Lack of flail mower development in US.
- Thread starter MultiMow
- Start date
Indeed. That's why I run a Toro Groundsmaster with a front flail deck. I won't even begin to mention all the benefits. I'll never go back to tractor mounted attachments for mowing.
A couple Perruzzo units are bi-directional. I plan on buying an 8ft unit for my larger properties with less obstructions, and adapting it to my Toro 455D.
I just wish the U.S. has a decent mid-mount ZTR flail mower... preferably with tracks instead of tires, like the Altoz TRX. Wright mowers has a flail deck... but it's about the worst example I could ever find, so I hate to mention them. It has a rotor and flails, which is the only reason you could ever call it a flail mower. The capacity and finish is horrible,
I like the TriMax units, but if your power unit isn't an F-series Kubota, John Deere, or some other recently manufactured model that will cost you $40k, they won't drop their nose enough to even consider your business (or at least my area rep won't be bothered with such... "prude" is an understatement).
LD1
Epic Contributor
You are nuts and wrong.
I have yet to encounter anything I cannot bushhog or will choke a bushhog. So do idea what you are talking about there.
Less maintenance.....Get off your high horse and stop preaching. Bushhoggings are way less maintenance intensive. Just what maintenance do you think a bushhog requires. PTO shaft and slip clutch maintenance would be the same. (But you'd have to do it twice as often on a flail since it mows half as fast). Check gearbox oil once a year, sharpen blades every 100 or so acres. Which is a 15 min job not a all day job.
Flails have belts, extra bearings, knives and hangers, etc etc.
I understand the advantages of a flail. Cut quality, better clipping dispersion, safety, etc. But you ain't fooling anyone with BS claims like they are less maintenance than bushhogs.
And companies are all about profit. If this "market" were there and flails in demand as you so claim, companies would be taking advantage.
All these great ideas you have that you think there is this huge market base for, why arent you going into mass production.
Let's stick to the facts. Flails cost more ( more complex to manufacture, more moving parts, less demand). Flails are slower than a rotary given like conditions and equal HP. Flails are more costly and time consuming to maintain. Flails are safer. Flails leave a better cut quality. Flails mulch up the clippings smaller and allows them to break down quicker resulting in a healthier and better looking end result. That's pretty much it.
I'll make you a deal. You buy me a flail mower of your choice for my mx5100. Probably a 6'. And I'll give all my customers the option of getting cut with my rotary for my formal rate, or I can charge double to do it with the flail and in turn for them spending 2x as much, they will get better cut quality, no windrows, and less likely for be to sling a rock at their house (which I'm insured for anyway).
And at the end of the year, if I have more customers request the flail over by woods ds96, then I'll buy the cutter off of you for 200% of what you paid. But if more request the woods ds96, i get to sell it for whatever I can get.
I have yet to encounter anything I cannot bushhog or will choke a bushhog. So do idea what you are talking about there.
Less maintenance.....Get off your high horse and stop preaching. Bushhoggings are way less maintenance intensive. Just what maintenance do you think a bushhog requires. PTO shaft and slip clutch maintenance would be the same. (But you'd have to do it twice as often on a flail since it mows half as fast). Check gearbox oil once a year, sharpen blades every 100 or so acres. Which is a 15 min job not a all day job.
Flails have belts, extra bearings, knives and hangers, etc etc.
I understand the advantages of a flail. Cut quality, better clipping dispersion, safety, etc. But you ain't fooling anyone with BS claims like they are less maintenance than bushhogs.
And companies are all about profit. If this "market" were there and flails in demand as you so claim, companies would be taking advantage.
All these great ideas you have that you think there is this huge market base for, why arent you going into mass production.
Let's stick to the facts. Flails cost more ( more complex to manufacture, more moving parts, less demand). Flails are slower than a rotary given like conditions and equal HP. Flails are more costly and time consuming to maintain. Flails are safer. Flails leave a better cut quality. Flails mulch up the clippings smaller and allows them to break down quicker resulting in a healthier and better looking end result. That's pretty much it.
I'll make you a deal. You buy me a flail mower of your choice for my mx5100. Probably a 6'. And I'll give all my customers the option of getting cut with my rotary for my formal rate, or I can charge double to do it with the flail and in turn for them spending 2x as much, they will get better cut quality, no windrows, and less likely for be to sling a rock at their house (which I'm insured for anyway).
And at the end of the year, if I have more customers request the flail over by woods ds96, then I'll buy the cutter off of you for 200% of what you paid. But if more request the woods ds96, i get to sell it for whatever I can get.
You're right. You wouldn't want 6-8ft of rotary deck out front of a commercial mower frame. That's why they make flail decks for them. They're effective, lighter, more compact, more maneuverable, and have a high degree of success in the European market.
To my knowledge, the following suppliers are all that's available to us here in the states, and aside from the Perruzzo offering for the Grasshopper front mount ZTR, they're light duty units are all geared toward the front mount tractors you speak of (Kubota and John Deere F series, etc.). They are:
-Vrisimo (I think that's how you spell it)
-Perruzzo
-Trimax
There is another manufacturer who makes one for Wright brand ZTRs, but again... 'til they present a better product, I won't even consider them.
Trimax is biased more toward equal quality finish mowing as well as rough. They're premium quality, have exclusive options and adjustments, and also command a PREMIUM price tag.
Perruzzo has nearly the same finish capability with the right flail selection, but doesn't have all the fancy hardware that most flail users wouldn't require... at about 10-25% less cost (depending on options). They also seem to process the really tough stuff (5-7ft tall vegetation) much better than the Trimax.
Vrisimo is the more rugged purpose built rough mower of the three, at about the same cost as the Perruzzo.
Basically, if you're focused on finish cutting with some added rough cut capability, buy the Trimax. If you want a machine with the broadest application range, go with the Perruzzo. If you want a tank of a unit and are only brush mowing... try the Vrisimo.
moriboy
Gold Member
I have a Landpride 4188. The reason I bought it was for maneuverability and the mulching it does when cutting in heavily forested areas. It works great for my application and I'll probably never use my 8FT rotary again.