Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

Hello thoner7,

The shipping cost is going to depend on the weight of the flail mower and
if the freight company travels in your immediate area and if they can get
a local load for the return trip to the terminal.

Like most it will probably ship FOB destination if they do not have a local pickup.
Find a mower you like and get a freight quote for a drop deck load delivered to
your home address through the tractor house freight services and go from there.

I would also suggest that you contact every JD dealer within 150 mile radius of
your location as they have a locator system for everything they sell as they will all
know of a local dispersal auction as well.

 

[Okie Again]

I got my Brush hog going and took down most of what needed to come down last weekend. I am thinking I might be better off buying used Flail mower than new. Here is a Ford 917L close to me for $1100 does this seem overpriced for an older unit.

Facebook Marketplace: 5 Foot Ford Flail Mower - Garden Items - Ponca City, Oklahoma

 

[JWR]

What's shipping cost??

Thoner -- have no idea where you are so can't be very specific on recommended sources. Many areas in the East at least have auctions conducted by pretty well organized auction companies. Eastern PA seems rich with them. Partly because flail mowers are so common with the road people there are a LOT of these old machines around. If you luck out with a machine that interests you within a 100 or 150 miles take a pickup truck ride and go haul it yourself. That gives you a chance to see it first hand before you actually buy it too. Many of the auction houses have their own lots of equipment that sit between auction dates. Call and see what they have onhand. McGrew Auctions in Seven valleys PA is of that nature.

The other guy's suggestion of "check ever Deere dealer in a 150 mile radius" is probably a good idea too. Alamo is one of the most common brands having inherited the Mott designs, etc. who really started the market in flails. Look up Alamo and find their dealers. Also try Craig's list. I've seen some on Craig's list in the past.

 

[Fallon]

There have been about a dozen flails on Craigslist in the state of Colorado in the past 3-4 years. Most were crop choppers too. So depending on where you are, they've super uncommon. I've never seen one at a dealer & most dont know about them.

I paid $100 for my 917, but it was beat to ****. Made for a good learning project & gave me several years of good service before it got retired. $600 in total for the flail, new PTO shaft, new flails, belts & rotor bearing replacement. Not to mention a pile of welding on a cracked bent hood. I still keep it as a spare for the new Peruzzo or when I have to mow a trashy rocky field. Much less concern about destroying the $100 mower vs the $7k one.

And the mounting bar on the rotor isn't as crooked as it looks. It's actually a lot worse. It's not smooth, but it surprisingly not bad for as beat as it is.View attachment 619106

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

I got my Brush hog going and took down most of what needed to come down last weekend. I am thinking I might be better off buying used Flail mower than new. Here is a Ford 917L close to me for $1100 does this seem overpriced for an older unit.

Facebook Marketplace: 5 Foot Ford Flail Mower - Garden Items - Ponca City, Oklahoma

For Ford, anything with an "L" at the end means "light duty". If you plan on mowing your lawn or grass that isn't very long it would be okay. That price is a little high for the "L" in a 5 foot version. It would need to have all new belts, flails, and mounts along with good bearings and a slip clutch PTO shaft for it to be worth that in my opinion. If it was the standard 917 it would be worth that with good (but not necessarily new) parts. Remember, it will cost about $300 for flails on the course cut and probably more on the fine cut models.

 

[Okie Again]

For Ford, anything with an "L" at the end means "light duty". If you plan on mowing your lawn or grass that isn't very long it would be okay. That price is a little high for the "L" in a 5 foot version. It would need to have all new belts, flails, and mounts along with good bearings and a slip clutch PTO shaft for it to be worth that in my opinion. If it was the standard 917 it would be worth that with good (but not necessarily new) parts. Remember, it will cost about $300 for flails on the course cut and probably more on the fine cut models.

Ok thanks I don't want to get into too big of a hurry. Just learning about this stuff

 

[smilinjak]

I have a request for photo information on Mott 60 fine cut mower. I need close ups of the belt guard. Replacements are no longer available, not from Flail Master anyway. Most of mine is broken off. There is evidence of some mounting brackets but no brackets or cover. Mows great after replacing roller bearings, rotor bearings, missing knives and their mounting brackets.
Thanks for any help. By the way I have the rectangular gear box that I modified with a vent and oil filler hole.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I have a request for photo information on Mott 60 fine cut mower. I need close ups of the belt guard. Replacements are no longer available, not from Flail Master anyway. Most of mine is broken off. There is evidence of some mounting brackets but no brackets or cover. Mows great after replacing roller bearings, rotor bearings, missing knives and their mounting brackets.
Thanks for any help. By the way I have the rectangular gear box that I modified with a vent and oil filler hole.

Might be a source?

Alamo/Mott Belts & Guards – Montage Enterprises

 

[smilinjak]

Might be a source?

Alamo/Mott Belts & Guards Montage Enterprises

Thanks for the link, I will check it out

 

[JWR]

I've got a Caroni TM1900 with a heat issue. After using it for about 30 minutes the cover over the belts is so hot I can't keep my hand on it. I felt along the driveshaft cover and the gear box and could tell the heat was being generated from the belt drive end of the shaft. Pulled the cover and found the belts were trashed. I replaced the belts with new kevlar ones and the heat persists. When the belts were off I turned all of the moving parts on that end to see if I could feel or hear a bad bearing but everything felt fine. When I checked the gear oil the level was fine but it had an odd color, kind of a creamy color, not grey which would suggest water. I replaced the gear oil anyways but still have the heat issue.

Any ideas?

I had a chance to run my Alamo SHD88 flail mower in very heavy, tall grass and weeds which put noticeable load on the tractor. Net result: it was the ideal tool for the job. Remembering your post, I went around the machine and felt it for hot surfaces as soon as I finished mowing. Nothing was hot near or around the belt shroud or in that area at all. Mine is a plain normal v-belt with a strong off-the shelf tension spring.