Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[isurg]

Thanks for the quick reply, i'm a newbie to tractors and cutting .

Routine cutting around planted fields and cutting grass. Would like a better look than a rotary would give. Would like to to clear a occasional path thru

woods for access to deer food plots. i

 

[IslandTractor]

I would go ahead with the flail if it's to be used in relatively manicured areas. To be safe just run the engine at lower than PTO speed. I use my flail regularly at several hundred RPM lower and it cuts fine. It wouldn't cause any problems if you ran higher unless you hit a stump or something like that.

 

[Kiotidriver]

Looking at buying a 73" Caroni Flail mower. I would like to know if the mower can be offset mounted like when mowing close to fences or around trees? If yes, how much is the offset and how easy is it to reconfigure to be intrail with the tractor?

 

[IslandTractor]

Looking at buying a 73" Caroni Flail mower. I would like to know if the mower can be offset mounted like when mowing close to fences or around trees? If yes, how much is the offset and how easy is it to reconfigure to be intrail with the tractor?

Yes, it can be offset to the right. I don't have exact measurement but I'm guessing it is about 15 inches or so. I know that with the mower offset on my DK40se (the only way I use it now), there is about 15" extra mowing outside the right rear tire and that if I run the left tire just at the border of what was previously mowed (on the previously mowed part), that I get a full 75" of mowing width per pass. That doesn't work with to and fro mowing in straight lines but it does work when mowing in a spiral.

Also, Caroni makes a hydraulic offset kit that allows you to vary the offset from the tractor seat. To switch it mechanically takes about 15-20 minutes, maybe less with air tools.

 

[coolnick73]

I've found what could be a good deal on a Maschio Brava 180. I was told this is similar to land pride flails. Does anybody know what kind of blades these are and how easy it would be to get replacement blades?

 

[coolnick73]

View attachment 459667

I've found what could be a good deal on a Maschio Brava 180. I was told this is similar to land pride flails. Does anybody know what kind of blades these are and how easy it would be to get replacement blades?

Oops here are the blades

 

[Reg]

I'm considering getting the JD 390 flail mower with my new JD 5100m tractor. Is the tractor too much hp for that mower?
Max hp is listed as 75hp on the spec sheet. Any input would be appreciated


thanks

I find it difficult to understand how you could think the tractor could be "too much" for the mower...

Anyway NO. It might be more than the mower needs, but that just means it won't bog down when the going gets tough.
and/or you could run in a higher gear at a higher ground speed.

A better option would be the Caroni, but if you worry about color clash that wouldn't work out with the green and yellow

 

[IslandTractor]

I find it difficult to understand how you could think the tractor could be "too much" for the mower...

Anyway NO. It might be more than the mower needs, but that just means it won't bog down when the going gets tough.
and/or you could run in a higher gear at a higher ground speed.

A better option would be the Caroni, but if you worry about color clash that wouldn't work out with the green and yellow

Tractor could be too much if it puts out more horsepower than the mower gearbox can handle. You cannot hook up a 500hp tractor to a 75hp gearbox. In the case of the JD5100m, the excess is only 100hp vs 75hp gearbox so it's unlikely he'd do damage but you could damage a gearbox with too much HP while bush hogging if you hit a stump or other debris.

 

[xtn]

Tractor could be too much if it puts out more horsepower than the mower gearbox can handle. You cannot hook up a 500hp tractor to a 75hp gearbox. In the case of the JD5100m, the excess is only 100hp vs 75hp gearbox so it's unlikely he'd do damage but you could damage a gearbox with too much HP while bush hogging if you hit a stump or other debris.

Isn't that what shear bolts or slip clutches are for?

 

[IslandTractor]

Isn't that what shear bolts or slip clutches are for?

In theory yes. Those would protect against shock loads if properly used and maintained. Slip clutches are notorious for being poorly maintained and are useless when rusted together.

I don't know why gearboxes would be rated for max power if there was no practical limit.

 

[Reg]

In theory yes. Those would protect against shock loads if properly used and maintained. Slip clutches are notorious for being poorly maintained and are useless when rusted together.

I don't know why gearboxes would be rated for max power if there was no practical limit.

If you start from a working assumption that the equipment will NOT be properly used and/or properly maintained then all (of MY) bets are off.

MY slip clutches DO work and ARE maintained, I do NOT oversize shear bolts either.

