Betstco FH-EFGC155 Flail, New Hammers But Problem With Cut.

[wirlybird]

and you never had this problem before you changed hammers?

I don't know. only used it a few times just testing it out last fall. Had to wait for a new gear box since it was damaged when it arrived.
First real use was in February on a vacant lot so it was mostly just dead weeds and crap. That's where I got into some unknown rocks and cement and broke a few hammers and bent up a few.
I was only going to replace the damaged ones but Betstco's price is high and shipping is really high.
I got a five pack of Titan hammers to see how they matched up and they were a good fit and looked better than the originals. They were about $3 cheaper than the originals and free shipping.
I ended up replacing all with Titans.

They mowed real nice but the consensus is the ridges are from the tires and a combination of soft ground and green, flexible grasses.
I also found my Deere one which rotates the opposite direction cut better in the same conditions.

Anyway, the Betstco is sold so not a worry anymore!

 

[oosik]

Not to let a sleeping dog lye. If it were the tires, soft ground and flexible grass - why wasn't there TWO ridges per run? I wonder if the outside hammers were somehow different than the others. Weight - length - connection.

Strange - it would appear that all flail mowers have this condition - to some extent.

 

[cholland]

I have a wider Betstco flail, but Im guessing they are have similar setup. It appears that way in his pics in the first post. The Betstco flails are somewhat offset. The attachment points can be shifted to alternate mounting points and have even more offset, but in the standard position it is not exactly centered. The left tire lines up along the edge of the cut, but the right tire is well within the cut. That may be why there is only one obvious ridge in each run.

 

[wirlybird]

Not to let a sleeping dog lye. If it were the tires, soft ground and flexible grass - why wasn't there TWO ridges per run? I wonder if the outside hammers were somehow different than the others. Weight - length - connection.

Strange - it would appear that all flail mowers have this condition - to some extent.

First off is that all the hammers were identical and all new. We did inspect the hammers to be sure.

After it was suggested it was tires causing the issue, and we suspected the same, I looked closer and there is a second ridge. However it is more cut down due to the overlapping cut from the next pass and wasn't so easy to see unless you looked for it. Also the end of the flail on the "drive" it side barely covers or extends 3/4's of the width of that tire due to the flail's offset.

If you make a pass and then just stop the tractor, get off and look from behind the ridge does line up perfectly with the tires.
We also tested by running in reverse and got an ok cut. i.e. it cut before the tire rolled over the grass.

As mentioned I did find that three flails also test that had a rotation opposite of the Betstco did a better job and cutting where the tires rolled over the grass.

I think it is a combo of conditions and flail rotating opposite of tire rotation. That's my conclusion at least!

I think it is just an artifact of the flail. I think flail design and blade type do affect this.

 

[wirlybird]

I have a wider Betstco flail, but Im guessing they are have similar setup. It appears that way in his pics in the first post. The Betstco flails are somewhat offset. The attachment points can be shifted to alternate mounting points and have even more offset, but in the standard position it is not exactly centered. The left tire lines up along the edge of the cut, but the right tire is well within the cut. That may be why there is only one obvious ridge in each run.

Exactly as I though.

 

[JethroB]

First off is that all the hammers were identical and all new. We did inspect the hammers to be sure.

After it was suggested it was tires causing the issue, and we suspected the same, I looked closer and there is a second ridge. However it is more cut down due to the overlapping cut from the next pass and wasn't so easy to see unless you looked for it. Also the end of the flail on the "drive" it side barely covers or extends 3/4's of the width of that tire due to the flail's offset.

If you make a pass and then just stop the tractor, get off and look from behind the ridge does line up perfectly with the tires.
We also tested by running in reverse and got an ok cut. i.e. it cut before the tire rolled over the grass.

As mentioned I did find that three flails also test that had a rotation opposite of the Betstco did a better job and cutting where the tires rolled over the grass.

I think it is a combo of conditions and flail rotating opposite of tire rotation. That's my conclusion at least!

I think it is just an artifact of the flail. I think flail design and blade type do affect this.

I agree. Same with my 18“-ish offset Caroni with new Y blades. I’ll try mowing at more of an angle in relation to my front porch view so I don’t have look down the tire tracks.

 

[diesel85]

My flail does this too, but not too bad. Heck even my rotary mower does it. Just the weight of the tractor pushing down on the grass.

If you want even cut, you'll need to do two passes in opposing directions.