Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[KenB2920]

LEONZ:

You always mention a wet well sharpener ..... I assume this is due to the heat. I'm curious if there would be anything wrong with touching a the blades by hand with a file. Just a thought if I ding one.


On a side note, super easy to remove the blades from the ford 907 but extremely tedious taking them off the mott with 90+ stations

 

[KenB2920]

LEONZ:

You always mention a wet well sharpener ..... I assume this is due to the heat. I'm curious if there would be anything wrong with touching a the blades by hand with a file. Just a thought if I ding one.


On a side note, super easy to remove the blades from the ford 907 but extremely tedious taking them off the mott with 90+ stations

 

[leonz]

LEONZ:

You always mention a wet well sharpener ..... I assume this is due to the heat. I'm curious if there would be anything wrong with touching a the blades by hand with a file. Just a thought if I ding one.


On a side note, super easy to remove the blades from the ford 907 but extremely tedious taking them off the mott with 90+ stations

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hello ken,

If you ding one AND there is significant damage
throw it in the scrap bucket and replace it with a new one.

One pass with a wet well grinder will be much faster and more
beneficial as you are still heating the cutting edge with a hand
file no matter how fine it is.

I fully understand about the issues with the knife stations and
the work required to remove and install the side slicers.

The issue is simply design as I have commented on many times before-

The use of large diameter bar stock wherein one is using longer side slicer knives
is or was lower cost per unit substitute for designing and building a large diameter
rotor with smaller knife mounting weldments.

The added cost of the longer length side slicer knife per unit is an
opportunity cost taken by the manufacturer of the flail mower to
sell a flail mower product wherein the use of round bar stock and
then balancing the smaller diameter finished flail mower rotor on
a high rotation speed balancer are no less important.

No less important than the larger drum flail mower rotors that must also be
balanced on a high rotation speed balancer for flail shredder choppers.

I wish all flail mower rotors were like mine where I do not need tools to
change 64 pairs of side slicers-128-side slicer knives and 64 dethatching
blades.

The spring mounts are loops where the knives are allowed to move horizontally
when the speed of rotation is high and become airfoils.

The end user would spend less on side slicer knives and the cut would be
equal a reel mower as the knife mounting stations allow the knives to
become airfoils and create additional lift to carry the clippings over the
flail mower rotor and back down to the ground.

 

[hunt4570]

LEONZ:

You always mention a wet well sharpener ..... I assume this is due to the heat. I'm curious if there would be anything wrong with touching a the blades by hand with a file. Just a thought if I ding one.




On a side note, super easy to remove the blades from the ford 907 but extremely tedious taking them off the mott with 90+ stations

Problem with the grinder is yes, heat.. you can get it so hot(blue) as to take the temper out of the metal making it to soft. Not humanly possible to get it hot enough with a hand file to effect the metal.

 

[Thomabear]

Problem with the grinder is yes, heat.. you can get it so hot(blue) as to take the temper out of the metal making it to soft. Not humanly possible to get it hot enough with a hand file to effect the metal.

X2 on the hand file not producing damaging heat. Personally I use a stand mounted belt sander with a 5 gallon bucket of water. I just grind a little then cool then repeat. Nothing gets hot enough to affect the metal and the belt sander provides the perfect angle to the scoop knives. I also weigh the knives on a small digital food scale to maintain balance. Takes about 45 minutes or a little longer to pull, sharpen and reinstall a complete set and I'm done for the season.

 

[hunt4570]

Takes about 45 minutes or a little longer to pull sharpen and reinstall a complete set and I'm done for the season.

How many knives does your flail have?

 

[KenB2920]

Excellent!!! Thanks all.


Just curious. As stated you sharpen them once per season. How much do you cut each time you go out? Acres? Also, is all of this already short or do you guys cut tall stuff Dow. Each time ? What is the definition of each persons "tall"

To me tall is 18"-36" Id say

 

[KenB2920]

Excellent!!! Thanks all.


Just curious. As stated you sharpen them once per season. How much do you cut each time you go out? Acres? Also, is all of this already short or do you guys cut tall stuff Dow. Each time ? What is the definition of each persons "tall"

To me tall is 18"-36" Id say

 

[IslandTractor]

I mow fields and brush, not lawns. I don't sharpen at all. I hit enough rocks and lose knives often enough that I go through a whole set about once every three or four seasons.

