Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[IslandTractor]

Without upsetting the boat here , there a few limitations a flail mower has . As i make my living with these things i know what they are .......A flail will not mow in reverse , not only are you traveling in the same direction as the flails but also the rear roller holds the material down while the cutters miss it . .

I appreciate your points and know you have more experience with flails but find my experience is different. I cut both going forwards and in reverse. I have backed into bushes and left nothing but chips behind. I also sometimes back into tall grass or brush and seem to get a good cut (I would acknowledge that when I back into something I usually then pull forward to get out so am cutting twice but I can see that I've already cut the material). I also find that my flail cuts similarly to my bush hog with regard to lifting it up and backing it into a bush. It does begin to cut but to finish the cut I need to lower the flail onto the ground just like with a bush hog.

I completely understand your basic point that a flail is designed to most efficiently cut when on it's roller and when moving forwards which is how one would normally cut grass/pasture. Do you never use your flail to back into brush?

 

[Eagleview]

I was only telling of my experiences and was not questioning your opinions . Yes i do back into Brush like Lantana and Wild tobbaco etc but my flails will not cut it as the roller holds it down and even though my mowers weigh 700kg's the brush can keep them aloft . I tried one with the roller removed and self made side skids with some success but as mine are 2.5metres wide it would scalp the ground if i hit a high spot and so i have refitted the roller . Its not a huge problem , you just need to make smaller rearward advances before going forward again , if you dont the rough ends of the brush get up into the belly of the tractor and pull off wires and sometimes pierce soft hoses .

 

[IslandTractor]

I'll look more closely the next time I back into brush to see how much of the cut is done while backing and how much when pulling forward again. Maybe I'll even remember to bring my camera and grab a few shots.

Another possible explanation: you are in Oz. Everything is upside down/backwards there right?

 

[Mike5252]

Congrats;
I mentioned the "shipping included" pricing of $19xx.xx for the 1900 to anywhere in the lower contiguous wherever. I think someone else got one by calling one of their retail stores and getting ACTUAL shipping charges.
Did you have to pay extra for a tailgate lift delivery ?
To a residential or business address ?
Enquiring minds, etc.

My pricing included lift gate delivery to a residence.

 

[davitk]

I just got off the phone with Agri Supply, they have a 73" Coroni flail with 53 blades (hammers?), item #30837 delivered by truck with a lift gate (to Wisconsin) priced at 1,947.95. Price seems too good to be true considering my local dealer offers a Landpride 72" RCR1872 rotary mower at 1,595.00 + tax. Same dealer has a NH 60" flail for 2,600.00 or a NH 71" flail for 4,100.00.

I just priced out a Deere 72" flail for 4,025.00 and a Rhino 74" for about 5,000.00 (list is at 5,600.00). That Coroni is looking better all the time!

 

[Eagleview]

I'll look more closely the next time I back into brush to see how much of the cut is done while backing and how much when pulling forward again. Maybe I'll even remember to bring my camera and grab a few shots.

Another possible explanation: you are in Oz. Everything is upside down/backwards there right?

That must be why i keep pouring my glass of milk up my nose , i always wondered .

 

[davitk]

I have a few questions for those who own the Coroni TM1900 that Agri Supply couldn't answer and I was unable to locate on the Coroni website. Forgive me if these questions have already been answered:

1) What is the outside to outside width dimension, they can tell me cutting width is 73", but nothing else. It matters to me because of a narrow barn door.

2) What is the cutting height range, achieved by adjusting the rear roller?

3) What (how much) is the offset, and is the non-offset position exactly centered on the mower?

4) AS website lists the skids as optional, seems to me they would be essential. Do they come with the mower or are they purchased in addition to the mower?



Thanks for the help!

Just a FYI for those considering the TM1900, Agri Supply only has a few mowers in stock, one in each branch store with a new shipment expected from Italy mid-April which will replenish stock in the warehouse. My guess is the mowers in the stores have been sitting in the weather (I garage all my stuff, new should be new IMHO); I plan to wait. Of course, price will likely go up

 

[flINTLOCK]

How does a flail like hitting hidden rocks??

 

[Reg]

How does a flail like hitting hidden rocks??

