How Much Flail Mower for 38-Horse Kubota?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I bit the bullet and ordered a 2-spool rear remote kit for my Kubota L3710. This should give me the ability to run a flail mower with hydraulics.

I guess this will be an old question no one wants to hear again, but how much mower can I run?

I have a 30-HP PTO. It runs a 6-foot King Kutter bush hog just fine.

I want to get rid of weeds with woody stems that generally max out at around 1/2", and I would also like to be able to take down the occasional sapling. I would like to be able to do most of my yard, too. The bahia grass where I live is awful, so a good finish is not possible with any type of mower. I think a flail mower's cut would be fine. It would be really neat if the mower would suck up heavy leaves and mulch them, but I can't ask for the moon.

I saw that Novatractor says its 61" BCRM mower calls for 40 HP, which is a little higher than my tractor's 38.5 gross. Ironcraft's FRF-145, which is a 55" job, only 30. Going up to a 63" mower changes the requirement to 70 HP. Are these requirements written in stone, or what?

 

[dieselscout80]

If you’re looking at ditch bank flails it’s more about the weight of the tractor.

When a ditch bank flail is offset it has a bunch of leverage due to the offset.

 

[RjCorazza]

My 32 HP at the pto tractor easily runs a 62" flail, but as @dieselscout80 mentions, ditch bank flails place a significant offset load on a tractor.
I would not hesitate to run a 7' (non articulating) flail on my tractor, but 62" of ditch bank flail is about all I would want to handle. For reference, my tractor has loaded rears and weighs in at about 6400 lbs. The flail is heavy duty, and weighs 700 lbs.

 

[Tinhack]

I have the BCRM-155 (61") and I can say without a doubt you will know it's back there when extended. It flattened my right rear tire until I aired it to maximum. I usually run them with just enough air to keep full contact. That was on my Ford 3910 which is about a 4600lb. tractor. The Ford's 40hp PTO was no problem at all on scrub up to 1". It baulked a little on harder Mesquite branches but ate it all when going slower. And I really like the design of the hammer flails. They're more of a duck-foot design with support ribs. Best I've seen for the style of hammers.

As Dieselscout says, tractor weight is a concern. It needs to be able to handle the ~950lb mower. That's also the reason the manual says to transport it in the folded and up-right position. When mowing you're going slow but uneven ground will rock the tractor. I only fully extend it when I need to reach out for banks and ditches. Imagine that.

On a side note: Get a restrictor valve for the other line. It comes with one to slow one of the cylinders, but it needs it on both. (I forget which line it came on but get another and necessary hose.) It makes control a whole lot easier when you're mowing.

This is the only picture I have at the moment. I had to partially assemble it in the driveway to get back to the barn with the Ford. The little Kenbota was there to lift/hold the swing arm in place while I installed the bolts.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

So maybe I should stay under 60".

I don't really need it to stand up vertically, but I would like to be able to do a small ditch.

 

[D&D]

I bit the bullet and ordered a 2-spool rear remote kit for my Kubota L3710. This should give me the ability to run a flail mower with hydraulics.

I guess this will be an old question no one wants to hear again, but how much mower can I run?

I have a 30-HP PTO. It runs a 6-foot King Kutter bush hog just fine.

I want to get rid of weeds with woody stems that generally max out at around 1/2", and I would also like to be able to take down the occasional sapling. I would like to be able to do most of my yard, too. The bahia grass where I live is awful, so a good finish is not possible with any type of mower. I think a flail mower's cut would be fine. It would be really neat if the mower would suck up heavy leaves and mulch them, but I can't ask for the moon.

I saw that Novatractor says its 61" BCRM mower calls for 40 HP, which is a little higher than my tractor's 38.5 gross. Ironcraft's FRF-145, which is a 55" job, only 30. Going up to a 63" mower changes the requirement to 70 HP. Are these requirements written in stone, or what?

I would sit down and put all my thoughts into an email to Novatractor. In the past, Jack Yuan has been very helpful. Nova, Ironcraft, Besst, Woodmax all have the same country of origin. Little design details (and price) are where the differences come into play. I don't remember whether or not they all come out of the same province/factory.

 

[leonz]

I bit the bullet and ordered a 2-spool rear remote kit for my Kubota L3710. This should give me the ability to run a flail mower with hydraulics.

I guess this will be an old question no one wants to hear again, but how much mower can I run?

I have a 30-HP PTO. It runs a 6-foot King Kutter bush hog just fine.

I want to get rid of weeds with woody stems that generally max out at around 1/2", and I would also like to be able to take down the occasional sapling. I would like to be able to do most of my yard, too. The bahia grass where I live is awful, so a good finish is not possible with any type of mower. I think a flail mower's cut would be fine. It would be really neat if the mower would suck up heavy leaves and mulch them, but I can't ask for the moon.

I saw that Novatractor says its 61" BCRM mower calls for 40 HP, which is a little higher than my tractor's 38.5 gross. Ironcraft's FRF-145, which is a 55" job, only 30. Going up to a 63" mower changes the requirement to 70 HP. Are these requirements written in stone, or what?

Good morning Suburban Plowboy,


I want to help you with this investment to assure you have the correct
flail mower shredder for your needs as you will be able to use it easily
on a larger mule if you decide to purchase a larger mule in the future.

Your question is both relevant and is always welcome.

I have described how one should examine how to purchase the correct flail mower,
vineyard and orchard flail shredder or verge mower for their needs in the flail mower
threads here on the forum.

