Ford 917 flail mower
- Thread starter foote2floor
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OP
foote2floor
Member
The paint looks a little rough, but it seems mechanically sound. All the knives are there but a few are damaged. I am going to buy some new knives/blades for it and try it out this spring. Is there and quirks about this machine I should look out for?
leonz
Super Member
Hello foote2floor,
I want to welcome you as the newest member of the Flail Mower Nation.
The Ford 917 is a very well well built flail mower.
If you could perhaps at some time upload some pictures of the mowers flailmower rotor and the underside of the mowers hood that would help us/me a lot as it will tell me what the underside looks like. and how many rows of knives you have as well as the number of mounting stations it has as well.
If you could also upload a picture of the rear of the flail mower with the roller prominently displayed that will be helpfull as well. this will also tell me if your Ford 917 has a trash door that aids in ejecting large amounts of clippings when mowing tall, thick underbrush loads.
The biggest issue is obtaining the right length propeller shaft for this implement as you have make sure it is the right length to prevent damage to the power train of the tractor and the gear box of the flail mower. There are many posts and links to sizing a new propeller/PTO shaft for powered implements on the forum here.
Plan on purchasing a brand new V belt or belts as the old ones are automatically suspect due to Ozone Damage as it spent its time out of doors aparently.
Be sure to purchase the Kevlar replacement belts for this size belt as th.ey are not that expensive and absorb shock loads much better than the conventional belting available
You will also need to change the gear oil in it for fresh gear oil. this is something that should be done annually if left outdoors under cover.
You will be able to purchase The knives, knive hangers, hanger straps and bolts from your local Ford New Holland dealer or from Clean Cutter Tiller Blades or from Flail-Master - Mower Replacement Parts, Commercial Riding Mower Parts, Rotary Cutter Parts, Blade grinders, Trimmer Line, Mowing Accessories - Flail Master - Flailmaster -
I would also attempt to find a manual on line or from the forum here as many members have this flail mower model in thier stables.
As far a greasing goes the flail rotor bearings and roller bearings will only require 6-7 pumps per mowing session. you have to be sure to remove the V belt guard to dig out the rubber dust and grease the bearing(s) there as well- belt tensioner, flat pulley, The rotor bearing if not exposed
on your model-meaning under the hood guard.
I can never emphasize this enough-never over grease the main bearings(flail mower rotor bearings) as you will blow out the dust seals on them and they will not last long after this has occured.
_________________________________________________________
Only 18,883 mowers to go
Once you go flail you never go back.
Pronovost or not at all!!!
I want to welcome you as the newest member of the Flail Mower Nation.
The Ford 917 is a very well well built flail mower.
If you could perhaps at some time upload some pictures of the mowers flailmower rotor and the underside of the mowers hood that would help us/me a lot as it will tell me what the underside looks like. and how many rows of knives you have as well as the number of mounting stations it has as well.
If you could also upload a picture of the rear of the flail mower with the roller prominently displayed that will be helpfull as well. this will also tell me if your Ford 917 has a trash door that aids in ejecting large amounts of clippings when mowing tall, thick underbrush loads.
The biggest issue is obtaining the right length propeller shaft for this implement as you have make sure it is the right length to prevent damage to the power train of the tractor and the gear box of the flail mower. There are many posts and links to sizing a new propeller/PTO shaft for powered implements on the forum here.
Plan on purchasing a brand new V belt or belts as the old ones are automatically suspect due to Ozone Damage as it spent its time out of doors aparently.
Be sure to purchase the Kevlar replacement belts for this size belt as th.ey are not that expensive and absorb shock loads much better than the conventional belting available
You will also need to change the gear oil in it for fresh gear oil. this is something that should be done annually if left outdoors under cover.
You will be able to purchase The knives, knive hangers, hanger straps and bolts from your local Ford New Holland dealer or from Clean Cutter Tiller Blades or from Flail-Master - Mower Replacement Parts, Commercial Riding Mower Parts, Rotary Cutter Parts, Blade grinders, Trimmer Line, Mowing Accessories - Flail Master - Flailmaster -
I would also attempt to find a manual on line or from the forum here as many members have this flail mower model in thier stables.
