I need some blades for my Befco flail mower. I know there are a few different styles depending on the cut that you want. But does the brand or size matter? I mean, so long as the bolt can go in the hole, does anything else matter? These seem to be all over the place too in terms of price.
Flail mower blades, does brand matter?
- Thread starter arcteryx
- Start date
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Fallon
Super Member
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leonz
Super Member
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Everything matters my friend,
The flail mower rotor and the number of knife stations is what is going to
determine what you need to buy.
You have to order the identical side slicer or scoop type knife blade.
1. The mounting hole must be the same type, either with the punched hole or
the punched slot mounting hole.
2.The next issue is whether you want hardened knives as most of
them are hardened but you can purchase non hardened steel knives..
3. purchasing in quantity is always a good idea as you save on the per
piece price and large orders are shipped free or were anyway.
4. the flail mower rotors geometry and the number of knife hanging stations
determines what knife is needed. the scoop knives are an in between knife
where it can be used for brush mowing and grass cutting with a rougher cut.
The knife must pass under the shroud with or without a slotted mounting hole.
5. a flail mower knife punched with the slotted mounting hole allows the knive to become
an airfoil providing a better cut BUT some manufacturers use the slotted knife to save
on the cost of knives.
This is because a slotted knive allows the mower builder to use a shorter knife as the
knife hanger length also reduces the total length of the knife needed to mow.
A flail mower with a drum flail mower rotor allows you to have a shorter side slicer knife.
A flail mower knife hanger with wide hanger allows the knive to become an airfoil and
level at speed and the cut is better than any rotary mower.
The Mott's decided to use a much smaller flail mower rotor made from either hollow
or solid bar stock to avoid the issues of buying or building a drum type flail mower
rotor to hang knives from as steel was not expensive when they were building them,
AND the knife was not expensive to buy when purchased in the tens of thousands
of units from a steel stamping plant. It then became an issue of welding the knife
hangers in jigs to secure them to the flail mower rotor and then balancing the
flail mower rotor in a high speed balancer that rotates at 2,200 RPM plus to balance them.
If you purchase in volume you will always have the advantage of lower cost per unit.
When you change knives you should also plan on changing the bolts to a NEW fine threaded bolt
with an un-threaded portion that is the width of the knife hanger to prevent the bolt from
breaking.
You need to plan on using new flat washers on both sides with blue loctite to secure the nut as well.
the bolt and washer must be tight but must allow the knife pair to swing freely
The other option is fine thread grade 8 Allen head cap screws with Allen washers and new grade 8 fine threaded nuts to reduce the issues with scraped and bruised knuckles and losing money to the swear jar and possibly having the 2 and 4 legged rug rats accidentally hearing noise from under the flail mower hood that they should not hear until they are in the USNavy.
I want you to succeed my friend not fail.
