Light To Medium Duty Flail Mower Advice!

[wirlybird]

Hi all,

The Ford 917L flail has been doing a good job but I am now looking for a 5 foot flail and would love to get some advice and recommendations.
This flail will run behind my JD 756. It runs the 50" Ford with no issue and I also run a 5 foot brush hog so I think it can handle a 5 foot flail. We won't be taming jungles with it!
The flail would be used primarily for fields and large areas to cut once or twice a month to get a better cut than a hog.
These areas are rock and stump free, no saplings etc. The customers would like a decent look without having to cut frequently like a lawn! Perfect for a flail I think.

Thanks for all info and recommended brands etc. Not looking for fancy just functional.

 

[wirlybird]

So, is anyone running a 60" or similar size flail on a compact or sub compact tractor?
Looking for advice on an entry level flail that would be suitable for the tractor and mainly for field mowing to maintain a better look than the brush hog.
Thanks!

 

[wirlybird]

Nothing? No advice on lighter duty flail mower brands?! Who's ok and who to stay away from?
Just trying to learn a little bit before buying!

 

[Beeenvenue]

I’ll give you a couple of ideas

first what is your machine? I don’t find a JD 756 on tractor data and engine and pto hp make a difference.

I recently found a Loftness used 72m (72” slicer knives) and it works great behind my kioti 3510 (35 hp, 29.7 pto, hst).

Before I found that I was settling in on woodmaxx. Reading tons of posts etc seems like that would be the best value buying new - many love the betstco (apparently also sold under many other names) but 50-50 in reviews. Woodmaxx has many sizes so you should be able to match your hp.
As far as flails go you can pick slicers/y knives for grass or the heavier single piece “foot” or “hammer” (tons of different names) some of which can cut 2-3” diameter material. Again I would have gone with knives since I have enough pasture and only a few smaller trees

 

[wirlybird]

I’ll give you a couple of ideas

first what is your machine? I don’t find a JD 756 on tractor data and engine and pto hp make a difference.

I recently found a Loftness used 72m (72” slicer knives) and it works great behind my kioti 3510 (35 hp, 29.7 pto, hst).

Before I found that I was settling in on woodmaxx. Reading tons of posts etc seems like that would be the best value buying new - many love the betstco (apparently also sold under many other names) but 50-50 in reviews. Woodmaxx has many sizes so you should be able to match your hp.
As far as flails go you can pick slicers/y knives for grass or the heavier single piece “foot” or “hammer” (tons of different names) some of which can cut 2-3” diameter material. Again I would have gone with knives since I have enough pasture and only a few smaller trees

Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it.
The machine is a variant of the 755.
20HP diesel with "claimed" 15HP TPO but no hard data.
It runs my 50 inch Ford flail with ease as id does a great job with a 5 foot brush hog so I am not convinced of the PTO rating!
I think a 5-6 foot flail with finish blades should be ok. Also have to keep the overall width under 77 inches!
The intent is to do like you, pasture/field maintaining.

 

[wirlybird]

Looks like a Betstco FH-EF175 might be a good one. I understand it is over the HP rating but I am also planning ahead for a bigger tractor.
$2100 is at the top of my cost range but doable.
They also had this on with faded paint for a lot less! Maybe get lucky!

 

[cstamm81]

Looks like a Betstco FH-EF175 might be a good one. I understand it is over the HP rating but I am also planning ahead for a bigger tractor.
$2100 is at the top of my cost range but doable.
They also had this on with faded paint for a lot less! Maybe get lucky!

Where are you located? I know if a few used Italian flails around me in PA. Betstco, like all the other Chinese flail importers, seems hit or miss. I’ve heard mainly good things, but I’ve heard some horror stories too. I’ve heard nothing but favorable reviews on any of the Italian brands, and there are many. I’d skip the grass knives entirely and go for hammers, they leave a great finish cut bad can easily handle 2 plus inch material. They will mulch sticks so you don’t even need to pick them up. Those that complain about maintenance on flail mowers seem to be talking about the older ones with grass knives. When you have 50 plus delicate knives to remove and sharpen, I can see that. Another vote for the hammers, there are far less of them on a flail designed to run them, and they are anything but delicate.

 

[Racenut]

I've been waiting for a Novatractor MFZ155 flail for a few months now.. Hopefully the next batch I'll get one. If not I'll look again at Betstco or Woodmax. I can't mow till October or November anyway. They've all been hard to find in stock, especially if you want hydro offset. And prices keep going up. Finding used ones in California is a silly game, when you do find one they want top dollar for rusted junk.

 

[wirlybird]

Where are you located? I know if a few used Italian flails around me in PA. Betstco, like all the other Chinese flail importers, seems hit or miss. I’ve heard mainly good things, but I’ve heard some horror stories too. I’ve heard nothing but favorable reviews on any of the Italian brands, and there are many. I’d skip the grass knives entirely and go for hammers, they leave a great finish cut bad can easily handle 2 plus inch material. They will mulch sticks so you don’t even need to pick them up. Those that complain about maintenance on flail mowers seem to be talking about the older ones with grass knives. When you have 50 plus delicate knives to remove and sharpen, I can see that. Another vote for the hammers, there are far less of them on a flail designed to run them, and they are anything but delicate.

Thanks for the info.
I'll have to look at hammers. The flail would pretty much be used to maintain fields that shouldn't have saplings! Might run across a stick or two though.
I am looking for the good finish cut rather than the "brush hog" look!
Unfortunately I am on Oklahoma so too far for the Italian ones near you!

 

[cstamm81]

Thanks for the info.
I'll have to look at hammers. The flail would pretty much be used to maintain fields that shouldn't have saplings! Might run across a stick or two though.
I am looking for the good finish cut rather than the "brush hog" look!
Unfortunately I am on Oklahoma so too far for the Italian ones near you!

From everything I have read and experienced with my 8' Rhino flail with huge, heavy hammers: you will get as good if not better of a finish cut with hammers than with grass knives. The hammers will allow you to hit things you did not expect, with little to no damage. Plus, maintaining about 20 hammers is a lot better than maintaining 40 plus knives. In short, the manufacturers claims of grass knives being the way to go over hammers for a nice finish cut, seems to be bunk to me and many others who have actually used both types.