Buying used flail mower (JD or Ford)

[pripyat]

I am in desperate need of a large cutter, I've got 20+ acres of land that hasn't been cut in over a year. Mostly straw grass, but a good bit of mixed-in weeds. I have access to the neighbor's 5' bush hog but am trying to use it as little as possible. Tractor is a Mahindra 2545. I got a reply to a classified wanted post from a guy that has two flail mowers he is willing to sell. Can anyone provide feedback on these two?

The Ford is a 6.5ft and cuts without the roller pictured but the roller needs bearings. He says he doesn't know what the purpose of the roller is. Asking $450.


The JD is a 7.5ft and is ready to go. Asking $700.


The land I'm cutting isn't perfectly level, just from glancing it looks like I would need wheels to keep a 7ft cutter level. Also, I'm not sure my 45hp tractor will adequately power the JD.

Thanks in advance!

 

[def38]

A couple of comments;

I have a 45 HP tractor with about 36-37 HP at the PTO. I have no problems with power cutting dense grasses, weeds and brush. My mower is a 6 foot Chicomm mower. I think either mower will do well with your tractor. If you choose the Ford, make sure the roller is not bent. Bearings will be cheap for the roller, likely about $10.00 each. Make sure the bearing flanges are intact and still on the mower.

I cut both a lawn and a field rough with undulations, ruts and some debris (think Buick hubcaps and rocks) and would find wheels a hinderance.

BTW, the job of the roller is to control the cut height and keep from scalping. If you choose the Ford, reinstall the roller. You'll find it a big help.

Which mower are you leaning toward?

 

[pripyat]

Which mower are you leaning toward?

Honestly, I think the larger JD would suit me better. Not to mention, I have a lot of stuff to cut right now.. I have no experience with flail mowers and honestly only have a rough idea of how they work. I'd hate to get one that "needs work" and not be able to tell easily what wasn't working properly. Not to mention it looks to be in much better shape than the Ford.

Thanks for the input, I may go pick up the JD in the next couple days. I'll have to post up a comparison cut from a 5ft bush hog. The bush hog leaves much to be desired..

 

[dieselscout80]

either of the flail mowers you showed pictures of look like good ones.

PRIPYAT,

The roller of the Ford is ran on the ground for typically for lawn type mowing.

If the roller on the Deere can lowered enough it can be run on the ground while cutting pastures. However, you can also just raise it with your tractor's three point hitch or use check chains.

I have a Ford like the one that you mentioned and it takes about 2.5 hours to mow four acres at 3.5 MPH.

Carey

 

[John0829]

Take it for what it is worth, I have 2 6' flails, a New Holland 918H and Alamo SHD74 fine cut. Once just for snits & giggles I tried the 918 behind my JD 1025R in some reasonably heavy pasture grass and other than it being more weight on it than I wanted without the loader on, it made full cuts just fine and it is a 25 hp tractor. Thing is even if the material being cut is to heavy for a full cut with your setup you can always make smaller cuts of 1/2 or whatever amount your tractor can handle. After you get it down you can then maintain it at a height you can make full cuts in. I normally use the flails on my 45 hp Ford and it does not even know it has anything back there for my normal cutting so I doubt you would much of an issue with either of those behind your tractor. Fact is I use less fuel running the flails than I use when running the finish mower or brush hog.

Pesonally I would go with the JD since parts for the Ford a bit harder to come by since FlailMasters is no longer with us.

 

[hslogger]

You haven't mentioned the underside of these two mowers.What kind of flails they have, there are different families of knives. I have an old JD 25 flail with duck feet. I wouldn't trade if for nothing but a new one. Go Deere for parts in the future. Flail knives can be had from other than JD. I vote for the Green

 

[def38]

Use the roller to help determine cut length. When running off the roller, the lift suction and underside windage and mulching are reduced. The only time I use the 3 point to hold the mower off the ground is when I am approaching a rock or the grass becomes so thick it loads down the tractor engine past the governor.

BTW, when you get that JD mower home, have the red paint ready. Also, some photos of mowing would be interesting.

Good luck.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

In your situation the JD would probably be a good choice, as it is ready to go. You may need to replace or sharpen blades and grease/oil it, though. 45hp should be enough to use on a 7.5' unit. If you bog down, just slow down a bit. I have 60hp on a 88" Alamo and I never bog down in tall grass. I slow down to make sure I get a good cut and mulch, but that's the only reason I need to slow down. Once you have it knocked down and mow it semi-regularly you will be able to run as fast as your seat can handle.

The JD will have parts at a JD dealer, the Ford will have parts at a New Holland dealer. Flailmaster is reorganizing, and they have some parts still available. You just need to call them to find out what they have left right now.

 

[Tinhack]

I would buy the Ford simply because their attachments have a heavy duty line. You photo looks like one of them. I have one of their 954 Rotary cutters and it will knock down trees if your tractor can handle it. They are built to last. I got mine from a county maintenance auction. The paint is about all gone but the thing still cuts and has about as much iron in it as a dump truck.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

I would buy the Ford simply because their attachments have a heavy duty line. You photo looks like one of them. I have one of their 954 Rotary cutters and it will knock down trees if your tractor can handle it. They are built to last. I got mine from a county maintenance auction. The paint is about all gone but the thing still cuts and has about as much iron in it as a dump truck.

Yes, that does look like the 917H. However, if the roller is out it is likely that the roller bearing housings are gone. Those get pricey. Flailmaster had them at around $300 for the pair. As far as I know, you can't get them from Ford anymore. When I had my 917 one of them and the roller were missing. I ended up getting some 1/2" metal plate lasered to hold a standard flange bearing and got my machinist friend to make a new roller. That ended up being free (I have good connections). If I needed to buy completed parts it would have cost as much as I paid for the mower.