Flail Mower Caroni Flail Mower - Hydraulic Shift Kit

[texbaylea]

I purchased a Caroni TM1900BSC flail mower from Agri-Supply and like it for my mowing needs. Right now I am running it at the highest setting for the high grass and light brush - will set it lower when I have it all knocked down to that level.

Now for the reason for this post! I also ordered the hydraulic shift kit to allow adjustment of how far the mower sticks out beyond the right tire. It came today.

THERE WERE NO INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS!!!! ALSO THERE ARE NO PRE-DRILLED HOLES TO MOUNT IT!

Where and how it mounts are fairly obvious but it would be helpful to be given some idea idea of exactly where is the best place to mount it.

I called Agri-Supply and found out I got one of the first two units they got in and they just shipped it right out. Agri-Supply promised to contact Caroni to get more information. A detailed photo of a mounted unit at least would be helpful.

It is raining right now so that is why I am not out there fiddling with it.

I have 3 remote valves but only 2 have connections at the rear. I will be working to add a third set of QDs at the rear.

I will post more as this develops.

 

[IslandTractor]

I think I saw a photo of the installed kit on one of Caroni's marketing pamphlets on line. Not detailed enough to make up for the lack of directions however. I imagine they have instructions in Italian but have not gotten around to translating those.

I have the same mower and so far haven't figured out how I would use the hydraulic shifter. It is a great idea to be able to shift the mower a foot or so to the right. On my tractor the mower sits offset to the right side anyway so I'm not quite sure how I would use additional shift. The standard set up for me sticks out to the right about 15-18 inches beyond the right rear tire. In fact, the 75" mower doesn't quite cover the left rear tire. It actually makes mowing very easy as I just go clockwise and keep the left front tire just barely in the previously mowed area.

I only have about four hours mowing experience with mine so far. I'm using it more like a bush hog than a finish mower but it gives a finish mower like cut. Pretty amazing to turn a collection of bushes into something that resembles a golf course fairway in a few seconds. Mine is set at the lower level. Seems to work very well although it is more likely to hit junk. I've ripped an old car fender into confetti, chewed up a tire pretty well and wrapped an old vehicle frame around the mower drum so far. No harm to the mower but it took a while to disentangle the mower from the frame.

 

[texbaylea]

I really like mine. At the higher setting it does leave some stragglers behind but I can accept that for a while. I have about 10 hours on mine but right now we have a reroofing project going on and the tractor is in heavy use hauling off the detritus.

We have a lot of small oaks I am preserving while I am taking out the cedar and yaupon. I figure that the shift kit will help me dodge the stuff I want to save. Plus letting me reach farther under the trees.

I think that I saw the same brochure and plan to work from that if Agri-Supply cannot get me better.

I have some big C-clamps to hold the unit in place while I drill the necessary holes. It looks like the kit will set the mower about 6" further back. Will have to check the PTO shaft overlap carefully as it will change over a large range.

Vernon

 

[MarkV]

Hey guys I was wondering if you can answer a question for me. If one wanted to off set the mower without the hydraulic shift kit can it be done manually? I read where Island Tractor’s mower is off set 15 to 18” already so I assume the shift kit would off set it even more. Can it be set manually as much as the shift kit allows and left that way?

Thanks,
MarkV

 

[IslandTractor]

Hey guys I was wondering if you can answer a question for me. If one wanted to off set the mower without the hydraulic shift kit can it be done manually? I read where Island Tractor痴 mower is off set 15 to 18 already so I assume the shift kit would off set it even more. Can it be set manually as much as the shift kit allows and left that way?

Thanks,
MarkV

Yes, I think it would be a simple exercise of moving the hitch pins to the left side (facing forwards) and then reattaching the mower. The PTO shaft is slightly offset to the left normally so that when you shift the mower to the right it will be slightly offset to the right. The toplink structure also unbolts and is then rebolted to the left side. I haven't done it but it looks like it involves about a half dozen bolts would take only about 30 minutes longer than hooking the mower up. Maybe less time with air tools.

Photos give you an idea of what is involved but I don't have a photo that shows the top down view. Sorry about the oil spill from the gear box. Overfilled.

 

[texbaylea]

MarkV
Only the TM versions have the options of two different offsets with about 8" difference between them. You would have to go to the Agri-Supply and look at the technical data on the flail mowers. There are drawings showing the offsets but be prepared to convert from metric to SAE to understand them. Part of why I decided to get the shift kit was I keep forgetting about how much the mower sticks out on the right side. Haven't done any major damage to anything - YET.

