Flail mower help

[rhuffie]

Please listen.

The large flail crop shredders do not make use of a rear roller as they are supported by the very thick flail mower shroud and the rear tubular weldment that prevents the flail mower shroud from twisting and wracking by also using the rear tubular weldment that prevents the mower from being damaged.

The very large flail crop shredders are used in ridge tillage to shred the crop waste on the ridges and the wheels ride in the bottom of the row between the ridges.

If you order a small VRISIMO flail mower with caster wheels you will be sold a machine with either 2 or 4 casters which make the attachment a stable mowing platform.
The rear roller of the flail mower regulates the mower height as long as the top link is set correctly making the mower level as long as you lock the hydraulic lift at the desired
height.

You need to decide how much money you with to spend and what cutting width you want before you decide on a flail mower brand and whether it has side slicer, scoop/spoon knives or cast hammer knives and go from there as the cast hammer and scoop knives will not recut the brush on the second pass as they do not have adequate lift/pressure gradient to create the suction need to lift and recut the clippings/brush.

Could mounting a rake attachment to the front of the mower help lift the partially cut brush so the cutters would have a chance of lower the cut further on a second pass? I was thinking of a home made/welded device equivalent to a number of garden rakes (not leaf rakes) put together end to end...or something equivalent.

"...as long as you lock the hydraulic lift at the desired height." I thought that when to hydraulic arms are set to the lowest position they are merely floating and so that wouild be the proper position for those. With the roller in the back, the skid shoes could be adjusted to prevent the front of the mower touching ground level, which very likely could damage the blades. In other words i'm still not sure exactly how this is going to work!

 

[leonz]

Could mounting a rake attachment to the front of the mower help lift the partially cut brush so the cutters would have a chance of lower the cut further on a second pass? I was thinking of a home made/welded device equivalent to a number of garden rakes (not leaf rakes) put together end to end...or something equivalent.

"...ads long as you lock the hydraulic lift at the desired height." I thought that when to hydraulic arms are set to the lowest position they are merely floating and so that would be the proper position for those. With the roller in the back, the skid shoes could be adjusted to prevent the front of the mower touching ground level, which very likely could damage the blades. In other word's I'm still not sure exactly how this is going to work!

A front mounted rake attachment will not work as it will only clog up the rake and eventually become so clogged it become a fire hazard.

A flail mower works best when the flail mower is set at the 2 inch cutting height and left there as the flail mower rotor shroud is at its lowest height and will create the highest pressure gradient/ water gauge Hg. / vacuum while operating at 2,200+ Revolutions Per Minute to allow the side slicer/scoop/spoon/ hammer knives to slice the brush as cleanly as possible and also at the same time lift the clippings up and over the flail mower rotor and back down to the ground.

If the flail mower is equipped with skid shoes they are designed to do one thing only to prevent the flail mower knives from striking the ground.

If the flail mower is being supported by the caster wheels at the desired cutting height, the front casters will follow the ground contour and the rear casters or the rear roller will follow climbing any mounds that are as wide as the rear roller and or the casters.

If the flail mower is allowed to float with the properly adjusted top link creating a level plane from front to back by leveling the flail mower with a torpedo level on the gear box the top link needs to be locked at that level position with its locknut and left there. The same rule applies with a hydraulic top link as well.

You do not need anything other than the flail mower to mow with.

If the brush is thick and tall you simply have to make your first passes around the edges of the property in a low speed and just let the mower work at the rated engine speed for the power take off to operate at 540 Revolutions Per Minute to create the 2,200+ Revolutions Per Minute Flail Mower Rotor speed.

Once you make your initial pass you can take half cuts and operate the tractor cutting and recutting the brush at the same time at the same speed maintaining a 2 inch height of cut.

You will be able recut the brush the next day if you have a flail mower with side slicer knives as they create the greatest lift to recut the material.

 

[rhuffie]

A front mounted rake attachment will not work as it will only clog up the rake and eventually become so clogged it become a fire hazard.

A flail mower works best when the flail mower is set at the 2 inch cutting height and left there as the flail mower rotor shroud is at its lowest height and will create the highest pressure gradient/ water gauge Hg. / vacuum while operating at 2,200+ Revolutions Per Minute to allow the side slicer/scoop/spoon/ hammer knives to slice the brush as cleanly as possible and also at the same time lift the clippings up and over the flail mower rotor and back down to the ground.

If the flail mower is equipped with skid shoes they are designed to do one thing only to prevent the flail mower knives from striking the ground.

If the flail mower is being supported by the caster wheels at the desired cutting height, the front casters will follow the ground contour and the rear casters or the rear roller will follow climbing any mounds that are as wide as the rear roller and or the casters.

If the flail mower is allowed to float with the properly adjusted top link creating a level plane from front to back by leveling the flail mower with a torpedo level on the gear box the top link needs to be locked at that level position with its locknut and left there. The same rule applies with a hydraulic top link as well.

You do not need anything other than the flail mower to mow with.

If the brush is thick and tall you simply have to make your first passes around the edges of the property in a low speed and just let the mower work at the rated engine speed for the power take off to operate at 540 Revolutions Per Minute to create the 2,200+ Revolutions Per Minute Flail Mower Rotor speed.

Once you make your initial pass you can take half cuts and operate the tractor cutting and recutting the brush at the same time at the same speed maintaining a 2 inch height of cut.

You will be able recut the brush the next day if you have a flail mower with side slicer knives as they create the greatest lift to recut the material.

There is a way to lock the position of the hydraulic lift arms on my Kubota L series tractor?
Anyway, thanks for the very informative post!

 

[leonz]

There is a way to lock the position of the hydraulic lift arms on my Kubota L series tractor?
Anyway, thanks for the very informative post!

