Flail Mower Haban 502 Flail Mower Capabilities (Set Up for 3-pt.)

[herefromthere]

Looks like I'm going to get an old Haban 502 flail mower with knife blades that's been fabricobbled into a 3-point hitch configuration. It's 3' wide, so it will be a bit on the small side for my Kubota L3200. Googling didn't give me much on its capabilities, so if anyone can shed some light on what it can cut, that would be great. I've seen some videos of other, more modern flails cutting some pretty impressive brush, but I'm guessing that those are using hammer blades vs. the knife blades this one has.

I have some areas dense with salmonberry, blackberry, sword fern, plus some small alder saplings that I'd like to clear. For those not familiar with salmonberry, it has woody stalks, most under 1" diameter (but can get up to about 2" occasionally down by the ground.) If I have to precut some of the bigger stuff by hand before I wade in with this flail, I'll live with that. There's also a large, replanted clear cut that I want to use it in to clear shrubs and brush growing between the new trees. What I don't have is large fields to mow, so it doesn't need to cover ground at speed like a bush hog can.

Guessing this was on a small garden tractor, so note the driveshaft configuration. Figure I'll have to get a different driveshaft, or at least front u-joint/coupler. Going down the rabbit hole right now on general flail mower stuff like blade types, replacement, etc.

Information on its capabilities with the knife blades would be much appreciated, as would any help with setting up the PTO/shaft configuration. Looks like there's space for the wider mount of hammer blades on the drum. Would I run into weight issues with those vs. the knives or Y-blades? Hopefully there's a way to make this work, as the price is simply hauling it away.

TIA

 

[arto98607]

Not familiar with Haban, but I have a Ford 917L mower with very similar type rotor shaft & flails and it cuts two feet tall grass, small diameter saplings and all blackberries fine.

No doubt there are more heavy duty flails for other model flail mowers, but it looks like the mower you are talking about was designed for this type of side slicers, just like mine was. Little wider mount flails may also fit but I would try the current design first.

I run mine through a Douglas Fir forest area once or twice a year, but first we always pick up larger fallen branches.

Looks like it may be missing a flail or two which will affect the rotor balancing, but maybe it's worth to try as is before changing anything :scratchchin:

 

[leonz]

Hello herefromthere,

How far are you from Skykomish?

Your chain drive flail mower was originally mounted
on the front of a 12 horsepower lawn tractor of various brands.

The previous owner of this flail mower committed a
surgery sin and modified it, UGH to use it on a
three point hitch.

In my offering friendly advice to you from as a user
and owner of flail mowers for over 40 years I strongly
suggest that you do not use it on your current mule
as you are asking for trouble.

It would be better and safer for you to invest in a 4 foot
MINIMAX model flail mower from Vrisimo in California as it is
better suited to your mule and your conditions.

The last thing I want you to do is be unhappy about using a
flail mower and to simply never own another one; as you will
find that a 48-60 inch Vrisimo Minimax will be your first and
last mowing tool as it will outlast your current mule and you
will be equally able to be used on the next mule you own.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You don't have a lot of mass swinging around with those blades. It's more a case of getting into areas where you might not want to strike things (like stones) with a heavy blade, rather than having any impressive brush cutting abilities.

I do have a Ford 917 Fine cut and figured the blades would be trashed by the stones around here, over my conventional regular bladed 917 that I sold. But was pleasantly surprised that the lighter (but far more in number) fine blades fare better with stones.

 

[herefromthere]

Not familiar with Haban, but I have a Ford 917L mower with very similar type rotor shaft & flails and it cuts two feet tall grass, small diameter saplings and all blackberries fine.

No doubt there are more heavy duty flails for other model flail mowers, but it looks like the mower you are talking about was designed for this type of side slicers, just like mine was. Little wider mount flails may also fit but I would try the current design first.

I run mine through a Douglas Fir forest area once or twice a year, but first we always pick up larger fallen branches.

