Flail mower first try = terrible cut… SOLVED

[John0829]

Mott flails (and I assume Alamo, who now owns the design. may have the option ) had a reverse cut option for fine lawn mowing. Looking at mower from the right size the standard rotation was clockwise basically knives coming down on top of the grass in the direction of travel cutting it off and discharging it out to the rear. The reverse rotation was counterclockwise knives moving down into the backside of the uncut "grass" and continuing forward into the cut and direction of travel. This required a front guard to keep cut grass and debris from being thrown up all over the tractor and operator and was not appropriate for anything other than fine lawns. This rotation option was accomplished by flipping the gearbox and output shaft over 180° and installing the cutter shaft end for end (180° also) and this enabled driving the cutter shaft in the opposite rotation. Super versatile engineering on Motts part.

I have a Mott/Alamo SHD 72, fine cut with 182 knives (96 stations), it has the standard rotation which is the same as tire rotation. I think that is the most useful/practical way for it rotate as it picks up the grass pushed by the tires. I also have a New Holland 918H that has the option to reverse the rotation which is how it was setup when I got it and it would leave the pushed over grass hardly if ever touching it. I changed it's rotation and it does better not leaving as much of the track uncut but still not perfect. Not that I care to much since I only use it (it is offset) to mow the county road shoulders the county cannot seem to be bother to do.

My biggest grip/complaint with the Mott is the quality of the cut, as long as it is perfectly level/smooth ground it cuts very close to the quality of the zero turn. Problem is I have is there are so many ups/downs, dips and bumps that the cut is very poor/uneven. Leaving long grass in places and scalping the ground in others, I have even used chains for a top link to get it to float when passing over a rise or down a dip.

Wife wants me to use the Mott more to mow the 6 acres I keep cut since it is easier on me using the tractor than the ZT but I just cannot stand the quality of the cut.

 

[S854]

I was under the impression most tractors have a “3-point float”…(those without down-pressure) I know I can lift the arms on my tractors manually to assist in hooking up my various implements … or are you speaking of something else?

 

[leonz]

I have a Mott/Alamo SHD 72, fine cut with 182 knives (96 stations), it has the standard rotation which is the same as tire rotation. I think that is the most useful/practical way for it rotate as it picks up the grass pushed by the tires. I also have a New Holland 918H that has the option to reverse the rotation which is how it was setup when I got it and it would leave the pushed over grass hardly if ever touching it. I changed it's rotation and it does better not leaving as much of the track uncut but still not perfect. Not that I care to much since I only use it (it is offset) to mow the county road shoulders the county cannot seem to be bother to do.

My biggest grip/complaint with the Mott is the quality of the cut, as long as it is perfectly level/smooth ground it cuts very close to the quality of the zero turn. Problem is I have is there are so many ups/downs, dips and bumps that the cut is very poor/uneven. Leaving long grass in places and scalping the ground in others, I have even used chains for a top link to get it to float when passing over a rise or down a dip.

Wife wants me to use the Mott more to mow the 6 acres I keep cut since it is easier on me using the tractor than the ZT but I just cannot stand the quality of the cut.

If the top link is not adjusted to make sure the flail mower gearbox is level while mowing it will scalp the ground.

Can you make use of a lawn roller filled with water or sand to help with smoothing the lawn out after a heavy rain?

 

[John0829]

Using a rigid top link is the worst thing to do, yeah it keeps the mower from scalping but it also lifts the cutter completely off the ground as the tractor goes over the top of a rise and the 3 point cannot float any lower. The same thing can happen when the tractor is transitioning from the bottom of a low area to a rise, with a rigid link the mower floats up before it gets to the bottom due to the length of the tractor and cutter and the angle. Makes for an even worse looking cut when some places are not cut at all. Short of making MANY cuts over the same area from different approaches there is no way to get a reasonably good, acceptable looking cut. By using a chain for the top link and position control on the 3 point at least the flail will follow the contours of the ground somewhat closer than using a rigid top link.

