Flail Mower Flail mowers?

[Nuru]

I am looking to buy a flail mower for the 1 acre of lawn, i will have to mow starting in April or May. I have been advised that if i want to cut this in less than 40 minutes and not have to pick it up every time, I should use a 72" to 84" flail mower. I would lie to know if:

This is the way I should go instead of my 54" JD MMM?
Who makes a good one that is not astronomically hich in cost? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[IslandTractor]

Seems to me that a 54#mmm would be perfectlyadequate for an acre of lawn. Why are you looking at a flail mower?

 

[NHWOODSMAN]

I have an 88" land pride flail, it is astronomical in price if i recall around 4500, I can do 10 acres in field in 2.5 hours, 1 acre probably 15 minutes, my advice go with a smaller flail or stick with a finish mower. I love mine but 80" + is a bit big for that small of a job.

 

[DrRod]

I have a flail mower for my ATV and thought I might get one for my tractor. The more I looked into it the more I saw why they aren't that popular. They do take up less space and turn shorter and they don't throw things out the back, but they take a lot of PTO power and much more maintenance plus they are expensive. Unless there's a compelling reason to get one, I agree with the others who vote for a rotary mower of some type.

 

[sandman2234]

I recently was given a JD flail mower. Knives on it were well worn, and the belt stretched way out of shape the first time I used it.
It is too big for my front yard, fenced back yard, and is not a bushhog, so that leaves the rest of my unfenced yard out also.(almost 7' cutting width)
However, I went up to the church and mowed the five acre field in what seems like record time, even with the knives in the shape they were in. The field used to be a hayfield, so it is flat, with some very nice grass. Just the kind a flail mower loves.
I am sold on it!!!
David from jax
On edit:
Forgot to mention, the tractor I pull it with is a JD2555, and has about 65 HP at the PTO, so that probably helps.
David from jax

 

[Nuru]

My memory indicates the the 54" JD MM cuts at a rate of 1 acre per hour on flat ground, and the 60" custs at a rate of 1.1 acre per hour, and the JD solutions for clippings pick-up are too expensive. I have a mulching set-up on my 54" but i need to get it repaired as i hit a few stones at my old property. I was looking at getting a larger mower deck and got to looking at flail mowers as an option. i want tto get it done as quick as possible and if I don't have to pick-up the clippings, even better. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

That cost is a hurdle though /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Nuru]

Thansk for the advice, I am now looking at a 72" as an alternative, but I would like to spend no more than 3500 for it. i plan to keep my MMM also, as it does a good job with its mulching configuration. My concern is that it needs to be cleaned quite frequently to maintain the good cut, and to do that correctly you need to raise the tractor or take the unit off to do it. with the 3PT flail, i can just lift it or use a floor jack and get it up into the air for power washing. I am also looking at used flail mowers too. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Nuru]

More maintenance? Can you be more explicit? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Nuru]

Wow, that seems to be the same thing i have heard from the dealers and other users who have them. If I get one and it is used, I would refurb it as required. One concern I have with it, is how does it handle sloped areas? Is it just the angle you pick?

 

[JoeL4330]

I use a big Befco C50 finish mower w. a mulching attachment ...works fine, nothing to pick up ...but, you are limited to 2mph or less so that it can do its "cut-everything-twice" thing. Comes in 4' to 7' wide swath cut.

 

[markct]

well i will put in my flail mower experience, we have a mott flail mower that is about 6ft cut i think, it has what they call trash knives, they are not made to cut brush but will take a bit more abuse that finish cut knives, as in hitting trash like on mowing roadsides. about the biggest reason i use it is that it is offset, the right hand side sticks out about a foot and a half from the tractor so its nice to mow under trees and shrubs, and it cuts alot closer to the ground than a brushog, and doesnt dig in when you turn. it gets used basicly as a lawn mower, not that we realy have much that ya would consider lawn around here!

 

[Panache]

A JD25A flail should run around $2500 new. I have one and I am amazed at what it will do.

 

[Nuru]

2 mph, Hmmm, well that won't do it as that would increase my TTCM (Time To Complete Mowing), substantially. But it is a thought for the flat areas depending on how much slope I will end up having.

 

[Nuru]

Thanks for you insight Joel4330. i have been doing aditional research and I guess one of the big drawbacks to a flail mower is that if anything happens to any of the knives, it throws the entire unit out o whack and that has to be rebalanced. That may mean taking it to someone who reall y knows how to do this. But it is still on the table though.

 

[Nuru]

Panache, how much grass do you mow? How long does it take? Do you have slopes to content with? thanks

 

[Panache]

Nuru
I cannot give a good time estimate because I am cutting tifton 9 bahia no more than 1 time per month. I primarly cut around my pond and the dam. The dam is a 1/3 slope. I have 2 wheel weights on the left rear wheel. I like the 1+ ft offset off the right side to cut closer to the water with out getting the tractor too close to the water. On my 5200 w/ 14.9x28 tires I use A2 for most cutting but if the grass is real thick I may have to go down to A1. When I cut the grass it is over the top of the front wheels.

 

[markct]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( i have been doing aditional research and I guess one of the big drawbacks to a flail mower is that if anything happens to any of the knives, it throws the entire unit out o whack and that has to be rebalanced. )</font>

if something happens to a knife ya simply replace it, as long as you use the same type you wont even know the difference. i know that some people have knocked the tabs off the bar and then there are places you can send them to be rebuilt and have the tabs replaced and rebalanced, but i have always just made a new tab same thickness and size and welded it on and never had a problem, i dont think its as critical as they make it sound, but if you lose a bunch of knives at once it will throw it outa balance and make it shake bad till ya replace them

 

[sandman2234]

I think the 2mph was for the flail mower with the mulching option.
I ran mine in 3rd gear, high range and it cut fine. Had to hang on to the tractor to stay onboard! I know it was way past 2mph, but I wasn't concerned with the clippings.
David from jax

 

[Nuru]

Thanks!

 

[Nuru]

Thanks