Looks like it may be missing a flail or two which will affect the rotor balancing, but maybe it's worth to try as is before changing anything :scratchchin:


View attachment 672916 View attachment 672918

This definitely isn't the right tool for what I need now, but it might be ok for maintaining a tractor access road/trail once it's cleared. It did come with a whole bunch of extra blades, probably enough to completely replace what's there. I'll pick it up and do some more research on whether or not it's worth my time & effort to try to make it useful. If not, then I'll see if I can sell it.

Hello herefromthere,

How far are you from Skykomish?

Your chain drive flail mower was originally mounted
on the front of a 12 horsepower lawn tractor of various brands.

The previous owner of this flail mower committed a
surgery sin and modified it, UGH to use it on a
three point hitch.

In my offering friendly advice to you from as a user
and owner of flail mowers for over 40 years I strongly
suggest that you do not use it on your current mule
as you are asking for trouble.

It would be better and safer for you to invest in a 4 foot
MINIMAX model flail mower from Vrisimo in California as it is
better suited to your mule and your conditions.

The last thing I want you to do is be unhappy about using a
flail mower and to simply never own another one; as you will
find that a 48-60 inch Vrisimo Minimax will be your first and
last mowing tool as it will outlast your current mule and you
will be equally able to be used on the next mule you own.

I'm about an hour & a half from Skykomish. Just drove through there a few weeks ago on the way over Stevens Pass.

Basically, I'm being given the flail along with the attachments and a tub of extra blades. It's not what I feel I need, but if I can make use of it in some way, I'll give it a go. For now, I need something for legit brush. Looked up the specs on the Vrisimo flails, and those don't have the capacity either. I had planned on buying a bush hog, as those can cut brush up to 2" in diameter, and I may still go that direction, but they're really big. In several parts of my property, that might not be maneuverable enough. If I were to consider a new flail, it would be one with hammer blades for more of a brush application. I'm surprised that this one can be powered by a 12 HP mower! That's a lot of drum and blade mass to spin.

Never met the guy that did the "fabrication" but I have seen other stuff he's done. He was a git-er-done kind of guy who was a young adult during the depression. He never had much money, and he made do with what he had, even if it wasn't elegant.

You don't have a lot of mass swinging around with those blades. It's more a case of getting into areas where you might not want to strike things (like stones) with a heavy blade, rather than having any impressive brush cutting abilities.

I do have a Ford 917 Fine cut and figured the blades would be trashed by the stones around here, over my conventional regular bladed 917 that I sold. But was pleasantly surprised that the lighter (but far more in number) fine blades fare better with stones.

Interesting that the blades survive stones at all. I don't have many here, other than the few random glacial erratics. What I do have a lot of is Salmonberry, which can grow up to about 2" diameter at the base, and is woody.

Thanks for chiming in with the information/advice, everyone! Not sure what, if anything, I'll do with the Haban. Maybe I'll just sell it.

Didn't know much about flails at all, but now I'm curious. I see the Woodmax flails that look interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to spend $2,500 for a made in China piece of equipment like that. Even then, it's only rated to cut 1" saplings. Might just end up going with a bush hog; I'd just about made up my mind to buy a Land Pride RCR1860 before this was offered to me. Downside of those is that they're huge in comparison.

 

[leonz]

Don't discount the Italian made Del Morino flail chopper mowers with the hammer knives for your needs.

 

[JDLudwig]

Would like to know how this went.

 

[herefromthere]

Would like to know how this went.

Picked up the flail, but I also have a 6' bush hog now. The bush hog is probably more suited to my uses and the tractor. Likely going to sell the flail rather than try to make it work on the back of my tractor.

 

[arto98607]

Picked up the flail, but I also have a 6' bush hog now. The bush hog is probably more suited to my uses and the tractor. Likely going to sell the flail rather than try to make it work on the back of my tractor.

I have both also and for me it took some running time figure out proper adjusting of flail mower.

The biggest advantages of flail mower are no scalping of uneven ground at all, little less power demand (with Y flails) and the finished cut looks little better!

Downsides are perhaps little more maintenance and not much cutting at all when reversing.

I am not going back to using a brush hog regularly, no way!