Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[arto98607]

..........................snip........................ as long as your pulleys are aligned you should have no issues.

No kidding, just take a look at the two thick shims I had to make in order to align the two V-belt pulleys in my 917L mower!
The two pulleys were totally out of alignment before installing the shims.






This mower is probably 25 - 30 years old and who knows what the previous owner did to it, so it may have left the factory perfectly aligned?

 

[leonz]

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the He** did they do to it Art??????????????????????

The tube looks like it has a slight bend in it unless its the angle of the photo image you provided.

 

[arto98607]

.....snip.............

The tube looks like it has a slight bend in it unless its the angle of the photo image you provided.

The tube is straight no worries.

By the way, the mower works very well and is a perfect fit with my 19 HP Ford 1310 (manual shuttle-shift/synchromesh transmission).
The mower is 60 inches wide and has side slicer flails.

Uses less hp and cuts nicer than my JD 48 inch brush hog in tall grass at high ground speed!

 

[Alien]

art, do you run it at 540 rpm?

 

[arto98607]

art, do you run it at 540 rpm?

Yes that is the recommended PTO speed and that is how I have run it so far.
I like the fact that it does not do scalping and no need to mess with the 3 pt height adjustment when mowing in an uneven forest area, unlike my brush hog.

I've been using it for one year so far and after the initial repairs it's been trouble free, but I would expect maintenance requirement be little higher than brush hog in the long run and am fine with that.

 

[Racenut]

I'm looking at flail mowers. My tractor is 66 inches wide, but only 28hp at the PTO, so a bit underpowered to run a flail wider than the tracks. I was looking at hydraulic adjustable offset so I could push it out past the wheels on one side for edges, fence line and around trees and stuff. This vs just having a fixed position that's maybe not centered but sticks out on one side a bit. I guess I'm asking those that have hydraulic offsets how often do you actually need it? Or those that don't, how often do you wish you did?

 

[leonz]

Hello Racenut,

what your asking us is a reasonable and valid question.

If you have two sets of remotes on your mule it can be a plus. It will save you time when doing manual trimming when you become more used to the side shift function.

You have to be careful to clean the grass dust off under and around the slide cylinder to make sure the dust does not build up against the packing gland and the rod seal as it can affect the ability of the flail mower to slide in and out. this is simply because the dust and chaff from mowing will build up and pack down while it rots away. It is easy enough to clean off with a hose with hot water if you have it or cold water if you do not have access to hot water.

its better to know what your tractors limitations are as far as the lifting power/weight limit at the
three point hitch and understand them before you even start looking at flail mowers of either type.

it is also important that the PTO shaft is cut to the correct length so it does not bend when the mower is raised as the flail mower is closer to the tractor.

 

[Alien]

Mine is a fixed offset and it works for me that way. I am glad I didn't have extra expense on a side-shift. It would have been unnecessary expense. I can drive the left wheel up against trees knowing the mower will cut close without touching the tree and I use the extended side to go along fence lines. When I bought it I thought I could add the hydraulics later if need. Glad I didn't waste my money.
I can see there could be some benefit on a larger mower. Mine is 1.5 meters.

 

[milesvdustin]

What flail would this be? It's a 6 foot cut and has trailing wheels behind?

 

[leonz]

I believe that flail mower is a Mott mower with rear wheels instead of arear roller.
It is worth every penny if you can afford to buy it and have mule big enough to lift it

 

[milesvdustin]

How much does it weigh? I have a kioti ck4010hst asking price under a grand

 

[leonz]

I am not sure of its weight; can you bring the kioti to the mower?

The flail mower is carried by the rear wheels as it has no rear roller so keep that in mind as
you do not have to raise it very high to transport it.

 

[milesvdustin]

I cannot bring the tractor to the mower

 

[leonz]

It should be well under 1,000 pounds so I do not think you will have any issues with it for mowing other than becoming more familiar with it while mowing slowly at first.
Replacement parts like knives, knife hangers and V belts are still available for it from various sellers including Montage and Flail Master.

