Flail Mower 918L flail mower question

[RickB]

one example

All the ball or roller bearings I ever replaced or greased on mining equipment were open unsealed high speed bearings.

Farm and property maintenence equipment is built to a different spec than mining equipment, I would say.

 

[leonz]

Farm and property maintenence equipment is built to a different spec than mining equipment, I would say.

True,

but I have never seen flail mower(even a small one) in
32 years without roller bearings and this one is a first.

 

[sfabern]

I am using this mower too cut a path around the woods. and I keep burning belts up. After I got the mower back I tried too turn the cutter bar and it was very hard too turn. My to be next move was too remove the cutter bar and inspect the bearings they seem to be ok. I am wondering if I am missing a piece or part.

I did go too messicks parts and found what they call a scraper but I dont see that on my very used flail mower. Does the scraper hold down long grass before the blades cut it? Does anyone have a picture of there 918L or can someone tell me how the flail more is suppose too work? I get the flailing blades but is their somethingbending the grass over before it is cutt?

I have a 918L and while I have not had belt problems and the shaft turns easily by hand, I am having trouble cutting longer (and thicker grasses). I can proceed more slowly through heavy clumps to avoid the rig and engine from loading ( I operate a Kubota 33 HP at 540 PTO rpm, and approximately 23 - 2400 engine RPM), but I still wind up with uneven cuts of the pasture grass in my 4-5 acre field, which has a variety of pasture grasses. I too see some grass being held down and not cut and mulched up by the knives. I sharpened all of them two winters ago to no avail. So now I am wondering if the 918L is good only for lawns or very light duty pasture grass (up to, say, 8-10 inches). I am also wondering if the cutting will be better with heavier knives. Can the 918L take heavier knives than the OEM knives?

 

[leonz]

I have a 918L and while I have not had belt problems and the shaft turns easily by hand, I am having trouble cutting longer (and thicker grasses). I can proceed more slowly through heavy clumps to avoid the rig and engine from loading ( I operate a Kubota 33 HP at 540 PTO rpm, and approximately 23 - 2400 engine RPM), but I still wind up with uneven cuts of the pasture grass in my 4-5 acre field, which has a variety of pasture grasses. I too see some grass being held down and not cut and mulched up by the knives. I sharpened all of them two winters ago to no avail. So now I am wondering if the 918L is good only for lawns or very light duty pasture grass (up to, say, 8-10 inches). I am also wondering if the cutting will be better with heavier knives. Can the 918L take heavier knives than the OEM knives?

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Hello Sfabern,

Don't lose hope my friend or be discouraged.

You may just need a new V belt, I am extremely surprised to see this mower without a flat snubber pulley or a manually adjusted belt tension pulley of some type

You have finish cut flail mower and there is no reason you cannot mow pasture with it we did it with a Ford Jubilee with a 7 foot JD290 flail mower.

My father used his first 3 foot cut towed motorized lawn genie to cut a jogging path for my mother in 12-15 foot tall pasture brush and golden rod for my mother to use rather than running along the road. He kept the path mowed for her with no problems and mowed it down to a 2 inch cutting height for her to jog on.
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What is the cutting height that you are using?

To get the maximum benefit in mowing you need to leave the cutting height at two or three inches and you can go back and cut the rooster tails that are left if any.

Ideally you should mow in a spiral to overlap and recut the material in one pass and then you will have good sod that is free of invasive plants

If you have a higher cutting height you will have less suction to lift and cut the grass and brush and slice it into smaller clippings.

You can purchase hardened side slicer knives for your flail mower and the cutting edge will stay sharper longer BUT they need to be properly sharpened if and when the time comes using a wet well grinder to maintain the very sharp edge.

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As you have a fine finish flail mower with three rows of knives it will take you longer to to get a 2 inch cut in tall grass and brush.


You will need to take more time when mowing. You will be very impressed with the the mowing as all the clippings will dissolve quickly.

Do not hesitate to back up over the uncut material and go forward to re cut it.


You have a flail mower that will outlast your tractor and can be used on a higher horse power tractor if you upgrade to a larger frame size.

Leonz

 

[2458n]

I was reading this post because I believe I have a old Ford 908 Flail. Stored outside in the Ohio winter so it did not mow long in year 2. Freezing water took out one end bearing. Have a couple of other flail mowers that are 7 foot models used by the local parks. What caught my Eye was the term Lawn Genie. I missed one of these at a auction in Springfield Ohio. For 250 dollars I can not believe I did not realize how useful that machine would be in the fall for leaves. First one I had ever seen. As a finish mower - mow slow or mow more often. Look at your Bush hog blade compared to your flail blade. Not even close are they.

 

[Fallon]

I have an old beat up 917 behind my L3200 HST (25ish HP PTO) & it does great in my field. Chokes a bit on 2' tall grass, but gives an OK cut on it anyway. I wouldn't use it on heavier brush, that wouldn't cut well & would tear up the mower. I've got a 5' rotary cutter I now only use for rough stuff.

My 917 has a tension pulley & everything can be turned over easily by hand when you remove the belt & PTO shaft. It still turns over by hand with the belt on, but no PTO. If it won't turn over by hand, something is bent or you have a bad bearing.

The roller on mine is non adjustable. Mine did come with parts for tail wheels, but the wheels were way toasted & I never used em. Hydraulic top link in float & adjusting height via the 3pt works well for me.