Flail Mower Just bought a Flail Mower - How did I do?

[leonz]

It's not that I have buyers remorse. I do not know if I have enough knowledge to fix it. Moreover - I don't know who does. I can replace knives and PTO shaft, but I have no clue how the belts work or how to tighten them.

No - I surely didn't think I was getting a gently used mower!

Hello Justin,

You can fix it if you have a warm place to work and basic hand tools
and can offer beer and pizza bribes if you need help removing the
flail mower rotor to replace both bearings- but I dont think you need to
replace the bearings yet- the tiem you replace them is when the bearing
siezes that the only time.

Just bear with me and order the parts manuals from an online JD dealer
and a catalog from flail master for spare parts.

The drive belts are easy to replace and adjust if your unit has a
manual snubber, but I believe yours is spring tensioned like mine
and my fathers older JD25A

You can do this Justin, It just takes patience.
You will have lots of help here and its just a
message away on the forum.

Read the flailmower thread first, order the manuals for the mower, order
a catalog from flailmaster and you will be on your way to mowing in a
few weeks if not in less time.

 

[Code54]

"the tiem you replace them is when the bearing siezes that the only time."

I have to disagree with Leonz on that one (sorry buddy). If you notice the bearing is gritty, grinding, or has excessive play you should be replacing the bearing then, not when it seizes. If it seizes it can start causing damage to other parts and could shut you down. Replacing it ahead of time saves you possible damage and assures it will be working when you need it to work.

 

[FlintMich]

"the tiem you replace them is when the bearing siezes that the only time."

I have to disagree with Leonz on that one (sorry buddy). If you notice the bearing is gritty, grinding, or has excessive play you should be replacing the bearing then, not when it seizes. If it seizes it can start causing damage to other parts and could shut you down. Replacing it ahead of time saves you possible damage and assures it will be working when you need it to work.

Gonna have to agree with Code54 on the bearings. Bearings are relatively cheap and usually fairly straightforward to replace. And the peace of mind that comes with running your "new to you" implement with new bearings is absolutely priceless IMO. Plus, by the time you've removed the old bearings and installed the new bearings, you will know your machine inside and out. It's a fairly simple machine but you will have a much better understanding of how it works and how to keep it working. Another benefit of changing out the bearings now, as opposed to later, is that it gives you a great opportunity to search every nook and cranny of the implement for cracks or any other damage that might cause you more money or your sanity later. Honestly, it's a win-win. I know it's tempting to just get it up and running right away because you're excited and anxious to use your new toy - I mean tool. : ) But trust me when I tell you that a little bit of time and effort now can and will save you a lot of time and hassle later. Don't fall for the tempting "I will just get it running for now and then rebuild it after the season is over" lie. When the mowing season is over, you'll be so busy doing other stuff that you'll never get around to rebuilding it. Or, Heaven forbid, if you run it now and something breaks or the bearing seize up, it'll take more time and money to fix it and during the off-season, you will be far less enthused about your cool new flail mower than you are now. If you start on it now, while you're still stoked about your new toy - I mean tool, then you'll be more likely to get it done so you can use it. Or at least that's how it works with me. YMMV.

Either way, best of luck with that beauty of a mower. I'm confident that you will get decades of service out of that thing without any trouble at all. Just be sure to share lots of pictures of before, during and after. Like Leonz said, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience at your fingertips here on this and other forums and, equally awesome for you, parts are still available. I can assure you that you will not regret the time and money you invest in that mower.

Good luck Justin and keep us posted.
TJ

 

[flusher]

Just picked up a 1994 JD 390 94" Flail Mower via online auction. Price was $600. Assuming no major issues - how do y'all think I did?

Thanks!View attachment 445159View attachment 445160

Nice looking mower. Good price. Hope the bearings are OK. Otherwise you'll be getting up close and personal with your new mower as you swap out bearings (which is a good thing).

Your 4035 has about 33 hp (pto) for the gear tranny and 31.5 hp (pto) for the hydrostatic. The minimum recommended hp for that mower is 30 hp; maximum is 70 hp. So you're operating with very little hp reserve for mowing in the tall weeds.

Good luck.

 

[ovrszd]

Sounds like a fair price. You'll only know for sure after you've put a few hours of use on it.

Don't sell your Brush Cutter.

 

[MMagis]

The MSRP for that exact mower, new, is $6400. You still did great, but I don’t know where the $9000 figure came from.

 

[DocDryden]

Just picked up a 1994 JD 390 94" Flail Mower via online auction. Price was $600. Assuming no major issues - how do y'all think I did?

Thanks!View attachment 445159View attachment 445160

How about an update on the JD 390