Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[DoubleDeere]

Here is a link to more information on the belts.http://www.driveengineer.com/files/downloads/Carlisle_V_Belt_Service_Manual_2015.pdf. If you go to section 2 troubleshooting design problems somewhere around pg. 32-37. Although trying to understand some of it it can get confusing. If you can't make out the foot notes in the photo you can read it in attached link in troubleshooting design problems.

 

[DoubleDeere]

Thanks for the PDF. Very enlightening.

You are welcome. It was for me as well. Most of you guys out there are a lot smarter than I am. Figured if I could put the ball out there one or more of you would pick it up and run with it.

 

[lpigott]

Just joining in to learn more about flails. I have read 80% of this monster thread, lol. In the coming months I will be looking to get a 7'-8' flail to run behind my M7060. No rush on getting it right now as growing season is about done for this year. In my looking the Woodmaxx FM-96H looks like a nice unit and value. I like to 2 year warranty also. The video on WM site of the 96 looks awesome. What other units this size do I compare it too or what feedback do you guys have on units of this size?

 

[leonz]

Just joining in to learn more about flails. I have read 80% of this monster thread, lol. In the coming months I will be looking to get a 7'-8' flail to run behind my M7060. No rush on getting it right now as growing season is about done for this year. In my looking the Woodmaxx FM-96H looks like a nice unit and value. I like to 2 year warranty also. The video on WM site of the 96 looks awesome. What other units this size do I compare it too or what feedback do you guys have on units of this size?

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What are going to use the flail mower for?

How much money do you expect to spend? if your going to look at less costly flail mowers you have to remember that they will have thinner steel and will be subject to racking and twisting and the tubular steel if used for bracing will be thinner and smaller in size.

YOU HAVE TO set a dollar figure for what you want to spend and create a decision tree and then create an reverse decision tree to verify what you found with the decision tree so you can get the most bang for your buck.

If you expect to have a fine finish that will keep the invasive plants beaten back every mowing a finish flail mower like the John Deere 290 or 390, The Vrisimo C172, C184, C196 and fine manufacturers like Peruzzo and Del Morino in the same power class. The Vrisimo flail mowers with the heat treated side slicers will mow both fine sod and heavy brush just like the John Deere 290 and 390, Peruzzo and Del Morino flail mowers

You can run a much larger flail mower with a 2 inch cutting height on your mule so you need to consider that as well.

The larger the flail mower the less time you need budget to mow.

How much money do you want to spend for the purchase of a flail mower?, which is the second question.

There are plenty of government surplus flail mowers and flail mower tractors that come up for sale each year with low hours on them and Alamo parts are available for them from many sources.

You can purchase 20 plus feet of cutting width with a mule for minimal dollars spent per foot of cut.

You can also find new unused flail mowers that are surplus inventory that are offered for sale on Tractor House, Auction Time and many other internet auction sites.

The same can be said for many, many, dealer internet sites as well. Just like air conditioners in Winter or snow blowers in Summer you can shop for them in the off season.

DO NOT start looking at flail mower brands, you must examine EXACTLY what you are you going to use the flail mower in
total for on your property then examine what is available for your end uses.

You also need to examine exactly "WHO" makes the flail mowers you are looking at since you are shopping as well. Any of the European brands offered here in the states including Peruzzo, Maschio, and Del Morino are also an excellent choice of flail mowers and parts are available.

 

[lpigott]

Holy crap I hope you just cut and pasted that, lol. I will be cutting large yard areas and some small fields. I have no plans of doing heavy brush clearing. I have a bushhog for that. I will be looking for a nice finish in the yard areas and less clumpy dead grass (that the bushhog now leaves) in the fields. Flail mowers are a rare thing in my part of the country but I sure think there is a need for them. I think they would do great for mowing garden areas prior to tilling them and the flail should work way better than rotary that everyone uses now. I do not want larger than an 8' unit and I do not want to spend a fortune, especially on my first unit. I have nothing against Chinese made stuff if it is good quality. I actually worked in China for 12 years so I know you can go from one extreme to to other with their stuff.

