Can a Flail Mower Cut Tall Weeds?

[Ford850]

I researched flails and planned to get an Alamo from a close dealer. He has a long history of selling them and uses them himself. When I asked questions about tall weeds and prairie grass along with hundreds of saplings, and plans to mow once or twice a year, he said I would not be happy with a flail. He suggested mowing every month or two, which isn't my plan. He could have sold me an $8k Alamo, but he steered me to a rotary for less than half the price so I know he wasn't BS'ing. If you read the long flail thread when people have complaints like yours, someone will suggest mowing in reverse, slowing down, or mowing it twice. Flails and rotary mowers each have strengths and neither are best for all conditions.

 

[Joe Malovich]

Is there a tilt adjustment for the flail? If the leading edge is too low it will hold the stalks below the cutterheads. Tilt the unit back and raise the anti scalp roller on the back.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

I mow tall grass with my flail no problem. I have a Ford 917 and I put "extreme service" side slicers on it. Make sure your belts are tight. I noticed that when my belts started to slip it didn't mow well at all. What kind of cutters do you have? Here is a video of mine running through what seems to be similar growth. My cutters also spin the same direction as the tires which seems to help "pick up" the stuff that's knocked over.

 

[TerryR]

Problem substantially solved, though I suspect the safety police will not be happy.

Slopecarver, you are on the right track. I needed to open the front end.

Thanks for the video, Farmer. Tall grass isn't the issue, the weeds with tough stems are, but I see you have about the same. But looking at the vintage of your mower I suspect you have the same "solution" that worked for me.

Figuring the problem is the mower is laying the weeds down flat before the blades get to them, I removed the rubber flap front guard, opening up the front about 4 inches. The difference is night and day! I still get an occasional stem standing but 99% of them are cut. And it now works in 3rd gear, which is about as fast as I an navigate on my hilly property. In heavy grass it loads up the tractor but it still maintains PTO RPMs.

 

[Mike Madison]

You might try adjusting the length of the top link (I'm guessing this is a 3 point hitch mower). That changes the angle of the mower and the relationship of the cutters to the rear roller. The heavier Y-shaped flails (two per link) do a better job on woody stuff than a ducks-foot flail. You can swap from one to the other--they fit the same linkage.

 

[bkrgi]

The Woodmaxx FM62H with hammers working in Tall woody stuff, weeds, grasses and left a awesome cut with just a few stragglers (a second zip on them made them disappear) A rotary would leave a mess in comparison.
Part 1

Part 2... won't let me embed a second vid so here be the link but gives a better idea of how tall some of the stuff was.
B26TLB Flail Mowing Part 2 - YouTube

Pics as well
DSC01082 by richardktm300, on Flickr
DSC01085 by richardktm300, on Flickr
DSC01095 by richardktm300, on Flickr
DSC01096 by richardktm300, on Flickr

 

[Phantese]

Flails don't cut tall grass or bushes particularly well, it lays down the grass and it tends to pass underneath the blades, however I keep mine about 10" high in tall stuff, (3 feet or higher) with the top link turned out so it rides with the underbelly more open to the grass. Not ideal but then I'll make a second pass in normal position and it gives a great cut. Rotarys are far better on tall stuff, but they usually leave a mess, so a second cut is necessary if you want a more "mowed" look. If your just plowing through stuff once get a rotary, but if you can angle the flail back and then do it in normal postion it's hard to beat the cut and mulch. I like the flail cause it's truely portable - I can trailer it, the rotary and tractor don't fit on many trailers so they are more of a use it where it sits, unless you have a monster trailer. I really like the flail, I have a second set of blades (hammer and fine) so I can get the best of both worlds - on stuff under 3 feet mind you. Rotarys do as much tearing as cutting, so the cut is rough, most people say the blades on a rotary should never be sharperned, not sure i'd like that but that's off topic.

 

[rgr33]

I think part of the problem is letting the brush grow so tall before mowing. I知 sure you have your reasons for not mowing a little more often, but they are working against a quality mowing result with your flail mower.

Secondly, you may need to keep experimenting with more settings and maybe even cutting blade styles.

If you have a rotary cutter, perhaps a first cut with that, then using the flail to keep it under control.
Just a couple of ideas, hopefully worth a try.

 

[TerryR]

The main reason for mowing this field is to keep it from returning to woods, which I suspect it was many decades ago, and which it would be happy to do if left alone a few years. I mowed dozens of foot-tall poplar trees the past couple of days. I mow it in the fall to cut the woody trees, including re-sprouting locust trees that grow to five or six feet tall in a season, while they are still green in their first season.

Mowing once a year would do the job, but also doing a spring mowing cuts down the tall grass and gives the wild flowers a chance to be seen.

I have no interest in a lawn-like cut. I just don't want to leave a forest of 18 to 24 inch stems sticking up after I mow, which is what I was getting with the flail. It takes me around four days (afternoons only - I'm retired for heavens sake) to mow it, so cutting twice to isn't going to happen.

The good news is removing the front guard, the equivalent of raising the front as several posters have suggested, seems to have solved the problem. I got very good results, and good speed, yesterday after I did that.

I really like operating it in the full offset position as I mostly don't have to drive over standing stuff before it's mowed. It also works well to trim up pretty close to free-standing trees in the middle of the field, and is great for getting under large pines and other trees around the edges. The tractor does recognize the side load when going up steep hills -- there is a definite tendency to pull to that side. And of course the whole point of a ditch and bank mower, being able to mow across steep banks while keeping the tractor on flatter ground, is great.