Question to Flail Mower Nation

[ukrkoz]

Here's my question

I have Y blades on my tow behind mower.
Blades edges span 3 1/4 inch wide. (3.25)
Widest scoop blades I could find are 2.6 inch. So it's amost an inch narrower blade.
Considering that flail blades are overlapping, can I still replace my Y blades with scoops?
I want horizontal cut, not combed cut I have after Y blades.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Balance is the BIG issue. I noticed that FORD put weights on the rotors of my 917 mowers. They had that all figured out. No way, I could do the same.

 

[ukrkoz]

That... didn't really help.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sorry. I would say probably not. My 917s had holes drilled for various style FORD knives and probably instructions as to what weights to use with them.

You can't just go sticking different knives on, if you ask me.

 

[ukrkoz]

I am not concerned with if they will fit or imbalance. I am asking if I shall have continuous, no gaps, cut, with narrower blades, considering that they overlap in rows.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Have you ever used an out of balance flail mower?

 

[ukrkoz]

OK, I'll put it this way.
It is common practice to interchange blades on flail mowers, this is why industry is manufacturing Y blades, scoops, hammers. Of various size and shape.
If you replace ALL blades of one kind with a complete set of different style blades, it does not really matter balance wise, as they are counterbalancing themselves.

That said:
I am asking if I shall have continuous, no gaps, cut, with narrower blades, considering that they overlap in rows.

See OP.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The blades on one row are generally staggered with the blades of another row. I guess you don't want them touching each other. You can't have gaps, that's a given as you won't get full coverage and missed strips. But I still maintain, the machine needs to be drilled to accomodate the knives and spacing you are thinking about getting.

It's like any other mower. I may see the "industry" making a blade I want to use, but it has to be made in my size with the proper hole size.

 

[thekkfan]

... I shall have continuous, no gaps, cut, with narrower blades, considering that they overlap in rows.

You answered your own question. If they overlap, then yes, you should still have continuous cut.

 

[metalbender]

Measure the current overlap, you'll get yor answer.