I have been reading through this all along and after researching the various brands and models mentioned I have noticed a variance in the number of knives/hammers for any given width. Usually more knives and less number of hammers for the same model depending on the option. How many should there be at a minimum say for a 150 or 160 model in any given brand? Also if I get a unit that has more knives than hammers, is there anything that would prevent me from hanging hammers later. It appear te more station there are the better the cut, or am I missing something?
Trying to be a sponge here in choosing the right ditch bank mower (verge mower) for my needs. It appears for my tractor the biggest I can handle is a 160 model. The units I am looking at swing out on a arm and the head pivots to mow over and down a ditch bank. Thanks for any help/recommendations.
Keith
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Hello Keith,
What do you mean by a 150/160 model????? is this inches in cutting width or knife count?????????? Are you "in ditch mowing???? are you going to add liquid ballast, front weights and wheel weights to to road side wheels to help in balance and stability to counter the gravitational forces created by rear mounted boom mower?????????
Do not forget the far end of that flail mower is going to determine whether you stay upright or roll over.
The basic answer is whether you want a finish flail mower, brush flail mower or a vineyard and orchard flail mower for heavy prunings/thick stemmed brush cutting and grass. That is all there is to that question as you are looking at three/four types of Flail Mower Rotors with the finish flail mowers having the highest knife count, the Brush and and Vineyard and Orchard flail Mowers are in a tie for second place.
Before you even think about messing with chainging knifes on the mounting stations you have to know whether a duck foot/scoop knife can be interchanged with side slicers period. Cast hammer flail knives used in vineyard and orchard service can be used for lawn mowing but its a little rougher cut and if you would be happy with that great
invest in Land Pride Flail Mower which is a Maschio Flail Orchard and Vineyard Shredder under Land Pride Paint.
I just hope that Kubota does not throw these excellent flail mowers to the curb as they are designed and built very well as dual purpose flail mowers. These flail mower/ orchard and vineyard shredders also have a trash door that opens and locks in place and allows them to work in heavy brush without clogging.
As long as the Mule has a 20 plus higher horsepower in its frame size greater than the required horsepower of the finish flail mower.
In my fathers case;
He first used his 36 inch towed motorized lawn Genie Pick Up Mower with an 8 HP Briggs to create a mile long jogging path for my mother in the heavy brush in the pasture that he he used his Ford Jubilee to Mow 12 to 15 foot golden rod down to clear and reclaim the old pasture with JD 25A finish flail mower with a 7 foot cut SO>>>>........
go through the flail mower thread and come back and ask more questions go back to the thread and read some more and then ask more questions and then decide whether "a specific type of flail mower is best for you.
A finish flail mower with heat treated knives is a good dual purpose flail mower as long as you have more power 20 HP PLUS
A brush flail mower will mow brush and good sod with an acceptable finish
A dual purpose flail mower with formed hardened scoop knives will be unable to recut grass and brush
A "CAST HAMMER" hammer knife is a very good flail mower for brush and sod mowing but the finish will be rough
You have to decide what you can afford, what you can invest in and the finish you want for the brush or sod.
Do not expect to invest in a wide flail mower/shredder and use your current mule unless you want to crawl at your first mowing and mow at half cuts to have a 1-2 inch cut(providing it can lift it).
Look the Land Pride Flail Mower Shredders as they are an excellent dual purpose flail mower first then the Caroni scoop knive flail mowers and then look at the finish flail mowers with three rows of knives and then the finish flail mowers with four rows of knives.
I cant help you until you know what you can afford what type of finish you want and whether you want a dual purpose mower as flail mowers as currently available here in the United States are not a fits all flail mower.
If you don't have adequate power/frame size/low center of gravity/liquid ballast/wheel weights/front weights the point is moot.
