Flail Mower Caroni Flail mower with hydraulic shift kit

[patmajia]

I ordered a 75" mower and the hydraulic shift kit from Agri-Supply.
I didn't find much info on these out on the net, but I'm taking a chance that's it's worth at least half what the others cost (such as New Holland, Deere).
At least one other person has asked about experiences of others with these units, with little response. Perhaps, there is more experience now. If so, please share info.
PHA
JD 6220, JD3520

 

[jmessing]

Pat,
I just ordered the Caroni TL1500FSC 59" flail from Agri Supply. I considered a Trimax Ezeemow S2 from New Zealand. It's also a finish type flail that's used on playing fields as well as agricultural purposes. But, for four grand, I couldn't justify it. I hope that Dirthauler was right, otherwise you and I will be spending a lot of time comparing notes in the future.
Did yours arrive yet? How much assemble did you have to do. What was the total time from order to delivery?
Thanks,
Joe

 

[IslandTractor]

Pat,
I just ordered the Caroni TL1500FSC 59" flail from Agri Supply.

Let us know about your experience with the Caroni flail. I came very close to getting one and then bought a used finish mower instead simply because it was a good deal. I think the flail may be better ultimately for my application so I'd be interested in your thoughts as you gain experience. There have been a few TBN members who have posted on these in the past with good results. I don't think they are built to maintain highway medians like the heavy duty flails but otherwise they seem like very good implements and cost a bit less than equivalent sized premium brand finish mowers.

 

[jmessing]

Hi. The shipping company called and they are delivering it today. It will take me a few days to get it attached, the backhoe's on the tractor now. Anyway, it's too wet to mow right now. It took ten days from order to delivery, not bad. I read up a bit and they recommend putting in a chain link in for the vertical strut on the three point hitch, unless you have a float capability on your hitch, which I don't. So, I'll be running down to my local tractor dealer for a couple of those. I'll keep you posted.

 

[jmessing]

I finally got the time to put the mower on the tractor. I have a 30hp Kioti with 25hp at the PTO. I got the 60 inch Caroni. I went through three to four feet high field grass. It handled it with no problem. I think my tractor could have handled the 72 inch mower. The cutter blades are for pretty rough cutting, so the first test passes, at next to the highest setting were pretty rough. A lot of waste grass that was pretty bulky. Still a lot nicer than my neighbor's Woods bush mower. No windrows. I'm going to make a second pass over what I cut already to see if it improves the cut.

I think that it would cut best on grass at about a foot high for a cleaner cut. At three to four feet, there a lot of grass to get rid of. I'm going to get my neighbor to hay it and then I'll try maintaining it with the Caroni. It runs pretty quiet and is well balanced. I think it'll do a better job than a brush or finish mower for my application. I'll wait to pass judgement at the end of the summer.

Joe

 

[SuperDutyDave]

I have owned a caroni flail, from agri-supply for years...caroni 91" finish mower too.

quality is great, can't beat price...how do they do it?...all I have replaced on flail mower is the belts...it will eat up to 2" stuff but better on lighter material though really tall deep grass is not its best application...gotta be careful on setting level correctly but works great in rough areas where ledge rock maybe encountered...watch out for trash bags wire twine etc....really get caught up in roller and makes a mess...otherwise great tool.

Finish mower is great too! only blades and belts in 5 years and lots of use.


Dave

 

[IslandTractor]

For those of you with experience with the Caroni flail mowers, what size do you think would be appropriate for a 21hp tractor (Kioti CK20)? I'd be interested in the 59" version to mow in a recovered pasture which is a bit too rough for a finish mower and my 48"bush hog is a bit too small and prone to throw things to use effectively near other houses and pedestrians.

 

[GreenMtns]

Hi Joe
My TM1900 arrived on Monday. I ordered it the Wednesday before. Only 6 days, and over the weekend. Can't ask for better than that.
I just finished adjusting the skids and roller and gave it a try out. Very impressed with the cut. The model TM1900 only has the rough cut blades and only 56 of them but it sure does a better job than a RM. I did have one little wrinkle though. All the paper work and the label on the machine said it was shipped without oil. The paper work says to put in 1/2 liter of 80W-90 oil. So I did. Well the paper work and the label were wrong. It had oil in it. How much I don't know but enough so that when I added the called for amount and ran the mower, I had oil coming out the breather all over the place. So now I get to clean it up and I think I am going to drain all the remaining oil out and start fresh.

The little I did use it though really impressed me. Very well built machine. It does not seem to need a lot of power once the hammers are swinging.

Island Tractor: Caroni calls for 20 - 40 HP for the 59" model. I would think your 21hp CK 20 would handle it OK. It mounts close in like a Rototiller not way out in back like a Rotary Mower so weight won't be an issue. Caroni put guards across the front and the roller covers the back but flail mowers don't throw things like RM do.

Al

 

[DirtHauler]

O.K., saw my name mentioned. LOL . . . When I owned my CK20 gear. I ran the 49" Coroni as the 59" would have really worked the little guy with the kinds of fields I mow and none of it much shorter than 4' and some so tall that I had to stand up just to see where I was going but the mower still handled it although it was in 2nd and some times 1st gear.

So when I traded in my 20 for the 30, I sold the 49" to a vinyard guy who converted it to hydralic drive for his skid steer and I bought the 59" (TL1500)and have been mowing a vast majority of jobs with it because I can get in tight areas and manuver it better than the 60" rotary and my customers like the finish look better. Also it's great on those "blind" mowing jobs where you find all kinds of trash.

As you know, the 49" (TL1200) has 72 blades and the 59" has 88 which means there's a whole lot of cutting going on there so your best results will be with a slow speed in very tall grass, where most flails have anywhere from 54 to 64 "Y" blades on a 60" rotor. Also the Coroni's throw the cut grass ahead of the rear roller which means you don't get things thrown out the back which can hit other things/people as opposed to the "big dollar" flials that kick the cuttings out after the roller and need some sort of guard.

I have gone thru two sets of belts, one set my fault trying to mow tall green grass too fast which caused it to wrap around the rotor before it could be re-cut and lite the belts up! the other set came apart due to grease getting on them, a set of blades due to finding those pier blocks in that over grown field where the chicken coop used to be!! But if I distroy my Coroni I won't feel too bad as I can buy two of them for price of just one of the "others".
All in all, I like it and I use it for stuff that they probably weren't really designed for! Oh, and FYI, TSC also sells Coroni flails.

 

[texbaylea]

I am planning on ordering a TM1900B from Agri Supply when they are back in stock ("about 30 days"). I am prohibited from mowing until all the wild flowers have gone to seed - soon I hope. The grass is high enough that I could just see the back of a yearling spike buck out in the field tonight.

After what I have read here I guess that my best bet would be to do a quick high pass with the rotary cutter then come back with the flail mower a few days later. I have several brush piles left from last year because we could not burn. I wonder if any of you had any experience with slowly backing to such piles to reduce them?

Incidentily I got a quote of $699.95 delivered for the hydraulic shift kit but it wont be available until August.

Vernon