Sweeper or Flail Collector

[redleicester]

Chaps, I currently have a MF1235 with a 60" mid-mount rear discharge deck on it which I use for mowing 3-4 acres of lawn, plus another 8 or so acres of mixed stuff. Wifey would like the lawn swept and kept clear. I don't have the time or inclination to mow more than once a week, and the grass grows awfully fast!

I am trying to decide between a sweeper of some sort (Wessex/Sisis et al) or going for a Flail-Collector - the latter has a certain appeal as there are other seconds of land where the grass is thicker, and there's a whole lot more scrub and so on which would benefit from a flail, so going for a F/C which can also do rear discharge would kill to birds with one stone as it were.... Non the other hand, a dedicated tipping sweeper for the lawn, and a proper little 5' flail may be a better and more manageable option....


Your thoughts?

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I have a Lawn Genie flail that also catches the clippings. I love it. The only drawback is the weight. It is heavy to begin with and when the hopper is full the front end gets lite. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...4d1234141302-lawn-genie-purchase-000_0020.jpg

 

[leonz]

Chaps, I currently have a MF1235 with a 60" mid-mount rear discharge deck on it which I use for mowing 3-4 acres of lawn, plus another 8 or so acres of mixed stuff. Wifey would like the lawn swept and kept clear. I don't have the time or inclination to mow more than once a week, and the grass grows awfully fast!

I am trying to decide between a sweeper of some sort (Wessex/Sisis et al) or going for a Flail-Collector - the latter has a certain appeal as there are other seconds of land where the grass is thicker, and there's a whole lot more scrub and so on which would benefit from a flail, so going for a F/C which can also do rear discharge would kill to birds with one stone as it were.... Non the other hand, a dedicated tipping sweeper for the lawn, and a proper little 5' flail may be a better and more manageable option....


Your thoughts?

Ggreetings from from across the pond and my corner of the eastern wildeness
at 1140 feet above mean sea level.


If you do anything buy the Wessex ATC120 sweeper and the ACF 160 flail mower.

The wessex flail collectors are too big for the homestead unless they started making smaller ones recently.

 

[redleicester]

The ATC120 is a towed flail with it's own engine for hauling behind an ATV?

I was thinking more along the linesof the Amazone Groundkeeper (1.5m)

Or for "just" a sweeper, a Sisis Litamina

 

[redleicester]

I have a Lawn Genie flail that also catches the clippings. I love it. The only drawback is the weight. It is heavy to begin with and when the hopper is full the front end gets lite. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...4d1234141302-lawn-genie-purchase-000_0020.jpg

Yep, that's the sort of thing I'm thinking of. When you say you have issues with the weight, what sort of size tractor is it on, and what working width?

 

[leonz]

Chaps, I currently have a MF1235 with a 60" mid-mount rear discharge deck on it which I use for mowing 3-4 acres of lawn, plus another 8 or so acres of mixed stuff. Wifey would like the lawn swept and kept clear. I don't have the time or inclination to mow more than once a week, and the grass grows awfully fast!

I am trying to decide between a sweeper of some sort (Wessex/Sisis et al) or going for a Flail-Collector - the latter has a certain appeal as there are other seconds of land where the grass is thicker, and there's a whole lot more scrub and so on which would benefit from a flail, so going for a F/C which can also do rear discharge would kill to birds with one stone as it were.... Non the other hand, a dedicated tipping sweeper for the lawn, and a proper little 5' flail may be a better and more manageable option....


Your thoughts?

I think the Wessex sweeper is lighter in weight versus the Amazone or the Sisus as it is motorised and does not have a PTO shaft and drive train with a gear box and propeller shafts to final drive.




The 48 inch lawn genie is bear to move when empty as it is tongue heavy because of the 16 horse power engine for the 48 inch mower, ou original 36 invch lawn genie had an 8 horse Briggs; I have to buy a jack for our 48 inch lawn genie soon.



leonz

 

[leonz]

The ATC 120 is the sweeper and the ACF 160 is the flail mower witht eh four wheels and heavy tow bar which is very handy when pushing the mower when mowing in reverse when needed as it will go where you want it to go if it is attached to a front hitch, the 48 inch motorised lawn genie that My father owns and I mow with is very heavy and well built but it is a bear to tow when on a grade with 2 wheel drive when its full.

If remember right the lawn genies hopper carries 20 cubic feet of clippings.

I use a gallon of fuel on the lawn genie when I mow his 5 acres.

The ACF 160 has the 16 horse power Briggs & Statton V twin. it may use a little more fuel. The sweeper has a smaller engine.

I think the ATC 120 weighs less than the other sweeper collectors as it does not have an integral flail rotor and air flow diverter to a collection bin

If you look at the ACF 160 flail mower would you mind sending me the price and the options available in a PM to me?

Cheers

leonz

 

[redleicester]

The only Wessex sweeper I know of is the PTO-powered SC12 -

- which is 1.2m wide.

Their current range is here - I can't see an ACF or ATC - perhaps they have different models for the US market? The closest to those names are the ones I have linked to - but those are for dragging behind an ATV, not mounting on a tractor?

This is the sort of Wessex flail collector I was thinking of, again PTO powered with hydraulics for tipping and adjusting:

They come in 1.2m and 1.5m wide.

 

[leonz]

Here is the link for you www.broadwoodint.co.uk/wessex


You will see the motorised sweeper and the ACF160

leonz

 

[redleicester]

Right, well according to this link - Wessex AF Series Flail Mowers | WadsworthQuads.co.uk - The Uk's best selling Kawasaki ATV dealer - one of those will set you back £4425inc VAT. Not much use to me though!