For some time now, Hereford soft fruit grower, Freshfields, has been looking for an easier, more economical and less labour-intensive way to cut the grass beneath their tabletop strawberries. Having tried to keep the grass at a manageable height using strimmers, pedestrian mowers and ride-on mowers, Freshfields have now found the perfect machine for the job – The Canycom Samurai ride-on Brushcutter. Hand-built in Japan, the extremely strong Canycom brushcutter fits the bill perfectly, as it can move with ease between the rows of metal supports.
Farm Manager, James White, said, “This brushcutter is incredibly strong. Seeing what it can cut and the speed it can cut it, is impressive. The Canycom Samurai enables us to do twice as much as we could with our previous mowers and with just one man. Not only does this machine do a fantastic job, but it has significantly cut our costs for grass cutting, so the economic benefits for Freshfields in having the Canycom are substantial and the ability to control grass more effectively has reduced disease pressures considerably.”
Working full-time, six days a week, the Canycom Samurai brushcutter can rapidly get through the work. On one particular day it cut over 3.5ha of grass. In total, around 150ha-200ha of grass per year is cut on the farm. Freshfields sees a real benefit in having grass underneath the strawberry crop, in terms of less soil erosion, an improved growing environment and safe footing for the staff.
The Canycom Samurai is the only shaft-driven brushcutter on the market. It delivers almost 100% of the engine power through the gearbox to the Samurai sword blade. This combination enables operators to cut thicker and taller vegetation compared to normal belt-driven machines that can lose up to 30% of their power and experience belt problems.
Canycom Samurai brushcutters are hand-built in Japan, using metal forged in the Canycom factory. The only non-Japanese steel used is Swedish steel that is forged for Canycom to produce the astonishingly strong deck. Swedish steel is used because of its incredible hardness and ability to stand up to the harshest conditions, and to also withstand metal or stone objects being propelled at incredible speeds at it by the cutter blades – the same steel is used in bullet-proof cars. All the components of the Canycom are heavy-duty and designed for longevity, because of the conditions they are put through.
Another unique feature of the Canycom Samurai Brushcutters is their stability on steep slopes. All of the six models in the Samurai range are CE approved for an industry-leading stability angle of 30 degrees, which means operators remain safe, even on slopes. They are used extensively on fruit farms and vineyards all over Europe, to cut grass and brush between rows of trees, vines and other fruit crops.
On its farms near Hereford, Freshfields grow strawberries and asparagus for its supermarket customers. The Canycom Samurai was supplied by Ron Smith & Co, Hereford branch – the local dealer for the brushcutters that are imported by ICB Plant & Machinery Ltd.