinCut, the world’s first dual rotor flailhead.
He said: “TwinCut is a huge step forward for a contractor. For me going back to a normal flailhead would feel as though I had to use a hedging hook!
“It enables you to work more quickly and it’s great at tackling mature hedges. I work a lot of two-year growth and can cover them almost as fast as the hedges I do every year.”
Neatness is just as important for Steve, who sees an attractive cut as a great way to impress local farmers and win new business.
He explained: “The quality of the cut is what I like most. The feedback I get from customers is really positive. It’s also nice when other contractors come up to me and tell me they’ve heard about how good the machine is.”
“I also like the fact it doesn’t make a mess. The downhill cutting action ensures a lot of the mulch is retained within the hedge rather than spread out onto the road, so it’s a lot tidier.”
Steve said the fact TwinCut is faster than other flailheads and saves time on each job should not put off contractors who charge an hourly rate.
He said: “It has certainly increased the speed I can tackle jobs – so as a result we have raised our rates to reflect this. Twincut helps me pass on benefits and savings to the customer while cutting fuel costs and giving me time to take on more work – so we both gain.”
“I would certainly recommend TwinCut for both farmers and contractors. It gives a lovely finish, tackles mature hedges effectively and it’s faster than a normal flailhead. I wouldn’t swap mine for any other flailhead on the market.”
