Flail mower first try = terrible cut… SOLVED

[S854]

SUCCESS!!!

Well… kinda… I made all the adjustments mentioned earlier, now most of the tall stuff disappears… still have a few stragglers… good enough for me…

thanks for all the advice… I’d still be chasing my tail with all the available adjustments…m

I also discovered: if you have lost a snowplow foot sometime in the past, a flail mower is absolutely the best way to find it… even the neighbors know I found it… what a racket… I now have my first dings in the flail mower housing… that’s ok… didn’t expect it to stay pristine too long anyway…

 

[Oldtoad]

Sounds about right.
Just mowed with a 60" Befco with new sharp triple blades, a tow behind.
First cut of the year, left some stubble behind, not thrilled but what I expect.

 

[DieselMonk]

I use a 84” rear finish mower and I’ve got a 72” Orsi flail mower. I use the flail mower to cut the edges of my roads and fields.

The correct adjustment of the flail mower, RPM, knives, rotating / driving direction, driving speed etc. is key. It’s like a box blade. If not adjusted correctly it’s not working good.

For the flail mower you can choose between knives and hammers. I’ve got hammers on mine, as I also let 4-5 inch trees, brushes, bushes etc through it. I mow stuff of that’s 2 feet tall down to 3-4 inches like nothing and I don’t get any standing stalks or patches either. But she needs to go full bore 540 PTO RPM and she is liking her fuel. Mowing in reverse is an absolute no go on mine. The tilt front rear (using the adjustable top link) doesn’t matter much, but it does affect the cutting hight. The only way I am having problems like you is when I don’t have 540 RPM on the PTO and or drive too fast.

 

[Chris In Gallupville]

Since you specifically mention flowering alfalfa, I’ll note something about it (and similar plants): as they mature, the stalks/stems lie flat b/c the flowering head is too heavy to stand tall. Your mower is cutting what’s standing but the longer stalk is simply being run over. This is a headache for hay farmers, too, if they don’t get the alfalfa cut when it should be cut. Your mower will do a better job if you cut earlier while everything in the field is standing tall AND if your settings maximize the amount of lift the mower flails apply to the forage. Good luck.

 

[Adlox]

A really interesting and helpful thread, I've learned a lot from this


I've a Kioti CS2610 and use a 4' del morino flail with Y cutters. I've had both for 9 years. Results initially on long or short stuff was great but results deteriorated rapidly as the blades deteriorated - not surprisingly. Our soil is very stony!
My Y blades now are worn smooth and round on the leading edges. The back (trailing) edges are ok. My question is, can I just swap them all around to reverse them so that the leading edge is now "ok" or should I replace all with new?
Thanks

 

[eddieirvine]

brush hog does lots better keep the blades sharp\

 

[Gord Baker]

Don't expect a yard mower cut. Your next attempt with shorter weeds etc will likely be more pleasing.

 

[350c]

brush hog does lots better keep the blades sharp\

I agree, eddieirvine. The act of cutting seems better to me than beating, or flailing. However, I prefer a trail type brush hog: with the 3-point hitch type, all the vibration is transferred to the tractor; with the trail type, the amount of vibration transferred is greatly reduced, causing much less stress on the tractor. My problem is finding a medium to heavy duty trail type rotary cutter for a CUT, something in the 5'-6' size--finish mowers are not designed to cut woody stuff or high weeds. Anyone have any suggestion where I might find a trail-type medium duty or heavy duty rotary cutter suitable for a CUT (specifically JD 2038R)?

 

[wirlybird]

I also had similar issues with my Betstco flail.
It would do a less than desirable job when compared to my John Deere flail.
One thing I found is that the Betstco flail spins "backwards" or against the direction of travel. Opposite of wheel rotation when going forward.
I thought this would be good but since found that, especially with hammers, that it tend to just push the bent over vegetation back down. Was a real issue with the grass getting smushed down by the wheels. It wouldn't cut it.
My John Deere flail turns in the same direction as the wheels and this one does much better.
Ended up selling the Betstco.
Hope you have more success.

 

[Bentrim]

Something that you probably have not noticed. The small Massey's have a low engine speed when the PTO is at 540 RPM. When you open the throttle to wide open the PTO spins at about 740 RPM. Most compacts and sub compacts run the engine almost wide open to get 540 RPM
You can run the mower faster with the Massey and may wind up with a better cut.