Fine, as long as they stay hidden (-:

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Caroni and Agri Supply should love this thread. I for one will probably buy one in a month or so. It sounds like others are in the same frame of mind. The buyer at Agri Supply will probably scratch his head in a few months and wonder why he can't keep Caroni flails in stock. TBN has probably put more than a few $'s in Markham Welding owners pocket. The owner of Caroni is probably going to reap some benefits as well.

 

[greg_g]

Caroni and Agri Supply should love this thread.

Concur. But unfortunately it doesn't do me any good. If I was to replace my seven foot finish mower and six foot bush hog with a medium duty Caroni flail, I'd want nothing less than a seven footer.
//greg//

 

[Larry-On-The-Hilltop]

Doesn't anyone on here like the Alamo flails? They're expensive, but you can mow practically anything with them. I've found that my 88" Alamo does equally well mowing pasture, trees under 1.5" diameter, and finish mowing. Neither the shaft clutch nor belts have ever slipped, either With heavier patches on the lawn, the 57hp tractor runs right through it all without the RPMs dropping perceptibly.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have a few questions for those who own the Coroni TM1900 that Agri Supply couldn't answer and I was unable to locate on the Coroni website. Forgive me if these questions have already been answered:

1) What is the outside to outside width dimension, they can tell me cutting width is 73", but nothing else. It matters to me because of a narrow barn door.

2) What is the cutting height range, achieved by adjusting the rear roller?

3) What (how much) is the offset, and is the non-offset position exactly centered on the mower?

4) AS website lists the skids as optional, seems to me they would be essential. Do they come with the mower or are they purchased in addition to the mower?

sounds like you got a relatively inexperienced sales person from AgriSupply. Even though the Caroni brochure talks about the skids being optional, they come standard on the ones from AgriSupply. No extra cost. Look closely at the photos I posted and you will see them. They stick out about 2 inches.

Measurements: Mower itself is 75 inches. Skid to skid is outside measurement is 79 inches. The mower would require 79+ inch wide door way. Distance from center of top link to edge of mower (not skids) is 28 inches to the left and 47 inches with offset to right (facing front). It can be adjusted so it goes even further to the right but cannot be adjusted to be symmetrically midline.

I have six adjustment holes for my roller. Each is 3/4-7/8 of an inch center to center. I'd guess the adjustment is about one inch to 5 inches with the roller on the ground. I often cut brush with the roller off the ground and it doesn't cause any problems. I'm sure you'd want the roller down however for a lawn or nice pastureland.

 

[Reg]

I have a few questions for those who own the Coroni TM1900 that Agri Supply couldn't answer and I was unable to locate on the Coroni website. Forgive me if these questions have already been answered:

1) What is the outside to outside width dimension, they can tell me cutting width is 73", but nothing else. It matters to me because of a narrow barn door.

2) What is the cutting height range, achieved by adjusting the rear roller?

3) What (how much) is the offset, and is the non-offset position exactly centered on the mower?

4) AS website lists the skids as optional, seems to me they would be essential. Do they come with the mower or are they purchased in addition to the mower?



Thanks for the help!

Just a FYI for those considering the TM1900, Agri Supply only has a few mowers in stock, one in each branch store with a new shipment expected from Italy mid-April which will replenish stock in the warehouse. My guess is the mowers in the stores have been sitting in the weather (I garage all my stuff, new should be new IMHO); I plan to wait. Of course, price will likely go up

1) From an e-mail exchange with agri supply last year.
Overall width is 6ft 9in. length 3ft 1in. I had asked becasue I was hoping to pick one up on the way through and would have fitted it into a horse trailer tack room.

3) From other private messages with another TBN poster - it is not possible to center the mower behind the tractor, though I forget what the minimum offset is - I think that is either on the Caroni web site or in the specs that are part of the assembly instructions section of the owners manual. I've seen it somewhere and I still havn't bought one, so it must be freely available info.
For me it doesn't matter, but it would add to the narrow doorway issue.

 

[davitk]

Measurements: Mower itself is 75 inches. Skid to skid is outside measurement is 79 inches. The mower would require 79+ inch wide door way. Distance from center of top link to edge of mower (not skids) is 28 inches to the left and 47 inches with offset to right (facing front). It can be adjusted so it goes even further to the right but cannot be adjusted to be symmetrically midline.

