woodmaxx flail mower?

[Gem99ultra]

The tariff increase of 25% was for steel and aluminum. Total cost in building a wood chipper or anything else, is NOT 100% only the steel or aluminum. For a seller to raise their prices 25% I think is simply price gouging. Their cost didn't increase 25%.

I as an individual will have little or no effect on not buying from sellers that are playing that game. They, of course, have the right to set their prices at whatever the market will bear. On the other hand, I also have the right to buy from whomever I choose. I'm thinking that some sellers have forgotten the Golden Rule, i.e. The one with the gold makes the rule.

 

[ericm979]

The tariffs are not just on steel and aluminium. The media greatly over simplifies. The tariffs are on many hundreds of categories of items including tractors and farm implements.

Here's details on just two of the many sets of tariffs that have been announced or are in place: Trump, China tariff full list of goods, products - Business Insider

Here's a couple exerpts: (I do not know what nesoi means but it's all over the lists).

8432.10.00 Plows for soil preparation or cultivation
8432.21.00 Disc harrows for soil preparation or cultivation
8432.80.00 Agricultural, horticultural or forestry machinery for soil preparation or cultivation, nesoi; lawn or sports ground rollers
8432.90.00 Parts of agricultural, horticultural or forestry machinery for soil preparation or cultivation; parts of lawn or sports ground rollers
8433.20.00 Mowers nesoi, including cutter bars for tractor mounting
8433.30.00 Haymaking machinery other than mowers
8433.40.00 Straw or fodder balers, including pick-up balers
8433.51.00 Combine harvester-threshers
8433.52.00 Threshing machinery other than combine harvester-threshers
8433.53.00 Root or tuber harvesting machines
8433.59.00 Harvesting machinery or threshing machinery, nesoi

8701.91.10 Other tractors of engine power <18kW, for agricultural use
8701.91.50 Other tractors of engine power <18kW, not for agricultural use
8701.92.10 Other tractors of engine power => 18kW but < 37kW, for agricultural use
8701.92.50 Other tractors of engine power => 18kW but < 37kW, not for agricultural use
8701.93.10 Other tractors of engine power => 37kW but < 75kW, for agricultural use
8701.93.50 Other tractors of engine power => 37kW but < 75kW, not for agricultural use
8701.94.10 Other tractors of engine power => 75kW but < 130kW, for agricultural use
8701.94.50 Other tractors of engine power => 75kW but < 130kW, not for agricultural use
8701.95.10 Other tractors of engine power >130kW, for agricultural use
8701.95.50 Other tractors of engine power >130kW, not for agricultural use

A 25% wholesale price increase is large. At the typical retail 50% margin (which may well be a better margin than farm implement dealers operate with) a 25% increase in cost of goods is 12.5% of the selling price. Not many businesses run a 12.5% profit margin. Especially considering that importers of chinese implements and tractors are generally small companies. Few would be willing to risk a tiny or negative profit for long. So I do not expect sellers of chinese made implements or tractors to hold their prices.

 

[foggy1111]

I used to do sales work for an aluminum company. Often times we would use a situation like this to start a price increase.....especially if we were covered up with business (high sales). We might try to get a 10% increase in prices for example.....but in reality it would settle in at about a 3% increase over time. However, I am also old enough to have been around during the 70's when price increase after price increase came to be.....and if you snoozed you lost. Not sure we are at this point....but I do think prices for many items could be going up. I just bought a new tractor......so I think I am ahead of the trend in that department.

I dont really know which flail I may want or need....if any. I would just like to own one in addition to my rotary cutter. .

 

[Tractor Dell]

I was looking at getting the 54" flail for my BX. Now the price has gone up by a couple of hundred dollars. I can get a cheaper one for almost 1/2 that. I would only use it a few times a year, so it won't be getting a lot of hours. I have to think about that now....

 

[otus_branch]

I had been contemplating a 6' hydraulic-offset flail mower purchase just as talk of trade war was heating up. Figured that ordering sooner rather than later made sense, got the order in back when this model was still ~$2600, and received my Woodmaxx FM 78-H last week. So far, I have just gotten one side of the crate disassembled, the gear box filled, the 3-pt hitch mounted (using Red Locktite on all bolts).

I tried to get hydraulic fittings, and my Kubota dealer had the 1/2" fittings that fit my rear remotes of course, but the threaded end did not want to spin onto the Woodmaxx threaded connections at the ends of the hoses they included. The Woodmaxx manual says 1/2" x 14 NPT, and I think that's what I have? The Kubota folks didn't have a thread checker, but said these were the only thread gauge of 1/2" fittings they use. Then the Cat place checked them on the thread gauge they did have, and told me that they mic'd to 1/2 x 14 NPT, if a little stiff. At TSC, again no actual thread checker, but the fittings spun easily onto the threaded connections of the pre-cut 1/2" hoses they had on the shelf. Might the Woodmaxx fittings just be a little off? Didn't want to start wrenching hard if the size is wrong...

