Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[1956guillotineguy]

Yes, it spins smooth and quiet.

 

[leonz]

Hello,
New member here with a dilemma. I recently acquired a John Deere 25A. It needs blades, rings, hangers. No big deal. Just call Flailmaster. Here's my problem. With everything removed from the rotor, it is not balanced. It has a heavy side. I removed the belt and spun it with a drill and it vibrated a lot. I don't think it's bent . Just not balanced. Is this normal?

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I am sending you a PM


leonz

 

[lostcreekranch]

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I am sending you a PM


leonz

Hope you can share possible solutions with all, since balance is potential problem with used flail mowers.

 

[1956guillotineguy]

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I am sending you a PM


leonz

Leonz, thanks for the PM. I sent you an Email, but got no reply. I'm not tech savvy, so I may have screwed something up.

 

[leonz]

We have a lot of material about the those JD model 25A models on the forum so we can help you with just about everything with it.

 

[ramptester]

Well, the Mott gearbox appears to be toast. Leonz looked at some pics and confirmed. Both the larger ring and smaller pinion are severely worn, and the new gear oil we put in just 5 hours ago was already silver-ish.
Unfortunately it also appears to be the older gearbox where the pinion alone is $1000. Flailmaster recommends replacing with the updated gearbox. Best price on that is $1400.
I have looked all over for a comer box, but this one must be proprietary to Alamo. Cant find one with input side larger mounting holes and correct spline and increasing gear ratios (looks to be about 1:4).
Options are limited beyond finding a salvage unit, buying a new box, or buying a used complete mower to rob the gearbox.
Any thoughts?

 

[Xfaxman]

Well, the Mott gearbox appears to be toast. ----------------------------

Options are limited beyond finding a salvage unit, buying a new box, or buying a used complete mower to rob the gearbox.

Any thoughts?

Clean out all the metal filings and fill to the recommended level with corn head grease, or NLGI grade 0 grease. It flows like gear lube when the gears are turning.

The epic grease in a gearbox thread: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/271324-grease-rotary-cutter-gear-box.html

 

[jonsstihl]

The wear on the teeth doesn't look too bad but hard to tell with a photo. It looks like they are just a little frosted and not yet spalling. Is there a noticeable step in between the worn and not worn area of the loaded side of the teeth.

Try running ATF in it for a few hours. At this point you have not much too lose. I had a brand new gearbox in a snow blower making metal and he told me his buddies running commercial snowblowers (huge ones for road sides) run nothing but ATF in those gearboxes and they stopped having metal problems in them. They also run ATF (dexron mercron) in their snowmobile chain cases and those have stopped making metal too.

I run it in my blower gearbox and the metal particles stopped. All though I realize the ambient temperatures of the applications are different. I suggest doing a test for a few hours.

maybe with any luck it is a bearing that is going instead of the expensve gears.

 

[jonsstihl]

I've had my blower ten years and have been running ATF in the gearbox for nine years after the dealer told me a small amount of metal shavings was normal and that it was not covered by the warranty.

 

[whirly]

Worn is not "broken".

Ware is to be expected and no used gear box will be without ware marks. I see no broken cogs and the ware seems to be even. Put it back together and check the SLOP in the gears. i.e. - see how much wiggle is at the output sheave. That gear box could have another 5-10 years or more of use depending on how much you plan to use it. I suspect the oil was never or seldom changed. Clean the housing to remove any old metal shavings. Then use 140 gear oil and change it a couple of times after 5 or 10 hours of use and see if it clears up.

Just trying to save you some expense. The worse that can happen is you will need replace the gear box ... but that is what you were already planning to do.

 

[ramptester]

ATF or O or 140 all seem like reasonable options. This thing is making a ton of racket and it seems most consistent with a gear whine under load. Doesnt seem to happen if the gearbox is coasting or slowing down. It would seem to be unlikely to be a bearing based on that, but hard to tell. Would not want to start dumping money into bearings only to find that I need gearset after all!
Have about $1000 invested in it so far with purchase, all major bearings, blades, belt, etc. it is a grass flail and really does a beautiful job

 

[aczlan]

In addition to running ATF, I would make sure that you have your gear spacing right so that the gears have the right mesh to them. Otherwise, that will cause wear and noise.

