Land Pride vs Alamo Flail

[tpetty]

I'm looking for a new flail. I want the 88" size - which locally that leaves both Alamo & Land Pride in the mix. Neither is on the lot, but both can be ordered. The Land Pride is $6500 new. The Alamo guy is getting back to me - but there are supposed to be 1-2 year old models, still new, that can be had for less than a 2014 model.

Has anyone actually seen both of these, or have knowledge of the differences between the two? Differences in reliability/build, cut, etc?

I'm guessing pricing will be similar, but won't know for sure until the Alamo guy gets back to me.

 

[Arc weld]

For cutting grass and weeds, Alamo! Everything else is just a copy. There are Alamo/Mott's that have be used commercially for 25 years or more.

 

[tpetty]

They are still getting a price on the 1-2 year old "new" ones, but a 2014 is $8500. I'm hoping the older one is closer to the Land Pride price.

 

[leonz]

I'm looking for a new flail. I want the 88" size - which locally that leaves both Alamo & Land Pride in the mix. Neither is on the lot, but both can be ordered. The Land Pride is $6500 new. The Alamo guy is getting back to me - but there are supposed to be 1-2 year old models, still new, that can be had for less than a 2014 model.

Has anyone actually seen both of these, or have knowledge of the differences between the two? Differences in reliability/build, cut, etc?

I'm guessing pricing will be similar, but won't know for sure until the Alamo guy gets back to me.

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Please read the flailmower posts first before you make any decision as you have not told us much about the quality of cut you wish to have.

If you purchase the Land Pride unit you cannot go wrong as long as you have a dealer that is able to provide warranty service if needed.

The Land Pride units are Maschios imported from Italy and painted with Land Pride colors. They have an excellent reputation for building farm machinery and flail mowers as well.

The thing is you have not mentioned what quality of cut you want to have and whether you are mowing good turf or pasture and brush.

 

[jd870]

I believe the Landpride flail mowers are built by Landpride in Abiliene,Kansas.

 

[leonz]

I can tell you a little birdie from Land Pride told me that they are
Italian unless that has changed in the last six months.

 

[tpetty]

I'll be mowing around the pond, along the 600' driveway, & borders around an 8 acre hayfield that is mostly surrounded by timber. I don't plan on mowing over heavy or uncleared land - and the "fine" cut blades that are supposed to be able to handle 1" stuff should be adequate. The main reason I'm looking at the heavy duty/more expensive flails is simply size. I'd like to go 7-8' wide, and the slight offset that many have would help around the pond as well.

 

[tpetty]

I kind of hate to spend that much money, but figure a new one would last me a lifetime. Rusty/somewhat beaten up Alamos seem to go for $1500-2000, and probably need new blades.

From the equipment book, it looks like the Land Pride FM3188 has an access panel/gate in the back which makes changing blades easy - don't have to work under it. Is this true of Alamo as well?

 

[leonz]

I kind of hate to spend that much money, but figure a new one would last me a lifetime. Rusty/somewhat beaten up Alamos seem to go for $1500-2000, and probably need new blades.

From the equipment book, it looks like the Land Pride FM3188 has an access panel/gate in the back which makes changing blades easy - don't have to work under it. Is this true of Alamo as well?

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The door you are ferrring to is a "TRASH DOOR" It allows the user to mow
heavy dense brush without plugging and stalling the flail mower.

I dont believe nor have I seen that Alamo copied The Mott design for a
removable trash door like they copied everything else The Mott Mower Company did.

A. YOU never work under a flail mower!!!

B. you put it on its back and roll it over like a turtle.

 

[CanadianBeaverS370]

I worked 2 summers as a student with a pair of Alamo's mounted to a IH Hydro 84, one season with HD blades and one season with the Finishing blades. Cut 2-5ft tall weeds and light brush around de edges of fields and along ditches and also a bit of grass. I hit all kinds of junk ( rocks, stumps, 2x4, even a section o frost fence ( that was a pain in a** to cut out an untangle ) and never broke anything. The finishing blade did just as well as the HD blades in the light brush I was cutting. the rear 3 pth one never skipped a beat and never clogged up. The side wing has its own hydraulic pump that was belt driven from the engine crank, that one had a harder time in the 3+ft tall stuff but for the lighter mowing jobs its was awesome too. If I where to buy a flail I would get an Alamo any day, I can only imagine how the newer ones do, the ones I used dated back to the early 90's. I think they are worth the investment

 

[tpetty]

I just found and bought a one year old Alamo SH88 for $4600 plus $800 to get it shipped 1/2 way across the country. Even at $5400 total(and no tax) I'm about $3500 less than a local new one.

 

[AGTtactical]

I can tell you a little birdie from Land Pride told me that they are
Italian unless that has changed in the last six months.

You are incorrect... they are made in the US in Kansas, just like the previous poster said.

