Blade Slasher (Model 22073)

Model 22073 is a three-blade skid steer slasher with a hot-dip galvanised frame and a 1 700 mm cutting width: the attachment for clearing heavy grass, weeds, scrub regrowth and roadside vegetation with a skid steer rather than a tractor.

At 716 kg it is a heavy-duty unit, and the construction reflects that: a heavy-duty spindle carrier, a heavy-duty rotor, 5/8 x 5 inch blades and a serrated guard along the front of the deck that stops cut material being thrown back at the operator. The frame is hot-dip galvanised, which is the right finish for an attachment that works in wet grass and gets stored outside between seasons - it does not rust out from the inside of the box sections.

The drive is a high-speed bent-axis hydraulic motor with a safety overrun valve, which protects the motor from hydraulic lock when the attachment is stopped suddenly. It connects to the skid steer with a standard hitch and comes with hydraulic hoses and flat-face couplers, so it goes onto the machine without adapters. The skid steer must be fitted with a case drain, which is the standard requirement for this class of motor.

Operating parameters are quoted at 75 to 260 litres per minute of oil flow (19 to 68 GPM) and a maximum working pressure of 5 076 PSI (35 MPa). Dimensions are 2.20 m x 1.94 m x 0.58 m and the cutting width is 5 ft 6 in (1 700 mm), so the deck covers ground quickly while still fitting through gateways and between trees.

Typical users are vegetation and land-clearing contractors, municipalities and roads departments, farms, game reserves, solar and pipeline projects, and anyone who needs to hold back grass and scrub on a site where a tractor cannot reach.