Flail Mower New member. New owner JD 25 A Flail mower. Help!

[Ribz]

Try cutting at the 2" setting. I'm not impressed with mine at 3.5" either. Try it at the 1/2" setting too, you may be surprised. At 1/2" mine cuts probably 2.5" or so. Yours may vary but this is mine on the 1/2" setting. You can see how high the weeds were to start:

Shaeff, thanks for letting me know the cutting height adjustment only loosely relates to actual cutting height. I couldn't imagine anybody actually cutting at 1/2 ". You'd be hitting rocks and dirt constantly. I'll readjust the height and try again.

When encountering the really heavy stuff like in your photo, Mine choked out and stopped. My neighbor clutched it quickly and I didn't hear any squealing belts. He backed it out, raised it up, when PTO was re-engaged it cleared and ran fine. I think his groundspeed was too fast. Soon I will be back operating my own tractor and I will learn a lot more then.

Typically, does the flail have to be operated more slowly than a bush hog?

 

[shaeff]

Is the governor on your machine operating properly when loaded down? Mine bogs a bit, 40hp machine, 37PTO- but my governor is all wacky. Haven't had a chance to adjust it.

I mowed in 2nd gear low for the field in that picture. Could have gone a bit quicker but it's got some real bumpy spots.

Depending on horsepower and the brush density, you may have to mow slower than with a brush hog.

 

[leonz]

Hello Ribz,
I found your PM.
I am sending you my phone number now as I will be here for a bit.
Do not forget you can back over the brush with the mower running and then drive forward to shred it a second time with the mower lowered to the ground. It will get a bit noisy but it will really begin to break up the brush for you as the stems will try to stand back up as the tractor is backing.

When you adjust the cutting height be sure to reference the end of the scoop knife with the cutting edge down as the actual cutting height measurment will begin at that measurement since the rotor is spinning at 2,200 RPM+-

 

[Molalla1]

Typically, does the flail have to be operated more slowly than a bush hog?

Yes, I have both flail and hog, and the flail is slower, but much safer with a better cut.

 

[Ribz]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Here is a photo of the test run looking over the hood of the Mule. Set on the 3.5" setting and leveled out. Will be taking Shaeff's advice and dropping the blades down a setting to 2".



The long dead grass is from my last bush hog job in the fall. Hoping to avoid this in the future.

 

[shaeff]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Here is a photo of the test run looking over the hood of the Mule.

Exactly what mine looks like set at 3.5". Drop that sucker down a notch or two and it'll cut much nicer. Especially with all those new knives you installed!

My 25A is trashed, bent up, twisted, the knives are all chipped and bent, dull, and it still cuts decent. (As seen in the pic above) I bet yours will cut beautifully once you get it set up right.

Remember to set it up on level ground and use a bubble level on the gear box. Setup is not as forgiving as a brush hog, but when set right should yield very good results.

Hope your finger heals up quickly!

 

[Ribz]

Thanks Shaeff. I'll spare everybody a photo of the finger itself, but here is the xray. Fractured the tip of the last bone in the finger in three pieces. I see a hand specialist next week. Hopefully it just heals with a splint and no surgery.



PS, just a tip from your Uncle Ribz, Do not get your pinky caught between a falling pto shaft and the edge of the machine. You will not like the results.

 

[shaeff]

Thanks Shaeff. I'll spare everybody a photo of the finger itself, but here is the xray. Fractured the tip of the last bone in the finger in three pieces. I see a hand specialist next week. Hopefully it just heals with a splint and no surgery.

PS, just a tip from your Uncle Ribz, Do not get your pinky caught between a falling pto shaft and the edge of the machine. You will not like the results.

That looks rather painful. Hope you heal up quickly!

In the meantime, nothing makes a guy feel better than mowing down some tall grass! The before/after is always substantial!

(Hint: how's that mower working )

 

[Ribz]

Thanks Shaeff. Unfortunately I am still on injured reserve. With the splint on my finger, it sticks out and I seem to bump it on about anything hard I come close to. It's similar to magnetic attraction. Because of this, I've had to get a bigger swear jar.

Remnants of Trop Storm Cindy will be passing over us today and tomorrow. Hoping I can do some mowing after things dry back out.

On my Kubota, the pto control is on my right and under the seat. Not sure it's possible to get my hand to it without bumping the finger, and I can't use my left to get at it. I may have to conjure up a temporary work around for it. I'm thinking something shaped like a long box end wrench might work to "remotely" work the lever so I don't have to reach under the seat and bump that finger.

If anybody has other work around ideas they've used, I'd love to hear them. Thanks.

 

[leonz]

Hello Ribz,


it took about a month before I could tolerate bumping a broken finger after the "incidents". Over sized work gloves do not work either they will cause more even more ache. Gripping tools and and a steering wheels are not on the agenda sadly as the use of the hand causes "all" the muscles in the hand to work and it multiplies the tension on the tendons and muscles. =ache =bigger swear jar donation :^(

I can will tell you that you from personal experience will hurt more with more activity; this is coming from both bilateral carpal tunnel surgery and the two "incidents' causing broken digits. Its not what you want to hear with your mowing needs but pizza and beer bribes work wonders. Keeping the arm in a sling and sleeping in a chair or using an overstuffewd chair pillow in bed to let you sit up and sleep or if you have a mattress that adjusts at the head end. if possible waiting is the best thing for it to heal that much sooner.

It took a month to heal with pain killers after the incidents but you will be better off not trying to push it as the blood flow is going to feel like its concentrating in that hand simply because the nerves have to heal back up as much as possible.

As you know doing the simplest things has become doubly difficult and you have to be patient I can will tell you that even running the hydro lawn mower or driving a car or a truck in my case is awful at first while in a sling.

When you get going again half cuts will save you a lot of work when you set the mower at two inches.

Even using the draft control is going to hurt a lot, I KNOW, I KNOW, I know.

Sorry for being a gloomy Gustav as its mowing season but I want you to heal faster than I did as 3 weeks on bed rest was not enough for me.


Things like this always remind me of one of my favorite Far Side cartoon with the two vultures sitting on a tree limb;

the vulture on the right is responding to his/her cohort saying "just wait" while animals are grazing nearby as it says

"Waiting he ll, I want to kill something!!


For what its worth; when and if you get a winter kill frost the mowing will be even easier as the brush will have much less moisture in it.


leonz