Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[CCWKen]

My old 6' Caldwell Barracuda flail has an 80hp gearbox and three large drive belts. The first time I used it in one area of the property, it found and wrapped about 200' of old barbwire fencing around the drum. By the time I turned around to see what was causing the "rattle", cedar posts were headed into the cutter. It stalled the 50hp Ford tractor before I could turn back around and disengage the PTO. There was no belt slip. I wish I had a slip clutch then but no damage was done, except for my pride. :ashamed:

It's hard to look cool driving back to the barn dragging fence wire and posts behind the tractor.

Took about two hours to get all that wire cut and pulled off the drum.

 

[IslandTractor]

It doesn't look any cooler to have fifty feet of garden hose wrapped around the rotor either! It took a while to stop the flail as the operator was too busy watching something slithering towards the tractor through the tall grass. I was thinking Anaconda at the time. The tractor finally stalled and then I found this:

 

[DavesTractor]

Funny stories you guys have about wrapping up wire and hose. I'll tell one. I was mowing a neighbor's field just as a favor. Really tall grass. About a half acre into it, I caught a hose that had been left out months before. I wound it up tight before I could stop the mower. Later the neighbor thanked me and I told her "I wound up your hose", and she thought that was so nice of me to do that. I then had to explain I did it with my tractor powered hose winder...

On wire, we get guys bringing in their flails with wire wrapped up. As you know, it is often almost like a big cable and not easy to remove. If it is still attached to the tractor, we back it over our loading dock and go at it with a torch. Just a quick swipe and many layers are cut. Pull that away with pliers and take another swipe, etc. It works really well. Disclaimers: Fire hazard obviously, and if the wire is up against a seal this can be a problem, but if it is, the seal is probably ruined by the wire anyway.

I just ordered a new flail yesterday. 12' Vrisimo Low Profile Orchard flail. Weighs well over 2000#. These are sweet machines, and common in the orchards around here.

 

[CADplans]

I just ordered a new flail yesterday. 12" Vrisimo Low Profile Orchard flail. Weighs well over 2000#. These are sweet machines, and common in the orchards around here.

My 90" cut JD 390 weighs 1100 pounds,, I would expect a 12" cut flail to weigh less,, not double!!?? :confused2:

:laughing:

 

[DavesTractor]

My 90" cut JD 390 weighs 1100 pounds,, I would expect a 12" cut flail to weigh less,, not double!!?? :confused2:

:laughing:

And it takes forever to mow the orchard with a 1 foot mower, especially since I often overlap that amount. And the dang thing is so heavy with a ton of weight on the 1' long roller that it is making big grooves in the orchard.

Typing, ugh.

144" mower, thanks!

 

[D2Cat]

Who builds the flail mowers for JD?

 

[gregharr55]

Finally got a chance to use my new caroni yesterday . All day. It exceeded my expectations. I cut briars and weeds so high I could barely see over them. Mowed some rough fescue areas also mowed a bunch of medium sized sprouts maybe one half inch in diameter. I set the mower up as u guys suggested. The roller is set on the third hole from the bottom. Here in nw georgia it is dry so things mowed with less power needed than usual. I have six hp per foot of mower. Was constantly afraid I would find a stump and bend the roller.
End of the day all went well. The brush and stuff were well cut and even. Doesnt cut bermuda grass well but is a rough cut mower anyway. Much more enjoyable than my five foot squealer bush hog.
Thanks everyone for all the tips and tricks. I regreased all bearings after four hours.
Thanks guys
Greg

 

[IslandTractor]

Finally got a chance to use my new caroni yesterday . All day. It exceeded my expectations. I cut briars and weeds so high I could barely see over them. Mowed some rough fescue areas also mowed a bunch of medium sized sprouts maybe one half inch in diameter. I set the mower up as u guys suggested. The roller is set on the third hole from the bottom. Here in nw georgia it is dry so things mowed with less power needed than usual. I have six hp per foot of mower. Was constantly afraid I would find a stump and bend the roller. End of the day all went well. The brush and stuff were well cut and even. Doesnt cut bermuda grass well but is a rough cut mower anyway. Much more enjoyable than my five foot squealer bush hog. Thanks everyone for all the tips and tricks. I regreased all bearings after four hours. Thanks guys Greg

Sounds like a good first day.

When worried about stumps and rocks, I just keep a bucket or grapple mounted and put the heel of the bucket at the level I don't want to mow over. With the rest of the bucket curled a bit it will act as a ramp and warn you before the flail gets to the stump. Also, though we all worry about damaging the rear roller on a stump it rarely happens. I don't recall any Caroni owner reporting a bent rear roller or main rotor. The flail knives will make such a racket when they hit a stump that you'd have to be asleep not to be able to let up on the go pedal and stop before the stump hit the rear roller. After ten seasons in rocky land, my rear roller looks like it lost a fight with a sledgehammer but it rolls true.

 

[D2Cat]

Saw a Ford 917L Special for sale. Anyone know why it is "special"? I have not seen it in person, only pictures and they did not send one of the knives. He said it looked like a tiller! He bought it at an auction and never used it.

Other mower is saw was a JD 25A. Looked life it had knives like hammers, but once again only pictures.

The Ford was in excellent shape with all the decals and paint in excellent shape.

Trying to decide which one I will get. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[CADplans]

Who builds the flail mowers for JD?

My JD 390 was built by Mexicans,, according to the ID tag,,, :cool2:

:confused2: