Hello and good morning fhon,
If you do not have one already I want you to purchase a V belt tension
gauge from your local auto parts stockist/parts store-I must emphasize
this tool is a must have item for you to manage your flail mowers V belt life.
I have to ask you this; do the two new belts you have on the ground have matching lot numbers??????
IF THEY DO NOT you need to take them back to the supplier as they will not wear evenly and
they will either burn up or stretch beyond usable length and be thrown off.
Please check the left rear tire pressure on your mule, be sure to have the valve stem
located at the top dead center to prevent the liquid ballast from being sprayed into your
tire pressure gauge as it will ruin it.
If you do not own an air compressor with a low long pressure air nozzle you should have one
to clean your mules chaff screen to allow you to keep your radiator fee of mowing chaff.
The low pressure air nozzle will also let you clean the radiator without bending the radiator
fins as well in the off season.
If you have a shop vac please use it on the open side of the radiator by propping it near the
radiator front to vacuum up the fugitive dust that is blown through the radiator to keep it from
settling down near the radiator as the fugitive dust will develop an electrostatic charge and cling
to the tractor and radiator.
You rare going to find a great deal of fugitive dust everywhere on your mule and especially
your beautiful Del Morino Funny Top Flail Shredder due to the electrostatic charge created
by the mowing.
Using a clean unused hand held hose sprayer with a reservoir filled with Dawn Dish Soap and hot water
you will be able to break up the natural oily bonds and electrostatic charge that occurs in the brush you
are mowing and it will make keeping the mule and the mower much cleaner.
About your mule you should plan on having an extra external air filter on hand to keep your
engines safety element cleaner.
It is safe to vacuum the outside of the outer air filter element, DO NOT USE compressed air
to blow through the outer element to clean it as the air filter will be punctured and that is
not good.
Do not hesitate to use a wet clean rag or towel to wipe the air cleaner housing free of dust and be
sure to rinse the rag/towel out again if you need to clean out more dust from the canister walls.
The tattle tale restriction indicator used on your mules air filter will lie to you and become stuck due
the dust from mowing and its safer to just change the air filter every 100 hours or less than to trust it.
I would ask your Kioti dealer if they clean the tattle tale restriction indicator or just replace it as they
become clogged and stick open.
Oil bath air cleaners are so much easier to use and own than paper element air filters.
About mowing:
Been there done that with 15 foot goldenrod and it is very slow
going especially with a small rotary mower when I did it with a
IHC Cub LOWBOY in 1969.
As you have a manual transmission on your mule that is a plus.
Is your European model equipped with an all weather cabin??
I must be candid with you, you will be mowing in your lowest gear
until you have enough room to take half cuts to clear your brush
on the first pass.
After you have cleared the brush binding between the flail mower rotor
and the open bearing housing please do the following.
The simplest way to do this is to just locate the center of a Hectare block
and do the following.
1. lower the flail mower to about 1/2 a meter above the ground.
2. engage the power take off ner idle and then gradually increase the
throttle to the 540 RPM engine setting.
3. press in clutch pedal and use the lowest creeper gear speed
4. as you advance turn left or right in a tight circle to begin mowing-
don't worry about the un-mowed patch until you are done.
5. mow in one circle and then take a half cut for the next pass and
then been mowing in a spiral pattern. Mowing in this manner saves fuel
and eliminates braking, backing and turning around to mow in rows.
About mowing on slopes, it is better to drive down the slope while mowing
and then back up the slope in four-wheel drive to mow while driving downhill.
By mowing in your lowest gear speed, it prevents the issue you are having with
plugging the mower and burning up belts.
You have to mow this land slowly for the first few mowings because your
beautiful flail mower has hammer knives and they do not recut the material.
If the sod goes dormant/dead you can also mow before the snow falls to get
ahead of the mowing chores.
If your mule has a radio to pass the time all the better but if it does not investing in
a set of earmuffs with a radio head set or a fender radio if your mule does not have a cabin.
Now as far as greasing the mower goes no more than 6 pumps of grease in each flail mower rotor
bearing every full day of mowing.
Also be sure to check the vent on the mower gear box to assure it is open.
Leon
