Flail mower blades

[Michiganguy]

New member, long time reader.
I have been looking at flail mowers and found what seems to be a good deal on a Peruzzo Elk Cross 1800
flail mower that was bought new but never used by the seller. The main use will be cutting an old hay field (not for hay) that is 90% orchard grass with some clover, and a food plot for deer which is clover over seeded with rye each fall. I will also be mowing a ditch and a bank that are both a weed grass mix. This flail comes with hammer blades and I’m not sure but it looks like “y” blades are not an option from the manufacturer.
Do you think the hammers will do a decent job cutting these areas?

 

[TerryR]

I have a Fox Cross, Peruzzo's lighter duty model, with the hammer blades.

It does just fine with grass and low weeds.

The only thing it has some difficulty with is weeds with stiff stems, especially when they over two feet tall. They get bent over by the front of the mower and don't spring up enough to get cut. As long as you don't have those, or mow more often, the hammer blades will work well for you.

 

[diesel85]

For those problems where the stiff stems, I just go back over the area in the opposite direction to get them and to remulch.

I have a Woodmaxx 62" running the Y knives and they've cut everything I've thrown at it. Including small saplings.

 

[Michiganguy]

Thanks for the replies. I have been using a brush hog so I doubt the hammers would be any worse.

 

[cbg8670]

Hammers are definitely tuffer that y blades... and they do pretty good job..as long as your not looking for yard of the month..

 

[diesel85]

Hammers are definitely tuffer that y blades... and they do pretty good job..as long as your not looking for yard of the month..

My Woodmaxx with the Y knives makes my yard look great! Just look at that cut and striping! I love flail mowers.

 

[TerryR]

For those problems where the stiff stems, I just go back over the area in the opposite direction to get them and to remulch.

It takes me three days or so to do my field (at age 82 I don't work more than three hours a day), so going back over it a second time isn't in the cards. But I found replacing the factory belt front guard with a chain guard mostly fixed the problem. The chain guard lets them stand up more so most of them get cut. There's a long thread here on my chain guard.

 

[Michiganguy]

It takes me three days or so to do my field (at age 82 I don't work more than three hours a day), so going back over it a second time isn't in the cards. But I found replacing the factory belt front guard with a chain guard mostly fixed the problem. The chain guard lets them stand up more so most of them get cut. There's a long thread here on my chain guard.

Thanks for the info, I found your thread and you did a great job on the chain guard.

 

[cbg8670]

My Woodmaxx with the Y knives makes my yard look great! Just look at that cut and striping! I love flail mowers.

View attachment 815460

I agree..i was trying to say hammers don't make it as pretty

 

[TerryR]

Thanks for the info, I found your thread and you did a great job on the chain guard.

Thanks.