Questions about flail mowers

[jakescia]

I have done some research on prior posts on the topic of flail mowers----- but none are on point. I have never been around a flail mower before, so have no reference point.

My application----- I need to mow "stalky" small grain, such as oats, wheat, and winter rye, when it gets about 8-10 inches tall, back to about 4-5 inches tall.......and continue to do that until it dies, or until fall.....whichever comes first.

The cuttings need to be "shredded", so they do not "bunch" like what can happen when using a rotary bushhog.

Therefore, I need to be able to mow it "high".......and make sure it spreads, and hopefully will lay on top of the stubble.

I am concerned that a flail mower will not be able to cut high, that it needs to be down closer to the ground where the plant would be anchored, and "hold still".

Are my concerns founded.........or am I tilting at windmills?

The optimum device, I think, would be a direct cut sileage cutter that would blow the cuttings into the air, and allow such to disperse before hitting the ground.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[leonz]

I have done some research on prior posts on the topic of flail mowers----- but none are on point. I have never been around a flail mower before, so have no reference point.

My application----- I need to mow "stalky" small grain, such as oats, wheat, and winter rye, when it gets about 8-10 inches tall, back to about 4-5 inches tall.......and continue to do that until it dies, or until fall.....whichever comes first.

The cuttings need to be "shredded", so they do not "bunch" like what can happen when using a rotary bushhog.

Therefore, I need to be able to mow it "high".......and make sure it spreads, and hopefully will lay on top of the stubble.

I am concerned that a flail mower will not be able to cut high, that it needs to be down closer to the ground where the plant would be anchored, and "hold still".

Are my concerns founded.........or am I tilting at windmills?

The optimum device, I think, would be a direct cut sileage cutter that would blow the cuttings into the air, and allow such to disperse before hitting the ground.

Thanks for your comments.

Your questions are not worrysome and you are not tiltinng at windmills. You can mow and shredd in one operation after harvest with a flail shredder quickly at a 2 inch shredding height.


About your mower/shredder needs, the following questions are in need of answers;

1. How much horsepower do you have to use for the integrally mounted or towed shredding/mowing implement?

2. How much acreage do you have to have shredded?

3. Flailmowers work best when they are at the lowest mowing setting for shredding which is 2 inches otherwise the higher cutting height reducues the implements efficxiency in shredding and mowing.
The other thing is once you have it shredded at alow height it will not regrow unless you are located in the southern latitudes in the United States


No worries a standard flail shredder/flail mower will work very well for your needs.


I can forward several videos of flail shredders at work to your e-mail off the board.

Have you looked at all the flailmower posts on the TBN web site?

 

[BukitCase]

Should work fine - I have the Caroni 6 foot flail, and last year I mowed a neglected pasture (3 foot tall grass, tansy, blackberries, etc) - I got some bunching, but I was mowing within 1" of "rototiller" mode :=)

The Caroni ( and others, I'd guess) has a full width roller behind the cutter that is adjustable using different holes - this, along with toplink length, sets the mowing height from scalping (not recommended, I smelled the belts before I raised it a bit) up to maybe 6" or so.

Because the cutters get the grass BEFORE the roller rolls over it, your 10" stuff should get whacked off, then rolled over, then stand back up (eventually)

Bottom line, I think it should work fine for what you want.

Caveat - don't expect to hook up the Caroni 6 footer using a quick hitch without needing to adapt things - for some reason, it ships with 2 position 3-point (more or less offset by about 10") BUT the toplink is about 9" higher than a standard Cat 1 - Seems like they used cat-1 spacing for draw pins and cat 2 for height. Go figure.

I took a couple pieces of 3" wide 1/2" flat bar, about 11" long, drilled holes in them and HARD bolted the bars outside of the toplink holes (there are two, one slotted) and drilled holes for the toplink pin at the lower end of these bars. Now it's compatible with the HF quick hitch. I used 5/8" grade 8 hardware and these bars are now "semi-permanent" :=)

Sorry, no pix as yet but if you're curious I could do a sketch and post it... Steve