Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions

   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions #1  

hawk232

New member
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
3
Location
Crystal River, FL
Tractor
Kubota B2320
If you don't want back story or details, skip to the end to get straight to the questions!

So last week my wife decided she was sick of picking up sticks in preparation for me mowing with our Dixie chopper. she decided that I should get a rotary cutter so that we wouldn't have to pick up sticks...

Fast forward a week and a half and hours of research on setting up rotary cutters led me to flail mowers. A flail just seems like a better fit. I am mowing my manicured (sort of) lawn (about 3 acres) and the rotary cutter is just to high.

Research has led me to the Caroni flails. Most on here seem to have the TM1900. I only have a B2320 (19hp pto I think) and do not think a mower that big is the best choice for my tractor. The only other one that ASC has available is the TL1500 which, according to Caroni, is lighter duty than the TM series. Caroni lists a TM1600 (63") that I THINK might also work, but it does not appear that ASC (or anywhere else for that matter) has them.



Question 1: The TM comes highly recommended, the TL is lighter duty. Would the TL still be worth looking into or should I look for another brand at that point?

Question 2: I will be mowing a lawn which will have fallen limbs and have rocks throughout the yard that stick up a little (they clear my Dixie chopper blades). Which blades would be best for this application?
 
   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions
  • Thread Starter
#2  
wow, despite having been around this forum for a couple of years and feeling like part of the community, apparently that was my first actual post! Hello everyone! LOL
 
   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions #3  
If you don't want back story or details, skip to the end to get straight to the questions!
Question 1: The TM comes highly recommended, the TL is lighter duty. Would the TL still be worth looking into or should I look for another brand at that point?

Question 2: I will be mowing a lawn which will have fallen limbs and have rocks throughout the yard that stick up a little (they clear my Dixie chopper blades). Which blades would be best for this application?

I can't answer your specific questions, but this thread may be useful to you:
www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/210938-caroni-tl1500fsc-flail-observations.html
 
   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions #5  
If you don't want back story or details, skip to the end to get straight to the questions!

So last week my wife decided she was sick of picking up sticks in preparation for me mowing with our Dixie chopper. she decided that I should get a rotary cutter so that we wouldn't have to pick up sticks...

Fast forward a week and a half and hours of research on setting up rotary cutters led me to flail mowers. A flail just seems like a better fit. I am mowing my manicured (sort of) lawn (about 3 acres) and the rotary cutter is just to high.

Research has led me to the Caroni flails. Most on here seem to have the TM1900. I only have a B2320 (19hp pto I think) and do not think a mower that big is the best choice for my tractor. The only other one that ASC has available is the TL1500 which, according to Caroni, is lighter duty than the TM series. Caroni lists a TM1600 (63") that I THINK might also work, but it does not appear that ASC (or anywhere else for that matter) has them.



Question 1: The TM comes highly recommended, the TL is lighter duty. Would the TL still be worth looking into or should I look for another brand at that point?

Question 2: I will be mowing a lawn which will have fallen limbs and have rocks throughout the yard that stick up a little (they clear my Dixie chopper blades). Which blades would be best for this application?
=====================================================================

Hello hawk232,


SO much of this is going to depend on your wallet, The time you have to mow, and what kind of finish you want.
If you invest in a Caroni finish flail mower with four rows of knives you can plan on putting your "dizzie" chopper for sale.

Your either going to invest in scoop knives or side slicers. The Scoop type knives will not let you recut the fresh grass if its long or short.

You can order a smaller finish flail mower for your current mule if you wish but that is up to you. If you want a 4 foot finish flail you can order one through Agrisupply and you will have it the when the next container comes in from Italy; and don't let anyone tell you you cannot have a smaller unit( If this happens let me know who told you this and I will get in touch with the manager Rodney Barbour for you so you can have a smaller width flail mower.

The Caroni flail mowers do not have a trash door to allow you to mow heavy tall brush.

The Land Pride Flail Mowers have the trash door BUT only with cast hammer scoop knives used for vineyards and orchard mowing and heavy grasses and will give you a nice cut but you may want to mow at right angles to get
a finer finish to reduce the waffle finish-not that the waffle finish will not look bad as in a few days the finish will look very nice.

The Land Pride Flail Mowers are actually rebranded Maschio Company flail mowers from Italy and can recut the material with the trash doors shut with the recutting bars that are offered as options/standard equipment on these fine flail mowers.

Do your research and decide what you can afford and decide if you will be happy with a Caroni two row rotor flail mower or a Caroni scoop knife flail mower or a land pride flail mower with your rock issues. you can set the cutting height on a finish flail just like your dizzie chopper so that is not a big deal. Read the threads, ask us questions, and then make decision. You can retire or sell your dizzie chopper when you see pictures of the finish cut from the forum members that have provided them here.
 
   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Rusty- thanks for all of the links. I came across your thread (and the others) in my research. I didn't read through the last one though (as it seemed of no interest based on the title) but it turned out to be helpful, so thanks!! I was just starting this post in hopes of drawing out others with TL models so that I could see if you were just having good luck or if they were really good mowers (like the TM are known for).

It also seems like most are doing light brush work with knives, so it sounds like knives would be just fine for me.

leonz- The chopper isn't going anywhere, it is still BY FAR the fastest way to get a pristine cut on the lawn! It just dirty, loud and not as much fun as driving the tractor! The price of the Caroni is definitely appealing but I was considering getting a MMM for a LONG time so I guess my price point would be 3300 or less... I will look into the landpride.
 
   / Caroni TL 1500 quality and blade choice questions #7  
Once you see what the grass blades look like after passing over them with a side slicer knive versus
the tearing action of your dizzie chopper blades......................................................................
 
 
 
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