My first post...
I'm about to get a Kubota B3200 (PTO = 23hp) and want to choose the right flail mower. My mowing needs are about 3 acres with some sloping and dipping terrain, grass and weeds, sometimes clearing some brush in odd places but probably not more then 1" dia. I'd like a nicer finish then a rotary mower and also the added safety of not throwing stuff at scary velocities that could hit my wife, kid, car, house, dog, etc... I don't anticipate hitting a lot of rocks (the area has been well-cleared of rocks) but it will happen from time to time so the teeth will get some dinging but not regular abuse.
My dealer sells Gearmore and my questions are:
1. Is that a good brand?
2. What model(s)/features/considerations would be a good fit (Gearmore or other brand)?
Thanks!
-Mike
Hello Mike,
Welcome to the forum as a new member, When you purchase your flail mower please let us know so that I can welcome as the newest member of the Flail Mower Nation.
NOW; on the issue of purchasing flailmowers I would like you to look at the flail mower posts and threads that are located here in the attachment section and then decide what you would like to do.
We flail mower owners are a happy lot and we can and will gladly offer advice with regard to maintenance, operation and care of your flail mower what ever brand you choose.
You have made a major decision with regard to the type of mowing implement examining the safety concerns of discharged material and high velocity projectiles that will exit a rotary mower or brush cutter so that in itself is one hurdle overcome. The added bonus of a full width striping roll at no extra charge is a bonus of course.
As you have explained your mowing chores a heavy duty flail mower with hammer knives is not needed. You have to decide which type of flail mower you wish to own and operate and in saying that you have to decide what type of finish you want for your plot.
You have to decide on the following:
The type of knive
Being;
Standard duty side slicer, hardened side slicer, scoop knive also know as a shovel knive blade, or hardened scoop knive. The side slicers give the best finish but the scoop come in second place and leave a bit of a waffle pattern when not mowing at 90 degree angles to the first passes.
Depending on your selection your flail mower rotor will have 2, 3, or 4 rows of knive mounting stations with single mountings for scoop knives and the side slicers will have 2 knives per station.
Your flailmower will have two, three or four rows of knives. The more rows of knives you have the finer the clippings and the faster they will decompose as the clippings will be shorter in length and will dehydrate faster.
My four foot towed motorised finish flail mower has 4 rows of knives which translates to 64 mounting stations which carries 128 side slicers and 64 dethatching blades. My flail mower also has a pick up basket incorporated into the mower to pick up the clippingas well as discharge them back to the ground to pick them up later if the lawn gets ahead of you(it lets the grass clippings dry out and they will pick up quickly and not create dead spots in the lawn.
Sadly no one in the United States makes a pick up flail mower anymore and a new one would have to come from England or Italy now.
I want you to be an informed consumer and make your decision this way; Just remember that there are many good brands of flail mowers available and a finish rotor with four rows of knives will handle everything you need to do and keep the invasives under control. In my dads case we used a JD25A finish flail mower with four rows of knives using his Ford Jubilee which is about the same horsepower as your Kubota for years untill he did not want to mow the place anymore and he had neighbor cleadr it off for heifer hay. He used the JD25A to knock down 10-12 foot golden rod and other weeds in clearing the 12 acres of pasture to the ground so it a finish mower can and will handle heavy brush.
There are a lot of good used JD25A flail mowers on the market and Parts are available from the John Deere Dealer too so thats not an issue. A used JD25A is something you should look at as your B3200 can manage it quite nicely and you can find them in 6 and 7 foot sizes(ours was seven footer).