 

[Fallon]

I'm looking at flail mowers. My tractor is 66 inches wide, but only 28hp at the PTO, so a bit underpowered to run a flail wider than the tracks. I was looking at hydraulic adjustable offset so I could push it out past the wheels on one side for edges, fence line and around trees and stuff. This vs just having a fixed position that's maybe not centered but sticks out on one side a bit. I guess I'm asking those that have hydraulic offsets how often do you actually need it? Or those that don't, how often do you wish you did?

I ran a 7' 917 behind my L3200 ok. 32hp, 25pto, 60" track. It would lift it & spin it OK. I just couldn't go fast.

I've since upgraded to a Peruzzo Brush Bull & L4060. Both mowers are heavy for the machines they were on. I just have to go slower. I prefer wide & slow to going faster though. Smoother ride for me & the machine.

The Peruzzo has hydraulic side shift. I use it a fair bit, especially to kick the mower out into rough brush I don't want to drive through. The 917 was fixed offset so I could do that as well, only much tinyer passes. I use it for getting really close to fences too. Fixed offset you have to stay a bit further away so you don't get jammed in with a mower that catches a post. Not a big deal.

Hydraulic offset is definitely nice to have, but not required. Especially if you are mowing established fields. It is another thing to hook up & maintain. My side shift does occasionally get jammed up with clippings & dust. Have to clean it out with a stick & that takes a few minutes.

 

[DeerPark5]

I'm looking at flails too. How large of a unit can a JD2032r handle. <60"? There don't seem to many "small" flails out there.

 

[leonz]

Hello DeerPark5,

There are many small flail mowers available and on the market today so you can look at 48-60 inch flail mowers.

Per tractordata specifications the 2032r can lift a maximum of 1432 pounds with the three point hitch.
The idea being you need to have the front suitcase weights for stability when using a flail mower of any size.

With the rear PTO operating at 540 RPM engine speed you need to keep in mind that the mule having hydrostatic drive is going to suck up engine torque and a 5 foot rear mount flail mower is all your really going to want to handle.

If the 2032R is what you want you need to plan on investing in a loader on the tractor as it will be harder to trade or sell it in if and when the time comes or you wish to trade up.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

I'm looking at flail mowers. My tractor is 66 inches wide, but only 28hp at the PTO, so a bit underpowered to run a flail wider than the tracks. I was looking at hydraulic adjustable offset so I could push it out past the wheels on one side for edges, fence line and around trees and stuff. This vs just having a fixed position that's maybe not centered but sticks out on one side a bit. I guess I'm asking those that have hydraulic offsets how often do you actually need it? Or those that don't, how often do you wish you did?

I have an 88" with a 72" tractor width. I wish I had a side-shift. It would be nice when I mow the ditch I wouldn't have to go as far in and risk getting stuck (the ditch holds water so it's always soupy at the bottom). It would also be very nice when mowing a line of trees; I could just shift in and out while driving a straight line instead of weaving and backing up to the tree to mow or going from different angles. Or if I misjudged distance and instead of backing up or turning I could just shimmy it over and continue on. If you can afford the side-shift it will be worth the investment, especially if you cannot get a mower as wide as your tractor.

What flail would this be? It's a 6 foot cut and has trailing wheels behind?

This would be an Alamo SHD74. These units are still being made by Alamo. The wheels came as a factory option, but it looks like someone thought the mounts weren't strong enough and welded their own bracing on to them. Alamo makes very good mowers. A good portion of municipality mowers are Alamo SHD series. It is well worth the price. If you would like to switch back to a roller instead of the wheels you can purchase all the parts necessary to do so.

How much does it weigh? I have a kioti ck4010hst asking price under a grand

Weight is listed at 930lbs.

 

[Fallon]

I'm looking at flails too. How large of a unit can a JD2032r handle. QUOTE]Specs seem about the same as my old Kubota L3200. TractorData.com John Deere 2032R tractor information The flail was 2' wider than the tractor. Not sure what a 7' 917 weighed, probably around 1k lbs.

You can go wide as long as your machine can lift it. To account for a lack of power you just go slow. Really easy with a HST. Just push the go pedal until the RPMs drop a a little bit & adjust the pedal to keep it matched to varying conditions. With a gear machine you just have to pick a gear that doesn't bog the engine.

 

[Fallon]

Feh, I give up, not sure why it wouldn't quote right in my previous post.