 

[leonz]

Hello lpigott,

If you buy a good flail mower either new or used you will have a mower that will outlive the mule you have and the next one if you advance to a larger frame and power class. If I can be of more help please send me a private message if needed.

 

[TerryCC]

When my first set of belts broke about ten years ago the guys here on TBN were concerned about belt tension. I replaced the tensioning spring with a solid piece of ?wire (I haven't looked at it for years and am traveling). I essentially just cranked it tight to get half inch deflection. Since then I have replaced just that second set of Kevlar belts about three years ago so am on my third set total. I don't know if the tension issue is real or not but clearly the spring is not necessary.

I am on my third set of B43 Gates Hi Power ll belts in 2 years. Mostly due to locking up the rotor with a limb and generally not long after I have replaced the belts. I quickly turn off the PTO but not before the belts have smoked and undoubtedly shortened their life. I have used the B43 from Amazon and from NAPA, none of the packaging indicates Kevlar is in these belts. Google searches for Gates Kevlar belts doesn't yield any useful information. Where are you sourcing the Kevlar belts and what is the part number?

 

[leonz]

Go to the Gates Rubber Company web site and look for the Series 1 V belts.

 

[houser52]

I am on my third set of B43 Gates Hi Power ll belts in 2 years. Mostly due to locking up the rotor with a limb and generally not long after I have replaced the belts. I quickly turn off the PTO but not before the belts have smoked and undoubtedly shortened their life. I have used the B43 from Amazon and from NAPA, none of the packaging indicates Kevlar is in these belts. Google searches for Gates Kevlar belts doesn't yield any useful information. Where are you sourcing the Kevlar belts and what is the part number?

Gates # 6946 Powerated belts

 

[Steave]

I am on my third set of B43 Gates Hi Power ll belts in 2 years. Mostly due to locking up the rotor with a limb and generally not long after I have replaced the belts. I quickly turn off the PTO but not before the belts have smoked and undoubtedly shortened their life. I have used the B43 from Amazon and from NAPA, none of the packaging indicates Kevlar is in these belts. Google searches for Gates Kevlar belts doesn't yield any useful information. Where are you sourcing the Kevlar belts and what is the part number?

Here's another link for belts. I've bought from them for years with good service. They also have good info on measuring belts and belt applications.

B43K - B-Section Kevlar (K-Plus) V Belts

 

[troverman]

Quick question - As I mow a field, I mow in kind of a big circle...starting on the outer edges and just keep making smaller and smaller circles. Once the first row is cut and as I cut the second row, the outer edge of the flail mower that sticks out beyond the rear tires seems to catch the "cut" hay from the previous pass. It clumps and just keeps accumulating more hay until finally a huge pile just falls off the edge of the mower. It looks terrible. Any way to prevent this from happening?

Thanks

 

[leonz]

Hello and good morning troverman,

No worries troverman If you overlap on the unmowed side of your spiral it will not do that.


Leon

 

[troverman]

Hello and good morning troverman,

No worries troverman If you overlap on the unmowed side of your spiral it will not do that.


Leon

Thanks Leonz, it took me about 5 acres yesterday to try that and it seemed to work. I only made 3 passes though. Will continue that way for today. I was also thinking of adjusting the top link to be a little longer, to pick the front of the flail mower up slightly? Right now it is pretty level.

 

[leonz]

Hello Troverman,

Can you answer this before 10AM as I have to go to town for supplies?

I will be tied up with chores for the rest of the day when I get back.

If the brush is tall you can take less than a full width cut and it will slice the clippings finer for you as long as you maintain the proper mowing speed.

Ideally you want your mower to be level to create the pressure gradient to maintain negative pressure under the flail mower shroud to create the suction needed to make it sound like a high end vacuum cleaner and carry the clipping over the flail mower rotor and back to the ground.

