Cutters - flail

oosik · Jul 8, 2019

Just wondering. I'm going to be purchasing some type of cutter. Rotary or flail. I know and have seen how rotary cutter work when backing into light ( 1" or less on the butt ) brush. The brush I'll be cutting is called Buck brush. It max height is 2 1/2 feet and can get as big as 1" in diameter.

How well do flails work when backing into light brush and cutting?

Buxus · Jul 8, 2019

I have a 10 foot Vrisimo. I love it. The cut quality is between rotary and finish, but much closer to finish. The only disappointment (a small one) is that it really doesn't work well backing up. It just kind of just ruffles up the tall grass. But then when I pull forward it of course takes care of it and leaves a nice finish.

oosik · Jul 8, 2019

Well - that's an interesting situation. All of my Buck brush cutting will be by backing into the stuff. But who really cares - cut while backing or when you pull forward. As long as it cuts the stuff. My meadows will be cut in the forward direction.

I have a Kubota M6040 and like the idea of the flail not sticking out back a country mile.

Thanks for your comments - Buxus.

ericm979 · Jul 8, 2019

I think the rotary sticking out is an advantage when mowing in reverse- I don't have to get the tractor as close to the stuff I'm mowing. Makes it easier to see too.
I think the problem with the flail in reverse is the roller smashing everything down.

Lnk · Jul 8, 2019

Make sure there is no wire where you want to cut with the flail mower, as flail mowers work awesome as a wire finding/winding device. Of course not so good at unwinding. Ask me how I know.....:thumbdown:

Molalla1 · Jul 8, 2019

oosik said:
Well - that's an interesting situation. All of my Buck brush cutting will be by backing into the stuff. But who really cares - cut while backing or when you pull forward. As long as it cuts the stuff. My meadows will be cut in the forward direction.

I have a Kubota M6040 and like the idea of the flail not sticking out back a country mile.

Thanks for your comments - Buxus.

oosik, I do a lot of backing up with my flail in order to mow down a creek that crosses my property and a pond . . . it does not work backing up but just fine going forward, and if the grass, brush, whatever is taller . . . I lift it up going backwards and then drop it down pulling out . . . works just fine.

prof fate · Jul 8, 2019

i have a 6' brush hog and mow pastures with it - yes, it sticks out a mile.

when I mow brush/saplings under trees and the edge of the woods I back in - the 8' distance is a good thing. cuts forward or reverse, no matter.

I have a flail on order, did a ton of research - EVERY manufacturers says forward only. The all have a big roller on the back/bottom that runs on the ground and backing up it's the first thing to hit anything...maybe on a big expensive flail it's gonna be fine, but on the 'affordable' options it'd be way to easy to bend it and not realize it when backing into brush/trees/stumps/rocks, etc.

and there are 2 different blade types for flails - hammer/duck food, 2lb each and the cutting edge looks like an axe head - for brush and such. And 'grass' or 'y' blades, thinner metal and they hang down like the letter Y upside down, better for grass.

I ordered my flail with hydraulic offset - using the rear remotes it can be 'slid' on rails sideways about 20" left and right - so it can be centered behind the tractor or moved out to one side - nice for fences, over top of ditches/embankments, under tree limbs, etc.

They also make 'ditch and bank' flails - very tempted to get one of those!

oosik · Jul 8, 2019

Thank a whole lot guys. I've seen two or three rotary cutters around these parts. Never seen - other than video - how a flail works.
Give you an idea what I'm considering in a rotary. Rhino TW35. One step below their 400 series. 60" wide and pretty heavy duty.

Been out here 38 years now and have a pretty good idea how things go. Light & medium weight implements have a REAL difficult time out here.

You have to take such great care to not bend, spindle or mutilate - you barely get the job done.

The boys across the county road ( Turnbull NWR ) have the clear ticket. It a large forestry mulcher mounted on a tracked vehicle. But that's your & my tax dollars at work......pheeeew.

Anyhow - I DO appreciate your comments.

Larry Caldwell · Jul 9, 2019

The advantage of a flail mower is that it will cut almost anything. The disadvantage is that they are expensive. If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket, get one that mounts on the front loader and runs off of a PTO hydraulic pump. They take a lot of power, so the pump will have to be able to run a 1" line. The fact that they will cut anything also makes them dangerous. Just last week a guy was killed near here while sleeping along the road. He must have really been out of it not to hear the tractor and mower coming, or maybe he was deaf.

Man killed in ODOT lawn mower accident ID'd - KTVZ