Flail Mower Caroni TM1900 flail mower vs. Woodmaxx FM-78 flail mower, which to buy, any others?

[Z-Michigan]

BTW, for the Woodmaxx buyers...how much assembly work was there?

I don't have it done yet (busy weekend) but it looks like very little. From the crate and the owner's manual this is what I see:
-remove top half of crate
-attach top link tower (top part of 3pt) to mower body
-check fluid levels, but it's supposed to be factory filled
-hookup 3pt to tractor 3pt
-attach PTO shaft, measure, cut if necessary

I may be missing something but that's all I remember. Woodmaxx manuals are on their website and seem to be well written and illustrated.

 

[sjenkinz]

I have a WoodMaxx FM-78H with the hydraulic side shift and "Y" blades that I bought about a year ago and I have been very satisfied with it. I have never owned a flail mower before so I can't do a comparison to other brands.

I use it with a 45hp (PTO) tractor to maintain 6 acres of pasture and it does a pretty good job. The first time I used it, the pasture had been ignored for several years so grass and weeds stood about 2 - 3 feet high and it had a lot of good sized wax myrtle (about 1 inch diameter woody plants). For this first cutting, the cut quality was about the same as you would get from a bush hog with the exception that the mulched grass was discharged in a uniform sheet from the backside of the mower. I wasn't really impressed by the cut quality.

Since then, I've found that each time I mowed, the cut quality got better. If you mow frequently so grass doesn't get too tall, the tractor tires don't flatten the grass as much so you don't get the strips of taller/uncut grass on each side of the cut.

If you can afford the hydraulic option, get it. It pushes out 12-18 inches beyond the tractor tires on the right side of the tractor. Its great for getting under low trees, cutting along the edge of a ditch, or mowing close to a fence line.

Things I like about the WoodMaxx:

It seems to be well built using heavy materials.

Easy to use. No setup. Once the PTO shaft is cut to size, it's ready to mow.

Cut quality is good to excellent depending on how often you mow and how fast you drive. Does a good job of mulching the grass. The more often you mow, less thatch and the cut quality gets better. I don't think the cut quality will ever be as good as a finish mower but its quite acceptable. Much better than a bush hog.

Doesn't throw objects like a bush hog so it's much safer to use in areas where safety is a concern. Anything that comes out of the mower is discharged from the back and angled toward the ground.

It leaves a uniform carpet of mulched grass. No clumps or piles.

Things I don't like about the WoodMaxx:

Instructions for setup and use are virtually non-existent but it's pretty easy to figure out by trial and error. (An assumption on my part. If I recall, setup said something like "adjust the top link so that it is directly above or slightly behind the side links" - OK I've done that now what? Seems like there should be something about adjusting height of cut... I know how I do it but it may not be the correct or easy way.)

The mower leaves strips of taller grass where the tractor wheels flatten the grass ahead of the mower. Each time you mow, these strips get shorter and eventually will not be noticeable.
There is no trailing wheel so the mower sits on skids flat on the ground which creates several problems. One being the skids leave small ruts in the grass when the ground is soft and another is adjusting the cutting height. If you adjust the cutting height while measuring from the ground to the blades on a concrete driveway you will get a different result when the mower is lowered in the field since the skids will sink into the ground a bit. I've found that it's easier to adjust the cutting height by tilting the mower back onto the ground roller using the top link and letting it float there. The biggest problem is turning with the mower lowered. You can't turn with the mower resting on the skids without tearing up the ground (and maybe the mower). This forces you to stop and raise the mower to make a turn. The way I overcome this is to raise the mower and turn 270 degrees away from the direction I want to turn (a circle if you will) and drop the mower before entering the cut again.

Blades spin counter to tractor tire rotation. It seems intuitively obvious that it would scoop up the flattened grass run over by the tractor tires if it spun the other direction.

 

[Fallon]

The skids on the side are only there to prevent the rotor & flails from hitting on the ground. The flail should be supported by the roller & the lift arms. Not familiar with the skids on the WoodMaxx, but they shouldn't be dragging on the ground on any other flails I'm familiar with. If you can, raise them up as long as they are at least a hair longer than the flails hang down.