As far a greasing goes the flail rotor bearings and roller bearings will only require 6-7 pumps per mowing session. you have to be sure to remove the V belt guard to dig out the rubber dust and grease the bearing(s) there as well- belt tensioner, flat pulley, The rotor bearing if not exposed
on your model-meaning under the hood guard.
I can never emphasize this enough-never over grease the main bearings(flail mower rotor bearings) as you will blow out the dust seals on them and they will not last long after this has occured.
_________________________________________________________
Only 18,883 mowers to go
Once you go flail you never go back.
Pronovost or not at all!!!
greg_g
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Western Kentucky
- Tractor
- JD3720 Cab, 300X loader with 4-in-1 bucket
I got a 917H for almost nothing at a farm auction, but it took a lot of time (and a few bucks) to rebuild it to acceptable operational status. One thing I missed was the rear roller bearings. I recently left the roller behind while mowing a section of pasture. Assuming yours are still there (and work) will stave that problem off temporarily. Otherwise repair/replace rear roller bearings and zerks, before you look back one day and see yours lying 50 feet behind the tractor as well.
//greg//
//greg//
OP
foote2floor
Member
leonz
Super Member
Ah, it appears that you have the small trash door shield.
This is very good for when you have high grass overgrowth to deal with.
The rotor design with multiple mounting stations will also let you change
to a wide scoop knive if desired as well.
You have the good side slicers on this mower.
The slotted knives and the D ring mounts permit the knives to flatten out and
the knives when rotating at speed become airfoils and level out creating a beautiful cutting job
better than a rotary mower.
My flail mower has the slotted side slicers and when I mow with it its a very nice cut with little to no clippings.
You will also be able to mount dethatching blades on this rotor with textra D rings
as well using the entire width to properly lace and overlap the dethatching blades on all four
rows.
Happy Mowing
This is very good for when you have high grass overgrowth to deal with.
The rotor design with multiple mounting stations will also let you change
to a wide scoop knive if desired as well.
You have the good side slicers on this mower.
The slotted knives and the D ring mounts permit the knives to flatten out and
the knives when rotating at speed become airfoils and level out creating a beautiful cutting job
better than a rotary mower.
My flail mower has the slotted side slicers and when I mow with it its a very nice cut with little to no clippings.
You will also be able to mount dethatching blades on this rotor with textra D rings
as well using the entire width to properly lace and overlap the dethatching blades on all four
rows.
Happy Mowing
OP
foote2floor
Member
I see that the rotor has holes about very 2 inches. The current brackets for the knives are not mounted in these holes though. The current brackets are only about 3/4 of a inch from the hole next to it. Does anyone happen to know why?
bubbacuse77
Platinum Member
I found an old 907 just rusting away behind my neighbor's house. Looks almost the same as 917. What is the difference in the two?
greg_g
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Western Kentucky
- Tractor
- JD3720 Cab, 300X loader with 4-in-1 bucket
That's if you switch to finish knives. There are more finish knives per inch of swath than there are the current T-type knives you have. Leon calls them scoop knives. But I'm not sure about the 4 row business. If there are any labels you can read, is there a model number (something starting with 22)? My 74 incher has 3 rows of 11 T-type knives for a total of 66 cutting edges over the 74" swath. The 48" has 3 rows of 7, the 62" has 3 rows of 9, and the 88" has 3 rows of 13.
greg_g
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Western Kentucky
- Tractor
- JD3720 Cab, 300X loader with 4-in-1 bucket
Age. First came the 907, then the 917, then the 918, then Ford became New Holland.
//greg//
OP
foote2floor
Member
Arc weld
Veteran Member
The Ford 917 mower is an OK flail but is much lighter duty than a Mott/Alamo. It's not uncommon to see dents and even rusting through on a 917. If you want to make it work better and have more power, put Mott knives on it. They will fit on the existing rings and don't require as much HP to run. They are individual and will independently swing backwards and to the side when encountering an object. The one piece Ford knives also don't self clean and will plug up in heavy grass. The reason older flails have different knives is because Mott had a patent on the individual free swing knives. You adjust the rear roller for your height of cut. For just general cutting a 917 should work good.
