Welcoming Avivii - flail mower

[woodlandfarms]

So just moving the 1850 Flail mower conversation out of new members and into this.

As Ken said, welcome to the group. Fantastic support here, I am always amazed at how helpful everyone is. I think I am probably the person who suffers the most in terms of repairs on my machine. My abuse, coupled with the abuse it suffered under the previous owner, I spend time making repairs.

I would warn you about Ken, he is very good at spending your money. I have been caught countless times in his trap (always happy with the results, except for the thinning wallet).

I have had my eye on a Flail Mower (3 point) that I was going to convert, but not sure if it would be that much value given how rough my land is.

 

[MossRoad]

Wouldn't the flail be just a tad safer? I don't know how you big boy PT owners' brush cutters work. I know my little 48" brush cutter is the spinning blades of death incarnate. I know I don't have enough GPM HP to run a flail on mine (at least I don't think so), but it sure wouldn't toss the debris like the brush cutter does.

 

[ponytug]

I agree MR. I think that flail mowers are much safer, as the flight of debris is contained within the mower housing, but they do require substantially more HP. At the moment PT offers flails only on mowers with more than 30HP. 1445, 1460, 1845, and 1850. I hadn't realized that the 1850 flail is 96". Wow!

There are versions of flail mowers with solid "flails" that are sold for mulching trees in one pass- again, with huge HP requirements.

I think that brush mowers are better about reducing trees or brush to stubble and I think that they aren't really intended to do anything more than tame wilderness. If you are thinking of calling it a lawn, you will probably be happier with something else. That said, sharp blades do make a difference.

Yes, I try not to brush hog within 300' of a building or people. I have seen baseball bat size chunks of wood go well over a hundred feet. My wife now spots me from a substantial distance. Oh, and yes, I mow with my chainsaw helmet and face shield. I have had a couple of pieces sail by me.

YMMV...

All the best, Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I remember the first time I saw something large come out from under the brush cutter. It was a sassafras branch about 4" in diameter. A bent piece flew spinning out about 30' in front of me. I remember thinking to myself, "that looks like a boomerang" and, right on queue, it turned around and came right at me!

That gained me some respect right there of that brush hog.

 

[SpringHollow]

I threw half of a blade near the home and have never found it - bush hogs can be scary things. That is why I am converting a used flail mower.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

I've thrown about half a dozen blades. I always found them. Never found the bolt bushings or about half of the bolt heads. I've just resigned myself to check the bolt heads every hour, and change the bolts and bushings about every 8 hours if they look even the slightest bit distorted. Even at that, a good bonk on a rock and it's all over.

Worst thing I hit was one of those ratchets off of a 3" tie-down strap off a semi that was laying in the grass next to the highway. It knocked a bolt head off, threw a blade, and threw the ratchet into the left-rear wheel, shattering that. Fortunately, I look both ways and never mow if I see a car coming within 1/4 mile.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I throw around 10 blades a year. Bought a metal detector to find them. Generally they are no more than 10 feet away but I run with custom blades that are 1/2 thick.

 

[SpringHollow]

I used a survey metal detector (can find a nail buried in the ground) out to about 150' and never found it. It will probably show up one of these years.

Ken

 

[BWSwamper]

I had to replace a blade bolt right away. The bolt was part way out and bent. I had to dress the threads with a 5/8-10 tap before replacing the bolt.

On close examination, it appeared that the old bolt had yellow plating remaining deep down in the threads.

Are you using Grade 8 or Grade 5 bolts for the blades?

 

[ponytug]

I listen to the sound of the mower. I can hear it begin to drag on the ground when the bolt loosens. I just hear it hitting soil or rocks more often than it "should". Knock on wood/touch oak, I haven't lost a bolt or blade since I noticed that listening to the sound meant that I could hear loose blades. I've bent some bolts, but they were still on when I got to them.

All the best, Peter