That's because its 88", not 72" like the Woodmaax I mentioned. Going on Woodmaax's site, their non-hydraulic 88" mower is 1243lbs. Again, it may not be a good way to measure durability but it certainly is heavy.
Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers
- Thread starter TNhobbyfarmer
- Start date
- Views: 3272850
That's because its 88", not 72" like the Woodmaax I mentioned. Going on Woodmaax's site, their non-hydraulic 88" mower is 1243lbs. Again, it may not be a good way to measure durability but it certainly is heavy.
D2Cat
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2014
- Messages
- 764
- Location
- 50 miles south of Kansas City
- Tractor
- Case730, Deutz 6206, Cat D2, Kubota L305, Kubota L4240, Kubota B7100HST, Kubota TG1860G, TG1860D
If you're needing new rollers you can often get what you need at a truck drive shaft shop, like Inland Truck Parts. They can fab the entire thing to your liking and reasonable.
TheFarmerInAdell
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2018
- Messages
- 396
- Location
- Adell, WI
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 2706E, Massey Ferguson GC1705
Being an engineer at an OEM I have access to things most people don't. Including a vendor who can make my roller tube for me for the cost of the material only. The ends I bought from Flailmaster because I didn't want to push the limits of favors from this vendor.
I've been looking at flails for quite awhile now and sorting out whether rotary or flail is the way for me to go and had a few questions and concerns people on here I know can answer. I have not read all the posts, but more than half for sure.
I have been mowing 20 acres with my 5 woods rotary mower for 10 years and time to upgrade mower since I upgraded my tractor a few years back and I need something wider. Currently using JD CUT 4320 48hp with 40hp at pto per specs. One of my criteria is that I need it fit on my trailer and prefer to have it mounted to tractor to transport. It is 100 miles one way to my camp which I visit frequently. I prefer to haul it to and from home so I do not have to leave it out in the weather which I currently do on my woods mower. Winter weather is taking its toll on it. Trailer width is 80 rail to rail and is a 20 utility hauler.
What I have come up with so far if I stick to rotary is a Bush Hog squealer 7 offset rotary as one choice, but that will not load easily in trying to keep it centered on my trailer and keep it inside wheel width to keep cops away. As far as flails, I think the John Deere 370 model is my best fit. Width fits on trailer and covers my tractor width and works with my Imatch hitch. Weight (900lbs) is plenty, but with tractor only and loader removed should be good to haul. A newer 25A is also a possibility with Deere. Also looking at Caroni and Woodmaxx. Caroni TM1900 quoted 2750 delivered.
The ground I am mowing is not the smoothest and I can only manage about 4mph average. Grass varies from 8 to 5 in height and thick in some areas. This is in the mountains so not an alpha field and mostly weeds and orchard grass. Wet in some areas but mostly dry and currently mow it twice a year but would do more if I had a more convenient setup. I am mowing 95% grass and very little to no brush now since I have that cleared back and can always use the 5 woods if I need to for that. Do the flails float with ground contours decently? My mower sometimes scalps the high spots. Rocks are few, but some around.
So my criteria is: Area is 20 Ac 85% open 15% around trees; 40hp pto mule; mowing mostly grass; field rolls and not a lawn, but is flat; 6 +/- mower fits trailer may be able to go 7? trying to convince myself to buy a flail. Jd or other model.
Last question is my tractor does not have rear remotes so with the loader off if I had a hydraulic shift flail can you hook those lines to the loader ports and make it work?
Any flail recommendations? I"ll try and attach a before and after picture of a portion of my area I just mowed last week.
Thanks, Brad
I have been mowing 20 acres with my 5 woods rotary mower for 10 years and time to upgrade mower since I upgraded my tractor a few years back and I need something wider. Currently using JD CUT 4320 48hp with 40hp at pto per specs. One of my criteria is that I need it fit on my trailer and prefer to have it mounted to tractor to transport. It is 100 miles one way to my camp which I visit frequently. I prefer to haul it to and from home so I do not have to leave it out in the weather which I currently do on my woods mower. Winter weather is taking its toll on it. Trailer width is 80 rail to rail and is a 20 utility hauler.
What I have come up with so far if I stick to rotary is a Bush Hog squealer 7 offset rotary as one choice, but that will not load easily in trying to keep it centered on my trailer and keep it inside wheel width to keep cops away. As far as flails, I think the John Deere 370 model is my best fit. Width fits on trailer and covers my tractor width and works with my Imatch hitch. Weight (900lbs) is plenty, but with tractor only and loader removed should be good to haul. A newer 25A is also a possibility with Deere. Also looking at Caroni and Woodmaxx. Caroni TM1900 quoted 2750 delivered.
The ground I am mowing is not the smoothest and I can only manage about 4mph average. Grass varies from 8 to 5 in height and thick in some areas. This is in the mountains so not an alpha field and mostly weeds and orchard grass. Wet in some areas but mostly dry and currently mow it twice a year but would do more if I had a more convenient setup. I am mowing 95% grass and very little to no brush now since I have that cleared back and can always use the 5 woods if I need to for that. Do the flails float with ground contours decently? My mower sometimes scalps the high spots. Rocks are few, but some around.
