leonz,
About all I know about flail mowers is from your posts, so keep that in mind. Out of curiosity, I checked the land Pride website and the only flail mowers were for 55 to 80 HP, so that doesn't "seem" to be an option for the OP, but I am sure I am missing something. I agree on the quality of Caroni as I have two very old finish mowers that have been virtually indestructible in spite of serious use/abuse.
In one thread, someone posted turf damage when turning with a flail mower in the down position; is this a real concern or fluke?
I just bought new rotary cutters this year, but if I live long enough to wear them out, I might look into a flail mower.
Hello there triple R,
That bothered me too but the Land Pride folks told me they were building their flail mowers in kubota colors the last time I chatted with them at the Empire farm days 2009.
Whoopsie I have to go to work:laughing:
Happy fourth of July to you all and with any luck we will manage to do it again next year.
leonz
About the turf damage its not a fluke if they did what I think they did by not paying attention to cutting height for the following possible reasons;
a. the operator was raising and lowering the flail mower without paying attention to the mower and it sank beyond horizontal allowing the top link to drop all the way forward allowing the rotor to arc forward from vertical to the 10 O' clock position if the skid feet were set to a high cutting height position.
b. that probably occured due to the flail mower not having an anti scalp roller up front and they lowered the mower without having a stop set for the three point hitch depth or the lock valve set under the seat where if it was put in full float any dip allowing it drop and nose dive at the same time would case scalping with the grass knives running at the recommended 540 PTO rpm through the belt drive to the higher speed at the rotor.
c. if one of the lower links was not equal in adjustment which is posssible with the ball end in all three of the arms it can allow it to twist and the gauge skid will dig in and make it look like you tried to do doughnuts with a no flat solid bush hog tire.
Or
d. tight turn with one wheel fully braked at high rpm engine speed/ corner of skid caught turf
I have had it happen when I crossed the asphault and dropped back down to grass traveling straight across the asphault rather than an angle where the knives would scrape like herd of hungry beavers on the exposed grass and mat edge that is cleaned back/edged with a weed eater :laughing:
The opposite edge also looked like the beavers ran across the road to chew on the other side since I went straight across
My john deere tricycle story is even scarrier;
35 years ago I rented a JD tricycle gas tractor with an 8 foot flail mower to mow my fathers 8 acres(no longer had the lowboy) as it was very friendly to the the canadian thistle population in the neighborhood and it was quite the experience.
Brought the tractor and mower home as I was told it was ready to work and just add back the gasoline it used so the adventure started.
Third or fourth pass around the next thing I know the flail mower is spinning with the PTO SHAFT- yikes I said!, or as Dangermouse's hamster assistant Ernest Penfold would say Criminy!!!!
So they came and fixed it with new pins as it had separated from the three point hitch at the lower linkages.
HAH it sure was ready to run that saturday morning I dont remember what I ended up paying for rental repairs-it was was not much- but the issue of broken linch pins- which were not broken when I drove it from the eqiuipment yard 4 miles away) and having no restraint chains on the lower links peppered the conversation- needless to say I never rented from them again.
Lesson learned-never rent anything from a construction contractor- figuring you would be a good sport and do business with him as he is one of pops customers.
