Flail mower angle

   / Flail mower angle #1  

bill9068

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
112
Location
Evansville Indiana
Tractor
Kioti DK5510, Kubota BX25D, Bobcat S130, Bobcat 742.
What angle do you set your mower at? I usually keep mine where the roller in back is on the ground but the front is up 5-6 inches. Am I doing that right? I have a hydraulic top and tilt.
35C40075-7B27-46FE-ACD2-236B2C6589CD.jpeg
 
   / Flail mower angle #2  
I set mine up similar but just a couple inches up in front. It depends on how low you want to mow but having it slightly up in front helps keep it from digging in when making turns.
 
   / Flail mower angle #3  
I have the 6 foot Caroni, the skids are up as far as the holes allow - I let mine ride the roller too, then I set it down on relatively level ground and look under it from the front, and adjust the hyd. toplink til the knives are however much off the ground I want - usually 3 to 4".

I found out a few years ago that you do NOT wanna use this implement as a "gentle rototiller", unless you LIKE replacing belts :rolleyes: ... Steve
 
   / Flail mower angle #4  
Roller on the ground then adjust the top link so the skids are level but not touching the ground that gives a cut somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 inches.
 
   / Flail mower angle #5  
What angle do you set your mower at? I usually keep mine where the roller in back is on the ground but the front is up 5-6 inches. Am I doing that right? I have a hydraulic top and tilt.View attachment 708714
On my 48" Bestco Flail the guide suggested the top pin be slightly behind the lower pins, after using the mower for about 12 hours now and playing with it I'm staying with that position. Did about a hundred yards of trail clearing to the Cistern earlier today and it did the job.

Before and after shots.

trail1.jpgtrail2.jpg
 
   / Flail mower angle #6  
I adjust the roller to the height you want within its range. Then with the tractor on a level surface and the roller on the ground and 3 point lowered all the way I use a level as directed in the manuals to "level" the flail.
The roller is supposed to control the height of the cut and when you "level" the flail it will set the blades at the proper height in relation to the roller.
Use the manual for your unit to set the flail correctly. It is important to do this.
 
   / Flail mower angle #7  
What angle do you set your mower at? I usually keep mine where the roller in back is on the ground but the front is up 5-6 inches. Am I doing that right? I have a hydraulic top and tilt.View attachment 708714
Here is a snippet from the manual. Different process than mine but pretty straight forward.

2.2.2 FLAIL MOWER ADJUSTMENT
1. On a flat piece of ground, attach the flail mower to the tractor using the three point linkage
2. Use a solid adjustable top link
3. Lower the three point linkage to its lowest position
4. With the roller at the rear in contact with the ground, adjust the length of the top link so that the lower edge at the side of the flail mower is parallel with the ground
5. Rotate the blade drum by hand so that a row of blades hang vertically towards the ground.
6. Measure the clearance between the bottom of the extended blades and the ground. • Minimum 50mm •
Note in rough or lumpy paddocks the clearance needs to be increased to ensure that the blades don't impact the ground in operation.
7. Adjust the roller height to increase or decrease the blade clearance as required
8. Go through steps 4 to 7 until the required clearance is achieved.
 
   / Flail mower angle #8  
On my 72" Vrisimo I place the tractor on a level concrete surface and adjust the roller and top link to achieve a completely level mower at the desired height which for me is 2". I then place the skid shoes level with bottom of the hanging knives which places them also 2" off the ground. My mower is used to finish cut right at 10 acres and I achieve a highly groomed cut with no windrows or skid digging.
 
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   / Flail mower angle #9  
I have been adjusting cut height by the 3pth height & leaving my toplink in float. I do occasionally get a bit of vibration & am reconsidering this practice. It's worked for over 500 hours of often hard use though.
explains why you want your gearbox level & why I'm reconsidering using float (and other U joint issues).

The steeper the angle on a U joint the faster it wears out. Plenty of charts showing the exponentially decreasing lifespan on that.
 
   / Flail mower angle #10  
This^^^^. On my mower the toplink is a float toplink as are the 3 PH hookups. For me float allows the mower to follow the ground contours and give a uniform cut. On mine the toplink doesn't really do anything once the roller is on the ground. Then the 3 PH is adjusted to get cut height and the entire mower can float.
 
 
 
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