Its a thistle cutter
Its a thistle cutter
MANY thanks to all those who contacted farmers weekly to help us identify an antique implement owned by Cheltenham-based vintage machinery collector Thomas Jackson (Mach 26 Jan).
The overwhelming view is that the implement is a Warren Thistle Cutter which was built in Leicestershire – possibly in the years before WW2. Equipped with long blades, the cutter was towed in an offset position – the thistles forced into the path of the blades by deflectors.
According to Mr Nichols, of Daventry, Northants, the machine was most effective when used in late May when the thistle heads were just in bud. He also says that, to work efficiently, a high forward speed was required although care had to be taken not to overturn it. *