I may check my thread chaser kit that is buried somewhere among the tools to check to see if a 1/2"x 14 NPT thread is there. Meanwhile, what did you other Woodmaxx owners find? I'm eager to get to mowing pasture next week!

As for other first impressions, some rust is already forming on spots where the paint was thin, after only a week in the weather... :-/

 

[slckeys]

I had the same issue with my hose ends on the woodmaxx I bought. I took the hoses to a hydraulic shop thinking they'd know what to do. The response I got was... Put some tape on it and wrench it tight. So far, no leaks after about 20 hours of use. They did say the ends were tapered it seemed to form a tight fit?

 

[RoyJackson]

I had the same issue with my hose ends on the woodmaxx I bought. I took the hoses to a hydraulic shop thinking they'd know what to do. The response I got was... Put some tape on it and wrench it tight. So far, no leaks after about 20 hours of use. They did say the ends were tapered it seemed to form a tight fit?

Think they might have been pipe threads?

 

[Ricn]

Same issue here too. Couple trips to local parts store and all is well
Ricn

 

[otus_branch]

Same issue here too. Couple trips to local parts store and all is well
Ricn

Ricn, did you wind-up having to buy new hoses, or did they convince you to put some tape on it and wrench it tight, like sickeys did? Sounds like that will be my next step... If I need to replace the hoses anyway, might as well try Tape & hard wrenching first...

 

[leonz]

Hello Sickeys,

I cannot believe they told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the hoses are not British Standard Pipe with an O-ring Boss?????
It certainly sounds like they are British Standard Pipe hose fittings.

If they were properly threaded SAE/NPT you would barely need a little liquid pipe dope on the second thread to seal it.


If you do not know the manufacturing brand of hoses they use its already suspect as they all must have the manufacturers name on the hose and the hose information on it to conform to the Joint Industrial Council rules of manufacture and sizing to have uniform products and sizes for all hydraulic needs.

 

[otus_branch]

Hello Sickeys,

I cannot believe they told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the hoses are not British Standard Pipe with an O-ring Boss?????
It certainly sounds like they are British Standard Pipe hose fittings.

If they were properly threaded SAE/NPT you would barely need a little liquid pipe dope on the second thread to seal it.


If you do not know the manufacturing brand of hoses they use its already suspect as they all must have the manufacturers name on the hose and the hose information on it to conform to the Joint Industrial Council rules of manufacture and sizing to have uniform products and sizes for all hydraulic needs.

I can't answer for sickeys of course, but my Woodmaxx hose ends look like NPT, with no o-ring on them. I'm not at the farm right now (or for the rest of this week), but I will call Woodmaxx while working this week, and then check on the hoses and fittings over the weekend.

To clarify my earlier post:
1) The Woodmaxx manual says 1/2" x 14 NPT fittings for the hose ends.
2) I bought fittings that my Kubota dealer "thought" would work, and they were great on the tractor end, but did not seem to want to spin onto the threaded connections of the Woodmaxx hoses.
3) When I came back into town today, I asked the guy at the Caterpillar place to double-check the fittings I bought from the Kubota Dealer, and he confirmed that the fittings I bought were 1/2" x 14 NPT. Their thread gauge allowed them to verify that the fittings I had bought from Kubota were not 1/2"x12 or 1/2"x16, but in fact 1/2"x14. Nice folks there at the Cat dealership.

So I know that the fittings I have match the specs Woodmaxx requires. Now, I just need to decide how much tape & wrenching I want to add, and then to see whether anything leaks...

 

[ericm979]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

 

[feasant]

same on my 62H. goop em and tighten em

 

[otus_branch]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

Thanks for the pointer! I think I used regular teflon pipe tape on my other fittings when hooked-up just after purchase, but will order some of this now, and use it from here on...

 

[slckeys]

My manual stated the same specs. I didn't go crazy with the tape for the threads, just a wrap or 2. No o rings either.. They would spin on a few turns and tighten up.. Not what I was expecting, hence the trip to the hydraulic shop. They did mention them being pipe threads. No leaks so far....

On a side note, should I consider removing the ends and using a liquid sealer instead or call it a wash considering the threads might be smashed? When I tightened them up I didn't go crazy, maybe half turn past hand tight since I'm always concerned about stripping threads.

Or try my hand at getting Woodmaxx sending new hoses and hope for the best since it's all but new still?

Open to all thoughts and I welcome all input.

 

[Jack Yuan]

I had been contemplating a 6' hydraulic-offset flail mower purchase just as talk of trade war was heating up. Figured that ordering sooner rather than later made sense, got the order in back when this model was still ~$2600, and received my Woodmaxx FM 78-H last week. So far, I have just gotten one side of the crate disassembled, the gear box filled, the 3-pt hitch mounted (using Red Locktite on all bolts).

I tried to get hydraulic fittings, and my Kubota dealer had the 1/2" fittings that fit my rear remotes of course, but the threaded end did not want to spin onto the Woodmaxx threaded connections at the ends of the hoses they included. The Woodmaxx manual says 1/2" x 14 NPT, and I think that's what I have? The Kubota folks didn't have a thread checker, but said these were the only thread gauge of 1/2" fittings they use. Then the Cat place checked them on the thread gauge they did have, and told me that they mic'd to 1/2 x 14 NPT, if a little stiff. At TSC, again no actual thread checker, but the fittings spun easily onto the threaded connections of the pre-cut 1/2" hoses they had on the shelf. Might the Woodmaxx fittings just be a little off? Didn't want to start wrenching hard if the size is wrong...

