Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Reg]

Thought I'd just share a couple of pics of my new Coroni TM1600, I've already used it on a few jobs and how sweet it is! Breezes right through all this tall thick stuff that I get to mow.

First pic is after I put it together. Second is with my "dip stick" extension installed to stop that oily mess which was done before the first job, as you see, no oil on gear box. Simple fix for all you Coroni owners.

How do you manage to mow without a PTO shaft ?
Is this the shaftless option I've heard so much about ?
I bet it runs really quiet.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

condition wise, pretty much like john's link....needs some paint.....surface rust throughout.....

Can you post a pic? Just curious what $300 will get you.

Looking for a flail my self.

 

[Rara Avis]

Can you post a pic? Just curious what $300 will get you.

Looking for a flail my self.

Where are you located? I have one sitting in front of my barn you can have for $300.00...

 

[coastalguy]

Where are you located? I have one sitting in front of my barn you can have for $300.00...

I am in SC

 

[John861]

Nice!

What width is that?

Mine measures 6 1/2' or so. I'm not sure what the rated cutting width is. I originally wanted something bigger, but this has worked out well for the trails that I mow. I end up mowing two overlapping passes, which allows me to use the offset along both sides of the path to keep me out of the thorns. An 8' non-offset would have been perfect, but wouldn't fit between some of my trees. This one barely fits, and is around 7' overall (with the drive belts and shields). If I find a deal on a bigger unit, I may have to upgrade someday and re-route the trails around the tight sections. I'd love to mow the open yard faster.

If you end up looking at any of the old Ford's, the 917 models are preferred as they have double groove belts. The 907 use one single groove belt, and people have reported belt slippage problems in tall grass. Externally, you can distinguish the two models by the 3-pt frame. The 917 has captured lower links, while the 907 has standard pins.

 

[pax_tractor]

I just bought 5 acres and will build a new house, probably this fall. I plan to have about an acre around the house as a lawn area and the balance will be cut only two to three times during the growing season. I had intended to use a rotary cutter to cut the 4 acres, but the more I hear about flail cutters the more interested I get. I have used rotary cutters for years, but have never used a flail mower. Does that sound like a good option for cutting the four acres? I would appreciate people who have experience with flail mowers to chime in and give me the good, the bad and the ugly.

Another plug for Caroni. A TL1500 on my Kubota L2800. Does a very fine job cutting my cover crops (rye and vetch).

 

[pax]

Another plug for Caroni. A TL1500 on my Kubota L2800. Does a very fine job cutting my cover crops (rye and vetch).

I'm looking at a L2800 right now and plan to put a flail mower on behind it. Wondering how fast you cut the cover crop there in the photo you posted? Also is your L2800 a geared or hst?

Thanks
Pax

Edit: I just looked at your profile and see that your L2800 is HST. Just what I am looking at.

 

[John861]

Here's the after pics for my flail. $325 + a few cans of spray paint. Still looks like a grenade went off underneath it, but it works fine

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5385/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5386/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5387/size/big/sort/1/cat/500

 

[MJPetersen]

Wow John what did they mow with that thing--a gravel road? It does look like they hid several grenades under it. Maybe it was used to find land mines? But if it runs out nicely, so what, huh?

Mike

 

[GinNB]

I've got some that look as bad and one or two that look worse. The rocks punched their way through and started tearing the metal. Nothing a little welding didn't cure. The big deal, apart from looks, is what the rocks did to the ears on the cuttershaft underneath. Are the tops of the ears worn down to near the clevis holes? Are the holes ovalled? If they aren't bad then no big deal, especially if you won't be using it 50 hours a week.

 

[Nuru]

Here's the after pics for my flail. $325 + a few cans of spray paint. Still looks like a grenade went off underneath it, but it works fine

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5385/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5386/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5387/size/big/sort/1/cat/500

Looks like someone has been plowing unexploded cluster bombs!

 

[davitk]

Hey Nuru, have you gotten your new tractor/BETST flail mower issue straightened out? I used mine yesterday for about 4 hours, worked great! Even took it into the swamp and cut some mud

I know I shouldn't but couldn't resist, it also works great as a soil pulverizer breaking up dirt clods prior to seeding; beats a garden rake any day!

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

haha mine too....

the paint really helped it...

how well does that ford tractor handle that large of a flail?

Here's the after pics for my flail. $325 + a few cans of spray paint. Still looks like a grenade went off underneath it, but it works fine

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5385/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5386/size/big/sort/1/cat/500
http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5387/size/big/sort/1/cat/500

 

[Nuru]

Hey Nuru, have you gotten your new tractor/BETST flail mower issue straightened out? I used mine yesterday for about 4 hours, worked great! Even took it into the swamp and cut some mud

I know I shouldn't but couldn't resist, it also works great as a soil pulverizer breaking up dirt clods prior to seeding; beats a garden rake any day!

davitk; Tractor still in shop for warranty work. I am augmenting my flail with a MMM for routine lawn cut and will use the betst for bashing an pulverizing the woods. i got the bush whacking hammers with mine, and I will use both types for the brush work. The soil pulverizer is pretty funny, becareful of rocks!

 

[John861]

how well does that ford tractor handle that large of a flail?

No trouble at all. The flail is on the NAA in that picture, and does fine with 30-something HP. I intended to run it on my 861 (48 HP or so), but haven't had a chance because the tractor/loader is too big for my trails. The NAA also runs a 6' finish mower, and that seems to take more power than the flail.

 

[IslandTractor]

It's just a piece of 3/8" x 2" water pipe and a 3/8" coupling. NPT threads aren't an exact match for the gear box but it goes in, I put some liquid teflon on the pipe threads, tighten with pipe wrench. The breather/dip stick screws right in the coupling.

Well, I tried this but couldn't get the 3/8" NPT pipe threads to fit in the Caroni vent hole. I suppose I could have forced it a bit more than I did but instead I decided to measure and seek further advice from y'all. The outside diameter of the 3/8 inch NPT pipe I got from Home Depot was 0.675 inches. The outside diameter of the Caroni vent hole cap was 0.655 inches. I didn't look carefully at the threads.

Is that too big a difference to just try to force the pipe into the Caroni hole? I tried with just a couple wraps of teflon tape and could not even get it started. I suppose I could get an appropriate sized tap and modify the Caroni gearbox hole but am loath to make that change without knowing if that is my only choice.

I presume the Caroni vent hole is some metric type. Is there a way to buy metric threaded pipe and adapters in the USA? I calculate the outside diameter of the Caroni cap threads to be 16.6mm which seems a bit odd. Any thoughts?

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

ever see the monster flails the military uses to find land mines? talk about impressive

Looks like someone has been plowing unexploded cluster bombs!

 

[GinNB]

The outside diameter of the 3/8 inch NPT pipe I got from Home Depot was 0.675 inches. The outside diameter of the Caroni vent hole cap was 0.655 inches. I didn't look carefully at the threads.
.....
I presume the Caroni vent hole is some metric type. Is there a way to buy metric threaded pipe and adapters in the USA? I calculate the outside diameter of the Caroni cap threads to be 16.6mm which seems a bit odd. Any thoughts?

British standard pipe thread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just a guess.

 

[IslandTractor]

British standard pipe thread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just a guess.

I think you are right. The 3/8" is dead on according to the measurements I made yesterday.

Now, where in the colonies can British standard pipe be purchased?

 

[Reg]

British standard pipe thread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just a guess.

Good guess.
I discovered British standard plumbing parts to be the norm in hardware stores in Switzerland when I lived there and had to home repairs.
One of the little civilization things that the English brought to the rest of the world - sanitation.