Eagleview
Veteran Member
This is how a rotor is balanced , with the knives/hammers attached .
YouTube - Baler Shredder Balancing.MOV
YouTube - Baler Shredder Balancing.MOV
Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers
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IslandTractor
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The question is what is the advantage of such a system over one that is symmetrical and therefore inherently balanced.
IslandTractor
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Let's be kind to our unbalanced friends.
Eagleview
Veteran Member
We will have to wait for a manufacturer to chime in and explain , they are way smarter than me and they wouldn't go to all the trouble without a reason .
There are several different rotor designs , the Europeans seem to build them like mine . The Americans appear to build them with equal rows that may not need counterweights and then there is the Double helix type that is a screw type pattern that ensures only one hammer/knife set strikes at a time , reducing horsepower demands instead of having 7 sets striking at the same time zapping horsepower and using more fuel .
IslandTractor
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Caroni is an Italian brand so not all European flails are asymmetrical.
I replaced the knives on my ford flail mower last year. As I did I noticed what I thought was an unbalanced hack by a previous owner. So I removed the extra knife from the unbalanced row and the mower runs smoother than ever. YMMV
Eagleview
Veteran Member
Caroni use 4 different rotor configurations .
sodamo
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OK, I also got under mine a bit. Here are the pics.
Appears to be some effort at balancing, 1- a small plate welded at one end of the shaft. 2 - 2 smallish beads about 1/3 distance the other end. Could be just sloppy welding, but the rest of the shaft is clean so these appear to be there on purpose.
As for knife weight... I don't have a scale, but I did fashion a "knife-edge" balance and my hammers are definitely heavier than the grass blades.
Overall, I consider mine to be quite tolerant. I really banged up my hammers before I replaced them. I only got a noticeable vibration if I severely damaged a hammer, note the one on top far right.
Appears to be some effort at balancing, 1- a small plate welded at one end of the shaft. 2 - 2 smallish beads about 1/3 distance the other end. Could be just sloppy welding, but the rest of the shaft is clean so these appear to be there on purpose.
As for knife weight... I don't have a scale, but I did fashion a "knife-edge" balance and my hammers are definitely heavier than the grass blades.
Overall, I consider mine to be quite tolerant. I really banged up my hammers before I replaced them. I only got a noticeable vibration if I severely damaged a hammer, note the one on top far right.
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Eagleview
Veteran Member
Thanks for going to the trouble , those small weights are what was put there at the factory to Dynamically balance the rotor with the knives they put on at that time . The replacement knives would be somewhere within the allowable weight specs so the mower should always run pretty good . The absence of any large counterweights is apparently because of the straight rows and even numbers of knives that are fitted . So I digress , some , flail mowers run straight rows of knives and some , run staggered which requires a counterweight and some run a double helix which run counterweights .
My Cabe's run a large one on each end , the Berti runs 3 smaller ones , one on each end and one in the middle and my FAE excavator mulcher runs 2 large ones on each end which is (i think) a double helix , they are all to compensate for the knife arrangement not only to take out any harmonics the rotors may have had at the factory .
My Cabe's run a large one on each end , the Berti runs 3 smaller ones , one on each end and one in the middle and my FAE excavator mulcher runs 2 large ones on each end which is (i think) a double helix , they are all to compensate for the knife arrangement not only to take out any harmonics the rotors may have had at the factory .
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leonz
Super Member
Yes sir, our lawn genie has staggered mounts with spring shackles and welded balance wieghts on the rotor shell.
I think the John deere that pop had was the same way as it had a herd of grass knives in four rows.
Time for me to go to bed Iron Horse, hope all is well down under and the fosters is still good and cold; I hope the fight with the Lantana is going well;
We have had a surge of Giant HOG WEED nasty stuff) and I am sure it will be huge this year with the good growing season so far- the grapes will be two or more weeks early for harvest and the sugar beets will be ready to harvest august first to pre pile beets as the tonnage will be huge and I mean huge as they are starting the sugar refineries early because of the crop size.
leon
I think the John deere that pop had was the same way as it had a herd of grass knives in four rows.
Time for me to go to bed Iron Horse, hope all is well down under and the fosters is still good and cold; I hope the fight with the Lantana is going well;
We have had a surge of Giant HOG WEED nasty stuff) and I am sure it will be huge this year with the good growing season so far- the grapes will be two or more weeks early for harvest and the sugar beets will be ready to harvest august first to pre pile beets as the tonnage will be huge and I mean huge as they are starting the sugar refineries early because of the crop size.
leon
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