I'm looking at a flail mower to replace my 60" bushhog squealer. I mow about 4 acres of hillside, moderate to fairly steep, twice a year. So I cut grass a foot or two tall, heavy in places, and briers and locust trees half an inch or so in diameter, new growth. I have a JD 870, rated at 28 hp, and run in 3rd gear (1.5 mph, according to the chart on the fender). The next gear up is nearly twice as fast, and uncomfortable on my terrain.
The issues I mainly want to address are 1) the grass run over by the tires largely isn't picked up by the bushhog, so it pops up a couple of days later, and 2) I get quite a windrow of cut grass left along one side, enough to kill the grass under it in places. It would also be nice to reduce the scalping caused by dips in the ground in some places.
I know a flail will address the windrow issue, and help with the scalping. But does it do better with picking up the downed grass in the wheel track? One post said you need one with forward rotation for best results on that count.
I see a lot of interest in the Caroni TM1900 here, and that sounds good. I'd like to pick up the extra foot of cutting width, but I see Caroni suggests 30 to 60 hp for all the TM models. Can I expect my 870 to handle the TM1900?
AgriSupply says it has "rear rotation" - does that mean it rotates the opposite of tractor wheels? If so, can I expect it to pick up the grass downed by the wheels?
If I'm willing to pay more than the price of the Caroni, can I get something that will do a noticably better job for me?
Terry
Hello Terry and welcome to the forum;
I would contact ken sweet here on the forum and inquire about his Sicma line of flail mowers with cup knives as he is a sponsor of the tractorbynet forum in good standing and he ships from his warehouse as well.
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When the folks at Agri supply tell you its rear rotation
the flail mower rotor rotates opposite the direction of travel in forward.
If you are facing the Caroni flail mower on the left side the flail motor rotor is
traveling clockwise at work.
which slices the brush and lifts it over the rotor and back down to the ground.
The issue with your mule is power and stability
at all times with your terrain.
I do not think it would be safe for you and your tractor to use the TM1900 as it will be under
powered and with your ground conditions a smaller width flail mower will be easier to manage
and a smaller flail will take it down to sod just as easily for you, it will just take a bit more time
to police the mowed area but you will have very good control of the invasives and poison ivy, sumac,
and poison oak types of woody brush.
With your terrain it will be easier for you to back up and drive down due to the steep grades with the flail mower.
Any flail mower purchased will be shorter in overall length
if it is mounted to the three point hitch versus the total
housing length of a rotary brush cutter.
A flail operated at speed will pick up matted grass and
brush when driven forward and in reverse and chop it a
second or third time to total shreds to compost easily.
The added benefit of a rear or front mounted flail mower
is that it will suction up the previously cut grass and brush
and cut it again a second or third time for you without
batting an eyelash as the knives are essentially airfoils
creating huge amounts of lift which lifts up the grass and
cuttings.
The flail mower rotor on heavy flail mowers used for
roadside verges and banks rotate in the direction forward
travel to keep from tossing any possible debris at vehicles
approaching from the rear.
A standard flail mower can operate in either forward rotation or
rearward rotation strictly depending on the manufacturer and the
ability to offer this option for grass cutting which depends on
pulley placement and V belt routing under the belt shroud.
With your tractor ad terrain it would be safer for you to purchase
one of the 48 inch units being the TL1200PSC with a P rotor which
carries the scoop knives and still offers a decent cut or or a B rotor
but you may have to wait a while for one of them unless one of
the other stores in the chain has one and can ship it to you.
Many three point hitch flail mowers in Europe are front mounted on tractors
using a "standard rear rotating drum mower" which will throw the grass
clippings forward as the front or Mid P.T.O., will be operating in the opposite
direction which in turn will cast the clippings out and avoid packing the radiator
full of fresh grass clippings which is possible due to the flail knive having two
cutting edges per knive and two knives per hanger which allows this flexibility.
The scoop knives are essentially that- a scoop with a cutting edge that creates a
huge amount suction over the width of the flail motor rotor.
I would seriously chat with ken Sweet as he is one of our fine sponsors and ask if
he has any of his Sicma line in stock with the scoop type knives as the scoop type
knives are more resistant to damage and still offer an excellent cutting of brush
and sod with a bit of a waffle pattern as there are fewer knives on the this type
of flail mower rotor.
