Flail Mower usage questions

[sdef]

My new Chinese EFG175 medium duty fail mower will be delivered tomorrow. I really wanted the Caroni, but Agri Supply is out of stock until mid-January and I need it by the middle of this month. I would have preferred the EFGC175 heavy duty model, but they are out of those until January. It seems these two retailers order a fixed amount once per year and when they are out, they are out until the following calendar year. I always try and avoid sending my money to China, but our manufacturers and government have made this very difficult.

The mower comes standard with the 56 mower grass blades and I also ordered the 28 mulching hammers. Initially it will be used to mulch a huge amount of oak leaves that are beginning to fall on my current 4 acres and there will be some sticks mixed in also. Then it will be used to clean up overgrown shrubbery, which will probably require the hammer blades.

Would it be best to leave the grass blades attached for mulching leaves or change over to the hammers for this task before I start either of the two planned tasks?

Thanks.

 

[bruceatlam]

I have the same mower. I have yet to find a job where the mulching (hammer) blades work well. I leave the grass blades on all the time. The grass blades seem to "cut" much better than the hammer blades. Maybe the hammer blades would work well on a pile of branches ---- I don't know cause I never have a pile of them to deal with ---- most of what I use the mower for is brush/tall weeds. For that task --- use the grass blades.

It's also possible to mow "too short" --- I set the roller in one of its highest positions and then adjust the 3 pt. to get my preferred height.

It's a decent mower --- good luck with it.

 

[sdef]

Thanks a lot bruceatlam. This is exactly the information I am looking for and will leave the grass blades on until I get into larger stuff. How are your grass blades lasting? Much wear on them in a short amount of time?

 

[bruceatlam]

The grass blades actually last quite long ---- I would order a few spares. I think you can buy groups of six. I would also buy a set of belts and find some replacement shear bolts at the hardware store. I don't have a good answer for you on those shear bolts.

My grass blades get dinged up from rocks and cement chunks before they wear out --- you can also turn them so you get to use the second side before you replace them --- don't forget to do that.

Keep in mind that these mowers "rip and shred" more than they "cut". So, a nice sharp blade isn't really critical.

 

[sdef]

I have a set of belts coming, along with the hammer blades and a spare set of 6 of those. Will stock up on shear bolts as soon as I find out what size they are. And may get a slip clutch. Will see how the first couple of leaf and stick mulchings go with the grass blades and may order a spare set of grass blades.

BTW: When I ordered my unit the salesman said he thought the blades were pretty standard and could be picked up at tractor supply places. And I am sure the belts can be purchased at any auto supply place, especially NAPA.

Thanks for your advice. You saved me a lot of time and trouble as I was planning on switching the grass blades for the hammer blades before testing. Will not be wasting that time now And for the roller adjustment and using the 3PH for the height. This will also save me some time.

 

[SuperCobra]

Let us know how it mulches leafs. I didn't have much luck with mine. Unless the the grass is tall and they are sittingon top it just kind of floated over them. It didn't suck them up and shred them like I hoped it would.

 

[sdef]

Let us know how it mulches leafs. I didn't have much luck with mine. Unless the the grass is tall and they are sittingon top it just kind of floated over them. It didn't suck them up and shred them like I hoped it would.

Oh man, this is disheartening to hear... as this is the primary reason I ordered it now. Will update this thread when I have tested after a few more leaves have fallen, enough for a reasonable test. I plan on having the cutting height ~ 2" or so.

How were you using it to cut?
What type of blades/cutting?
What mower do you have?

 

[ac2520]

I posted pictures of sample cuts using the grass blades in post #47 (user name Kybound) in
anyone used ebay's flail mower - Page 5

I have since gotten hammer blades due to all the saplings that I have left to cut. Grass blades did fine, but hammer blade do much better for what I have to cut. Both mulched the material just fine. BTW, mine is the EFGC 48inch cut

 

[sdef]

I posted pictures of sample cuts using the grass blades in post #47 (user name Kybound) in
anyone used ebay's flail mower - Page 5

I have since gotten hammer blades due to all the saplings that I have left to cut. Grass blades did fine, but hammer blade do much better for what I have to cut. Both mulched the material just fine. BTW, mine is the EFGC 48inch cut

Thanks. I read that whole post but you are the only one who posted their model number. I would have preferred the EFG"c" model but it was not available. Looks like yours cuts well and glad to hear both blade types mulch well.

I will have to try mulching some leaves this Sunday, if time allows and I have the mower assembled. Fed-X is supposed to be here today.

 

[SuperCobra]

Oh man, this is disheartening to hear... as this is the primary reason I ordered it now. Will update this thread when I have tested after a few more leaves have fallen, enough for a reasonable test. I plan on having the cutting height ~ 2" or so.

How were you using it to cut?
What type of blades/cutting?
What mower do you have?

Primary reason I got one too. I'd asked that question in the "Let's talk flail mowers" thread and got a few "should work great" but I don't know if any of those opinions were from people who used it for this purpose. Maybe it is just my mower/technique as I've also read comments that a flail will shed longer grass into bitty pieces. In my experience, once pass just cuts long grass once and you have to go over it again to chop the cuttings finer. Even then, mine doesn't have "suction" to pick up cut grass or leave/debris that is below blade height. Maybe mower/operator dependent that is why I anxiously await your experience.

I used it with leaves on top of long grass and short grass/bare ground. Long grass it pretty much blows them out the back unmolested. Short grass/bare ground it pretty much just rolls over them and without even lifting them off the ground.

I did have some luck reducing the volume of leaves by blowing them into tall windrows with a blower and then running over the piles with the flail but it only got the top and there was still too much to pick up by hand.

If you look in the last picture of the first post in this thread (link below) you can see that most of the leaves coming out of the back are relatively untouched. He is using the flail mower to spit them out into a collector, not mulch them and leave them in place. In my experience it won't do that. I tried various combinations of mower height, speed, with or without trash deflector, etc and nothing really worked. I have an older Mott 6' with grass blades.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/294911-using-flail-mower-pick-up.html

Maybe mower/operator dependent that is why I anxiously await your experience. But again, looking at the picture in the thread above, I don't see a flail excelling at mulching leaves to the point that you don't have to collect them.