What is your current mowing height? a two inch height is ideal and beats back the invasive plants.

you can raise it slightly but understand the higher the rotor is from the ground the less effective the flail mowers ability to create the pressure gradient need to lif the clippings and sound like a high end vacuum cleaner.

 

[Kirch169]

Hello all -New to Tractorbynet but long time flail mower I have a Ford 907 that I rebuilt with new bearings, flails and some welding. It works really well behind my under powered Kubota B3030 for field work. 2-4 foot high grasses and weeds as long as I do not take a full pass (72" cutting width). The wife asked if I needed a bigger tractor the other day, and of course I said well it would not be the worst thing. So now I am looking at the L4701 and the MX4800 from Kubota.

If I upgrade I loose my MMM on the B3030, so would the flail mower work for lawn type mowing if I switched from Y-blades to smooth cut blades?

Thank in advance!

 

[houser52]

Hello all -New to Tractorbynet but long time flail mower I have a Ford 907 that I rebuilt with new bearings, flails and some welding. It works really well behind my under powered Kubota B3030 for field work. 2-4 foot high grasses and weeds as long as I do not take a full pass (72" cutting width). The wife asked if I needed a bigger tractor the other day, and of course I said well it would not be the worst thing. So now I am looking at the L4701 and the MX4800 from Kubota.

If I upgrade I loose my MMM on the B3030, so would the flail mower work for lawn type mowing if I switched from Y-blades to smooth cut blades?

Thank in advance!

I just swapped the Y cut blades for duck foot blades and I'm very satisfied with the cut. They cut lawn type grass really well leaving a smooth level finish. Check out my pics in post 4833.

 

[Kirch169]

Thanks Houser52 The lawn looks really good. Flailmaster does not list a smooth cut (duckfoot) style blade but I can find another smooth cut blade that should work given the specs. Step one is going to be get the new smooth cut blades on the 907 and try it with my current B3030 if it works good then tractor upgrade is in order!

 

[leonz]

Hello all -New to Tractorbynet but long time flail mower I have a Ford 907 that I rebuilt with new bearings, flails and some welding. It works really well behind my under powered Kubota B3030 for field work. 2-4 foot high grasses and weeds as long as I do not take a full pass (72" cutting width). The wife asked if I needed a bigger tractor the other day, and of course I said well it would not be the worst thing. So now I am looking at the L4701 and the MX4800 from Kubota.

If I upgrade I loose my MMM on the B3030, so would the flail mower work for lawn type mowing if I switched from Y-blades to smooth cut blades?

Thank in advance!

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Hello Kirch169,

I wish to welcome you as the newest resident member of the Flail Mower Nations. All you may need is to sharpen the side slicers with a wet well grinder to bring the edge back and prevent damaging the temper in the steel.

There is no reason you cannot use your Ford 907 for lawn mowing AS EQUIPPED. The major worry is whether you can properly place the required number of scoop knives on the flail mower rotor and maintain a properly balanced flail mower rotor so keep that in mind when you examine it further.

if your 907 is a finish cut flail mower(high knife count) I would not change the knives, I would just purchase a low speed wet well grinder from Micromark to sharpen the flail mower knives and maintain the temper in the knife edges.

Happy mowing.

 

[houser52]

I got in some 45 kevlar belts to try. They were really no harder to get on the pulleys than the 46 belts but after installed they were tighter than the 46 belt. They may be tight enough that the idler pulley might not have to be used but I adjusted it to where the belts can be deflected slightly with my thumb, probably less than 1/2 There is definitely less belt contact on the idler compared to the 46 belts. Hopefully there will be less friction and less heat build up on the pulleys
I had already mowed everything so I did not ave any high grass to try it out on but I did mow a couple patches that had grown some since last week. So far so good.

 

[DoubleDeere]

Looks much better.Should make a big difference.Was the 46" the length that Caroni originally had on it?