Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[carson84]

thanks for the pic xfaxman. thats a nice looking fence you got there. you work for a pipe mfg company? lol

 

[carson84]

 

[Xfaxman]

thanks for the pic xfaxman. thats a nice looking fence you got there. you work for a pipe mfg company? lol

Your're welcome.

Nope, I am retired, the fence is made by Priefert, called Ponderosa.

 

[bruceha2000]

Bruce, position control on the 3ph is what most tractors will likely have. With this the 3ph lever can be moved anywhere in a range in a slot and the position of the lever is related to the position of the lift arms (unless the lift arms are floating because there is something holding them from dropping further). These usually have threaded knobs that you can position in the slot to limit the travel of the 3ph to stop at the same height consistently. Many small and/or cheaper compacts don't have this feature and the 3ph control is just like a hydraulic valve. In the middle the 3ph stays in the same spot. Move it to the up position and the 3ph arms will continue rising until it's at the top or you return the lever to the middle. Lowering is similar, thus I can't lower consistently to the same spot. My lever will stay in the lower position so I do have float.

I've never done any haying, but my impression is the a sickle bar is the cheapest way to cut a "recreational" hay field. A flail is not the right tool as it'll mulch it all up. You need a mower that cuts the grass off and leaves it full length.

Thanks for the helpful primer JC!

 

[bruceha2000]

Your're welcome.

Nope, I am retired, the fence is made by Priefert, called Ponderosa.

Looks like a 50 year no maintenance fence.

 

[bruceha2000]

Bruce hire a neighbor to mow it if you buy it.

Haying four acres is only going to get you about 20 tons
an acre with three cuttings of alfalfa if you have enough
rain and or a good seedbed planted with a sure
stand grass seeder.

if you have neighbor that has a flail chopperhe could mow the
acreage for you and then you could do your soil tests plow, disc,
plant and hore the baling done


The other things are soil tests and adding back the needed minerals
including Lime, Gypsum and Potash and whether you will irrigate the
land as that is the way you will increase hay tonnage.

Thanks for your input Leon. Al took down the tall stuff in August and I've been mowing the fields since then at 4" (max height) with my 54" Craftsman garden tractor to keep the weeds from getting tall again. I know, I know but it is what I have. Yes, I am getting good at sharpening the blades which do seem to have an affinity for rocks. I've been taking out what I can (meaning nothing more than about a 50 pound rock) and marking the rest so I can mow faster without having to look for each one. Wish I could get one of those "mini" 4' sickle bar mowers for garden tractors I've seen on YouTube but apparently they don't make them any more.

In any case, the fields currently look like lawn from a distance so they could be plowed and seeded but I don't know who would be willing to do that not knowing where and how many large rocks and how much ledge they would hit just an inch below the surface.The property originally belonged to his father's uncle though it was sold back in the 50's. His grandfather then father owned the farm Al and his wife inhabit now. Al used to hay these fields when he had beef cattle, I think until about 15 years ago. Since then I think it has mostly been "mowed" only by whatever grass eating animals the owners happened to have, if any. We bought it in 2011 and have only 10 chickens, not real heavy users of the fields Al has a goodly number of grass acres of his own and with no more cattle sells the hay to people on the road. I asked if he would be interested in adding my few acres to his "hay source" if it were made decent again but he said he has enough. I'm sure he has a good idea of the demand for how much hay he is willing to cut and deliver. I don't want the land to just be a giant weed field, I've got ~10 acres of that at the neighbor's next to us. Agricultural land should be used for agriculture. So I think and I research and I plan and eventually I will do something. A stop at the Ag extension service will happen before any serious money or time is spent. For now I'm keeping it from being lost to weeds, then forest - I have 20 acres of that already

 

[TDVT]

This thread has been moving right along so I don't know if everyone saw the Caroni blades/shackles up for grabs 4 pages back.

I'll ship them flat-rate for just shipping costs if anyone can use them, otherwise they're going to the scrap man.

PM if you want them.

 

[IslandTractor]

This thread has been moving right along so I don't know if everyone saw the Caroni blades/shackles up for grabs 4 pages back.

I'll ship them flat-rate for just shipping costs if anyone can use them, otherwise they're going to the scrap man.

PM if you want them.

Can't let you send them to the scrap yard. If no one else claims them by the weekend, I'll PM you with details and will pay the shipping gladly. I already have started my conversion but as I'm doing it piecemeal, I can use up the old Caroni stuff first.

 

[TDVT]

Hi, Had a PM from another TBNer last night, I'll let you know.

Thanks, TD

 

[Blaneypark]

Tried this before with no luck. I have a Mott 5 ' flail mower with a square gear box. Looking for the two gears in side, or the whole box.