Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[sunspot]

Over all, I am pleased with the Caroni 1900. It's a bit bigger than my very old 65" Brush Hog. SHMBO was also pleased with the appearance of the fields. The off set made it easy to mow into the windrow to cut the pesky brush that wants to pop up.
I was disappointed that the PTO shaft was too long and I had to use my hard labor to fix it. At least I didn't have to find a shop that could do it for me $$$.

Compared to a rotary:
Pros,

Cuts smoother
Quieter
Faster
Less scalping
Easier to back up
Uses less power

Cons.
It does not cut well in reverse
Misses some seed stalks
Watch out for thick Grape Vines. When they wrap the rotor, you get showered in dirt and debris.
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To Foozle, DirtHauler and all Caroni owners.
The U-Joints have minimum grease
The belts are loose
While you have the side cover off, there are two more grease fittings under the cover.

Have you tried adjusting the shoe/skid yet?

NO, I left it in the upper position. It still scrapes sometimes on hard turns but it's not a bother to me.

Iron Horse.
The shortening went well. I checked and it can articulate freely. I greased it up very well when I reassembled the shaft. It was well greased out of the box.
I have my unit set for the least offset. It is only a few degrees out of line. The booklet says it can be up to 45 degrees for a maximum time of 5 minutes and I think 20 degrees for normal mowing.
The Caroni has the slotted top link. That is what I am using.

 

[DirtHauler]

The other thing us Caroni owners must remember is to pump a lot of grease into the bearings initially because there is a large "air gap" in the bearing housings, if you don't do this, you could have premature bearing failer.
As far as the "loose" belts......tighten the tensoiner a little but not so tight that it won't slip a little if it gets jammed up. Cutting in reverse, I do it but at a slow speed mostly on really tuff stuff, then go forward over the same path to cut it all the way down.

 

[coastalguy]

I havent posted in a while but asked about flail vs. rotary and didn't get too many respones.

I am glad yall are taking them seriously now!

Where can I purchase a good used one from? I am looking for something 7 feet wide or over.

 

[Foozle]

To Foozle, DirtHauler and all Caroni owners.
The U-Joints have minimum grease
The belts are loose
While you have the side cover off, there are two more grease fittings under the cover.

Thanks. My Kubota dealer assembled for me but probably makes sense to check all the grease.

 

[sunspot]

As far as the "loose" belts......tighten the tensoiner a little but not so tight that it won't slip a little if it gets jammed up.

The spring on my tensioner was fully compressed and the belts had slop. I only tightened it until I had some air showing between the spring coils.

 

[Eagleview]

There should not be any "slop" in the belts . They should only deflect about 3/8" at thier center . Make sure the idler is not binding . If they slip easily they will burn up in no time .


Just found a couple of good flail mowers on Ebay . The blue one is "in good condition" and runs "smooth" and it's at the low starting price of $1500 and the other is "as new" and it's starting price is only $3000 . I'd hate to see what he calls a bomb .

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

fellas i just bought my 88" super heavy duty on craigslist for 300......few seals and some parts that were missing....i'll have about 400 in it.....

from everything i've been watching for about 2 months, you should be able to get a nice one for 700 or much less.....

just my two cents

There should not be any "slop" in the belts . They should only deflect about 3/8" at thier center . Make sure the idler is not binding . If they slip easily they will burn up in no time .


Just found a couple of good flail mowers on Ebay . The blue one is "in good condition" and runs "smooth" and it's at the low starting price of $1500 and the other is "as new" and it's starting price is only $3000 . I'd hate to see what he calls a bomb .

 

[coastalguy]

fellas i just bought my 88" super heavy duty on craigslist for 300......few seals and some parts that were missing....i'll have about 400 in it.....

from everything i've been watching for about 2 months, you should be able to get a nice one for 700 or much less.....

just my two cents

Can you post a pic? Just curious what $300 will get you.

Looking for a flail my self.

 

[John861]

Can you post a pic? Just curious what $300 will get you.

Looking for a flail my self.

Keep in mind, looks aren't worth much. Most of the older flails will be dented and rusty, but plenty of these have a lot of life left in them. What really matters is how they run, which is why I would be cautious about buying one sight unseen. If there is significant imbalance and vibration, things could get expensive.

I bought my Ford 917 (unknown age, but could be as old as the 60's) from a guy who offered to run it on his tractor to verify function. Lots of the eBay ones are sold be equipment resellers, many of whom specifically state that they have not run the mower. Buyer beware. In my case, $325 got me a nice mower in need of a bit of sanding and painting, and missing 6 knives (at $0.89 a piece). I'm happy with my purchase. Here is a picture from before the sanding and rattle can paint job.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5384

 

[coastalguy]

Nice!

What width is that?