All flails in this class spin counter to the tires. It lets them re-cut the clippings as it flings them up & over the rotor. All these flails cut for crap when backing up. Not sure if that's because of the roller pushing stuff down or what. Some highway department class flails rotate with the tires. They also happily now cinder blocks & add another 0 to the price tag though.

My 20+ year old Ford 917 flail leave tire track mowhawks in tall grass. I seem to recall my rotary cutter doing the same. At any rate most mowers you pull through tall grass will do the same. Pushing a mower or regular mowing solve this problem.

 

[tommott77]

I have a WoodMaxx FM-78H with the hydraulic side shift and "Y" blades that I bought about a year ago and I have been very satisfied with it. I have never owned a flail mower before so I can't do a comparison to other brands.

I use it with a 45hp (PTO) tractor to maintain 6 acres of pasture and it does a pretty good job. The first time I used it, the pasture had been ignored for several years so grass and weeds stood about 2 - 3 feet high and it had a lot of good sized wax myrtle (about 1 inch diameter woody plants). For this first cutting, the cut quality was about the same as you would get from a bush hog with the exception that the mulched grass was discharged in a uniform sheet from the backside of the mower. I wasn't really impressed by the cut quality.

Since then, I've found that each time I mowed, the cut quality got better. If you mow frequently so grass doesn't get too tall, the tractor tires don't flatten the grass as much so you don't get the strips of taller/uncut grass on each side of the cut.

If you can afford the hydraulic option, get it. It pushes out 12-18 inches beyond the tractor tires on the right side of the tractor. Its great for getting under low trees, cutting along the edge of a ditch, or mowing close to a fence line.

Things I like about the WoodMaxx:

It seems to be well built using heavy materials.

Easy to use. No setup. Once the PTO shaft is cut to size, it's ready to mow.

Cut quality is good to excellent depending on how often you mow and how fast you drive. Does a good job of mulching the grass. The more often you mow, less thatch and the cut quality gets better. I don't think the cut quality will ever be as good as a finish mower but its quite acceptable. Much better than a bush hog.

Doesn't throw objects like a bush hog so it's much safer to use in areas where safety is a concern. Anything that comes out of the mower is discharged from the back and angled toward the ground.

It leaves a uniform carpet of mulched grass. No clumps or piles.

Things I don't like about the WoodMaxx:

Instructions for setup and use are virtually non-existent but it's pretty easy to figure out by trial and error. (An assumption on my part. If I recall, setup said something like "adjust the top link so that it is directly above or slightly behind the side links" - OK I've done that now what? Seems like there should be something about adjusting height of cut... I know how I do it but it may not be the correct or easy way.)

The mower leaves strips of taller grass where the tractor wheels flatten the grass ahead of the mower. Each time you mow, these strips get shorter and eventually will not be noticeable.
There is no trailing wheel so the mower sits on skids flat on the ground which creates several problems. One being the skids leave small ruts in the grass when the ground is soft and another is adjusting the cutting height. If you adjust the cutting height while measuring from the ground to the blades on a concrete driveway you will get a different result when the mower is lowered in the field since the skids will sink into the ground a bit. I've found that it's easier to adjust the cutting height by tilting the mower back onto the ground roller using the top link and letting it float there. The biggest problem is turning with the mower lowered. You can't turn with the mower resting on the skids without tearing up the ground (and maybe the mower). This forces you to stop and raise the mower to make a turn. The way I overcome this is to raise the mower and turn 270 degrees away from the direction I want to turn (a circle if you will) and drop the mower before entering the cut again.

Blades spin counter to tractor tire rotation. It seems intuitively obvious that it would scoop up the flattened grass run over by the tractor tires if it spun the other direction.

I had the same skid issues on my Betstco flail the first time I used it on my lawn. My solution was to remove the skids and just let it ride on the roller. The skids will definitely go back on next time I mow any type of brush but on my lawn there's no need for them. I've since noticed that the Befco flails (quality American made product, though a bit pricey) do not even come with skids. Their skids are sold as an extra option.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Follow up: I've had this mower since the end of June and started using it around July 4. My area has had the wettest summer in anyone's living memory (per a neighbor who's a 70 year old retired farmer) and between rain and wet fields, and other projects, I've had limited chances to mow. So I have about 12 hours mowing with it so far, and I won't say that's an exhaustive test by any means.