Vernon

 

[texbaylea]

MarkV

I did not fully answer your question. The rails on the shift kit are 50" long but I figure the available amount of shift is less than 24". I have not unpacked the kit yet but will get a measurement on the cylinder when I can.

Vernon

 

[GreenMtns]

Hi Vernon


I received the kit last Friday. I e-mailed Agri-Supply about the lack of instructions and they e-mailed a set from Italy.
I mounted it yesterday. It only took about an hour.

It is easy if you lay all the mounting hardware out before you begin. You will need a 19mm wrench and socket. (A 5/8 wrench or socket will do) The 8 short bolts will bolt the tower down. The long ones and locking nuts are for the rail bracket. The left side of the rail bracket is located on the far left side of the mower (looking froward). You will need a 1/2" drill bit. I first removed the tower. Then I placed the rail set on the mower and held the front rail up with a jack at the right height. I then drilled the top holes on each side and bolted it it in place. Then I finished drilling the others and bolting them down. One of the flat edged washers had to be ground a little to fit behind the front guards. At this point you are 90 % done. The red bracket they call the "CONTRAST PLATE "is bolted to the inside of the left most 3pt bracket with the included bolts. All that is left is to mount the hydraulic cylinder between the "CONTRAST PLATE " and the right side of the rail bracket.

On my tractor the out side tire to tire measures 60". The mower will offset about 28" to the right full offset. When retracted it is still somewhat offset but only about 12".

It is really a well thought out setup. I like the mower very much. But the real plus is the customer service I have received from Agri-Supply. They have been with me every step of the way. Agri-Supply is run the way all companies should be run.

Here are a couple of clickable images of the mounting.






AL

 

[GreenMtns]

Hi IslandTractor

I see by your picture you found as I did that Agri-Supply fills the gear boxes and preps the products they sell. When I received mine I read all the warnings about it not having grease or oil in it so went ahead and put the proper amount in. Then I tried out the mower. Out came the oil all over the gear box.

I should have checked before putting in the oil but experience is a great teacher.

Al

 

[IslandTractor]

Hi IslandTractor

I see by your picture you found as I did that Agri-Supply fills the gear boxes and preps the products they sell.

Yep. However I found that even after checking the level, when the oil level was between the two marks, that it continued to overflow when it got hot. It has stopped doing that now but the oil level is reading just at the lower hatch mark. I guess I'll just watch it and keep it at that lower level.

 

[texbaylea]

Al

Thanks. I had received the same info from agri-Supply but have not tackled the installation yet. Their support has been great.

I am glad you figured out where those clipped edge washers go. I have been thinking that they might go next to the belt end.

My tractor is about 70" wide so it looks like the mower would be nearly completely behind my tractor. I will have to wait until my son comes for a visit to lift the unit in place as it exceeds what my doctor has set as my limit. The jack to support it until you can get the holes drilled and a couple bolts in is a good idea.

Go and enjoy mowing.

Vernon

 

[MarkV]

Thanks for the information guys. You sure have me interested in these flail mowers. I don’t have any clearing needs yet was still concerned if the flail would be too fragile for the occasional surprise that is found. With Island Tractor chewing up car fenders and tires I guess an occasional surprise is within the limits. The off set would allow getting closer to some fence line, pond edge and ditches that are a problem now. It would also be so much easier to fit on a trailer than a 6’ rotary mower.

Am I correct thinking the rough cut flail leaves a better cut than a rotary mower but not quite as good as a finish mower? Also doesn’t the flail allow for a closer cut than most rotary mowers do?

Thanks,
MarkV

 

[GreenMtns]

Thanks for the information guys. You sure have me interested in these flail mowers. I don稚 have any clearing needs yet was still concerned if the flail would be too fragile for the occasional surprise that is found. With Island Tractor chewing up car fenders and tires I guess an occasional surprise is within the limits. The off set would allow getting closer to some fence line, pond edge and ditches that are a problem now. It would also be so much easier to fit on a trailer than a 6 rotary mower.

Am I correct thinking the rough cut flail leaves a better cut than a rotary mower but not quite as good as a finish mower? Also doesn稚 the flail allow for a closer cut than most rotary mowers do?

Thanks,
MarkV

Hi Mark

You are correct in that the TM model will do much better than a rotary mower but not as good as a finish mower or a TL model. The TM uses hammers to do it's cutting and there for does does not need as many as as the TL model which uses Type F blades and does a finish type mowing.

You would not want to run in to Island Tractor's fenders and tires with the TL model but that's the kind of work the TM is designed for.

AL

 

[MarkV]

Hi Mark

You are correct in that the TM model will do much better than a rotary mower but not as good as a finish mower or a TL model. The TM uses hammers to do it's cutting and there for does does not need as many as as the TL model which uses Type F blades and does a finish type mowing.