BTW, the "mistake" of hitching up a 500 HP tractor to an implement with a 75 HP gearbox is one of efficiency.
As long as you stay within the working capacity of the implement everything should be just fine, though very wasteful.
Just too much steam hammer for cracking such a small nut

BTW, the Harley rake manual (among others) details slip clutch "burning", so if anyone needs to review the process they can find the manual on line.

 

[leonz]

View attachment 459671
Oops here are the blades

======================================================================



AHHH!!!!!!


You have a Brava with side slicers and dethatching knives YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Do not let it get away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please notify us when you have it in your possesion so I can welcome you as the
newest resident citizen of the "Flail Mower Nations".

you will need to flip the dethatching blades to the unused edge when you bring it
home and when that is done you can mow and overseed with clover if desired as
the seeding slits will be deep enough to permit the seeds to germinate quickly.

 

[coolnick73]

So the middle finger, so to speak, is for de-thatching? In order for it to work, would you need to adjust the blades so they are just touching the ground?

 

[isurg]

Went to my local JD dealer to look at a flail mower. Didn't have any and said he hadn't sold one in 6 years. Makes me wonder if I should stay
with a rotary around here.

 

[IslandTractor]

Went to my local JD dealer to look at a flail mower. Didn't have any and said he hadn't sold one in 6 years. Makes me wonder if I should stay with a rotary around here.

Bush hogs are an American invention and well suited to clearing overgrown or abandoned fields. Rotary mowers are simpler and easy to scale up. Rotary mowers tear rather than cut so they don't mulch well and have a nasty habit of ejecting high speed projectiles.

Flails cut more cleanly and mulch so even a rough cut flail gives a much better cut than a bush hog. Cut is closer to but not quite like with a finish mower. Flail mowers are far more common in Europe where mowing is more likely to be close to human dwellings etc. They are also often used in the US along roadsides and athletic fields.

If your JD dealer doesn't sell flail mowers I'd guess he does largely agricultural business or that flails simply haven't yet made inroads into the rough mower market in your area yet.

Easy to get a flail delivered from AgriSupply for about $2K. Caroni TM1900 is a 75" rough cut flail from Italy sold by AgriSupply. There is also a good Chinese flail sold for less via eBay.

There is a huge flail thread here on TBN that touches on virtually any question you might have. Just search.

 

[isurg]

Thanks IslandTractor, your posts and this thread have been a great help to me!

 

[coolnick73]

Went to my local JD dealer to look at a flail mower. Didn't have any and said he hadn't sold one in 6 years. Makes me wonder if I should stay
with a rotary around here.

He probably wants to sell you a rotary AND a finish mower!

They aren't very common around here (SE MN) as far as I know. About the only ones I have seen are the big pull behind ones for chopping corn stalks. I wonder if some of the problem is the maintenance issues associated with a flail vs rotary & finish. 1 or three blades vs 20-90 or so. It seems to me if you don't mind spending time on maintenance, the flail seems like a good option.

 

[leonz]

View attachment 459742

So the middle finger, so to speak, is for de-thatching? In order for it to work, would you need to adjust the blades so they are just touching the ground?

The lowest setting for mowing is the height setting you want for dethatching.
The good sod will look lousy for a few days if you pick up the clippings
but you will have great grass sod if you have lawn to mow after a few weeks as the thatch will be gone
as long as you pick it up.

You can mow good sod and brush with the same flail mower so I would not let it get away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[coolnick73]

Well I bit the bullet and picked me up a Maschio Brava 180. Next thing I need is a set is pallet forks! The build quality seems good, nice looking welds. It looks like the Italian gearboxes like to spit up oil, "I no like-a your oil!"

Thanks all for the knowledge in this thread.

 

[IslandTractor]

View attachment 460070View attachment 460071View attachment 460072
Well I bit the bullet and picked me up a Maschio Brava 180. Next thing I need is a set is pallet forks! The build quality seems good, nice looking welds. It looks like the Italian gearboxes like to spit up oil, "I no like-a your oil!"

Thanks all for the knowledge in this thread.

There are a few places in this ultra long thread that discuss "fixes" or at least ways to mitigate the oil burping. Here is a post I made on the subject a few years ago: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/118882-lets-talk-flail-mowers-60.html#post1496273 Not sure if the measurements would be the same as I don't know if Caroni and Maschio use the identical gearbox. I believe both companies are pretty close to each other though.