As I said flails are really good for flat areas or mildly undulating ground.

The ONLY thing that will smooth out the area is to plow it under, disc, drag and reseed. I have not done this due to it all being hill side and all the rains we have been getting of late are HEAVY. That will make some areas wash worse than they already are, the ones out there now are from the water washing out mole runs. And I really do not feel like tackling it.

 

[diesel85]

Using a rigid top link is the worst thing to do, yeah it keeps the mower from scalping but it also lifts the cutter completely off the ground as the tractor goes over the top of a rise and the 3 point cannot float any lower. The same thing can happen when the tractor is transitioning from the bottom of a low area to a rise, with a rigid link the mower floats up before it gets to the bottom due to the length of the tractor and cutter and the angle. Makes for an even worse looking cut when some places are not cut at all. Short of making MANY cuts over the same area from different approaches there is no way to get a reasonably good, acceptable looking cut. By using a chain for the top link and position control on the 3 point at least the flail will follow the contours of the ground somewhat closer than using a rigid top link.

As I said flails are really good for flat areas or mildly undulating ground.

The ONLY thing that will smooth out the area is to plow it under, disc, drag and reseed. I have not done this due to it all being hill side and all the rains we have been getting of late are HEAVY. That will make some areas wash worse than they already are, the ones out there now are from the water washing out mole runs. And I really do not feel like tackling it.

My Woodmaxx FM-62 has two positions. One is a floating position and a second rigid position. Most of my mowing I use the float setting.

 

[leonz]

Using a rigid top link is the worst thing to do, yeah it keeps the mower from scalping but it also lifts the cutter completely off the ground as the tractor goes over the top of a rise and the 3 point cannot float any lower. The same thing can happen when the tractor is transitioning from the bottom of a low area to a rise, with a rigid link the mower floats up before it gets to the bottom due to the length of the tractor and cutter and the angle. Makes for an even worse looking cut when some places are not cut at all. Short of making MANY cuts over the same area from different approaches there is no way to get a reasonably good, acceptable looking cut. By using a chain for the top link and position control on the 3 point at least the flail will follow the contours of the ground somewhat closer than using a rigid top link.

As I said flails are really good for flat areas or mildly undulating ground.

The ONLY thing that will smooth out the area is to plow it under, disc, drag and reseed. I have not done this due to it all being hill side and all the rains we have been getting of late are HEAVY. That will make some areas wash worse than they already are, the ones out there now are from the water washing out mole runs. And I really do not feel like tackling it.

Invest in a hydraulic top link and plumb in in 2 tees in the cylinder ports to allow you to allow you to let the top link float using the remotes.

 

[John0829]

I have a hydraulic top link, chain works better, faster to changes in contour. There's just some ground a flail is no good for mowing and unfortunately I happen to own some.

 

[kthompson]

ONE WORD of caution with using a chain for a top link...do not back up a slope! I damaged a clutch as it lifted or titled the mower up to where it shoved the pto shaft. Some, really many mowers have a slot cut in the 3rd arm mount for flexing or floating type action, some do so with the attachment being swivel design to allow up and down movement.

I like my flail mower but use it mostly for brush with hammers. I do cut some grass with it and agree a rotary mower often does better cut but most mowers are using thinner blades that are serviced better than rough cut mowers. Whether a rough cut rotary or flail mower. Of course the thinner blades on a flail cut better than does the hammers due to the edge and thickness of the blades.

As to laying long weeds down due to tires running over them, yep, I don't have a machine that does not do that whether a Zero Turn, tractor with flail or rotary mower. One big reason I like a flail is my experience it is safer as it does not throw object like a rotary mower can and does.

One thing I do wonder on is tip speed on a flail mower compared to a rotary mower. Zero turns are big to explain tip speed, well the companies are.

Been over 50 years was on a sickle mower, yes mule pulled, but think you will not a find a better cut than a sickle mower of course one reason is you cut it before driving over it.