Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

leonz,

The number you quoted for rpm, should be the fps number, otherwise, velocity in feet per second. You can not get that high a bld tip velocity or rpm using a flail mower. There are some finish mower flails that will cut as good as any mower that is using sharp blades.

whoopsie -sorry about that i should have added/stated that is the blade tip speed of most if not all zero turn mowers not my flail mower.


I do remember the JD folks saying their units rotate at one hundred MPH
and the Motts were faster.

 

[J_J]

With a tip to tip diameter of 20 in, and 2000 shaft rpm, the MPH would be 118

15 in tip to tip, 2000 shaft rpm, MPH = 89

 

[sodamo]

The dolly I made for my dad's Caroni TM1900. Two ~82"-long 4x4's connected with two short pieces of 4x6's I had leftover laying around. Piece of 2x8 as a back-stop to set the roller against. Two short 2x6 pieces under the front corners, to keep the flail level & keep it from rolling forward. The level my dad has his roller set at takes a two-by (1.5") under the front corners to just about perfectly level the unit (front-to-back).

Nice. Chance of pic unloaded?

 

[beppington]

Nice. Chance of pic unloaded?

Sorry, I don't have any now, but will snap first chance I get.

 

[cbfomoco]

I think that this spring I am going to order a Flail mower. I am debating about what type of rotor or really which type of blade to get. Either the knife type or the hammer type. I am really leaning towards the hammer type or P rotor on the Caroni. I plan on checking with Agri Supply and see if they could special order one of the P rotor types. I have read the thread now twice. I have done some research on the net but can not find a real answer as to what type of knife or hammer is better. Also which is better for what? Which will last longer?

 

[J_J]

In general, the thickness of the flail blades will tell you how they are used. The thin Y type blades is for finish cut lawns/grass. The same type flail blades, but thicker, will still cut good, and last longer. As you get to the flat faced blades, you can cut a more dense grasses/weeds, and light wood. The large heavy flail hammers, of course will cut, tear, beat up on, destroy just about anything. On some of the flails, you can switch to different blades, and still get 100 % coverage. Just don't expect one type of flail to do good at everything.

Blades thickness could be .087 in, .196 in .13 in, .25 in

 

[beppington]

Just don't expect one type of flail to do good at everything.

I'm still not clear on why one of these two wouldn't do good at everything?

Can't these cut bigger stuff but also cut horizontally (parallel to the ground) for a smooth lawn cut? Where would these come up short?

 

[KennyV]

I have used finish cut and rough cut blades... They both cut BUT you have to back off quit a bit to not see the difference in the cut...

Guess thats why a lot of folks use a general purpose blade... "sort of" does both .

If you truly need a fine finish cut ... nothing beats the correct blade for the job... KennyV

 

[leonz]

Good afternoon,

If you desire to mow good turf grass and brush
continually the finish rotor is what you want to use.
The finish blade will work on heavy brush and winter
kill brush and it takes a bit longer but either way once
it gets knicked down to the sod the bad brush has very
little opportunity to return.

A hardened or non hardened grass slicer will last you
along time in any case.

If you are clearing land the P rotor/hammer knife is what you
would need for sure but if its only overgrown scrub the F rotor
or the B rotor will do it(with the F rotor cutting everything
to shreds slowly so it cannot return as thick and any native grasses
or seeded grasses will grow quickly as they are no longer choked by
weeds.


The finish knives are less costly to buy than the hammer knives as well
so please look at that issue when you begin narrowing down the problem/opportunity of selection.

The grass slicers can be purchased hardened
or non hardened have more total knife edge
length versus the scoop or cup knife edge
which is the width of the mower in coverage
with the overlap.

My grass slicer knives are reversable and have
1.5 inches of cutting knife edge on each side
for total of three inches per blade
if you purchased the FRTM 1900FSC for example
you would have 112 grass slicer knives spread
over the 4 rows of knife hangers for mowers
75 inch cutting width.

The thumbnail picture on the left that J.J. has
uploaded is the grass slicer which is used successfully
for brush and grass especially in my case where I use
the same knive for both jobs.


The width of the scoop knive allows for the blade to cut
along its entire width of cutting face BUT it will expose the
entire face to pontential damage with regard to object strikes
and possible knife breakage where one grass slicer is only exposing
1.5 inches of slicing edge per revolution.


The issue is maintaining balance on the rotor more
than anything as a broken knife on one hanger requires
you to replace it or remove its opposite knife to maintain
the rotor in balance.

The same applies to the "scoop or cup" knive and if you have
a rotor with three rows of knives you have to have spares as
there is no opposing throw wieght to cancel the G forces created
by a missing knife as the hangers are 120 degrees apart versus
90 degrees with 4 sets of knive hangers.

The two row rotor can have the opposing knife removed but you have
a Mohawk or rooster tail thats left.

With our mathews we have tapered grass slicers and they are no longer
made by matthews and I have to see about custom ordering new ones when the time comes and i will let everyone know how much they cost.

The tapered knives are a bit more forgiving and do not damage as quickly due to the airfoil design of the cutting edge and I have knives that still in excellent condition after 30 years of use and occasional sharpening.

 

[leonz]

I think that this spring I am going to order a Flail mower. I am debating about what type of rotor or really which type of blade to get. Either the knife type or the hammer type. I am really leaning towards the hammer type or P rotor on the Caroni. I plan on checking with Agri Supply and see if they could special order one of the P rotor types. I have read the thread now twice. I have done some research on the net but can not find a real answer as to what type of knife or hammer is better. Also which is better for what? Which will last longer?

The hammer knive would be overkill for sod but it would knock everything back each and every time you mow and the knive cost is greater per unit as they are a cast allow typically and then sharpened.

The quality of cut is what you are after more than anything as the hammer knive will tear and destroy everything
and the finish knive will not it will simply shred it to compost and leave nice sod if thats what you wnat or have already-meaning sod ground thats overgrown- the finish knive will require you to go over weeds and stems a second time to shred them to nothing but its not that hard or troublesome when you are out mowing and once its done the heavy brush will not come back unless its not mowed annually.