Flail mower buy

   / Flail mower buy #1  

L&P

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IH Mccormick 624
Hi

What is the maximum size flail mower a mf35 can handle without stressing the pto?
Mostly kneehigh grass and minimum speed of good walking pace.
I have five acres and dont want to sit there all day :)
 
   / Flail mower buy #2  
There are quite a few varieties of flail mowers and I don't know that I could give you a firm answer. I use an 88" Alamo which is old and heavy. I drive it with an 81 hp MF 2660 for which it is a very easy pto load. My seat of the pants says you could comfortably run a 5ft flail mower. In "knee high grass" that should be OK. It can vary a lot depending on how wet and thick that grass is. For example I've gotten into some super dense swamp grass that will bog down almost any mower, somewhat. Would be awfully nice if you could test drive a flail mower on your MF35 and form your own opinion.
 
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   / Flail mower buy #3  
As a point of reference answer, I have a JD 1070 which is a 4cyl diesel just under 40HP, probably 35 at PTO, and I use a Rhino 88" flail mower. Some knee high thick stuff can start to draw down the rpm when travelling 2nd range, 2nd gear, but dropping to 1st gear allows rpm to pick back up. 5 - 6' high weeds and grasses forces me to go slower, usually 1st gear. Horsepower required is highly dependant on the particular weeds and areas of the fields. I did about 10 acres yesterday that at most was knee high and sailed through most of it in 2nd and 3rd midrange gears, just a couple spots for 1st gear. Issue with a flail mower is that when the rpm drops, it drags the motor down quickly and quits cutting, like a self - feeding horsepower consumer. So, in my case, I have a 88" mower that is a bit too much for the HP of my tractor in some field conditions. Used with care it is ok. I have trees on 15' spacing and it saves me making a third pass between rows required with a 6' brush hog. It ends up being faster than the brush hog if I don't let it get to 5 or 6' high. MF35 is either gas or diesel, and is 37 HP at PTO, so rpm would probably drop quicker with less torque if it has a gas engine. It'll probably be about the same HP as my JD. By the way, the flail weighs about 1200 pounds and hangs pretty far out back so I end up using front suitcase weights. If I were you I'd go around 6' or less on a flail.
 
   / Flail mower buy #4  
Hi

What is the maximum size flail mower a mf35 can handle without stressing the pto?
Mostly kneehigh grass and minimum speed of good walking pace.
I have five acres and dont want to sit there all day :)
I have a MF 231S with a bit more power than your 35. I have a 6 foot Chicomm flail mower and cut rough grass and weeds at 3-5 feet when dry. I cut it wet recently with no issues but did have to lower to low 3 gear. I would not go larger than 72 inches. Also, I have my flail set to cut at about 3 inches.
 
   / Flail mower buy #5  
def38's statement reminded me to add that I also have my Rhino flail set on 3". Also, it is essentially the same machine as the Alamo that JWR uses; the company changed names at some point. Be advised that my machine when new could be purchased with 2 different styles of cutters - light or heavy duty. Mine has the light duty cutters, which leave a finer finish but are more easily damaged by hitting branches or rocks. I find that this machine requires more maintenance and greasing than a brush hog, and is more prone to blade damage. Buying it was my first experience with a flail. Too much downside for the upside of wider width. The roller bearings are extremely expensive to replace because they have a spherical mounting seat. The original QD pto connector is also a weird twist style that was expensive to fix. I have had it less than a year and will probably sell it next spring because of the maintenace issues, overwidth for my tractor, etc.
 
   / Flail mower buy #6  
Forgot to mention, my Chinese communist flail mower has the heavy hammer flails, not the slicer style flails. If you are cutting rough grass/weeds mixed with some brush, rocks and Buick hubcaps, get the hammer flails. They will tear through most anything up to 3 inch limbs without severe damage, great for cleanup of fallen branches after a storm.

Mine leaves a nice, groomed cut in the grass at the house, not golf course fairway quality but that's OK because I don't play golf and have no plans to take up the game. When I have time to waste, I ride my BMW motorcycle.

As for maintenance, my Chicomm flail mower has only two issues, when new, the grease fittings for the rear roller were oriented incorrectly. It was a 15 minute job to correct that. Also, the top link brackets required repair, a well documented issues with the Chicomm mower from Titan. I am surprised that they have not demanded the manufacturer make a minor design change to fix both of these issues.

As for bearing and seal replacements, these are off the shelf parts, readily available most anywhere. I have spares that cost less than $30.00 for the set. So far, all the rotating stuff has faired well over the 5 years I have used it. Original belts, skids and the gearbox shows no signs of wear. My Chicomm mower was the cheapest available and shipping was free. Purchase at you own risk but, so far, mine has not exploded or had major failure.
 
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   / Flail mower buy #7  
I have a 68'' Flail mower (FLAIL175) from pallettforks.com And I've mowed with it commercially all summer, it's been taking a beating and keep on ticking. Off course I grease it up between each job. I paid $1800 shipped to my door.
 
   / Flail mower buy #8  
My Chicomm mower was the cheapest available and shipping was free. Purchase at you own risk but, so far, mine has not exploded or had major failure.
very little viral risk then?
LOL
 
   / Flail mower buy #10  
I have a 68'' Flail mower (FLAIL175) from pallettforks.com And I've mowed with it commercially all summer, it's been taking a beating and keep on ticking. Off course I grease it up between each job. I paid $1800 shipped to my door.
That's a darn good deal for that flail mower new. Probably a decent size for the OP too. Flathead County ! You live in one of the prettiest parts of the world. Been up there roaming around some and love that area. If I had no roots down here in the East that's where I'd be.
 
 
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