That said, the mower meets my expectations and, at this time, I would buy it again if I were in the same position.

Overall the unit seems more robust and a little better designed than the Caroni TM1900. Not huge differences, but just a lot of minor things, kind of like comparing a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton truck from the same maker and year.

Mowing performance is what I expect. I'm at a different farm and have a different tractor than before, so it's not apples-to-apples, but based on memory the Woodmaxx with Y-knives seems to mow just as well as the Caroni with Y-knives, and actually seems to mulch a little better. It also seems to get bogged down occasionally in really heavy grass, but I mean really, really heavy grass and goldenrod that hasn't been mowed in 5+ years, and in some cases is up to six feet tall. When I see it coming or hear it bogging I simply lift the mower off the ground a bit and it speeds up and does fine.

My only real complaint is that the safety shield where the PTO shaft comes into the mower is too small and awkward, and it was necessary to remove the shield to attach the PTO shaft correctly. If Woodmaxx is reading this, change your PTO shield fasteners to some kind of quick-release so that the PTO can be accessed reasonably, and the shield put back in place, in 1-2 minutes rather than 30 minutes of wrenching fasteners with nylock nuts. This is the mower end so you won't have to deal with this issue very often, but it is an area for improvement.

A second, nearly trivial point, is that the bolts connecting the toplink tower to the mower body should have smooth portions where they are inside the metal holes and threads only where the nut goes on, instead of being threaded their entire length. This may not matter much in use, but it would be the better way of doing things. However, this is nothing that should slow you down from buying the mower, and if you want to correct this yourself (I might) it will only cost a few dollars to buy the correct bolts locally.

 

[GardenGekko]

I read much of the original flail mower thread a few years ago and will try to get through it this weekend.

In the meantime, quick question to make sure I'm in the correct zip code. I just purchased a Kioti ck4010hst. Pto hp of 33.5. I'm looking at both of these mowers seriously. Is this tractor big enough to handle them?

I have about 15 acres of pasture, which hasn't been mowed in about four years. So the woods are starting to encroach (less than 1" diameter saplings) and the vegetation is tall and dense. In some areas its over 6' tall, but mostly waist height.

Thx in advance!

 

[RoyJackson]

In the meantime, quick question to make sure I'm in the correct zip code. I just purchased a Kioti ck4010hst. Pto hp of 33.5. I'm looking at both of these mowers seriously. Is this tractor big enough to handle them?

Thx in advance!

Yes, but I expect that first mowing to be slow going...and, you're looking at a few days to mow 15 acres (unless you're more of a man than I am)

 

[leonz]

I read much of the original flail mower thread a few years ago and will try to get through it this weekend.

In the meantime, quick question to make sure I'm in the correct zip code. I just purchased a Kioti ck4010hst. Pto hp of 33.5. I'm looking at both of these mowers seriously. Is this tractor big enough to handle them?

I have about 15 acres of pasture, which hasn't been mowed in about four years. So the woods are starting to encroach (less than 1" diameter saplings) and the vegetation is tall and dense. In some areas its over 6' tall, but mostly waist height.

Thx in advance!

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Stick with the TM1500 not the TM1900. You need to be able to keep the rotor spinning at 2,200 RPM to mow especially in the tall brush ans still be able to create small clippings.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I have about 15 acres of pasture, which hasn't been mowed in about four years. So the woods are starting to encroach (less than 1" diameter saplings) and the vegetation is tall and dense. In some areas its over 6' tall, but mostly waist height.

With 33.5 pto hp I think you can power either brand of 72" flail if you are in easier conditions (tall grass, not woody material) or willing to go slow in the more difficult areas. If you have more difficult mowing (woody brush or extremely dense grass) and prefer to go faster forward, or you have a gear transmission and slopes, I would consider the 60" options.

Basically, if you're going to recover the pasture and then keep it mowed several times a year, I think the 72" mowers would work as long as you understand that your first and maybe second mowings will have to be very slow or only partial slices (new rows of only 3-4 feet un-mowed grass instead of the full mower width). After that you would probably be fine with the 72". If you are not going to keep it well mowed going forward, or if you just prefer to drive faster, I would consider the 60" options.

 

[GardenGekko]

Thanks everyone. This is all very helpful feedback! Something to mull over over the winter.