Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Lnk]

Where are you located? Perhaps someone on here would buy it from you.

 

[John0829]

Where are you located? Perhaps someone on here would buy it from you.

Western KY, about an hour south of Owenboro.

 

[def38]

No it is a 918H, the gear box is way different than the 917 uses as you can see in the pic. I have decided that I am expecting more from this mower than it can deliver and am throwing in the towel. After all the sharpening, adjusting, resharpening and re adjusting, plus now I am finding parts availability is limited, should have done more research. I'll hold on to it until I find something else since it being an offset does OK on the county road that I keep the shoulders cut on since the county can seldom be bothered to cut them.

I am not expecting it to cut like the finish mower a bit rougher cut is fine since it is a large area that is kept cut for the appearance of the property. But the mohawks of uncut grass standing up are just not acceptable although reversing the rotor rotation did improve it somewhat. The old King Kutter bush hog with sharp blades will do a better job than the flail has so far.

I really appreciate all the help and comments, thank you all. I just got burned on this one, my mistake thinking New Holland would be a top quality product, I do have to say at least it is solid and well built. I will have to do more and better research before getting another, if I do. There are many things about flails I like, just not the quality of cut. At least not the cut from this one.

Is that OE bracketing on the mower in the photograph? Looks very stout...just what I need on my Titan flail.

 

[John0829]

Is that OE bracketing on the mower in the photograph? Looks very stout...just what I need on my Titan flail.

Yes it is OEM, a very stout, well built mower.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I thought I recognised that instantly as a FORD mower. I used a 917 offset for years with scoop blades. It would leave stuff standing on certain stalkie material. But the worst problem was with stones and how often I would break or loose knives.

Then I got a 917 with the many fine knives. I thought the stones would make short work of these knives but that isn't the case as the weight of the scoop knives is what seems to kill them on the stones. I love the fine cut for better cut quality, but have not used the mower in twenty or so years as I don't need it and don't currently have a suitable tractor.

 

[troverman]

I had surprisingly good results with the side slicers on my $100 917. They did good on brush up to finger size. Beyond that they just made a racket & debarked things. I lost a few to rocks & a well head, but they survived many other smaller rocks.

How heavy were your scoops compared to the side slicers? Weight is going to give you an advantage on bigger heavier material than most other factors. The 5lbs? hammers on my Peruzzo Brush Bull are pretty rounded on the cutting edge at this point, WAY more than my 917 thin side slicers could ever get. Unsurprisingly the hammers cut brush & wood way better. Surprisingly it cuts grass about as well. A hair less mulching & recutting, but a very good cut for a field, probably even almost to lawn standards.

The scoops on the Vrismo are lightweight. My Titan has hammers which are much heavier. Both seem to cut field grass very well; the Vrismo does OK with stalks running scoops but not on heavier brush. I have a bush hog for heavy growth.

 

[10backacres]

Hi Leonz,
Got the new bolts but tendonitis issues allowed me only to just re-torque the existing bolts. Runs with small amt of vibration. FYI for Seppi owners I found the only way to service the bolts was to get 2 -19mm(3/4inch) 2nd hand sockets ($1 each)and shorten them with the hacksaw to get the clearance. What kind of special tools do they use in Italy at the factory for assembly? Using a crow foot which I'd have to special order ($20 each- 2 required) would then have required I do math to determine the end torque.

 

[mred2]

I first set my mower to about 6 inches. But I still catch rocks on the side of the road. It may get better after it is leveled up a bit. I plan to adjust the roller to about 4 inches and start on the pasture. This is new to me, never used a flail before. My is a Betstco ditch mower with hammers. I think it is ok for what I plan to use it for and the amount of mowing that I do. About 25 acres of horse pasture. I hope it help to breakup and spread the manure. I will check back later and report. I still have my old mower, but I am hoping that this will be my go to mower. I have a few ditch banks I need to keep clean.

 

[10backacres]

I first set my mower to about 6 inches. But I still catch rocks on the side of the road. It may get better after it is leveled up a bit. I plan to adjust the roller to about 4 inches and start on the pasture. This is new to me, never used a flail before. My is a Betstco ditch mower with hammers. I think it is ok for what I plan to use it for and the amount of mowing that I do. About 25 acres of horse pasture. I hope it help to breakup and spread the manure. I will check back later and report. I still have my old mower, but I am hoping that this will be my go to mower. I have a few ditch banks I need to keep clean.

Pasture harrow works fast to spread horse apples and fairly cheap, becareful of cutting too much height off the grass it'll take longer for the pasture to regrow. I usually mow ditch banks and weed-eat the rocky edge to prevent damage to the flails/hammers

 

[leonz]

Hi Leonz,
Got the new bolts but tendonitis issues allowed me only to just re-torque the existing bolts. Runs with small amt of vibration. FYI for Seppi owners I found the only way to service the bolts was to get 2 -19mm(3/4inch) 2nd hand sockets ($1 each)and shorten them with the hacksaw to get the clearance. What kind of special tools do they use in Italy at the factory for assembly? Using a crow foot which I'd have to special order ($20 each- 2 required) would then have required I do math to determine the end torque.

