HP required Flair Vs Bush Hog

[oldnslo]

Hi all,
can some one tell me how the HP requirements for a flail mower Vs bush hog compare under the same operating conditions. Does the flail type leave less bunching and clumps? I may have to maintain my pasture this year which means mowing an extra 2 acres at least three times during the summer. This is mostly rye and brome grass and flat. Don't want to use my MMM since running through 8 - 10" high grass just isn't what that is designed to do.

Would be used on my BX1850D

thanks

Roy

 

[greg_g]

As long as it's dry and not yet matted down, either the flail or the RC can do the job with the same horsepower at the same ground speed. If you let it get over a foot, and/or cut it wet, and/or cut after it's been matted down - you'll not be happy with the flail because you'll either have to slow way down - or make more than one pass - or both. But the finished product is much nicer than that which is left by a RC. It's a no-brainer; two relatively blunt blades versus dozens of knife edges.

I think the bigger question is horsepower. According to Kubota, you've only got 13.7 PTO horsepower. Rotary cutter rule of thumb is 5 PTO hp per foot of swath. I'm thinkin' that finding an affordable RC or flail suitable for <14 PTO hp may prove challenging

//greg//

 

[oldnslo]

Greg,
appreciate the reply, don't recall ever seeing the HP rule of thumb and that is what I was looking for.

HP yes would be an issue but then I guess that is the good and bad about HST. They waste power but provide infinite speed control and instant reverse to back out of tough spots.

 

[John_in_TN]

No experience with rye and broom grass, but would expect it to cut easier than my thick bermuda grass. I have 30 pto hp and can definitely load it down with my 5' RC. My 6.5' finish cut flail loads the tractor less than the 5' RC under the same conditions.

 

[greg_g]

My 6.5' finish cut flail loads the tractor less than the 5' RC under the same conditions.

Wow. And that's with less HP than me. What make/model flail do you have? Cuz I have the opposite experience with a 60" Kodiak RC. Perhaps there's something I can do to further "tune up" my 74" flail. It's a rebuilt Ford 917H with 66 new T-type knives and a new banded drive belt.

//greg//

 

[leonz]

Hi all,
can some one tell me how the HP requirements for a flail mower Vs bush hog compare under the same operating conditions. Does the flail type leave less bunching and clumps? I may have to maintain my pasture this year which means mowing an extra 2 acres at least three times during the summer. This is mostly rye and brome grass and flat. Don't want to use my MMM since running through 8 - 10" high grass just isn't what that is designed to do.

Would be used on my BX1850D

thanks

Roy

A flailmower will leave a very nice cut and if you have high grass you can cut over it again and shred it much finer EVEN WET.

I would check with ken sweet and ask him about a 4 foot PTO flailmower, he handles the Diamond and Sicma line of flail mowers I believe.

We have several hundred pages of discussion about flail mowers that you should examine before you make a decision.

 

[murphy1244]

Go rent a small rotary then buy a finish mower.

 

[John_in_TN]

Greg g,
My tractor is a JD 3520, RC is an old JD 503 (with new blades) and the flail is a JD 25 or 25A (bought it used and the labels are gone). The flail has the "scoop" type finish-cut blades.

murphy1244,
I agree with your suggestion. He will need to mow more often with the Finnish Mower, but he can go faster and achieve better results. Once I got the old pasture (that I mow) under control with the RC and Flail, I switched to my Woods 84" Finnish Mower. Probably averaged less than 2 mph with the 5' RC and the 6.5' Flail, but I routinely run around 5 mph with the 7' Finnish Mower. Could run even faster (reccomended mower speed is "up to 6 mph") but the area is too rough to be comfortable at higher speeds.