In purchasing the correct flail shredder mower for "your" specific needs you have
identified the grass/brush/weed tree and ground conditions you have and the
desired finish which can and will be had with the correct flail shredder/flail mower/verge mower.

Did you order a 2 spool rear remote kit with double acting valve spools or
the kit with one single acting and one double acting valve spool?


Which model L3710 do you own?

L3710DT 4 wheel drive Gear ROPS
L3710GST 4 wheel drive Glide shift ROPS
L3710HST 4 wheel drive hydrostatic ROPS
L3710HSTC Cab

Which transmission is it equipped with?

8 speed mechanical transmission
Hydrostatic transmission
8 speed automatic fully synchronized transmission
16 speed creeper transmission

A hydrostatic transmission mule will consume much more power and
deliver the available torque to the 540 rpm rear power take off.

A gear transmission tractor provides the user with the most available torque.

Are the rear tires loaded with liquid ballast? If not, that has to be done first,
and rear weights added

to both rear tires and the front left tire.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I want help you with finding the
right flail shredder mower for your needs.

If you are seeking to purchase a boom mounted
vineyard and orchard shredder mower you must
keep in mind the shredder mower has to be
correctly sized to prevent a tip over.

A smaller width boom mounted orchard and
vineyard shredder mower will always be less
of a side load on the L3710.

A boom mounted side shifting vineyard and
orchard shredder mower is a rear mounted
implement that acts as a huge weight on the
tractor which affects its balance and can
affect the tractors center of gravity which is
the centerline height between both rear wheels.

The L3710 tractors ground clearance is part of
the centerline dimension and center of gravity.

You need to visualize the following to understand
how the over center loading of the implement
will affect the tractors center of gravity even if
the tractor is level.

Imagine if you will that you are holding a 12 foot
long 2" by 6" straight out with a 5 gallon pail at the
end of the board, hard to do, very hard to do.
This is the load placed on the tractor when the boom
is extended and raised with the mower.

A double action side shifting flail shredder mower
will not create the over center loading stress that
an orchard and vineyard shredder mower will.

A wider double acting side shifting flail shredder
mower will mow over the ditch bank and keep the
brush on the bank intact.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next thing you need to decide on is the type of cut you want to
have.

A flail shredder mower with side slicer knives will cut and recut the
clippings and the pressure gradient/vacuum created by the large
number of side slicer knives will recut the brush and Bahia grass
into a fine clipping that will dissolve quickly into the ground.

A scoop knife or hammer knife will only cut the brush and grass
once and it will not be able to recut the brush to a smaller clipping
because it will not create enough lift to vacuum up the cut clippings
a second time due to the design of the knife.

You need to have a flail mower shredder with heat treated knives
as they are tougher and will resist breakage.

A side slicer knife will give you a fine cut down to two inches in height
and recut the brush to a very small clipping that will dissolve faster.

A scoop/hammer knife will not cut as well and will leave dead grass on the
ground.

The combination of a greater number of side slicer knives and shorter the cut
will create the greater pressure gradient/vacuum created across and under the
flail mower shroud to aid in slicing the brush and re slicing the same brush
already sliced and on the ground.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to help you purchase the flail mower for your needs that will outlast
your current tractor and that involves the following items.

1. developing a good relationship with an equipment dealer to find the right flail
mower shredder
2. stocks consumable parts inventory
3. has access to a national warehouse network
4. provide you with warranty service for your flail mower

Please send me a PM and I will gladly help you with this investment.


Disclaimer:

I have no financial interest or ownership interest in any flail mower
brand or equipment dealer.
I am a homeowner that has used and owned flail mowers since 1980.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Thanks for that great post.

It's an HST tractor (L3710GST 4 wheel drive Glide shift ROPS) with weighted rear tires. I don't know how much stuff is in them. I bought the tractor used. It has an ROPS.

I don't know enough to be able to answer your question about the remotes, but this is the one I ordered: Rear Remote Kit for Kubota L3010, L3410, L3710 ROPS.

The grass here doesn't benefit much from a top-notch cut. It's thin. People say it's the kind of grass that looks good from a distance. When I cut it with a mower, unless the grass is pretty high, it can be hard to tell the areas I've mowed from the ones I haven't.

As I said, I don't think I will benefit much from a mower that can be turned vertically, but I want it offset by at least a couple of feet, and I would like to be able to do small ditches.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Maybe what I need is a side shift mower. I thought these were also called offset mowers.

I definitely don't want something I have to move manually. I have learned my lesson about "quick" and "easy" manual equipment.

 

[leonz]

A hydraulic powered side shift flail mower would be a good fit for you as you are a new owner and
investing in a finish flail mower with a 4 row flail mower rotor will give you excellent results if you
intend to overseed with grass seed ment for Florida or even Zoysia grass seed that will work very
well for your needs.

Renting a self propelled over seeder would help you a great deal if they are available in your area.
if you only wish to have good sod near your home.

The one thing I want to stress to you is that a hydraulic side shift flail mower will need to be kept
clean as the dust and clippings will build up quickly during dry periods due to static cling and you
need to clean the top of the mower off with either a strong leaf blower or a hose with hot water
as the dust can enter the wiper seals on the double acting hydraulic cylinder if it is not heavily
chrome plated and then you will develop an oil leak over time and it gets very messy to keep
your mower clean.

Please send me a PM if you would like to chat more and I will give you my phone number if you
would like more detail about flail mower brands and other relevent information as to dealer
networks etc.

Leon

How old are your fur babies?