 

[leonz]

Hello AGTactical,

When I chatted with the gentleman from Landpride at that time(2014) he was embarrassed to say that they were Maschio orchard and vineyard shredders. I told him that there was no need to be embarrassed as they will sell very well and they did sell very well.

Landpride imported the Maschio Vineyard and Orchard Shredders from Italy with the Landpride paint and decals UNTIL they decided to begin making them here which was around the time that Landpride was purchased by Kubota.

The Maschio orchard and vineyard shredders are built to the much higher European CEMA agricultural safety standards for farm machinery and implements of all types.

I am correct in saying that they were imported into the United States until the designs changed for the three mowing width models. I knew then that they were no longer reselling the Maschio Orchard and Vineyard Shredders wearing Landpride paint as the Maschio units sold by importers here in the United State are still of the same design and manufacture.

 

[AGTtactical]

The Maschio orchard and vineyard shredders are built to the much higher European CEMA agricultural safety standards for farm machinery and implements of all types

What are the much higher European safety standards you speak of? Where are you getting this from? Or is this more speculation like your theory on the aerodynamics of side slicer blades?

 

[aczlan]

What are the much higher European safety standards you speak of? Where are you getting this from? Or is this more speculation like your theory on the aerodynamics of side slicer blades?

Good question, especially since CEMA appears to be an association of agriculture manufacturers which lobbies the EU to set the standards governing the equipment that they make, not a governing body that directly sets said standards (per: Comite Europeen des groupements de constructeurs du machinisme agricole - Wikipedia ).

Aaron Z

 

[AGTtactical]

Good question, especially since CEMA appears to be an association of agriculture manufacturers which lobbies the EU to set the standards governing the equipment that they make, not a governing body that directly sets said standards (per: Comite Europeen des groupements de constructeurs du machinisme agricole - Wikipedia ).

Aaron Z

Exactly Aaron...it’s been my experience that anytime someone starts spouting about Europe, they really don’t have a clue. I have lived and worked in Europe and over 50 other nations in my life, and usually they are following, not leading, the US. And I say that as a person who greatly admires some European nations, and even married a Danish gal. I’m just getting a little fed up the flail snobbery of a guy who doesn’t even own a tractor and has a towed 40 year old lawn flail. Several posts back, he was recommending Landpride...now apparently they aren’t safe enough?

 

[aczlan]

The owners of flail mowers, whether they are municipalities or individuals that own orchard and vineyard crop shredders that may be boom mounted heavy brush mowers or fine cut flail mowers have a safer mower to use in all conditions

While a flail is theoretically safer, the real difference must not be much as last I heard, insurance companies for private contractors doing roadside mowing don't offer any discount for running flails rather than rotary mowers.

and in the case of municipalities like the State of New York they only mow the dividers, ditches and shoulders once per year in August with their local NYSDOT labor force.

Once a year? Around here NYSDOT mows at least twice a year, sometimes three times.
Not sure how that or the following paragraphs that I didn't quote relate to the subject at hand (your claim that European flails are safer than US flails).

Aaron Z

 

[AGTtactical]

As far as CEMA is related to this what I was referring to was the full width piano hinge steel plate front guards on these smaller flail mowers.

So this is the one example you can quote to justify your previous broad blanket statement below?

the much higher European CEMA agricultural safety standards for farm machinery and implements of all types.

Sorry, but that one item clearly doesn't mean Europe has "much higher safety standards". Many manufactures do not use piano hinges because they are more prone to damage and harder to replace...not because they are better. Most commercial heavy duty forestry mulchers use chains, as does my John Deere MH60. Hinged steel plate guards would make the unit less safe, not more, because they would very quickly bend or break off.

You aren't offending me...but its not good to make claims which are sometimes incorrect or exaggerated. You seem to have a tendency to assume you know a lot more than pretty much everyone else around here, which is amusing given that many of the guys here own and operate farms or business and have daily (and recent) experience with lots of modern heavy equipment (which is why I do a lot more listening than writing as there are guys whose knowledge level is astounding). You continually recommend very expensive high end flail mowers while criticizing the purchases of anyone who doesn't, while never purchasing or operating any of them yourself (sorry, a 40 year-old Lawn Genie towed behind a household riding mower around your house doesn't seem to be a huge amount of personal experience).

Its hard to tell if you are trying to help, or just trying to prove how much you know.

 

[AGTtactical]

While a flail is theoretically safer, the real difference must not be much as last I heard, insurance companies for private contractors doing roadside mowing don't offer any discount for running flails rather than rotary mowers.
Once a year? Around here NYSDOT mows at least twice a year, sometimes three times.
Not sure how that or the following paragraphs that I didn't quote relate to the subject at hand (your claim that European flails are safer than US flails).
Aaron Z

Good point Aaron...I was based at Newburgh NY for 4 years in the Marine Corps...my wife was based in near Atlantic City, NJ. For 4 years I drove the highways of that state every weekend to our house in ACY. Never saw grass with a year's worth of growth either.