Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[powerline]

Also interested in The Woodmaxx for the Quick hitch compatibility specifically , Hyd side shift would be a bonus.. .



.as for direct mounted Y blades, I would like to add my 2 cts ,I have a Hyd powered Rockhound flail on my Excavator boom with Y blades direct mounted similar to the Woodmaxx that I mulch 6 inch dia maple trees and grind the stump with.

 

[LouieJunior]

I am quite curious about the Woodmaxx too. Some of the chipper threads warned me about the Chinese made chippers but I could not locate a first-hand account of problems with Woodmaxx brand. Just a lot of folks suggesting they'd be problematic. I have since purchased a Woodmaxx Chipper and am completely satisfied. A new, warranted product for the price of a used one.
I would also like to get a flail mower and have been practically living on Craig's list! -- not much in my area

 

[IslandTractor]

I am quite curious about the Woodmaxx too. Some of the chipper threads warned me about the Chinese made chippers but I could not locate a first-hand account of problems with Woodmaxx brand. Just a lot of folks suggesting they'd be problematic. I have since purchased a Woodmaxx Chipper and am completely satisfied. A new, warranted product for the price of a used one.
I would also like to get a flail mower and have been practically living on Craig's list! -- not much in my area

Chinese stuff can be good but I would like to hear some real world experience with the Woodmaxx flails before leaping myself. A chipper is not nearly as much a precision machine.

What I don't understand however is that the Caroni flails, with lots of experience behind them and a well known provenance, cost about the same or less than similar size Woodmaxx. Why not just go with the Caroni? The TM1900 can be ordered with a hydraulic side shift or you can do it manually in about fifteen minutes.

 

[LouieJunior]

Thanks -- probably very good advice. I wasn't aware the Caroni had the hydraulic offset -- not shown on Agri-Supply.com

I think I'll make an inquiry about it -- and the shipping cost too (which Woodmaxx includes). Thanks again!

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks -- probably very good advice. I wasn't aware the Caroni had the hydraulic offset -- not shown on Agri-Supply.com

I think I'll make an inquiry about it -- and the shipping cost too (which Woodmaxx includes). Thanks again!

If I recall correctly, the hydraulic kit can be purchased from AgriSupply for ?under 500 bucks. IMO it is only necessary if you need to keep moving the mower while mowing along a fence line. I have the TM1900 and have mine offset semipermanently. As noted, it takes maybe 15-20 minutes to do it. Just unbolting about ?4 or 6 bolts, repositioning the frame and then rebolting. Easy Peezy. I like mine offset to the right even though I don't mow a fence line because I can just run the left tire at the margin of the previously mown strip and I automatically get the widest possible coverage (1.9 meters or about 75 inches). No complaints about the Caroni. A few quirks (oil burps from the gearbox if filled as high as the dipstick says to but there is a workaround for that with a metric extender...just search in this thread) and the factory belts don't last more than a season or two (but everyone seems to have good luck with Gates B43 kevlar belt replacements).

 

[berserker]

Chinese

What I don't understand however is that the Caroni flails, with lots of experience behind them and a well known provenance, cost about the same or less than similar size Woodmaxx. Why not just go with the Caroni? The TM1900 can be ordered with a hydraulic side shift or you can do it manually in about fifteen minutes.

The proven ability of the Caroni versus the potential value of the Woodmaxx (30% cheaper than Caroni). I'm thinking about the other implements I could buy with the price difference...

The Woodmaxx is quick-hitch compatable, so I don't have to buy top link adapter for that.

Regarding the hydraulic shift, it's not for everyone but I'll be mowing between trails and trees so I don't want to stop between trees and adjust the mount manually. Woodmaxx offset is ~18", Caroni's is 16".

I called Woodmaxx today. The flail came out toward the end of last season, and they've only sold about 20-30 units. That is why there isn't much about them out there. So it sounds like I won't get much more help with my decision from video/user testimony.

 

[Josh Shoemaker]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a set of Ford 917H decals?

 

[IslandTractor]

How about one of these:

 

[Utopia Texas]

I have a 350 plus pecan tree orchard with 43 year old trees. Anyone that works with grafted pecans knows they drop dead limbs constantly whenever a storm comes along. For years I have used Rhino rotary cutters to mow and chop up the smaller rotten limbs and twigs, we pick up and chainsaw larger, or green limbs. From what I have read on this set of posts a flail mower with intermediate blades might work better for me than a rotary mower. Anyone ever used a flail mower on pasture with 2 inch and smaller limb pieces with any success? What happens to a flail mower if a larger diameter limb is accidentally run over? Occasionally our pasture gets pretty overgrown and it's hard to see some limbs. Down here on the Texas Gulf coast we have some rainy Springs and Summers where pastures are bailed for hay 3 times a year and the native bermuda grows knee high. Limbs get hidden quite fast. Thanks...

 

[IslandTractor]

I don't have an orchard but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night (and have chomped up lots of brush with both flail and rotary).

A good flail mower set up for brush will do a much neater and more complete job of tree branches. 2 inches is probably the limit on something like a Caroni TM1900 but some of the heavy duty brands like Alamo would make models that could easily handle that size. I could do it with my Caroni but it would be slow going to get a fine cut. Under one inch is duck soup for the Caroni. It will do up to 2" but not as quickly.

If I wanted just to break up 2" branches I would probably run over them with my rotary. If I was preparing a plot for grass/field then I'd use the Caroni knowing it would be slower. A compromise is a first pass with the rotary and then run over it again with the flail.

I have run over split firewood (unintentionally) with my flail. All it does is jam. The belts squeal and the engine stalls. I carry a crow bar with me to get stuff like that out of the flail and have never had any damage from wood of any size. Rocks will knock a set of knives off occasionally.

Photos show hose, firewood, metal from old buried car, and a section of brush that I drove through with the flail.