Pairing Flail Mower Size And Cutting Conditions To Tractor PTO Horsepower

[K5lwq]

This thread is about flail mowers not rotary cutters so that is off the table. So suppose you knew all those variables, what would be your process for coming up with an answer?

You mentioned rotary mowers did not list HP rating as well as flail.

I would use the same process I have always used. I would ask my Dad.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

You have specified three variables, but only two of them can actually be measured:
1- Size of mower. The width is easy to specify.
2- PTO horsepower. That's easy to find most tractors.
3- Cutting conditions. How would you propose anyone specify that? Consider:
-- Wet or dry? - no such thing, it can be anywhere in between. What number would you use to specify that?
-- Type of material being cut? - all sorts of material can be cut, grass, weeds of many types, brush. How would you specify how difficult your material is?
-- Density of material being cut? - it make a lot of difference how thick the material is. Tall or short? Lush or sparse? How would you specify that?
-- Acceptable cutting speed? - as has been said by others, the same HP can cut different material at different ground speeds. What speed to you think is minimum?
-- Steepness of terrain? - steep terrain also eats HP. What grade do you expect to cut on?

Until you specify all these variables you haven't specified your cutting conditions. How would you have anyone cover these, the most important of which have no objective way to measure, in a piece of literature?

You have the answer - it's a wide range. You just don't want to accept that.

So Terry I will ask you the same thing I asked K5lwq, how are consumers supposed to figure out how to match a specific flail mower to a specific cutting environment? How are they supposed to determine how much power they need to achieve their desired productivity goals?

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

You mentioned rotary mowers did not list HP rating as well as flail.

I would use the same process I have always used. I would ask my Dad.

Ok everybody, we have found the answer! The answer is (drum roll) we are all going to call K5lwq's dad! :laughing: ...Seriously though, I appreciate the honesty

 

[K5lwq]

He would have the answer that is a fact. First thing he would say is "what's time for a hog"! Next he might say is "Dumb ###, this ground is too rough to go over 3MPH. So get the widest cut you can!" Or any number of things but he would definitely say "don't waste so much time making a decision because in the time you are taking, I could be done already using a sling blade."

 

[TerryR]

So Terry I will ask you the same thing I asked K5lwq, how are consumers supposed to figure out how to match a specific flail mower to a specific cutting environment? How are they supposed to determine how much power they need to achieve their desired productivity goals?

Like everything else in the real world. They look at the available specifications, they make a guess about how their cutting conditions (a guess because they don't actually know) fit in the spectrum of conditions the machine was designed for, they describe the conditions they expect to people who have some knowledge of the issue (like dealers, neighbors, and members of this forum), they consider their budget, and make their best judgement. Sometimes they are right, and sometimes not, just like everything else in real life.

Because you've never described your "specific cutting environment" or "productivity goals" here you've gotten little useful advice here, but that wasn't what you asked for, was it?

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Like everything else in the real world. They look at the available specifications, they make a guess about how their cutting conditions (a guess because they don't actually know) fit in the spectrum of conditions the machine was designed for, they describe the conditions they expect to people who have some knowledge of the issue (like dealers, neighbors, and members of this forum), they consider their budget, and make their best judgement. Sometimes they are right, and sometimes not, just like everything else in real life.

Because you've never described your "specific cutting environment" or "productivity goals" here you've gotten little useful advice here, but that wasn't what you asked for, was it?

Ok I think we are having a meeting of the minds. So you're saying for most people it's just a educated guess?

How much help would it provide if I were to upload some pictures for you to look at of my property and cutting conditions?

 

[K5lwq]

Pictures would be a start but you have to give more information as has been mentioned.

We can't tell from the picture how rough the ground is or how often you plan on mowing. We can't know how much time you are wanting to take. What if after you give all the information we would recommend a rotary mower? Why do you think a flail is the answer? How did you arrive at that determination?

Not at all trying to be difficult. Just don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Pictures would be a start but you have to give more information as has been mentioned.

We can't tell from the picture how rough the ground is or how often you plan on mowing. We can't know how much time you are wanting to take. What if after you give all the information we would recommend a rotary mower? Why do you think a flail is the answer? How did you arrive at that determination?

Not at all trying to be difficult. Just don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction.

I assume since you are asking me this question that you don't know much about flail mowers. Would I be correct?

 

[K5lwq]

Yes you would be correct. I don't know much of anything.

What I do know, flails have their place as well as rotary, finish mower, reel mowers, drum mowers and even a sickle bar. But if speed is your concern, you can run a larger rotary faster than you can a flail.

If you need an off set mower, or concerned with throwing rocks or you like the finish look of a flail then time is not as big of a concern.

If the finish look is what you want then a finish or reel mower might be more appropriate.

Flails requires more time to service and have more moving parts. They are more expensive to purchase and maintain.

Bottom line for me is you went through some process to determine a flail is right for your situation. Just apply that same logic to determine what size you need.

 

[kthompson]

One reason for such a wide range of hp recommendation is the dumb user. Not calling you dumb. Have you seen the post on the operator who got killed by a JD rollover due to no rear ballast and sued JD and won? The owners manuals are very clear on safe loader use. But dumb or in to big a hurry to read the manual or the lack of common sense happens so the companies have to try to protect themselves from those people. In all honestly we all can be one of those if not careful, me myself.

For starters it is a pto powered implement so you are working with the PTO hp and not the gross engine or net engine, only the pto hp. Now the range is due to the wide range of what can do with that mower. A flail mower can be operated in a wide range of circumstances. You can travel very slow or say 8 miles per hour. Big difference in the hp needed with the speed difference so if you will be mowing fast high hp needs. The density of what you are mowing,thin less hp of course thick more hp. Same with the height of what you are mowing, short needs less hp than does tall as flail mower does mulch what you are mowing more so than a rotary mower will.

I am in process of matching a new flail mower to a new to me tractor and with my experience am going with about of 75% of the max hp recommended. Why, for one thing I want that wide of mower to reach my ditch banks will be mowing and the other is the small amount of time I will be in heavy cutting don't mind traveling slow. Matter of fact I suggest very much from safety with any type of mower to cut slower in heavier crops.

Most of my flail use has been on boom mowers and very little with a flail mower on grass. I am very use to running in the lowest gear I have and still feel like I am flying due to all the operating to miss the tree that is huge to the changing terrain tilting mower up and down.

You will find the same process for any implement that tills also. Take a simple disk, the trash being cut, the type of dirt, the moisture level, the speed you want to run and the type of tires and ballast it has. Way over kill with hp is a waste but way low in hp is work not done and great aggravation.

Oh just thought of one big thing to consider, the result you want. Not with all implements for certain but with mowers or tillage their usually a speed at which if you exceed no machine with no amount of hp can produce the results you want. Any mower has a max speed for good results and tip speed comes into play there. You get that from the mower company. In all this you be sure you then run the tractor to get the recommend pto speed for the mower. The pto must be at the rated speed and you use the gears to get the right ground speed, not the throttle.