Flail Mower Mott Flail Mower shooting grass to the front

professorburnout · May 12, 2017

Hello,
I just joined your group and recently picked up a Mott Flail mower with fine cut blades.
I am interested in hearing any suggestions and getting advice from users of this type of mower.
I tried the mower out when I got it home and it shoots grass out the front of the mower. I believe is a reverse cut the blades rotate opposite to the direction of the forward rotation of the tires. I Just ordered new flails that will arrive next week. The flails in the mower are badly rusted, bent, and nicked.

I could not find an operator manual that would instruct me how to set up the mower.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

em14 · May 12, 2017

I just did a Google search and came up with several hits. Here is one:http://www.cleancutter.com/AlamoMott.ht
Leo

leonz · May 12, 2017

Hello Paul,

I want to welcome you as the newest resident member of the Flail Mower Nations.

A couple of things to hash out first:

The Flail Mower must be operated at the 540 RPM Engine Speed while mowing in a lower gear
as this creates the 2,200 RPM Flail Mower Rotor Speed to permit the flail mower to work properly and recut the clippings as it advances into the grass or brush.

How fast are you mowing?? don't expect a low horsepower flail mower to mow well with a high ground speed unless the grass or brush is above inches in height.

What is the mowing height you are using? the rear roller is used to adjust the mowing height of a flail mower unless it
is a flail crop shredder where hydraulically adjusted towing wheels are used to set the height.

Please send me your email via the PM board so I can send you a Mott manual to read and print out for your use.

Now:

As you look at the flail mower from the left side looking at the (left weldment)(side plate) the rotation of the flail mowers rotor will be clockwise wherein the clippings will be carried over the flail mower rotor and then thrown to the ground before the rear roller rolls over the clippings.

Is the drive and driven pulley and V belt guard on the left side of the flail mower or the right side?

Are you using the scoop knives or the side slicers that look like bent butter knives singley or a Capital Y with a properly mounted "pair of side slicers".

A flail mower set up with "Side Slicer Knives" will allow you to flip the knife to the opposing edge to use its other sharp side

I will come back to this in a little bit for you as I have some chores to do. Please be sure to send me a PM with your email so I can send you a Mott Manual.

We have an extensive flail mower thread that you should read when time permits so you know how to use your flail mower properly to its full potential.

professorburnout · May 12, 2017

Thanks for the reply,

Here are few answers to the question to asked.

The Flail Mower must be operated at the 540 RPM Engine Speed while mowing in a lower gear
as this creates the 2,200 RPM Flail Mower Rotor Speed to permit the flail mower to work properly and recut the clippings as it advances into the grass or brush.

The pto should be running at 540rpm at the engine rpm I am at. I will check this with my optical tack.

How fast are you mowing?? don't expect a low horsepower flail mower to mow well with a high ground speed unless the grass or brush is above inches in height.

The grass is about 8 to 12" tall. I was moving about as fast as I would with my belly mower.

As you look at the flail mower from the left side looking at the (left weldment)(side plate) the rotation of the flail mowers rotor will be clockwise wherein the clippings will be carried over the flail mower rotor and then thrown to the ground before the rear roller rolls over the clippings.
It is running clock wise like you described

Is the drive and driven pulley and V belt guard on the left side of the flail mower or the right side?
Left Side

Are you using the scoop knives or the side slicers that look like bent butter knives singley or a Capital Y with a properly mounted "pair of side slicers".
There are 2 parts of the knives put together that look like a upside down Y. But I would say that are shot

Thanks

professorburnout · May 12, 2017

I just checked the ratio in the gearbox. I would estimate to be 1:1.3. Not 1:4 in you reply to get 540 to 2200rpm.
With my gearbox at 540pto rpm I would get about 700 rpm rotor shaft speed.
The gearbox on my Mott is square not round.
I will get some pictures. Do you think my Mott is designed for a cub lowboy with a higher pto speed?

My mower looks like the one in the following thread.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...mott-flail-mower-question.html?highlight=Mott

There is a difference the pulleys on the side are both 8" in diameter.

