Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Fallon]

Although my tractor has more PTO HP than your L3600...I say go for the 6 footer.
These flail mowers aren't as HP hungry as a rotary cutter...31 PTO HP will easily work with the TM190 73" unit.

My L3200hst (less HP & less efficient HST) ran a 7' old Ford 917 flail just fine. HP limited a bit, but I just slowed down. I prefer going wider & slower unless you have manuvervable limitations. Going slow means a smoother ride for you & the equipment generally while covering the same acres per hour as going fast with a narrower mower.

 

[TerryCC]

Terry, or others.... Does your Caroni leave what I call 'wheel misses'? I have turf tires on my 40hp JD and it appears the weeds/grasses get laid down and the flail does not suck them up 100% so I am left with two rows of bristles in the cut. Would those cup style, hammer knives do better .. can you mix the two style knives?

Still, I am 500% happy with this as a basic pasture and frontage cutter. I have had both a 72" finish mower and 5' bush hog styles that left the place in a mess. I can even cut right after a rain and still not get clumping and knots of weeds like before.

Jim

If the weeds get really high I do get some stems that are somewhat cut but definitely not at the cutter height. I sometimes recut those, but most of the time wait until he next cutting.

 

[ShowroomShine]

Ok guys I found a mower I want to buy. Listed as an Alamo 72" flail for $600. Owner says good shape, operational condition. Knives and belt are good. Was used for road mowing and hasent been used for the past few years. Says it comes with some spare belts and parts and knives.

If it looks in good shape I'll take it home. What do I look for and if I get it home what's the first few things to do before using it for the first time?

Where can I get a manual for it?

Is this a good mower for pasture mowing?

 

[leonz]

I can e-mail a mott manual to you if you like.

I also have a detailed explanation of what to look for and how to look when buying a used flail mower.
I also explain how to take care of the mower in detail as well.
I would definitely ask where the V belt guard is for this mower as they are not cheap to replace.

It needs a bit of work but until you tap the mower shroud at the weldment's with a heavy hammer to see whether it rings solid you will not know how intact it is.

The PTO shaft will have to be removed and the slip clutch freed up as well.

Please look for the ID plate as well and post an image of it if possible.

 

[PRCWI]

View attachment 519623View attachment 519624

Ok guys I found a mower I want to buy. Listed as an Alamo 72" flail for $600. Owner says good shape, operational condition. Knives and belt are good. Was used for road mowing and hasent been used for the past few years. Says it comes with some spare belts and parts and knives.

If it looks in good shape I'll take it home. What do I look for and if I get it home what's the first few things to do before using it for the first time?

Where can I get a manual for it?

Is this a good mower for pasture mowing?

I have a Mott SHD88 and it works great for pasture mowing. If everything spins and seems balanced $600 is a great deal. Bearings, knives, belts and other parts can easily be obtained from several sources. I love mine, I use it for pastures but also have used it for clearing trails in a former pasture that is growing a lot of brush and sumac. It's been a workhorse.

One thing I found on mine after I bough it was that it had some cracks in the steel around the bearing mounts on the drive side of the shaft. You may want to look, to see if you can see anything there but mine had been used pretty hard and I have used it pretty hard after repairing it. Even if you ran into the same things I did I would still say $600 is worth it.

 

[houser52]

I checked the Agri Supply website and as Roy said, they have 15 Caroni mowers in stock. I filled out the online form to request a shipping quote and got a quick reply. Shipping to me here in NC is cheaper than I can take a day off and travel to pick one up at a store.

I'm still on vacation but still may call and order one either today or tomorrow. That way it might be delivered early next week after I return. We still have a couple more months of mowing and I can put it to work.

Any other comments or concerns on the Caroni before I place my order?

 

[RoyJackson]

I checked the Agri Supply website and as Roy said, they have 15 Caroni mowers in stock. I filled out the online form to request a shipping quote and got a quick reply. Shipping to me here in NC is cheaper than I can take a day off and travel to pick one up at a store.

I'm still on vacation but still may call and order one either today or tomorrow. That way it might be delivered early next week after I return. We still have a couple more months of mowing and I can put it to work.

Any other comments or concerns on the Caroni before I place my order?

I think you'll like the mower.
There is a hydraulic side shift kit (about $800) if you think you need it. The side shift is one reason I ordered the Woodmaxx...nice, but not a "gotta have". I decided I didn't need it.

You will probably have to cut the PTO driveshaft down, so be prepared for that. Not hard, but measure twice, cut once. Plenty of info on the Internet (and TBN) on how to do this. Removing the plastic shield isn't hard...took a while to figure it out.

I have mine rigged to a Quick Hitch. The mower wasn't designed with a QH in mind, but it can be done. PM me if you have a QH (or going to buy one) and have questions.

BTW, you'll need 80/90 weight gear oil for the gear box

 

[houser52]

I think you'll like the mower.
There is a hydraulic side shift kit (about $800) if you think you need it. The side shift is one reason I ordered the Woodmaxx...nice, but not a "gotta have". I decided I didn't need it.

You will probably have to cut the PTO driveshaft down, so be prepared for that. Not hard, but measure twice, cut once. Plenty of info on the Internet (and TBN) on how to do this. Removing the plastic shield isn't hard...took a while to figure it out.

I have mine rigged to a Quick Hitch. The mower wasn't designed with a QH in mind, but it can be done. PM me if you have a QH (or going to buy one) and have questions.

BTW, you'll need 80/90 weight gear oil for the gear box

Thanks for the info.
The side shift really didn't come into play as I really dont need it. I had looked on YouTube on cutting the PTO shaft and it probably be that hard. I am going to see if the shaft will work that's on my Bush Hog finish mower first before I do any cutting. I know it's a lot shorter than the shaft that's on the brush hog.

Are you using synthetic gear oil or just regular? One other question, what type of grease is best for everything?

 

[RoyJackson]

Are you using synthetic gear oil or just regular? One other question, what type of grease is best for everything?

Just regular gear oil...the manual states to change it after 40 hours, so I'd wait until after 40 hours...just my opinion on that.
As far as grease...there are 4 fittings, IIRC. Two for the rotor, two for the roller. Thinking about it, I believe there's one for the upper drive pulley too. As far as type of grease...same stuff you use for your tractor (and loader, if you have one)...standard EP grease.
Island tractor...another Caroni owner, gives his mower a couple shots of grease before each mowing...probably overkill, but I reckon I'll do that same.

 

[PRCWI]

I typically grease mine before every mowing as well. Just a couple shots. It's served me well, When I mow I am typically putting 3-6 hours of run time on the machine.