3) From other private messages with another TBN poster - it is not possible to center the mower behind the tractor, though I forget what the minimum offset is - I think that is either on the Caroni web site or in the specs that are part of the assembly instructions section of the owners manual.

Thanks, IslandTractor and Reg. That would be approximately a 9" offset? If the mower is 79", 1/2 of that is 39 1/2", add the 9" offset = 48 1/2". Add 1/2 of my tractors rear track width (70") 35" + 48 1/2" = 83 1/2" total width no go into the barn. Good to know ahead of time

For some reason this is the first I picked up that the flail could not be centered; I must be a bit slow.

 

[Reg]

Thanks, IslandTractor and Reg. That would be approximately a 9" offset? If the mower is 79", 1/2 of that is 39 1/2", add the 9" offset = 48 1/2". Add 1/2 of my tractors rear track width (70") 35" + 48 1/2" = 83 1/2" total width no go into the barn. Good to know ahead of time

For some reason this is the first I picked up that the flail could not be centered; I must be a bit slow.

28 to the left, 47 to the right == 75 left to right.
1/2 way (center) would be 37 1/2 from each end.
So it is off-center by either 47 - 37 1/2
or 37 1/2 - 28
Ummm, 9 1/2 either way, so this arithmetic is at least consistent.

Add the 47 to half your tractor's width for worst case opening requirement
- plus a bit for windage.

My tractor would have it hanging out the side when on the trailer, but I think it would be within the wheel and fender width, should be OK.
Certainly under 102 overall.

 

[IslandTractor]

Measurements: Mower itself is 75 inches. Skid to skid is outside measurement is 79 inches. The mower would require 79+ inch wide door way.

I forgot to mention that there is a bulge on the left side caused by the drive belt cover. For shipping purposes the mower is probably about 81 inches but because of the offset and because the left side of the mower is within the wheelbase of the tractor, that is not relevant for getting through doors.

I don't know if you could adjust your 3pt hitch to minimize the overhang on the right. My tractor has outside rear wheel width/track of 70 inches and I'd guess the mower is offset by more than 9", more like 12-13" in my case.

I don't have an issue as my barn doors open pretty wide but I wonder if backing in at an angle to get the mower overhang in first might make garaging possible in a tight squeeze.

 

[Reg]

I forgot to mention that there is a bulge on the left side caused by the drive belt cover. For shipping purposes the mower is probably about 81 inches but because of the offset and because the left side of the mower is within the wheelbase of the tractor, that is not relevant for getting through doors.

I don't know if you could adjust your 3pt hitch to minimize the overhang on the right. My tractor has outside rear wheel width/track of 70 inches and I'd guess the mower is offset by more than 9", more like 12-13" in my case.

I don't have an issue as my barn doors open pretty wide but I wonder if backing in at an angle to get the mower overhang in first might make garaging possible in a tight squeeze.

Interesting thought...
On a dirt floor, maybe bring it in tight to the right hand side and hit the right brake just before the mower hits the jamb ?
If that works figure a strategy for getting it out again - like back the overhanging mower out on the slant and then hitting a steering brake to spin the tractor ?

 

[greg_g]

On a dirt floor, maybe bring it in tight to the right hand side and hit the right brake just before the mower hits the jamb ? If that works figure a strategy for getting it out again - like back the overhanging mower out on the slant and then hitting a steering brake to spin the tractor ?

Sounds complicated. It be easier just to weld on another set of implement lift pin brackets that would simply center the mower. It's a trade off; the offset tthat mows up close, for the ability to get through a door.

//greg//

 

[IslandTractor]

Sounds complicated. It be easier just to weld on another set of implement lift pin brackets that would simply center the mower. It's a trade off; the offset tthat mows up close, for the ability to get through a door.

//greg//

Sounds logical but be careful of the gearbox location. It is already set up so that the gearbox normally is off center (look closely at some of the photos I posted). This is so that when you extend the mower further to the right that the PTO can still reach. If you tried to move the mower further to the left than it is already you'd have to insure that the angle between tractor PTO and gearbox is acceptable.