Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

Hello Boylerman,

The shorter side slicers on the B rotorwill work with no issues.
SO many folks drive too fast with new flail mowers and get
angry at the poor cut which is the result of traveling too fast
in the forward direction.

The scoop knives though fewer in number overlap like the other knives
so its a matter of preferance.

It all comes down to travel speed when mowing with a small flail mower.

If I could I would upload a video of a high horsepower tractor and folding
flailmower being used in Europe that is engaged in chopping suflower stalks
that is shreding them right down to the ground.

If you visit the Hiniker home page you will see thier high horsepower flail mowers shredding corn stalks to the ground also using thier side slicer knives mounted on their crop shredders.

They also offer scoop knive shredders ment for cotton, sugar cane, and sugar beet topping as well.

Can you save the extra money for the F rotor if you wait and order it in January or February?


The metric shackles just like the SAE shackles are made for many purposes, wire rope crane work, lifting and also in fishing fleets where they are used for dragging nets on the sea floor for both ground fish and shell fish harvesting.

 

[IslandTractor]

I don't have any more new Caroni metric clevises to compare to the 3/8" Flailmaster supplied clevises but I know that each and every one of the thirty or more Caroni clevises that have broken in my more broke at a lower corner. I have never had one break or wear out in the middle where the knives are located. If I recall correctly the Caroni supplied version has a bit of a boxy shape rather than a simple U shape like those from Flailmaster. The Caroni version is also somewhat lighter and narrower gauge.

I looked hard for a U.S. supplier of something metric to replace the expensive AgriSupply Caroni clevises but never found anything. Simplest solution for me was to just use a vise to squeeze the 3/8 clevises so it would fit and then to take off about 1/32 from the sides with a flap disk so it could pivot freely. .

 

[Blade Breaker]

I found another type of swing flail mower. Berti makes a bunch of options. Looking at something similar to model TA/PS 220

Anyone had any experience with these?

http://www.edneyco.com/assets/files/category_public/Cutters and Mowers/Berti Flail Mowers.pdf

Giving my question a bump. Anyone have any experience with these?
Thanks

 

[IslandTractor]

Giving my question a bump. Anyone have any experience with these? Thanks

Never seen one of those. Look good in the catalog though. Certainly appears to be a good company and not just some fly by night knock off outfit.

 

[hunt4570]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7CFzDepXfM

YEOWZA!!!

 

[IslandTractor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7CFzDepXfM YEOWZA!!!

Oh yeah! That is beautiful (from a flail lover's perspective). Nice drone camera work too.

 

[hunt4570]

Oh yeah! That is beautiful (from a flail lover's perspective). Nice drone camera work too.

Not sure how well it would work without perfect ditches though! But it is purdy!

 

[IslandTractor]

Not sure how well it would work without perfect ditches though! But it is purdy!

Run that puppy through an ugly ditch a few times and that ditch could be whipped into shape.

 

[80sDweeb]

I just got an Alamo SHD74 (super heavy duty 74") flail mower from a local county highway department auction, about $700. Now I've got to figure out how to get it home. This will go behind my 45hp diesel tractor.



Hoping there are no problems with the unit, this was an "as-is" sale!

Scott in Brighton NY

 

[80sDweeb]

I just got an Alamo SHD74 (super heavy duty 74") flail mower from a local county highway department auction, about $700. Now I've got to figure out how to get it home. This will go behind my 45hp diesel tractor.

View attachment 438760

Hoping there are no problems with the unit, this was an "as-is" sale!

Scott in Brighton NY

 

[IslandTractor]

I just got an Alamo SHD74 (super heavy duty 74") flail mower from a local county highway department auction, about $700. Now I've got to figure out how to get it home. This will go behind my 45hp diesel tractor.

View attachment 438760

Hoping there are no problems with the unit, this was an "as-is" sale!

Scott in Brighton NY

Even if you need to replace bearing and blades that is a lifelong heavy duty mower that is well worth fixing up. No issue with parts availability with Alamo either. Great deal IMO. Your tractor may be a tad small so you might need to leave the FEL on when mowing (as many of us do anyways). Run it to see if there are any problems and then make it a winter rehab project. I'm pretty sure that is a $4000+ mower new.

 

[ovrszd]

No personal attack here Island Tractor.

I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HATE CUTTING WITH THE FEL ON!!!!!

 

[IslandTractor]

No personal attack here Island Tractor. I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HATE CUTTING WITH THE FEL ON!!!!!

Understood. In my case I rarely mow without my grapple mounted as I am always finding rocks or tree limbs that need moving and I often use it to push over brush or saplings. But it definitely interferes with vision and turns the tractor into a seesaw.

 

[ovrszd]

Understood. In my case I rarely mow without my grapple mounted as I am always finding rocks or tree limbs that need moving and I often use it to push over brush or saplings. But it definitely interferes with vision and turns the tractor into a seesaw.

Yep, totally agree/understand.

I think too slow to have the FEL on while cutting. I'll be ramming one end or the other into something all the time.

 

[bglz42]

I just bought the twin to your Alamo, 80sDweeb. Brought it home Saturday. Mows nice on short grass, but bogged down terribly in some heavy grass next door (JD 5083e). I think the blades are just too dull. I am going to flip them and try again...

 

[IslandTractor]

I just bought the twin to your Alamo, 80sDweeb. Brought it home Saturday. Mows nice on short grass, but bogged down terribly in some heavy grass next door (JD 5083e). I think the blades are just too dull. I am going to flip them and try again...

You might just need to go more slowing in heavy grass. Flails cut grass several times so thick grass really taxes the power. I have just learned to either slow down in lush thick grass or wait until dry periods like July/Aug/Sept to cut areas that don't need regular cutting.

 

[bglz42]

I was in the lowest gear I had... In the tractor/mower's defense: This stuff next door is the devil itself! I can't get through it with a disc mower, (wraps around the discs), or a bush hog. It looks like Bahia, but has a saw edge to the blade. Very thick mat, then lays over. About 12" deep.

 

[IslandTractor]

I was in the lowest gear I had... In the tractor/mower's defense: This stuff next door is the devil itself! I can't get through it with a disc mower, (wraps around the discs), or a bush hog. It looks like Bahia, but has a saw edge to the blade. Very thick mat, then lays over. About 12" deep.

The other technique is just to take half a width bite at a time.

 

[whirly]

We have Hilo Grass here and it is like a vine on the ground and I have the same problem with it. I raise the front edge (lengthen the top link) of the flail for the first pass. This cuts the "weave" on top of the grass, then I go back over it with the flail set properly. The trick is once you get it cut short not to let it get too long again.

You can also raise the flail so it is about half the height of the grass above the ground. This does the same thing but your flail doesn't follow the contour of the ground.

 

[bglz42]

Thanks Whirly! I am trying to eradicate this stuff! The pasture belongs to a friend of mine, who has entrusted me with turning it into a hayfield. I have already rehabilitated half of it, and have been producing good bahia hay from it for a couple of years. I plan on killing this one out completely and planting bermuda.