Ford 917 flail mower

   / Ford 917 flail mower #21  
Thank you guys for all the help, I am going to try it out and see how it does. I plan to order new knives half way through the season, then over the winter clean it up and throw a little paint at it.
Click here for the 22-183 parts list. Looks like it's considered a 72" mower rather than a 74" like mine. That model is less familiar to me, and I can't tell by the parts list if it actually has the total of 33 knives like I mention above. And the photo you originally posted shows a knife and hanger that - considering the age of the machine - is actually in very good shape. I had to replace all 33 on mine, some were worn to less than half of their original width. You might get by with just replacing visibly damaged hardware.

//greg//
 
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   / Ford 917 flail mower #22  
The mower has the original Ford knives BUT the Mott knives will fit on the Ford rings. The Mott/Alamo knives will give a nicer cut, use less HP, won't plug up and are reversible if they get dull or worn. I think they are cheaper as well. A lot of the more recent flails have copied the Mott knife style because the patents have expired. I've cut a lot of acres with a 917 and Mott flails.

Do you have a link to these Mott knives/blades?

I bought a 917 74" wide with the blades in the below pic that the and it cuts great whether in lawn grass or a pasture and it does great in stuff up to about 1" thick.
310782d1364701323-ford-917-flail-mower-image-3502897694.jpg
 
   / Ford 917 flail mower #23  
 
 
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