Flail Mower Flail mower rotor shaft stuck grass, how to solve this problem?

[Jack Yuan]

Hello Everyone,

I have a friend meet problem when he use flail mower, he said his mower rotor shaft often sutck grass when use it, then the bearing will be easy to overheat, then I suggest him to run mower at high RPM asap, right? Look at these photos from him. Any suggestion?

 

[IslandTractor]

Jack, send a personal message (PM) to member Leonz. He is our most experienced flail owner and may have ideas.

Certainly one thing to try is running at true PTO speed. Another is to make sure the blades are not mounted backwards (check direction of rotation).

 

[Fallon]

Grass looks smashed on there consistent with proper rotation to me.

You never want to run flails other than at proper 540 (or whatever they are designed for) RPM. Apparently some flails even have the bend in stamped side cutters move down the knife when run to slow. Doesn't make sense to me, but apparently true.

Are the knives properly sharpened? Dull knives will grab & tear rather than cut.

 

[Alien]

Some 'grasses' are impossible to cut. examples palm fronds, flax leaves, banana fronds. Even proper mulchers have difficulty handling them.
I would hardly call what your friend is cutting, grass. You could make ropes out of that stuff. I just think the flail mower is not suitable for that task. Maybe a rotary slasher may be more appropriate if kept razor sharp.
If looking for an alternative, Y blades on the Flail may be more suited to that purpose.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Thanks everyone, these "grass" really looks like rope, also I think this hammer is not sharp enough to do this job, another reason could be the rain, there is always raining in Germany these months.

I know Leonz, he is expert, I will ask him for help.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[kebo]

I would suggest that maybe your friend needs to cut the grass more often, so it wouldn't get so long/tall in between cuttings. I know you said it rains a lot, which might be why it's so hard to cut, but cutting short wet grass is still easier than cutting tall wet grass, right?

 

[Fallon]

Running the flail to slow or driving to fast means insufficient knives hitting the grass. That way grass would make it past the knives to get tangled up. How does he mow? What is he mowing?

 

[Jack Yuan]

Thank you. I suggest him to drive tractor slowly and working it as 540 RPM.
In fact I m quite strange, because I sold thousands of this mower, he is the first one to complain about this.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thank you. I suggest him to drive tractor slowly and working it as 540 RPM. In fact I m quite strange, because I sold thousands of this mower, he is the first one to complain about this.

Just to be clear, the 540 refers to PTO speed, not engine RPM.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Looks good compared to how my 917 looked after my Dad got done with it. He used it like some kind of Sepi Meri Crusher, levelling ground. He thought he as doing a great job, until the belts finally burned off the thing. The flanges were all bent to heck and you could not even get some blades off! A good number of blades and hangers were gone.

It is true, flail mowers won't cut certain grass, especially near wet lands. I usually waited til fall, for the vegetation to dry out.

BTW. I often use a torch to help get rid of stuff wound around bearings and spindles. Works especially well on nylon string. Just don't direct the heat at any seal.