Mowing Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn

   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #1  

diesel85

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Messages
1,118
Location
Vernon, NY
Tractor
Kubota BX2200
I need some thoughts and opinions...

I am looking at a Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on a BX2200 for mowing my lawn. Some said that I should go with the 54" model, but I want the same cutting width as my 60" MMM. However, most have told me that it will work fine for light duty (general mowing of lawn grass) and I will be very happy with it's results with the grass Y blades. However, some have told (scared) me that it will kill my tractor or my tractor will break and all this other stuff.

I find that hard to believe when I am just using it to mow my already manicured lawn that gets no higher than 5-6" if I don't get a chance to mow it. Most of the time it's normal height 3" grass and the fact that the MMM works at 60". Again, mind you, I am not going to be using this chop down 2 foot tall brush. I am going to use it as a lawn mower.

The reason I don't like the MMM is because it is side discharge and it just sprays everything with grass, not to mention, I am not happy with it's performance in terms of cut. I've tried all kinds of blades too. Just doesn't cut good. Plus I don't like the clumps it leaves. I like a nice even distribution of grass, kind of like how a flail mower does. Also, my land isn't level. It's got ripples and divots that I could see how a flail would act as a face shaver and contour with the land a lot better than the MMM.

From what I have seen on Youtube, with folks using flails on soccer/baseball fields and light grass is beyond my expectations and it looks way better than what any rotary can ever do.

Also, I'm not worried about the weight, my rear mount snowblower weighs in at ~600+ lbs and I mow with my loader attached anyways. So I know my BX2200 can lift it and use it no problem. In fact, I seen someone have a KingKutter 72" rotary on a BX2200 that weighs a lot more, especially further back. I'd never do that... just way too big.

Another reason I want the 62" is because I plan on upgrading tractors. In a year or two I plan on getting a tad bit bigger tractor (B series) possibly in the 28-32 hp range. I love my little BX, but it's just a tad bit too small. Don't get me wrong, I've had it for a long time, extremely dependable tractor, but sometimes just too small for some of the loader tasks I throw at it.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #2  
If you can lift it, you can spin it. You might need to go slow to spin it.

Check the weight of the flail & compare it to your 3pt lift capacity at 24" back. Flails are only about 3' long so there shouldn't be much discrepancy due to leverage like there would be with a long rotary cutter.

I ran a 7' wide old Ford 917 behind my L3200 in grass hood high. Despite being "to big" I loved it. Kept the flail & upgraded to a L4060. Looking to upgrade maybe to a hydraulic shift WoodMaxx as 30 years of abuse is catching up to the 917.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #3  
I think you're close on hp, but I think the MMM n=might bog down in tall grass more than the flail mower. Plus it fits with your longer term plans.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #4  
I think you're close on hp, but I think the MMM might bog down in tall grass more than the flail mower. Plus it fits with your longer term plans.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks for input. I'm not worried about going slow. I tried all different ground speeds with the MMM and it cuts about the same as going slow or fast. I'd rather go slow and have a nice cut than zipping back and forth 2-3 times mulching up clumps and getting grass that it missed. Still takes the same amount of time regardless. A lot of times I think I get all of it, a day or two goes by and you see a nice patch where I "thought" I mowed it again and I didn't. Very annoying.

Actually the MMM does fine in tall 6-8" grass (I've never mowed anything higher than that). Just clumpier than all can be and it misses a lot of grass. So multiple passes is necessary -- but it's to be expected. What I don't like is that the grass can be of normal height that you'd find on a typical front law, and the MMM still misses grass and clumps. Yet I get a smaller lawn tractor out and it does one heck of a job. I asked my local Kubota dealer and even took it to them, and they all say it's normal. They all say it's not going to get it nice as a lawn tractor or a different brand mower deck mounted on the rear. I was looking at getting another rotary like a Kingkutter, but after watching video after video of flail versus rotary finish mowers, I'm sold on the flail mower. Even though it costs a few hundred more, I can see it working for my needs for a very long time (don't get wrong, so can a Kingkutter rotary).

It appears as if the MMM is a cross between a finish mower and rough cut mower. Almost like a rough-cut finish mower that will mow grass, but it may not look pretty. Maybe for those folks that want to use it to do light rough cut work?! Not sure. Don't get me wrong, the MMM is a good idea, but I just don't like how it cuts, or else my grass is made of steel.

Any other folks that want to give their input, let me know. Please.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #6  
A couple years ago I wanted to order the Woodmax 62H flail mower for my B2601 but Woodmax said it was to much mower for my tractor. I was thinking about getting it anyway but instead decided to get a ditch mower instead and do most of my tractor mowing with that. With that said I think my tractor would have been ok with the 62h.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #7  
If you are having issues on normal grass height, there is an issue with your MMM. When I had my BX, it was a great cut. Better than any mower I ever had. My dad's walker still did a better job but not by much. Do you need a new belt?
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn
  • Thread Starter
#8  
A couple years ago I wanted to order the Woodmax 62H flail mower for my B2601 but Woodmax said it was to much mower for my tractor. I was thinking about getting it anyway but instead decided to get a ditch mower instead and do most of my tractor mowing with that. With that said I think my tractor would have been ok with the 62h.

It depends on what you are mowing. I doubt the flail should have any issues from what I've seen online in videos and comments. Again, not using it for a brush cutter or 2ft tall grass. Just a lawn.

If you are having issues on normal grass height, there is an issue with your MMM. When I had my BX, it was a great cut. Better than any mower I ever had. My dad's walker still did a better job but not by much. Do you need a new belt?

Like I said previously, I took it to the local dealer quite a few times regarding this. Yes, it has a fairly new belt on it, fairly new bearings, and flushed the gearbox last fall. In comparison to my neighbors KingKutter, his KK can thoroughly mulch up the same grass height as mine with no clumps. So it's not the grass height. I don't have another BX with a MMM to try on my yard, but I'd be curious.
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #9  
 
   / Woodmaxx 62" Flail Mower on BX2200 For Mowing Lawn #10  
I have a 54" MMM for my B2601 and I think it does a great job mowing though I don't have a fancy lawn, I also have a flail mower that mows equally well but is a lot more forgiving mowing uneven trails.
 
 
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