So my criteria is: Area is 20 Ac 85% open 15% around trees; 40hp pto mule; mowing mostly grass; field rolls and not a lawn, but is flat; 6 +/- mower fits trailer may be able to go 7? trying to convince myself to buy a flail. Jd or other model.
Last question is my tractor does not have rear remotes so with the loader off if I had a hydraulic shift flail can you hook those lines to the loader ports and make it work?
Any flail recommendations? I"ll try and attach a before and after picture of a portion of my area I just mowed last week.
Thanks, Brad
leonz
Super Member
Hello Nittanyjd,
A JD 370 will work well for you for this task. The JD25A was the same width machine that my father used with his ford Jubilee to mow his reclaimed pasture in 4 acre blocks.
You may end up having to have flag holders welded to the side weldments of the flail mower due to the trailers 80 inch width.
With a flail mower the rear roller is the height gauge for cutting. You adjust the cutting height by unbolting the rear roller arms and resetting its location up or down in the holes of the side weldment.
As far as following the contour a rear mounted flail mower works best with the mower adjusted for cutting height and then the mower is lowered to the point where the rear roller touches the ground and then you stop lowering it and lock the valve. Some flail mowers use a chain for the top link to allow the flail mower to follow the ground but you can run into problems with it if the tractor bottoms out and the mower nose dives.
Once you have the mower on the ground you adjust the top link using a torpedo level on the gearbox or the front steel tube of the flail mower and then when the bubble is in the center of the level lock the top link in place and then you can mow leaving the lower link valve locked in place.
You can mow down to 2 inches running in a spiral pattern and save fuel, brakes and time when mowing and still have an well mowed parcel.
If you want to invest in a hydraulic side shift flail mower you can use the loader valve to control it but the boom and bucket have to come off the mule.
==========================================================================================================
A JD 370 will work well for you for this task. The JD25A was the same width machine that my father used with his ford Jubilee to mow his reclaimed pasture in 4 acre blocks.
You may end up having to have flag holders welded to the side weldments of the flail mower due to the trailers 80 inch width.
With a flail mower the rear roller is the height gauge for cutting. You adjust the cutting height by unbolting the rear roller arms and resetting its location up or down in the holes of the side weldment.
As far as following the contour a rear mounted flail mower works best with the mower adjusted for cutting height and then the mower is lowered to the point where the rear roller touches the ground and then you stop lowering it and lock the valve. Some flail mowers use a chain for the top link to allow the flail mower to follow the ground but you can run into problems with it if the tractor bottoms out and the mower nose dives.
Once you have the mower on the ground you adjust the top link using a torpedo level on the gearbox or the front steel tube of the flail mower and then when the bubble is in the center of the level lock the top link in place and then you can mow leaving the lower link valve locked in place.
You can mow down to 2 inches running in a spiral pattern and save fuel, brakes and time when mowing and still have an well mowed parcel.
If you want to invest in a hydraulic side shift flail mower you can use the loader valve to control it but the boom and bucket have to come off the mule.
==========================================================================================================
arto98607
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2014
- Messages
- 1,498
- Location
- Southwest WA
- Tractor
- Kubota F3060, Grasshopper 721D, Ford 1310, John Deere 440 ICD, John Deere 300 & 430
Here's an update on my $550 "project" Ford 917L:
I finished the belt idler repair few weeks ago and it now has two ball bearings which can be replaced if they will ever wear out, and I also had to make a new idler pivot shaft since the previous owner had broken off the 5/8" threaded end when trying to remove the nut!
The mower now has a new set of side slicer flails (part no. MH386 from Flailmaster) and new 3/8" bolts holding them. The flail holes had to be re-drilled in a drill press from 5/16" to 3/8" which was somewhat of a challenge, due to pretty hard flail steel material and I went through couple of cobalt drill bits.
I have mowed my pasture twice with it and am pleased with the result; it is obvious this 60" cut flail mower (with side slicer flails) uses noticeably less power than my 48" JD brush hog when cutting 2 -3 feet tall thick grass at a reasonably high ground speed. It also does no scalping and unlike brush hog, does not require 3 pt. adjustment at all when mowing uneven ground.
So far I am pretty pleased with this mower :thumbsup:
Attachments
D2Cat
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2014
- Messages
- 764
- Location
- 50 miles south of Kansas City
- Tractor
- Case730, Deutz 6206, Cat D2, Kubota L305, Kubota L4240, Kubota B7100HST, Kubota TG1860G, TG1860D
I've noticed something unusual when mowing with a flail, and wonder if others notice the same thing. I have an area around my barn with some grass and some weeds. I mow with the flail, and cut the material so when I'm finished it looks like I mowed it with a push mower, only a few inches tall.
The odd part is as soon as I'm out of the way with the equipment the cattle get over there and graze everything! There are some buffalobur and they even eat that like it's a treat. Why do they eat it right after it's been cut?
The odd part is as soon as I'm out of the way with the equipment the cattle get over there and graze everything! There are some buffalobur and they even eat that like it's a treat. Why do they eat it right after it's been cut?
CADplans
Elite Member
I was told that a cow has to wrap its tongue around the grass to kinda rip it,,
SO,, if the grass is already loose,, it is MUCH easier for the cow to eat.
CADplans
Elite Member
Oh, yea, I forgot,, no upper teeth to bite the grass, so they gotta rip it,, or enjoy the loose grass,,