Thanks
Paul

leonz · May 13, 2017

professorburnout said:
I just checked the ratio in the gearbox. I would estimate to be 1:1.3. Not 1:4 in you reply to get 540 to 2200rpm.
With my gearbox at 540pto rpm I would get about 700 rpm rotor shaft speed.
The gearbox on my Mott is square not round.
I will get some pictures. Do you think my Mott is designed for a cub lowboy with a higher pto speed?

My mower looks like the one in the following thread.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...mott-flail-mower-question.html?highlight=Mott

There is a difference the pulleys on the side are both 8" in diameter.

Thanks
Paul

=================================================================================

Coming to this late;

The pulleys having the same diameter is troubling as the driven pulley is always smaller. if this Mott was ment for a Cub Low Boy with an under body mounting it would be a lot different as it would be hung with chains to secure it to the lowboy with a long belt drive fed from the rear of the low boy with a huge V belt pulley attached to the rear PTO stub with twin transition pulleys routing the belt under the tractor. Our 1969 cub low boy with the four cylinder gas engine had a belly mower with the same V belt tracking set up.

professorburnout · May 13, 2017

Attached are a few pictures of the mower I have.
with the PTO speed at 540 rpm I get a cutter speed of 750 rpm if I change the PTO speed to 742 rpm the cutter speed is 1000 rpm. this gives a ratio of about 1:1.4. I could change the bottom pulley to about half the diameter to get the cutter speed up to at least 2000. Is this what I should attempt?

Thanks,
Paul

leonz · May 13, 2017

Sigh,

1. The rear rubber discharge flap to control the clippings as they exit the mower is gone.

2. the rear roller is gone

3. this mower should have side skids as the bolt holes are there in the side weldments.

To do list:

Please take a close up picture of the gearbox from the rear as this one has two output shafts and the shaft in the rear looks like it was broken off flush.

Please also post an image of the right side weldment of the mower and a close up of the bearing housing on that side please.
Please also post images of the flail mower rotor-rotate it so both sides are in two or three separate images and the images showing the condition of the knives and the knife hangers as well as you may need knife hangers if the knives are as sad as you say they are.
Also be sure to take pictures of both inner bearing housings-they are bolted to the the side
weldments of the flail mower.
You need parts and new driven pulley to replace the existing driven pulley on this mower.
Please call Flail Master and tell them you have "new to you" mott flail mower with equal size
drive and driven pulleys and make sure you tell them your mule has a multi-speed PTO system and what brand mule you have.

If the ID plate is still there all the better as you tell them what is on it.
You need a complete rear roller with the mounting arms and rear roller bearings, the rubber discharge flap and the strap iron and mounting bolts that go with it to secure the clippings discharge flap.
Just keep in mind you could sell always it for parts as the rear roller is very pricey but if you are able to do the repairs it will take a bit of work.
The ID plate should be on the front right or left of the mower.

professorburnout · May 13, 2017

Thanks Lenoz for the information attached are a few pictures you requested.
The rear roller is at work one of the bearing was shot causing the significant damage to the shaft. I am turning a new shaft and have replacement bearing on order. I have the other parts you mentioned except for the rubber flap. I was going to cut a rubber flap out of some rubber i have.
The shaft on the gear box is not damaged. it looks like it is designed to be a left or right output by flipping the input shaft.
When I ordered the flails I also ordered a few weld on tabs to pin the flails to.
Unfortunately he ID plate is missing.
I was going to order another driven pulley at a local shop. I can order a Browning Pulley with the correct bore. All I need to know what the cutter shaft RPM should be and I will order the pulley with the diameter that will give me the ratio to get the required speed.
Also, thanks for sending me the parts and operation manual.
Thanks for all the help let em know if you see anything in the pictures i should be aware of.

Paul

leonz · May 14, 2017

Hello Paul,

You need an oil seal on the open end of the gearbox. the oil seal number still looks to be identifiable too.
I would order a Mott pulley from Flail Master-only because they will ship the right driven pulley to you the same day if you call at 9AM eastern time as they ship parts from Tennessee.