Of interesting note is that the flail mower was invented by Mott when he was an engineer at International Harvester but IH was not interested in his new mower design so he went out on his own. He tested the self cleaning properties of his "Hammer Knives" in pig manure.
Of interesting note is that the flail mower was invented by Mott when he was an engineer at International Harvester but IH was not interested in his new mower design so he went out on his own. He tested the self cleaning properties of his "Hammer Knives" in pig manure.
leonz
Super Member
The Ford 917 mower is an OK flail but is much lighter duty than a Mott/Alamo. It's not uncommon to see dents and even rusting through on a 917. If you want to make it work better and have more power, put Mott knives on it. They will fit on the existing rings and don't require as much HP to run. They are individual and will independently swing backwards and to the side when encountering an object. The one piece Ford knives also don't self clean and will plug up in heavy grass. The reason older flails have different knives is because Mott had a patent on the individual free swing knives. You adjust the rear roller for your height of cut. For just general cutting a 917 should work good.
Of interesting note is that the flail mower was invented by Mott when he was an engineer at International Harvester but IH was not interested in his new mower design so he went out on his own. He tested the self cleaning properties of his "Hammer Knives" in pig manure.
He has the side slicer knives with the oval mounting holes on this Ford 917 so he has the right knives.
leonz
Super Member
When your rotor speeds up the the the side slicer knives become
an air foil/airplane wings and they will cut the grass smooth due
to the infividual side slicer knive having an oval mounting hole.
AS I mentioned earlier you can interchange the knive type with scoop knives/shovel knives
and also use dethatching blades.
an air foil/airplane wings and they will cut the grass smooth due
to the infividual side slicer knive having an oval mounting hole.
AS I mentioned earlier you can interchange the knive type with scoop knives/shovel knives
and also use dethatching blades.
leonz
Super Member
If I remember correctly it is smaller in width and has the scoop knives?? Sorry but I have been away from mowing season to long and I have forgotten things :^0
OP
foote2floor
Member
The knives that are currently on my flail are what I believe to be called scope type. It may not be clear in the picture, but they are a one piece design. They are not two "L" shaped knives on one mount.
Which replacement blades would be better for a nice clean finish cut?
Which replacement blades would be better for a nice clean finish cut?
Attachments
leonz
Super Member
Whoopsie!, my mistake, as I thought they were the side slicers from the picture.
The scoop knives will give you a good finish as long as they are sharp and not damaged but
it will have a bit of a waffle finish if you drive fast when mowing as the knives will not overlap
as well if you were mowing slowly.
The side slicers give the mower the best finish and you will need to order a small herd of D rings,
hangers, nuts and bolts and a pair of side slicers for each knive station. You can add dethatching
blades at the same time if desired.
I would mow with it as it is with the scoop knives and see if the cut is rough or smooth to your liking.
The scoop knive is a more all purpose knive for bith grass good idea to replace the nuts and bolts at the
same time and any bad or missing hangers. be sure ot use blue loctite
Arc weld
Veteran Member
The mower has the original Ford knives BUT the Mott knives will fit on the Ford rings. The Mott/Alamo knives will give a nicer cut, use less HP, won't plug up and are reversible if they get dull or worn. I think they are cheaper as well. A lot of the more recent flails have copied the Mott knife style because the patents have expired. I've cut a lot of acres with a 917 and Mott flails.
OP
foote2floor
Member
Thank you guys for all the help, I am going to try it out and see how it does. I plan to order new knives half way through the season, then over the winter clean it up and throw a little paint at it.
greg_g
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Western Kentucky
- Tractor
- JD3720 Cab, 300X loader with 4-in-1 bucket
I don't think so. Not based upon the initial photos anyway. That machine was seemingly seldom used, or those are replacement knives and hangers. It's simply not possible from the photo to determine the pedigree of the knives. Given that this machine is somewhere between 29 and 40 years old, original knives would have worn/rounded tips - and the hangers would have grooves worn in them where the knives swing. The knives and rings pictured by the way, look exactly the same as the aftermarket replacements I bought for my 917H. Mine was so worn, I ended up replacing knives, hangers, brackets, and bracket bolt/nut. Got it all from FlailMaster.
//greg//
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