Maintenance of Rotary Cutters Vs Flail Mowers

[Fallon]

The side sliders on my 917 held up fine with no maintenance or sharpening other than replacement when worn or mangled. I abused them too, lots of rock strikes from gravel. It was an old beater I paid $100 for so didn't care much. The thin material of the side slicers is still pretty thin even when dull, so still cut well.

My new Peruzzo is gonna be a different story. I have thick hammers on it, so I imagine dulling & sharpening on those will be an issue. Not to mention paying a LOT more for the new machine.

 

[leonz]

Hello Fallon,

Once you use a wet well grinder to maintain the edge of the cast hammers and side slicers you will be amazed at the cut quality.

 

[TerryR]

I dunno. Watch me replace my blades on my rotary cutter (among other things).

Wow! That's a whole lot harder than with my Bush Hog cutter. As long as you have a big socket (inch and a quarter or thereabouts) and do it every two or three years it's no big deal. Remove the nut and drive out the shoulder bolt (hint, a hand drill - small sledge hammer - makes a perfect punch and holds itself in the hole in the deck. The bolt and blade drop out and are easy to sharpen on a bench grinder. Reaching under to re-assemble is a bit awkward but it fits together tight enough to hold itself in place until you can get the nut on.

About 30 to 45 minutes for both I'm guessing. But a lot more trouble getting it out if you wait 10 years for the first time - don't ask how I know that.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Wow! That's a whole lot harder than with my Bush Hog cutter. As long as you have a big socket (inch and a quarter or thereabouts) and do it every two or three years it's no big deal. Remove the nut and drive out the shoulder bolt (hint, a hand drill - small sledge hammer - makes a perfect punch and holds itself in the hole in the deck. The bolt and blade drop out and are easy to sharpen on a bench grinder. Reaching under to re-assemble is a bit awkward but it fits together tight enough to hold itself in place until you can get the nut on.

About 30 to 45 minutes for both I'm guessing. But a lot more trouble getting it out if you wait 10 years for the first time - don't ask how I know that.

It would have been a lot simpler if the two shims had not mushroomed. Now that I've "fitted" my shims and anti-seezed the pins, I expect that a 2 pound mallet will knock the pins out next time around.

 

[ovrszd]

I said this on the Marathon Flail thread here on TBN and got pounced on by the dedicated Flail crowd.

I don't understand all the hype regarding Flail mowers.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I said this on the Marathon Flail thread here on TBN and got pounced on by the dedicated Flail crowd.

I don't understand all the hype regarding Flail mowers.

I saw your post and tend to agree. If I could clear banks and ditches with my Brushog, I wouldn't be buying a flail. It's mainly one with offset and vertical cutting capabilities that makes a flail useful to me.

 

[ovrszd]

I saw your post and tend to agree. If I could clear banks and ditches with my Brushog, I wouldn't be buying a flail. It's mainly one with offset and vertical cutting capabilities that makes a flail useful to me.

I own one because I got it very cheap. But then cheap cost isn't relevant to high operating expenses. I've spent over $500 on it in the past two years. I'm just trying to recoup my costs.

 

[countrybumpkin]

I use a sickle mower for ditch banks and such, even trim trees along the drive with it.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

IMHO THEY ARE BOTH MOWERS BUT FOR DIFFERENT TASKS YES THE ROTARY MOWER WILL CUT HEAVIER BRUSH BUT DOES NOT LEAVE AS NICE CUT THE FLAIL LEAVES A FINE CUT AS WELL AS MULCHING UP WHAT YOU MOW OVER BOTH HAVE THERE PLACE I HAVE BOTH AND USE THE ONE THAT I NEED AT THE TIME. AS FOR MAINTAINING THE ROTARY WILL REQUIRE LESS AS THE FLAIL HAS MORE MOVING PARTS THE COST IS BIG ISSUE YOU CAN BUY A GOOD ROTARY FOR A THIRD OF PRICE OF A FLAIL UNLESS YOU FIND USED WOULD DEFINITELY KEEP ROTARY MOWER TO USE WHEN I NEED IT.

 

[Texasmark]

I doubt anything can compare to a rotary mower of sufficient size for the tractor and job to be done. Fewest moving parts and built like a tank. With that said, it's amazing how nice of a job you can get done with one, especially on flat, level ground and turf to cut.