Flail Mower Recommendations

[sodamo]

Another vote here for the 68" Value Leader. They do come in different specs, the heavy duty one is about 900 lbs - lot of steel. You can change knives vs hammers easily.
Had mine about 2 1/2 years and my rotary just sits, guess I ought to just sell it.

David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[SuperCobra]

I have an old Mott 6' flail mower I purchased last year used for $300 dollars. It takes 188 blades and with rocks the grass Y blades don't last nearly as long as I would have hoped. I replaced all of them when I first bought it (for another ~$300) and recently took them all off and flipped them and sharpened them where I could but most of them will need replaced again after less then a year. I see the Caroni and Value Leader brands use a third less blades on their 6' footers. My point is, if the quality of the cut, durability, and price of new blades are the same, I would have been better off buying a brand new one of those as I'd save the difference in purchase price over the course of a few years of buying extra blades. Plus, changing that many blades is a PITA.

PS - Mine is offset a great deal and I really don't care for that - others might. It looks like the Value Leader is also offset. Just something else to consider.

 

[leonz]

I have an old Mott 6' flail mower I purchased last year used for $300 dollars.
It takes 188 blades and with rocks the grass Y blades don't last nearly as
long as I would have hoped.

I replaced all of them when I first bought it (for another ~$300) and recently
took them all off and flipped them and sharpened them where I could but
most of them will need replaced again after less then a year.

I see the Caroni and Value Leader brands use a third less blades on their 6' footers.

My point is, if the quality of the cut, durability, and price of new blades are the same,
I would have been better off buying a brand new one of those as I'd save the difference
in purchase price over the course of a few years of buying extra blades.
Plus, changing that many blades is a PITA.

PS - Mine is offset a great deal and I really don't care for that - others might.
It looks like the Value Leader is also offset. Just something else to consider.

Do not lose hope with your Mott Finish type flail mower.

You apparently have a very well built Mott Finish Flail Mower with the following:

four rows of side slicers,
47 mounting stations per row,
188 side slicers.

Are your side slicers the thinner type of side slicers with the long 4 inch side slicer design?



The Caroni Folks offer three types of Flail mower rotors for their line of flail mowers.


The Caroni Blades are hardened also f I remember correctly.

If you have a lot of rocks and debris that you are mowing
over with standard blades as well as mowing at a lower
height with these blades you are going to damage them.

It may be of a huge benefit to you to rent a heavy York Rake
to drag the area you want to mow continually to remove a lot
of the crap you are hitting with the flail mower.


Are you using a wet well grinder for sharpening your side slicers?
That may be a lot of the problem as excess heat will destroy the
stamped steels temper in the individual side slicer blades.

The wet well scissor and knive grinder will give you a perfect edge
all the time everytime. The secret is the wet grinding wheel which
prevents the piece being ground from overheating when a new edge
is created by the wet wheel.

You need to raise the cutting height to avoid damaging the side slicers
until you go through the area with a York type landscape rake.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:
Pronovost or not at all!!!:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[charleyfarmall]

I have the same Mott fine cut flail. It cuts better than anything at all when it's sharp. It is not a good mower for areas with rocks because you damage so many flails at one time. Everywhere else it is far better than the Caroni. I have both and I like them both. The Caroni has the hydraulic offset which is nice. I am field mowing with the Mott right now and hitting plenty of rocks. I am going to finish the field with the flails in their current condition before dealing with it. It's a new field and I don't know the obstacles and haven't had a chance to dig the smaller rocks out.

I usually just change the most damaged flails out and leave the rest. I sharpen them until I can't anymore too. It's not worth replacing them all at once.

Comparing the high count flail to the Caroni, the cut is far better, but that said, the Caroni is as good as my finish mower in the field.

I like them well enough I sold the smaller bush hog. As soon as I can get an 88" Alamo I will probably give up the 10' hog as well.

 

[SuperCobra]

Do not lose hope with your Mott Finish type flail mower.

You apparently have a very well built Mott Finish Flail Mower with the following:

four rows of side slicers,
47 mounting stations per row,
188 side slicers.

Are your side slicers the thinner type of side slicers with the long 4 inch side slicer design?



The Caroni Folks offer three types of Flail mower rotors for their line of flail mowers.


The Caroni Blades are hardened also f I remember correctly.

If you have a lot of rocks and debris that you are mowing
over with standard blades as well as mowing at a lower
height with these blades you are going to damage them.

It may be of a huge benefit to you to rent a heavy York Rake
to drag the area you want to mow continually to remove a lot
of the crap you are hitting with the flail mower.


Are you using a wet well grinder for sharpening your side slicers?
That may be a lot of the problem as excess heat will destroy the
stamped steels temper in the individual side slicer blades.

The wet well scissor and knive grinder will give you a perfect edge
all the time everytime. The secret is the wet grinding wheel which
prevents the piece being ground from overheating when a new edge
is created by the wet wheel.

You need to raise the cutting height to avoid damaging the side slicers
until you go through the area with a York type landscape rake.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:
Pronovost or not at all!!!:thumbsup::licking::drool:

I probably did the math wrong. I don't don't recall if all rows have the exact same number of stations but it is four rows with approximately 24 stations per row. I don't know if they are heat treated but I trash new blades almost beyond repair so it's not how I sharpen them. These style blades are so thin that one nick pretty much ruins the entire cutting edge. And it's not an excessive amount of rocks or cutting too low. I only cut down to 4-5" and don't don't have very many rocks. It just seems to me that a few rocks can cause much more blade damage than they would on other style mowers.

 

[leonz]

Does your mower have rear roller?????
It is supposed to have one if it is not there.

If you have a lot of rost heaving pushing up rocks you
should use york rake to try to remove them or simply roll the area if possible.



In no way should you should not be having this
much damage on those knives if your rear roller is intact as
the rear roller is used for the mowing height gauge.


Your Mott Flail Mower must be the model 96 with 118 knives
stations and 236 knives.


Please tell me you are not using the mower with the skids
on the ground- thats a no no.

Does the three point hitch have a hydraulic lock valve under the seat?

The mower needs to be adjusted front to back level with the top link
and left that way while you mow.

The skids are ther to prevent the mower from nose diving and
scalping the turf thats their ONLY job.


No worries these knives are not that expensive.

You have the MH38(Flail Master Part Number) fine cut grass slicer


Lower the rear roller mower one or two more bolt holes to raise
the cutting height and you should be fine.

 

[OhioCowboy]

I've had good luck with the NH (Ford) 918H. I have the 6' on my TC33D (33 hp) with hydrostatic. Probably have about 800 hours of mowing on it so far.

 

[leonz]

I've had good luck with the NH (Ford) 918H. I have the 6' on my TC33D (33 hp) with hydrostatic. Probably have about 800 hours of mowing on it so far.

Welcome to the Flail Mower Nation.


Only 17,888 mowers to go.
_________________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:
Pronovost or not at all!!!:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[whirly]

...

Are you using a wet well grinder for sharpening your side slicers?
That may be a lot of the problem as excess heat will destroy the
stamped steels temper in the individual side slicer blades.

The wet well scissor and knive grinder will give you a perfect edge
all the time everytime. The secret is the wet grinding wheel which
prevents the piece being ground from overheating when a new edge
is created by the wet wheel. ...

Which wet well grinder do you use? I haven't needed one yet but will soon.