Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Steave]

I should have asked: Did gravely ever build a Flail Mower.

 

[CADplans]

CADPlans that some nice equipment. Got to love the gravelys. . Yours look show quality do you still use any of them.

My Gravely's are all users,,, in fact, I even let my SILs' use them!! :confused2:

We have almost 60 acres between the 2 SILs and me,,, so there is LOTS for them to do,,,

I just enjoy keeping them nice looking,,, BUT, I have not found a flail for the Gravely,,,, YET!!

 

[CADplans]

I should have asked: Did gravely ever build a Flail Mower.

Somebody built a flail for a Gravely,,, I have considered converting a tiller to a flail,,,
the tiller is pretty close,,, The speed might need changed,,,

I have a couple of those tillers,,, Hmmm,,
Some bearings, a roller,,,
Just belt drive a new shaft to speed it up,,, steal a few knives off the 390,,,,, :confused2:

 

[Ozarks Landowner]

Here is a pic showing how the top link adjust the cutting height.

 

[CCWKen]

I was thinking on adding a swinging hitch on my Mott as it don't have the slot. It would be based on the design of my finish mower. Do you see any reason this wouldn't work.? It would be an easy fix.

I quoted IslandTractor so everyone would see what my question was about. Anybody have an opinion about me adding this or any reason I shouldn't.

View attachment 478283

That's how I have my QH set up on the top link. So basically, all my attachments act like a slotted link pin.

I may have to rethink that when I get a box blade but it works for the mowers.

 

[Ozarks Landowner]

I could easily build some adjustable skid plates to help with the scalding problem. I am not going to be cutting a yard with this machine at all. It will mostly be used to terminate cereal grain cover crops of wheat or rye or lespedeza and fescue. In that situation it wouldn't bother me if the knives got in the dirt other than possibly damaging them.

 

[CCWKen]

View attachment 478309

Here is a pic showing how the top link adjust the cutting height.

Ok, I missed that. Sorry. Do the rear wheels have a height adjustment?

 

[Ozarks Landowner]

Ok, I missed that. Sorry. Do the rear wheels have a height adjustment?

Yes they can be adjusted but I don't think that would work out so well because of the distance from the hitch to the rear tires. There is just too much if your ground is not perfectly level and mine is not that for sure. Going over any humps it would lower considerably. I think the best way for me to use it is to just hook the hitch to a drawbar on my 3 point lift arms.

 

[CADplans]

Yes they can be adjusted but I don't think that would work out so well because of the distance from the hitch to the rear tires. There is just too much if your ground is not perfectly level and mine is not that for sure. Going over any humps it would lower considerably. I think the best way for me to use it is to just hook the hitch to a drawbar on my 3 point lift arms.

Possibly,,, you could add a roller that stays an inch or two off the ground,,, letting the tires do most of the work.
The roller would only touch on rough spots,,,

You would have the best of both worlds?? :thumbsup:

 

[shaeff]

Spent all of yesterday and most of Saturday finishing my tractor so it's ready (finally!) to bring up to my house. Spent a couple of hours getting the flail mower ready to go (JD 25A). Had 4 shattered knives, mostly around the center. That should have clued me in. I replaced them, greased everything, noticed the rear roller needs new bearings but the bearings for the drum are still good. (whew!)

I hook it all up to the 3pt hitch, keep the RPM very low and feather the clutch a bit so it spins up very slowly, now I know why four center knives were shattered. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the previous owner may have clipped an immobile object with the leading edge of the mower, as it's bowed in ever so slightly- but just enough for some of the center knives to make contact once they spin out with force.

Debating the best way to bend it back. If its' rusty enough (maybe?) it may just bend easily. If not, it'll take a lot of heat with the O/A torch and lots of persuasion. Or, as a last resort, take the plasma cutter and cut a vertical line in the center to relieve the pressure from the bend, pull it back out one side at a time, and then weld/plate it for more strength. Anyone have thoughts on this?

No pics, it was pouring rain for a good part of the day, I was soaked, covered in grease and grass clippings, and was overall in a bad mood after my grease gun exploded all over the place. That was interesting...