You can lock the position control on the three point hitch but you must understand that if the mower is not set at 2 inches it will not work well and not cut the brush well enough.

 

[rhuffie]

You can lock the position control on the three point hitch but you must understand that if the mower is not set at 2 inches it will not work well and not cut the brush well enough.

So set the skid shoes at 1"?
I am mowing mostly short to tall grasses, small manzanita and oak saplings (max 1/2"), weeds and misc stuff for fire mitigation purposes. When faced with larger saplings I chain saw them down first. I use a string trimmer close to the house for a shorter cut and more perfect job.

 

[leonz]

Decide between the DEL MORINO, MASCHIO or VRISIMO flail shredders
you want for your mowing and go from there first.

 

[rhuffie]

The Vrismo plant is near us in Ca. and is availale from our dealer who will be delivering it to us in a few days, not a moment too soon since the grasses are really drying up!. We decided on the Minimax 60".

 

[rhuffie]

He will be delivering it already attached to my new Kubota as he agreed to transport it to his shop for the 50 hr maintenance on the tractor as part of our purchase agreement. I plan on telling him to set it up with the offset, a 2" cut for the rear roller and "1 for the skid shoe.

 

[leonz]

Hello and good morning rhuffie,

I want to welcome you as the newest resident member of the "Flail Mower Nations" from Mariposa, California.

Happy mowing

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Decide between the DEL MORINO, MASCHIO or VRISIMO flail shredders
you want for your mowing and go from there first.

Is ibex made by Del Moroni?

 

[leonz]

I am not sure if it is a Del Morino product but either Cummings and Bricker
or tractor tools direct has to tell you who makes it.

Slapping the tractor tools direct sticker on it certainly does not make it thier
flail mower.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I was shopping Del Morino and it showed Ibex for the larger sizes.
Anyone buy from tractor tools direct?

 

[leonz]

There are 5 Del Morino dealers in Maryland.

All Roads Kubota, Rippeon Equipment, J.D. Mullinix and Sons Inc., Wertz Farm and Power, Stambaugh Ag Repair, Inc.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I have a Bestco flail mower # FH-EFGC195 77" for 35 hp tractors. They have smaller models available. This has been a cost effective buy under $3k delivered. There is a flail mower learning curve. I smoked a set of belts (it uses 3 belts $85). And I trashed a set of cutting hammers mowing rocks. I can reclaim the hammers later but it was a paying job so I just put the money into a second set. 32 pieces I believe.
With flail mowers you have a choice of knives or hammer style cutters. Hammers reduce brush to kindling and knives give a better finished cut on weeds and grasses but fail on the big stuff. A well kept set of hammers can give a decent field cut and still take down saplings and mulch downed branches.

​

I just ordered a Betstco articulating flail mower FH-AGL165 standard duty. I've had a 68'' palletforks.com offset flail mower that I've put 100+ hours on. Worked great, but parts support was lackluster at best.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

There are 5 Del Morino dealers in Maryland.

All Roads Kubota, Rippeon Equipment, J.D. Mullinix and Sons Inc., Wertz Farm and Power, Stambaugh Ag Repair, Inc.

Messicks carry them as also, but funny top only goes up to 60”. I want at least 6 ft or not worth it. Rippeon is kubota dealer, they push the landpride.
Meanwhile I’m using the rotary.

 

[leonz]

If the Rippeon people do not want to sell you a Del Morino Flipper(58") or Flipper Super(88", 91") invest in a Hiniker 6 foot flail mower crop shredder and you will not have to deal with windrows anymore.

As I have mentioned before I believe Kubota is once again importing the Maschio Flail shredders painted with the Land Pride colors and stickers.

The Kubota dealer should be honest with you and tell you if it is a MASCHIO flail shredder in Land Pride colors if not walk away.

The Del Morino FLIPPER or Del Morino FLIPPER SUPER are well withing your cutting width requirements just as the towed Hiniker 6 foot flail shredder with the Constant Velocity Universal joint is.

 

[leonz]

Candidly I do not know if the Ibex brand is a Del Morino product.
I am sure they would tell you if they are the manufacturer of
Ibex products if you asked them directly.

 

[kthompson]

I have two flail mowers, neither depends on belts to protect the mower. One is hyd operated and the other is pto driven with slip clutch. Not saying a lot depend on the belts slipping but would think only ones design for lighter cutting. My mowers are used on brush and yes grass but brush and small trees.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If the Rippeon people do not want to sell you a Del Morino Flipper(58") or Flipper Super(88", 91") invest in a Hiniker 6 foot flail mower crop shredder and you will not have to deal with windrows anymore.

As I have mentioned before I believe Kubota is once again importing the Maschio Flail shredders painted with the Land Pride colors and stickers.

The Kubota dealer should be honest with you and tell you if it is a MASCHIO flail shredder in Land Pride colors if not walk away.

The Del Morino FLIPPER or Del Morino FLIPPER SUPER are well withing your cutting width requirements just as the towed Hiniker 6 foot flail shredder with the Constant Velocity Universal joint is.

I usually deal with Messicks, they have better prices, usually, than Rippeon.

 

[Racenut]

I went with Novatractor for my flail because it has the nastiest hammers I've found. Over 3 pounds each and they look like metal bear claws. If I was mowing a golf course, I would pick a different tool. But for mowing rough stuff, this thing continues to impress me. It munches berry bush, poison oak and saplings into nothing. It's an import made in China, so if you're dead set against that, then pick something else. I did hit a basketball sized rock hiding in the weeds and broke a pulley, but Novatractor had me a new one in about a week. Good support. We call our flail the "Park Maker" because it will turn an overgrown area into a park like magic. My standard setup is grapple on the front, flail in the rear as we work on making our property more fire safe.