Hello 10 backacres,

They may use a pair of Metric open end Angle Wrench's to allow them to get easy access and leverage.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

I know it's been discussed earlier in this thread (can't seem to pick out the exact posts out of this massive thread), but what are the general feelings on the woodmaxx flail mowers? Anyone here have one for a while now with positive or negative opinions? Sold my Ford 917 to buy a Mott, but it was sold out from underneath me. Now I'm looking at others.

 

[bruceha2000]

I know it's been discussed earlier in this thread (can't seem to pick out the exact posts out of this massive thread), but what are the general feelings on the woodmaxx flail mowers? Anyone here have one for a while now with positive or negative opinions? Sold my Ford 917 to buy a Mott, but it was sold out from underneath me. Now I'm looking at others.

I'm still waiting to find out! I ordered a WoodMaxx 62H late last summer, ended up first on the waitlist. No one changed their mind so mine came in March, in the first batch of the next run I guess. It is supposed to be Cat I quick hitch compatible. The pins are Cat 1 but the vertical distance between the lower pins and the top pin is 19" (Cat III) instead of 15" (Cat I & II). They don't make any Cat III flails so someone, somewhere screwed up when they made the upper bracket. The sales guy I contacted sent the inquiry over to service. That guy sent me an email saying they are looking into it. I sent a follow-up inquiry early this past week and haven't heard back. I'm sure there are people who can manhandle a 700# flail into position without a quick hitch and without extendable lower links but I'm not one of them. It might be possible if I had a nice flat concrete surface and put the flail on a pallet with wheels ... but I don't.

 

[ronjhall]

I know it's been discussed earlier in this thread (can't seem to pick out the exact posts out of this massive thread), but what are the general feelings on the woodmaxx flail mowers? Anyone here have one for a while now with positive or negative opinions? Sold my Ford 917 to buy a Mott, but it was sold out from underneath me. Now I'm looking at others.

I have a FM62H. Got it late last summer. It cuts my 3 acres of field very well. I have Y blades. It does not cut as well as my lawnmower. But is good enough for field cutting. If I had it to do over again I would have gotten the FM78. This will give me the offset without needing hydraulics and a wider cut.
I just received a set of hammer blades. Will see what cut looks like when I get them changed this week.
I had been cutting field with a JD rotary cutter for years. Took over 3 hours. Flail cut that time in half.
Only problems I had was paint scratched off and nicks in guide bar from PTO clutch not being properly covered for shipping. Service sent me a can of paint to fix paint. I cleaned up nicks in guide bars. My call to service was if they approved my plan to remove nicks.
I do not use my SpeeCo Quick Hitch. Have a concrete floored barn. Used metal frame that mower was shipped in. Added caster wheels to make a dolly out of it.
I have a WM8H Chipper from them also. It's quality has been good also.

 

[Glocknroll]

I apologize if this is a repeat, but is the belt tension and replacement on the 918H as involved as it seems? Any advise or workarounds are very welcome.

 

[John0829]

I apologize if this is a repeat, but is the belt tension and replacement on the 918H as involved as it seems? Any advise or workarounds are very welcome.

It is so easy you could do it blindfolded, here is the procedure from the manual. Takes longer to remove the belt shield/cover than it does to change and adjust the belts.

 

[ronjhall]

Installed hammer blades on my Woodmaxx FM62H this week.
Hammer blades worked well. I can get almost lawn cut if I slow down. It takes more HP than the Y blades. I have to let off hydro pedal to make it up steepest hill on my place. Field I was cutting was 12" high. Still get strips where tires go over weeds not cut fully down. Better than the Y blades. Goes away if I slow down.

 

[Fallon]

I took some photos of my cut this weekend. Peruzzo with hammers. Grass was a foot, foot & a half high. Mow height was 4" or so, tire tracks end up 6" high maybe. It's a little more visible now a week later, but not bad at all for a field. I should have grabbed new photos, but am at the airport taking off for a week.

I overlap passes if it's bad, but otherwise dont wory about it.

 

[Catoosa]

Haven't read the whole thread guessing been almost a year since I checked in. What are you guys calling "Hammer blades" I have two John Deere 25A's one with ducks foot and one with Y blades but first I heard of hammer blades. I don't see allot of difference between them, both leave a strip of grass where the wheel mashes it down. Been so wet this year I have only been able to mow once, after it dry's out I'll have a better chance of seeing how the Y blades do.

 

[ronjhall]

Haven't read the whole thread guessing been almost a year since I checked in. What are you guys calling "Hammer blades" I have two John Deere 25A's one with ducks foot and one with Y blades but first I heard of hammer blades. I don't see allot of difference between them, both leave a strip of grass where the wheel mashes it down. Been so wet this year I have only been able to mow once, after it dry's out I'll have a better chance of seeing how the Y blades do.

Woodmaxx calls Duck Foot Blades, Hammer Blades. .

 

[ericm979]

Here's a description of hammer blades vs Y blades, with pics: Flail Hammer Blades or Knives Blades for Flail Movers?