Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Jack Yuan]

Any one familiar with these flails?

http://www.value-leader.com/71-flail-mulcher-ag180/

Hi, Here are some more information about this flail mower, we called it as AG or BCS mower here in China.
This model used to be the biggest flail mower which we produced, its rotor pipe is 5" and 0.32" thickness, its roller pipe is 6" and 0.32 thickness. It used to be with 2.7 lbs casting steel hammer, or 1.76 lbs forging steel hammer. And 0.25" thickness body panel, 0.32" thickness side body panel.

It is heavy duty and can be used on Cat 2 or 1 tractor, you need to check your tractor weight and horse power to choose correct one.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Can you take some photos of its rotor shaft? Especially the balance weight on the rotor shaft, and how much weight totally do you estimate they are? I would like to see its production finishing. And did it vibrate when working? Thank you in advance.

 

[kco]

Hi, Here are some more information about this flail mower, we called it as AG or BCS mower here in China.
This model used to be the biggest flail mower which we produced, its rotor pipe is 5" and 0.32" thickness, its roller pipe is 6" and 0.32 thickness. It used to be with 2.7 lbs casting steel hammer, or 1.76 lbs forging steel hammer. And 0.25" thickness body panel, 0.32" thickness side body panel.

It is heavy duty and can be used on Cat 2 or 1 tractor, you need to check your tractor weight and horse power to choose correct one.

Thanks Jack. I weight one of the bare hammers without the bolt and it is 36 ounces or 2.25 lbs. I don't know what the bolt and nut add to that.

They are substantial mowers. I was worried my DK35SE could not handle it but it has no problem. It helps that the DK35SE has the same basic construction as the higher horsepower models. My cutting conditions from a volume/density standpoint is not that demanding and the tractor has no problem running the mower.

One other thing I like about the mower, which is perhaps common to all flail mowers?, is the over-running clutch(i.e. not the PTO shaft clutch). The rotor free-wheels when the PTO is shut off and it takes some time to wind-down. The first time it surprised me because I had turned off the PTO and quite sometime later I heard all the clanking from the fails finally falling back onto the rotor shaft.

 

[kco]

Can you take some photos of its rotor shaft? Especially the balance weight on the rotor shaft, and how much weight totally do you estimate they are? I would like to see its production finishing. And did it vibrate when working? Thank you in advance.

Just read this post that came while I was writing my previous post. I don't have other photos now, especially of the rotor shaft but could take some another day when it is on the tractor. It is very well balanced and does not vibrate at all while working. The other day it did vibrate which cleared almost right away. Then I realized I had shaved off a sharp edge of a ditch while mowing on a side incline. A couple of hammers had a good load of dense mud. It cleared up right away even though not all the mud had dropped off. I got that off today because it had dried out.

As far as I can see the mower is the same as Value-Leader mower.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Thanks Jack. I weight one of the bare hammers without the bolt and it is 40 ounces or 2.25 lbs. I don't know what the bolt and nut add to that.

They are substantial mowers. I was worried my DK35SE could not handle it but it has no problem. It helps that the DK35SE has the same basic construction as the higher horsepower models. My cutting conditions from a volume/density standpoint is not that demanding and the tractor has no problem running the mower.

One other thing I like about the mower, which is perhaps common to all flail mowers?, is the over-running clutch(i.e. not the PTO shaft clutch). The rotor free-wheels when the PTO is shut off and it takes some time to wind-down. The first time it surprised me because I had turned off the PTO and quite sometime later I heard all the clanking from the fails finally falling back onto the rotor shaft.

Hi Kco,

I had this hammer, its standard weight is 1200gr/2.7lbs according to its design, but because of Chinese poor casting technology, the casting hammer is with too big weight difference. You can check more hammers on your mower, they looks same, but with quite different weight. Then this will need more weight balance on rotor shaft. So now we almost give up casting hammer. Only choose forging steel hammer. by the way, I m still thinking about higher standard forging steel hammer to control the hammer weight difference. Often check with your mower's rotor shaft, especially the weight balance block, I already had some report from my customers that their balance weight block lost after several years working.

About the gear box, we called it "free wheel gear box", "free wheel gear box" can protect your gear box and tractor, check if there is this "JCTT" logo on your gear box. JCTT used to OEM for Italy Comer gear box company, their small gear box quality is fine enough for small mowers. There are some mower factories here choose cheap version gear box, maybe other brand or produce by themselves, they are bad gear box. Be careful.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Check with your supplier if he has another bolt here to let air go out.


I change to use this bolt, after working, the oil in this tube will be hot, so it need somewhere to release the high pressure, otherwise the oil will leak from the end of this tube. This is the bolt which I m using now.
Or the bolt on your mower gear box top, a bolt can release pressure.

 

[kco]

Hi again, Jack.

The gear box is JCTT so perhaps that is not good, but then my DK35SE is only rated around 28 hp PTO. The four spare hammers I have look like they are cast and are 37.1, 36.8, 36.1 and 35.5 oz.

The top bolt on the mower is an allen key bolt and not vented. I will arrange to get a vented one similar to what you show.

I looked at the weight blocks. Both sides have about a 1" cube and the other side has an additional weight perhaps 1"x1"x1/2" directly in front of the larger one. I don't see others but will look when I have the mower on the tractor.

I see a couple of other differences from the Value-Leader. Mine does not have the small parking stand at the front, it has chains and a belt for a debris guard instead of metal plates, and it has a second guard over the lower part of the belt guard.

I will mention your comments to my dealer.

Cheers,

Ken

 

[Jack Yuan]

Hi Ken, JCTT gear box is good enough for you, you are not commercial using on your mower.

Often check those balance weight block, they may lost after several years.

By the way, my friend stock many products and parts in California Long Beach. We can talk details by PM.

 

[Jack Yuan]

And about the protection plate or chain on mower front, we see more mowers using plate than chain. My personally prefer plate than chain too. Have no ideas about comparison between them. Maybe Leonz know more.

About the extra protection guard over belt cover, it is used to protect belt cover.

 

[leonz]

And about the protection plate or chain on mower front, we see more mowers using plate than chain. My personally prefer plate than chain too. Have no ideas about comparison between them. Maybe Leonz know more.

About the extra protection guard over belt cover, it is used to protect belt cover.

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Hello Mr. Yuan,

The comparison for the hinged discharge guard plates is like night and day as chains will not stop all the material from being ejected out the front of a flail mower if such an incident were to occur.

They stopped offering them on rotary cutters here as far as I know because of the potential liability of impact damage to persons or property. offering them on flail mower is an automatic invitation to chain breakage failure and potentially having a piece of the chain hitting the operator, livestock, a pedestrian or property.

The European Unions pedestrian safety requirements for mowers mandate the hinged front plate guards be used to reduce the throwing of debris to a zero chance. They worry more about mowers injuring pedestrians than we do on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.