 

[KenB2920]

I mow fields and brush, not lawns. I don't sharpen at all. I hit enough rocks and lose knives often enough that I go through a whole set about once every three or four seasons.

Excellent. This makes me feel better. I cut different uncut fields all the time and would like to move into flail cutting vs brush hogging.

A new belt will be in tomorrow for the Mott but I'm gonna try the ford on a job tomorrow ....

 

[Thomabear]

How many knives does your flail have?

27 scoop knives, 9 each hanging on 3 rods. Knives are about 2-3/4" wide.

 

[Thomabear]

Excellent!!! Thanks all. Just curious. As stated you sharpen them once per season. How much do you cut each time you go out? Acres? Also, is all of this already short or do you guys cut tall stuff Dow. Each time ? What is the definition of each persons "tall" To me tall is 18"-36" Id say

Since initially clearing the property of small saplings I'm keeping up about 10 acres, cutting about once a month when the grass is about 6-7" tall. Also when sharpening I leave about a 1/16" blunt edge. The 80 grit belt sander is really fast at cutting down the knives so they hardly have time to heat up. After about 2-3 short passes and dips in water they are done. I usually have to touch up one or two to get the weight close then they are ready to re-hang.

 

[hunt4570]

Since initially clearing the property of small saplings I'm keeping up about 10 acres, cutting about once a month when the grass is about 6-7" tall. Also when sharpening I leave about a 1/16" blunt edge. The 80 grit belt sander is really fast at cutting down the knives so they hardly have time to heat up. After about 2-3 short passes and dips in water they are done. I usually have to touch up one or two to get the weight close then they are ready to re-hang.

And why the blunt edge?

 

[IslandTractor]

I basically treat my flail like a bush hog when cutting fields. I don't sharpen my bush hog blades either. Blunt steel traveling at thousands of feet per minute will tear up any vegetal matter pretty easily. It won't look like a manicured golf green but it knocks the grass/brush down and mulches it which is really all I want. If I mow tall grasses (18-36 inches or so) there will be some matted "hay" after I mow. It is noticeable for several days after it turns tan but then the new grass grows up around it and it is harder to see. If I mow shorter grass you don't see this matting phenomenon.

 

[Thomabear]

And why the blunt edge?

Manufacturers recommend leaving a blunt edge because it is more durable, the edge will not roll and the knife will be less resistant to nicks and chips that will require more metal removal during follow up sharpenings. This has been debated on several mower and tractor forums and the general consensus is that the difference in cut quality is negligible and will not be noticed. Maintaining a sharp edge would require frequent sharpenings and a greatly reduced life of the knives.

 

[KenB2920]

My personal opinion regarding sharpening of brush hog blades. It definitely makes a difference.

When cutting thick grass that's tall, sharper blades do leave a nicer finish. When cutting weeds and sporadic grasses then a sharp edge doesn't matter.

When it comes to flail mowing, I'm a newby but learning my the minute....

Although I smoked the belt on the ford today and took a lot longer than the brush hog, it left a much superior cut than a brush hog.


If anyone does file, sand, grind, wet well or however they sharpen the blades, does anyone have a method for sharpening without removing them?

As for the ford 907 22-108 I need to find the correct size so I can pick up a new one. It appeared the size I find is for the model that has a spring tensioner ..... I don't know if they have the same size belt.

I got a new belt for the Mott today and I was able to change it in under 1 minute!!! Amazing!!

It's cool to see the pros and cons of both the ford and mott

 

[IslandTractor]

Kevlar belts last significantly longer. I've been happy with Gates.

 

[leonz]

Hello Ken,

If the numbers are not legible on the flat carcass of the belt just take the belt
to an automotive retailer or tractor supply that has a belt measuring stick and
they will get you the right Kevlar V-Belt.

Happy Mowing

 

[leonz]

Hello Ken,

If the numbers are not legible on the flat carcass of the belt just take the belt
to an automotive retailer or tractor supply that has a belt measuring stick and
they will get you the right Kevlar V-Belt.

Happy Mowing

 

[KenB2920]

Hello Ken, If the numbers are not legible on the flat carcass of the belt just take the belt to an automotive retailer or tractor supply that has a belt measuring stick and they will get you the right Kevlar V-Belt. Happy Mowing

Grr tractor supply is closed today... The wife just informed me it suppose to rain tomorrow so I'll be making the trip there in the morning. Thank you!!!! Unfortunately they're not legible