Aaron Z

 

[ramptester]

Any tips on evaluating or adjusting the alignment? Would not appear to be any shims, although I would presume that any wear on the inner pinion bearing would result in some horizontal movement away from the larger gear. Wear to the posterior larger gear bearing may also result in some separation of the gears. Would a single or two bearing change be worth it? Would guess that the inner portion is pressed on to the pinion...

 

[leonz]

Hello ramptester,

Check with these folks about a Comer gearbox before you make any decision about the Mott gearbox.

www.FinalDriveParts.com

 

[ramptester]

Will do. Thanks! Identified another exact model about 4 hours away, owner says it runs quiet. Also gonna check that out. It is a flail worth saving

 

[ramptester]

Update, used a fine wire brush wheel to buff off the frost and rough edges of the gears. Bearings for the pinion are not wobbly and are smooth rolling. Bearing for the rear ring gear probably with the most wear, but only noticeable by a bit more cage float when put together without the small bearing thruster door in place. All bearings cleaned and greased.
Filled with a quart of valvoline synthetic ATF and there is an improvement in gear noise, maybe about 40% improvement. Gonna try it for a few hours this weekend, keep you updated. Thanks for all the ideas, guys!

 

[Riddlewitz]

New poster here. Please be patient.

I used to run two Mott T-38 in tandem behind a Kawasaki 610 Mule to clean up the ugly show left behind our 55HP Mahindra and a 6 ft landpride. I liked the T-38 machines but they would bog down and die with the stock B+S engines. We mow ten acres of dry field grass in Eastern WA. I would restart those old B+S four to five times an hour with foot long grass. I sold them to a Canadian lady who has a chicken farm. Sold the Mahindra and bought a Ford 1320 20hp 4x4 with low hours that was like new. Our land is just grass. I then found a 48" pair of Mott pto driven machines. I also got two Onan powered 48" Mott flails. Previous owner said he mowed his private island airstrip with them. His home and airstrip was obviously well taken care of. But he stopped mowing at around 80 years old. I am curious if the brain power on this group thread can advise if the Mott 48" Onan powered machines can be utilized for parts for my two 48" PTO machines that appear to be the units used for road duty. There is a phrase I am missing from this very long thread. I read most pages. Trailmaster is the Mott PTO machine? perhaps.

Please advise. I have a couple different options. The Onan engines can be used around he farm for other uses as they are in like new condition. Thanks in advance.

 

[leonz]

New poster here. Please be patient.

I used to run two Mott T-38 in tandem behind a Kawasaki 610 Mule to clean up the ugly show left behind our 55HP Mahindra and a 6 ft landpride. I liked the T-38 machines but they would bog down and die with the stock B+S engines. We mow ten acres of dry field grass in Eastern WA. I would restart those old B+S four to five times an hour with foot long grass. I sold them to a Canadian lady who has a chicken farm. Sold the Mahindra and bought a Ford 1320 20hp 4x4 with low hours that was like new. Our land is just grass. I then found a 48" pair of Mott pto driven machines. I also got two Onan powered 48" Mott flails. Previous owner said he mowed his private island airstrip with them. His home and airstrip was obviously well taken care of. But he stopped mowing at around 80 years old. I am curious if the brain power on this group thread can advise if the Mott 48" Onan powered machines can be utilized for parts for my two 48" PTO machines that appear to be the units used for road duty. There is a phrase I am missing from this very long thread. I read most pages. Trailmaster is the Mott PTO machine? perhaps.

Please advise. I have a couple different options. The Onan engines can be used around he farm for other uses as they are in like new condition. Thanks in advance.

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Please fill in the rest of your information so we can help you more.

I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations" from________________.

A lot of it is going to depend on whether your flail mower rotors are the same type and have the same
stub shaft diameter.

I am sending you a PM now.

 

[Riddlewitz]

Hi Leonz. I am from Spokane, WA. I will measure the stub shaft diameter today. thanks

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Please fill in the rest of your information so we can help you more.

I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations" from________________.




A lot of it is going to depend on whether your flail mower rotors are the same type and have the same
stub shaft diameter.

I am sending you a PM now.

 

[dieseldoc25]

Curiosity, does anyone make an 8-10' flail, 3 point or pull type, with a decent size gear box that's intended to be more than a stalk chopper? I go from an 8N to a 4020, so I have a big jump in HP. I'd prefer to buy a flail the 4020 could run for the extra width. I have 23 acres of currently unused pasture I'm maintaining. Current mower is a Schulte FX-210 10' rotary.