You would not want to run in to Island Tractor's fenders and tires with the TL model but that's the kind of work the TM is designed for.

AL

Thanks Al that is how I thought it was with the TM model. One more question, are the TM models rated to cut up to a given size material like a light duty rotary mower would be rated to cut up to 1 or 2 inch material?

MarkV

 

[IslandTractor]

Here are some photos of things I have intentionally and unintentionally cut with my TM1900. So far there has been no damage to the flails despite run ins with a car frame, tire, car spring, and what I presume was a rusty car fender or some sheet metal part that was shredded. I've leveled bushes with stalks up to 2 inches in diameter with no issue at all. Pulverized a few rocks and pieces of concrete too. Only damage to date was to the rear roller which is really just a guide and I damaged that by hitting a pointed rock while moving pretty fast. Doesn't affect function at all and I think of it as similar to the bulges in the side you see in rotary cutters after they throw rocks.

The photos don't have captions but I think you can make sense of them. The first photo shows a bush that I have cut around with the mower and then the next one shows what happened when I backed the mower into the bush. The old car frame photos show it wrapped around the mower...took about 10 minutes to unwind, and then the piece of metal afterwards. The last shot is just an example of the type of cut you can get by simply making a single backing and then driving forward again into thick brush. I keep the mower low and find even one pass is all that's needed but when I back in and then drive out it really leaves a very clean surface. Much cleaner than a bush hog as it pulverizes brush into much smaller mulch. No 6 inch sticks laying about like with a rotary cutter.

 

[IllMarty1]

Hey fellow Caroni owners,

Here is a pic of one of my buddies mowing some lawn at my place in Wisconsin with TM1900 with hammers. Don't know if you can see much, but it leaves the clippings much finer than a RC and no windrows. I have my skids in the middle.

Marty

 

[Skyland]

Nothing like a newbie resurrecting a 7 year old thread....

Can somebody that has one of the Caroni shift kits installed please contact me?. After waiting a year and a half (yes 1.5yrs!) my shift kit finally arrived. Like others have posted mounting instructions don't really exist. I contacted Agri-Supply and they are trying to help but they are having a hard time getting information from Italy.

I think I can figure most of it out, but the one thing I'm not clear on is where the ceramic spacers go. I can see that I need to put the frame on the body of the mower aligned to the side with the belt drive and use that to mark for the holes to drill but where do the spacers belong? I don't want to drill the holes and then figure out that the holes are mis-aligned because the shift frame wasn't spaced correctly.

Sign me puzzled.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[leonz]

Hello Brad,

Let me be the first to welcome you as the newest Member of the Flail Mower Nations,
We are a very happy lot and we love our flailmowers. most of us northerners have tucked ours
away for the winter-but not without giving them a big hug first(OK that was a little much :^) ha ha.

You will be very happy with the side shift kit as the Caroni family makes an excellent product line of farm machinery.


Contact greenMtn on the forum here and ask him if he could scan his installation sheets OR
you could send a fax to Rodney Barbour at Agrisupply or a request by fax to Caroni directly-fastest way BTW, and they are great about responding directly if needed.

 

[IslandTractor]

Hello Brad,

Let me be the first to welcome you as the newest Member of the Flail Mower Nations,
We are a very happy lot and we love our flailmowers. most of us northerners have tucked ours
away for the winter-but not without giving them a big hug first(OK that was a little much :^) ha ha.

You will be very happy with the side shift kit as the Caroni family makes an excellent product line of farm machinery.


Contact greenMtn on the forum here and ask him if he could scan his installation sheets OR
you could send a fax to Rodney Barbour at Agrisupply or a request by fax to Caroni directly-fastest way BTW, and they are great about responding directly if needed.

Caroni is great about responding, just take their reply to your local Italian restaurant for translation (or use Google translator though I'm not sure I'd trust it for technical instructions).

Just joking. I'm sure they will respond in Engalian or Itglish

 

[Reg]

Not a newbie, but I'm not averse to (re)resurecting old threads.

Anyone have any trouble with their (now OLD) shift kits ?
Basically I haven't shifted mine in a few years - and FORTUNATELY when I tried to shift it the other day I was watching quite closely.
The hydraulic cylinder pulls/pushes apparently OK and the bracket that it pulls/pushes against does move a bit - but the mower doesn't shift.

I squirted some penetrating oil around all the bushings on the shafts that are supposed to move, let it soak for a few days, no difference.
I don't want to tear the whole thing apart if I don't have to, but if it comes to that I will.