Flail Mower Need advice on right cutting attachment

[Sportsman762]

I bought a piece of property that had not been mowed in 5 years. Initially I used a 5' rotary cutter on my 45hp tractor to clean it up (would have liked a 6' but only owned a 5). If the tree was too big to mow over I came back later and dug it out with the backhoe. After mowing it twice with the rotary cutter I switched to the Alamo SHD88 Flail with course cut blades. I think you could start with a flail but it might take multiple passes the first few times to get it under control.
A rotary cutter will clear it up no problem. However the cut is not as good with a flail or finish mower. It also leaves a trail of clippings that will kill the grass under it making it harder to get a good stand of grass growing. It is long, which makes getting under stuff easier, but also makes the mower less maneuverable.

A course cut flail with side slicer blades will not handle woody stuff very well. It will defoliate it and leave the stem. With time it will clean up the area well. It evenly disperses the clippings so no trails of clippings killing grass. The rear roller smooths the ground and makes it hard to scalp. The short length makes it super maneuverable but it cannot reach under trees or over banks at all. It costs a lot more than a rotary cutter and it is not as durable.

A finish mower has the best cut, and cuts small woody brush easier than a flail with side slicer knives. However continually cutting brush or tall grass will kill the mower. Finish mowers are partway between a flail and rotary cutter for maneuverability, you can back under trees, but they do not do a good job of mowing over banks. They are also the highest maintenance option when on rough property.
Here is the before photo.

Here is after mowing with rotary cutter

This is further up the power line after mowing with the flail.

You can see the rotary cutter had a rough finish whereas the flail does a better job. Let me caveat that the rotary cutter is worn out, and the flail is in good shape with worn blades, both would cut better with sharp blades. I actually expected the rotary cutter to die on the job, then I could get a 6'. Its a real junker which is what you would expect for $150, but it only got one new dent in it to my shock.

To summarize my thoughts: If your planning on mowing it 1 to 3 times a year, get a rotary cutter. If you want it looking good, then go with a finish mower or a flail mower.

 

[leonz]

Iron horse and another fellow in Australia use flail shredders successfully
in their land clearing and mowing work.

 

[CoyPatton]

Hi All,

I'm in Australia looking for advice on what you guys think would be the best cutting attachment to initially clear, then keep this scrub cut down to reduce the fire hazard.

I've chatted to a few dealerships, they have all said different things about slashers, mulchers, and brush hogs. The ground is very flat, little to no rocks, and some branches from the gum trees around it.

It's 8AC but limited to Bobcat 26HP, I don't mind taking a little longer to mow it down, especially if it's kept nice and low.

I'm totally at a loss on the right choice.


View attachment 4213733

In my opinion, your decision should be based on what finished cut material you wish to have. By this I mean consider the fire risk of the material left on the ground after mowing as this material will represent a fire risk of its own.
Another consideration is mowing between/around trees. A rotary cutter adds about 2’ to the width of the cutter behind the tractor, so a 4’ cutter will be 6’+ long behind the tractor. So between the length of the tractor snd the rotary cutter, you could have issues if trees are very close to each other.
Is controlled burns an option? You could disc or other fire break near trees and other areas and burn the shrub under controlled conditions.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

My 5' rotary cutter is 8' long, behind the QH ...

8' to the tail wheel!

Yes, it does make for a long mower, especially with a loader on front ... But the picture in the OP looks like there is plenty of room to maneuver around the trees ...

 

[BackRoad]

Part of the decision is how level the ground is, and whether there are protruding rocks or stumps (landmines)...and keeping in mind how finished of a cut you want for the long-term.

You'll find a wide range of views, with the flail mower arguably providing the best finished results, and the rotary cutter arguably able to sustain the most abuse from brush, weeds and uneven ground.

You might consider hiring out the first cut to someone with a rotary cutter so you can evaluate the condition of your new fields, find the land mines and then determine which style mower might best achieve your long-term goals. People say rotary mowers are best with brush and scrub, so let somebody else do the major clearing.

You may spend a bit on the first cut, but it can potentially save you money from making a wrong purchase uninformed about your land conditions.
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My journey was buying land that was mixed forest and old pasture considerably overgrown and returning to brush. I used an old worn out and beat up $200 dollar - 60 inch rotary mower initially . I found a fair number of old stumps, clumps of brush and rocks which I cleared, and one field I had to rework with a disc to level old deep rutted furrows.

I then mowed for a couple of years with a newer, but still used, 96 inch rotary finish mower behind the tractor. I currently mow more ground quicker using a 72 inch zero-turn mower, as the fields are now relatively smooth, I can run fast, and field grass has displaced all the old weeds and shrubs.

 

[Fetch_21]

For the money, the versatility and the simplicity, you can't beat a rotary cutter / brush hog. They can cut just about anything and leave a decent cut. Set it right and what's left should be smooth with minimal windrowing.

 

[TerryR]

Some fans of flail mowers recommend them for cutting most anything, but in fact they do a very poor job in some cases. I mow twice a year, late spring and early fall. So in the fall some parts of my field have goldenrod four feet tall with quite sturdy stems. This is what my flail does with it:

This is after replacing the factory rubber belting front guard with a chain guard because the factory guard pushed the weeds down flat and even more were left uncut.

So if you are thinking about a flail consider carefully what you expect to cut.

 

[airbiscuit]

A flail mower costs $$$ compared to a rough cut mower

 

[Lavender Valley]

Rotary slasher / Bush Hog, both are the same; Bush Hog is a brand name. A rotary slasher will leave windrows of cut grass/weeds. These windrows will dry and serve as fuel for a potential fire. In this case, I would recommend a Hammer flail mower; the hammer flails will mulch fallen branches and undergrowth and drive the debris evenly across the width of the flail mower. Keep in mind, hammer flail and flail mowers have very different uses and weights.

 

[Lavender Valley]

Some fans of flail mowers recommend them for cutting most anything, but in fact they do a very poor job in some cases. I mow twice a year, late spring and early fall. So in the fall some parts of my field have goldenrod four feet tall with quite sturdy stems. This is what my flail does with it:
View attachment 4239817

This is after replacing the factory rubber belting front guard with a chain guard because the factory guard pushed the weeds down flat and even more were left uncut.

So if you are thinking about a flail consider carefully what you expect to cut.

I have a hammer flail mower, I have cut thick bamboo 14ft high, mulched it down to ground level and mowed grass to look like a lawn.