Grasshopper ZTR flail mower

[MultiMow]

After countless hours spent desperately searching for a flail mower deck compatible with my Toro mowers (325D and 455D 4wd), I've given up the search.

I found that Iowa Farm Equipment is now selling a Peruzzo Teg Special flail deck for Grasshopper front mount ZTRs

( Iowa Farm Equipment -- Peruzzo Teg Special Front Mount Flail Mower for Grasshopper 7 & 9 Series Tractors )

I was fairly impressed with the performance in the videos their rep sent me:

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass-4 - YouTube

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass 3 - YouTube

These videos are with a Grasshopper 722D power unit. I've found a reasonably priced 930D, and I'm more or less just wanting to hear experiences with Grasshopper mowers in general and model specific.

I already have a finish mower, so this unit will likely stay hooked to the flail mower and have chains or ATV tread tires upfitted. In other words, it will lead a rough life mowing rough areas where a typical ag tractor would either be inefficient or impractical... so unless the cut quality or productivity is worlds above/faster than my Toro, cut quality of the factory deck isn't an issue.

Alright, that's enough from me for now. What do you guys have to say?

 

[Birdhunter1]

That would be nice to have on my 723 but I also have a few tractors and bushhogs so it probably wouldn't get used much.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That would be nice to have on my 723 but I also have a few tractors and bushhogs so it probably wouldn't get used much.

Same here...

I have a 721-D and a 725-D, that's what I mow grass with, although I do put a sno-blower on the 725 in the winter.

That flail looks like it kicks butt!

SR

 

[MultiMow]

I just found a couple more videos and lots of pics from the same weekend.

Turns out, the overgrowth in that meadow was far worse than the above video shows. Here are a couple from they first started:

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass 1 - YouTube

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass 2 - YouTube

According to the rep, a lot of the growth was over 5ft tall, and some over 6ft.

Here are some pics he sent me as well, including some AMAZING striped finish mowing, done with the same flail mower (pretty sure they changed the knives, though):

 

[mogwild]

Wow, that's a nice looking unit, thanks for posting. Any idea on pricing? I might have to pick up the 55" for my 721D...

 

[IslandTractor]

After countless hours spent desperately searching for a flail mower deck compatible with my Toro mowers (325D and 455D 4wd), I've given up the search.

I found that Iowa Farm Equipment is now selling a Peruzzo Teg Special flail deck for Grasshopper front mount ZTRs

( Iowa Farm Equipment -- Peruzzo Teg Special Front Mount Flail Mower for Grasshopper 7 & 9 Series Tractors )

I was fairly impressed with the performance in the videos their rep sent me:

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass-4 - YouTube

Grasshopper 14 Flail Mower Long Grass 3 - YouTube

These videos are with a Grasshopper 722D power unit. I've found a reasonably priced 930D, and I'm more or less just wanting to hear experiences with Grasshopper mowers in general and model specific.

I already have a finish mower, so this unit will likely stay hooked to the flail mower and have chains or ATV tread tires upfitted. In other words, it will lead a rough life mowing rough areas where a typical ag tractor would either be inefficient or impractical... so unless the cut quality or productivity is worlds above/faster than my Toro, cut quality of the factory deck isn't an issue.

Alright, that's enough from me for now. What do you guys have to say?

I know nothing about either Grasshopper or ZTR flails but if you are looking for a purpose built machine to get into terrain not suitable for a CUT, you might want to familiarize yourself with PowerTrac articulated tractors. The 422 or 425 models run a front mounted "bush hog" or finish mower and are excellent on slopes as well as being highly maneuverable.

 

[CCWKen]

Cuts too slow. I wouldn't even try to cut what was in Video-1 with my 72" flail behind my 50hp tractor. I could buzz over that with the rotary in no time. If I wanted a cleaner cut after that, a quick run with the flail can be done and still be finished before you could with a lawnmower.

 

[IslandTractor]

Cuts too slow. I wouldn't even try to cut what was in Video-1 with my 72" flail behind my 50hp tractor. I could buzz over that with the rotary in no time. If I wanted a cleaner cut after that, a quick run with the flail can be done and still be finished before you could with a lawnmower.

Agree on speed but I cut several fields only once a year in the fall with my flail and the height of that grass is pretty typical for what I mow. I would travel at least double that speed on my 40hp tractor and 75" flail. Faster if I wasn't concerned about mulching the cuttings. Slower if it was June and the grass wasn't dry.

 

[mogwild]

$4699 with the "Y" blades and $5699 (USD) with the 4 different styles for the 55". I'll keep using my roughcut behind the 65hp. But neat to see.

 

[MultiMow]

Believe me, I'm not about to compare the productivity of this machine to a tractor/rear mount mower combo for open fields.

This machine does have it's merits for my use:

1- COMPACT

It's small enough to to drive into a step van.

2- LIGHTWEIGHT

It can be transported on a small utility trailer, in a step van, or on a utility bed truck.

3- FUEL EFFICIENT

Again, it wouldn't compare to a tractor in an open field... but for scrub mowing small areas, ESPECIALLY with lots of obstructions (example: reclaiming areas of undergrowth around a lot of trees)... this unit would be much more fuel efficient than a utility tractor, and worlds more efficient than a rotary mower.

3- PRODUCTIVITY

For its intended purpose, there's no match to the time saving maneuverability of a ZTR. Less trimming. More mowing. Less time performing unnecessary/nonproductive maneuvers. For a one man brush mowing operation, it would save a LOT of work with a handheld trimmer.

4- RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Given you can pickup a GH 930D for around $6k, or a 725D for around $4k with just over 1,000hrs... you're looking at a $10-11k investment for a single unit mowing solution of short and tall growth. That kind of revenue can be made in less than one season... and you're talking about a machine with 4,000hrs of service life left. If you do the math, at $20net profit per hour, that's $80k. Also, it's worth noting that scrub mowing extends your annual season, as it opens you up to customers beyond the growing season.

I've always preferred scrub mowing over finish mowing. The customers typically aren't nearly as picky, the competition isn't as tight, the margins are higher, and the pay is hourly.

I see this unit for what it is... a great scrub/rough mower for areas that require a high level of maneuverability.

If I can sell my my WAM (Toro 455D), I'll like have one of these in short order.