Flail Mower chain for top link, flail mower

[SPYDERLK]

Sounds like a good setup. Wish I had those floating side links like your flail does. Some tractors have similar on the lower links ... mine doesnt, drat.
larry

 

[8404]

Here is a picture of a flail mower with side chains and the top link holds the angle of the flail skids in position so it wont drag and just ride on the roller.

 

[dmiletich]

By chance have you read the owners manual for this tractor? I would think that it should explain what all the controls do. I think that you will find that the 3pt is always in float mode. Most 3pt hitches will always move (float) in the upward direction. Your position control lever just controls how low the hitch allows the implement to go, but that implement is always able to float upwards. Try lifting your hitch with no implement attached. I think that you will find that you will be able to lift the lower draw bars fairly easy. Your other lever should be draft control and can be used while using dirt engaging implements. As far as the button, I have no idea. I highly suggest that you get an owners manual for YOUR tractor and read it front to back.

Good luck

I have an owners manual I have read several times and I am still confused. It says do not use hydraulic levers to raise the flail mower when making a turn, use the lever and button to raise and lower. I tried that and nothing happens, so I use the lever. I am wondering if something is wrong with my hydraulics. It is a newer tractor still on warranty so it would be good to find that out. Maybe I should just call the dealer and take it in for them to check.

 

[Dead Horse]

I believe the post below is an EXCEPTIONALLY keen and accurate description of the dynamics taking place with the TPH settings.

It is so well written and as accurate a description as I have read that I will no longer ponder this issue and just set my flail up like this every time I mow.

Thank you.

That's how I run my flail. Run an extended top link, mounted in the fixed hole, under compression to keep the unit rotated back onto the rear roller, and let the 3pt float all the way down. It works best for me. It allows the unit to float with changing terrain throughout the entire height range allowed by the 3pt without touching the lever. Took me a couple of trial and error adjustments, but now I know exactly what angle to set via the top link to get a nice close cut without any scalping or gouging.

Sure, the top link is normally under compression, but only as much as it is holding the unit back from forward rotation. Any more force that gets transmitted into the top link turns into lift of the 3pt, so that compressive force is sort of self limiting... and surely isn't any greater than what it would see running a middle buster or plow. There is a condition that would compress it a lot more. Backing into a hill so steep that you run out of 3pt height! Since the flail isn't all that long behind the tractor, that would have to be a pretty dang steep approach angle to ride the flail up higher than my 3pt range allows. So I don't see me pretzeling my top link any time soon. I guess another condition that would do it is hanging on a stump or something with the unit, but that's going to tear stuff up regardless.

I tried it the other way; setting a reasonable height with the 3pt and letting the top link float in the slot. I did not like this configuration for a couple of reasons. #1 - It does not follow rolling terrain as well beyond a very small range (the angle of rotation allowed by the top link floating slot, which isn't much). #2 - To deal with #1 you must manually adjust the 3pt height for various terrain changes, and it's not easy to pinpoint the height back to what you wanted it at when things level out again.

For your additional consideration, my flail unit has little vertically floating links where it attaches to the lower 3pt arms. Well, they come pinned so they don't float, but I unpinned them. This allows the unit to raise or lower a couple of inches on either side independently. The result is that the unit can also follow the terrain some in a twisting motion. I can drive diagonally across a drainage swale or bar ditch and the unit mows pretty evenly all the way across without me having to touch anything. Setting height by raising the 3pt and letting the top link float would eliminate this benefit, as those little vertically floating links would be held up against their stops all the time.

Anyway, like I said above it's what I've decided works best for me after trying and analyzing the pros and cons of both configurations.

xtn

 

[Dead Horse]

I have an owners manual I have read several times and I am still confused. It says do not use hydraulic levers to raise the flail mower when making a turn, use the lever and button to raise and lower. I tried that and nothing happens, so I use the lever. I am wondering if something is wrong with my hydraulics. It is a newer tractor still on warranty so it would be good to find that out. Maybe I should just call the dealer and take it in for them to check.

I have an '89 Hesston 90 100 with draft control and the "lift" button. My operators manual ALSO instructs not to use the lower link position leaver to lift the implement at turns, but only as a lower level setting.

The lift button is useful for "quick" or "full" lift actions where you want fast response or in one "smooth" action, raise the lift all the way up. If your lift button does not function, it is "broken".

There is also a way to set the lift valve to match the weight of the implement, such that the lift is not jerky (too strong) or anemic (too weak). Once I found this adjustment and set it properly for each implement, I have gotten in the habit of using the lift button instead of the lift position lever, to lift implements.

It was a hard habit to break. Also, one must be disciplined to test out the full range of motion of of the lift, CAREFULLY with each re-rigging of attachments to make sure there is nothing interfering with the full range of motion of the lift.

As folks here are aware, over stressing the lift with an implement not properly fitted can cause all kinds of damage.......

I have read the draft control section of my operators manual several times over the years. The description does a "fair" job of trying to describe what result the tractor is attempting to accomplish with "ground engaging" implements but it does a horrible job describing what is actually happening in the hydraulic system.

I for one would like a simple mechanical description as to what the Draft controls actually do.:thumbsup:

 

[dmiletich]

Thanks for the information Dead Horse. This has cleared up a lot of things and I even feel better because I am not the only one that is somewhat confused. I think you are right, there must be something wrong with my lift button. I will have it checked out and report back.

 

[xtn]

I believe the post below is an EXCEPTIONALLY keen and accurate description of the dynamics taking place with the TPH settings.

It is so well written and as accurate a description as I have read that I will no longer ponder this issue and just set my flail up like this every time I mow.

Thank you.

That's me all around, exceptionally keen and accurate! lol

Let it be known that on my tractor and with my flail, I did purchase a longer top link in order to configure things the way I did. The oem top link would extend far enough to get the angle I wanted the flail to sit at, but I felt I was really pushing the limit with regard to how much of the threaded rod ends were left engaged in the barrel.

xtn

 

[xtn]

Sounds like a good setup. Wish I had those floating side links like your flail does. Some tractors have similar on the lower links ... mine doesnt, drat.
larry

The pic that 8404 posted would give you the same result.

Replacing the vertical lift links with chains would allow each side to float up vertically independent of the other side.

xtn

 

[602466]

I also have a fail mower. I am always pulling a pile of grass with me on the skids while cutting grass. Is this because I had the mower set up wrong? I should have it ridding on the rollers and not the skips as posted by "XTN".

 

[xtn]

602466 -

We have been discussing two different setup configurations:

1. My preferred method: Using the 3pt in the fully down position and extending the top link to roll the unit back onto the roller, lifting the skids off the ground.

2. Method preferred by some others: Using the 3pt to adjust the skids up off the ground so the unit will ride on the roller, letting the top link float.

With either method, you should be keeping the skids a bit up off the ground and letting the unit ride along on its roller. Why make ruts all over your property if you don't have to?

xtn