I may check my thread chaser kit that is buried somewhere among the tools to check to see if a 1/2"x 14 NPT thread is there. Meanwhile, what did you other Woodmaxx owners find? I'm eager to get to mowing pasture next week!

As for other first impressions, some rust is already forming on spots where the paint was thin, after only a week in the weather... :-/

Excuse me, isn't the male hydraulic couplings included on the mower??? Surprised me, it is just 6 dollars small parts, at least they should provide standard G1/2 coupling which is most common.

I just read their manual again. I have a question, did you notice there is any oil in the cylinder or hose when you receive the mower?

 

[Jack Yuan]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

Always try to avoid use tape when design it.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Hello Sickeys,

I cannot believe they told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the hoses are not British Standard Pipe with an O-ring Boss?????
It certainly sounds like they are British Standard Pipe hose fittings.

If they were properly threaded SAE/NPT you would barely need a little liquid pipe dope on the second thread to seal it.


If you do not know the manufacturing brand of hoses they use its already suspect as they all must have the manufacturers name on the hose and the hose information on it to conform to the Joint Industrial Council rules of manufacture and sizing to have uniform products and sizes for all hydraulic needs.

Hi Leonz, just find this from their manual. Woodmaxx claim it is NPTF thread for couplings.


It's better to use British Standard Pipe Parallel (BSPP) and an O ring to seal it.

In China here, we have to use tape or glue on the tapered thread, otherwise it will leak oil very easily. We don't trust the accuracy of the tapered thread surface here. I don't think NPTF is suggested to be used on hydraulic system. Can't believe they use NPTF these years. It seems US users are very kind to solve problem by themselves.

Does US machines often use teflon and pipe dope on tapered thread? Or is there already pipe dope on the tapered thread?

 

[Ricn]

Otus -No I did not replace hoses. Woodmaxx hose fittings would not align with my Kubota quick connect couplers so I found adapters at our local auto parts who has lots of farm stuff. My tractor has the top and tilt feature which was added after purchase so quick couplers were part of the valve kit from Kubota or dealer provided either one. Had I owned the mower first I might have been able to match them all in the beginning.

Ricn

 

[leonz]

Hi Leonz, just find this from their manual. Woodmaxx claim it is NPTF thread for couplings.
View attachment 565958

It's better to use British Standard Pipe Parallel (BSPP) and an O ring to seal it.

In China here, we have to use tape or glue on the tapered thread, otherwise it will leak oil very easily. We don't trust the accuracy of the tapered thread surface here. I don't think NPTF is suggested to be used on hydraulic system. Can't believe they use NPTF these years. It seems US users are very kind to solve problem by themselves.

Does US machines often use teflon and pipe dope on tapered thread? Or is there already pipe dope on the tapered thread?

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Hello Mr. Yuan,


No, they do not use teflon tape they use a proper paste sealant ment for hydraulic system use.


If you can you should invest in some RIGID pipe dies and pipe taps to chase the threads on your hydraulic fittings and invest in a case of the Loctite 577 thread sealant for the the pipe thread hose fittings that you have to use.

The one excellent thing about buying a set of RIGID brand N.P.T. taps and dies is that you can chase the die over every male hydraulic fitting and run the tap through every female fitting to make sure they are properly threaded and the minute you start running the tap through the female fitting or running the die over any make hose end you will know immediately if you want to use that hose fitting or hydraulic fitting you intend to install in a cylinder.

Any bad hydraulic fitting that is installed in one of your mowers is one fitting that could break and leak and potentially injure or kill someone.

If you can locate a RIGID dealer in Tapei and order pipe taps and dies and a rigid pipe vise I would do it.


I hope all is well on your side of the Pacific pond. I agree with you that British Standard Pipe is much easier to use and much more adjustable(forgiving)to prevent hose and fitting failures. Ine has to make sure that they have the Blue Dot BSP orings in their tool box to replace an o-ring that has been under compression for a long time as they will become deformed over time due to the heat generated by the hydraulic system.

Its never, NEVER, NEVER a good idea to use teflon tape with hydraulic systems as the tape particles can cause damage to control valves and prevent adequate control of a hydraulic function allowing them to creep.

You never ever ever use teflon tape on JIC 37 degree fittings ever as they are designed and machined to seal completely with the mating male or female fitting mounted on a valve body or a hose connection.


I have no idea who they purchase their hydraulic fittings and hydraulic hose from but if they are using poor or substandard thread dies to thread the crimp on fittings at the manufacturer they are asking for trouble and lawsuits at woodmax if someone is injured from a hydraulic leak which results in penetrating wound that will eventually kill someone if they do not reach a hospital in time to have the wound opened up and the oil washed away before it enters the bloodstream.