Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[sidecarist]

Makes me chuckle when people say that a flail is only for good sod. Then there are the people who say they're only for brush, like the state guys use. With the rotor and knife selections available, it's truly a versatile machine.

My 25A, as I've mentioned in the past- beat to snot, bent knives, twisted hood, knives are dull and old. To the right you can see what this field started as. I'd say that's a pretty good cut on tall field grass and light brush.

I got a lot of mixed messages some even here. I'm very happy with the versatility of my flail. It won't replace a brush cutter for heavy work, but as soon as I have cleared all of the old nasty stuff the first time with the hog, then the flail will handle it from then on. I expect to be selling my brush cutter in the next year or two. I'm very happy with my choice.

 

[shaeff]

I got a lot of mixed messages some even here. I'm very happy with the versatility of my flail. It won't replace a brush cutter for heavy work, but as soon as I have cleared all of the old nasty stuff the first time with the hog, then the flail will handle it from then on. I expect to be selling my brush cutter in the next year or two. I'm very happy with my choice.

Right on, I still use a brush hog/rotary for heavy clearing. But after all that is done, maintaining with the flail makes it so much nicer.

I can run over 2" stuff with my flail, but all it does is strip the leaves and small branches off, then the sapling pops back up. The brush hog mangles it and shreds it at the blade height, then it rots away with help from the flail knives dancing off with every new pass.

 

[Ribz]

Before


After mowing with my JD 25A

 

[sidecarist]

Right on, I still use a brush hog/rotary for heavy clearing. But after all that is done, maintaining with the flail makes it so much nicer.

I can run over 2" stuff with my flail, but all it does is strip the leaves and small branches off, then the sapling pops back up. The brush hog mangles it and shreds it at the blade height, then it rots away with help from the flail knives dancing off with every new pass.

I've had good luck going back to the saplings and backing over them with the roller about 4-6" from the ground. As soon as it snaps up pull forward VERY slowly and all you will have is chips. My mower has heavy hammer blades which probably helps some too. I'll admit I haven't tried this on a 2" sapling, but on 1" or a little more it works great.

 

[IslandTractor]

I've had good luck going back to the saplings and backing over them with the roller about 4-6" from the ground. As soon as it snaps up pull forward VERY slowly and all you will have is chips. My mower has heavy hammer blades which probably helps some too. I'll admit I haven't tried this on a 2" sapling, but on 1" or a little more it works great.

I do the same thing when mowing over bushes. Raise mower 6-12", back into the bush while looking down behind the tractor until you can see the stump or denuded branches as they come out from under the front of the mower then drop the mower to ground and drive slowly forward. Looks like someone just spread nice clean mulch.

When mowing a field, if I see a tall weed that has been denuded but with the stalk still standing I either ignore it until next time or sometimes go back and hit them a second time. I'm generally mowing that type of woody weed in the fall when the plant has little time to recover before frost so unless cosmetics are critical, I usually ignore them.

 

[shaeff]

I've got scoop knives, so shredding the thick stuff takes some effort. Here's what it looks like when I hit a 2" sapling in 2nd gear low, PTO speed.

Mind you, my knives are pretty much shot, and I literally just ran it over once and kept going (actually to show Ribz what it'll do in one pass) Unusually it'll shred the branches off better. This sucker was quite springy.

If you look behind it to the left, you can see one I hit last year, probably 1.5". Shredded it bare, but left the main stalk.

 

[RoyJackson]

Subscribed to thread

 

[sidecarist]

I've got scoop knives, so shredding the thick stuff takes some effort. Here's what it looks like when I hit a 2" sapling in 2nd gear low, PTO speed.

Mind you, my knives are pretty much shot, and I literally just ran it over once and kept going (actually to show Ribz what it'll do in one pass) Unusually it'll shred the branches off better. This sucker was quite springy.

If you look behind it to the left, you can see one I hit last year, probably 1.5". Shredded it bare, but left the main stalk.

I have the heavy forged duck foot knives on mine. The back it down then pull forward method would have turned it to mulch.

If your knives are shot then that's probably all you can expect.

 

[shaeff]

I have the heavy forged duck foot knives on mine. The back it down then pull forward method would have turned it to mulch. If your knives are shot then that's probably all you can expect.

I don't expect much from them, but I'm waiting to replace all the knives so that I don't destroy the new ones on stones and the like. By end of this summer or next spring I'll replace them.

Here's the style knives that are on the 25A. I'd love some hammer knives:

 

[Wayne's Train]

I bought a 41" flail about a month ago and I cut two small pastures with it but I don't need to cut them anymore and I don't have a use for the flail now. It's available, like new
. Flail Mower - YouTube