Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[hunt4570]

I enjoy mowing as well, although it gets old after 30 acres or so...

Yeah, I have maybe an acre- acre and a half I do with the little rider, and 2-3 hours at most usually with the Kubota and a flail, a couple fields and a bunch of paths and roads around the place. My larger field a guy down the road hays, so he pays me to mow it!!

 

[John0829]

My larger field a guy down the road hays, so he pays me to mow it!!

Now that's the way to do it!

 

[troverman]

...I'm not sure a Z turn would be much faster than my garden tractor because there is no way I could mow at speed.

You'd be surprised...it's not the speed so much as the time spent turning around. I was mowing a 5 acre commercial property with a Simplicity Legacy XL riding mower, 60" deck, hydraulic decklift, electric cut height adjustment, power steering, 25-horse Kohler V-twin. This thing was like the Cadillac of riding mowers. However, I saved an hour and a half with the zero turn...and it is only a 52" at that. With the rider, you get to the end of a row and make a 3 point turn...every time. With the zero turn, you just pivot and you're on your way.

 

[hunt4570]

So I've been reading about belts, and the way these flails are adjusted as far as the skids to roller are adjusted, and belts are adjusted.
Getting ready to put belts on my Caroni TM1900 so I pulled out the little manual I got with it and it stated how to adjust for correct "stretch" on the belts, but it does not anywhere state what that correct stretch (deflection?) is!! so I wonder what the correct adjustment is...
Also referring to the skids location, the manual states to have the skids and the roller at the same height. The discussion here a couple pages ago people were saying to have the roller lower than the skids, apparently that is not the case, at least according to my Caroni manual.

 

[Lnk]

So I've been reading about belts, and the way these flails are adjusted as far as the skids to roller are adjusted, and belts are adjusted.
Getting ready to put belts on my Caroni TM1900 so I pulled out the little manual I got with it and it stated how to adjust for correct "stretch" on the belts, but it does not anywhere state what that correct stretch (deflection?) is!! so I wonder what the correct adjustment is...
Also referring to the skids location, the manual states to have the skids and the roller at the same height. The discussion here a couple pages ago people were saying to have the roller lower than the skids, apparently that is not the case, at least according to my Caroni manual.

Set your skids as high as you can, they are there to protect the rotor from hitting the ground. That is all. They do nothing else. I would set them 1" below the rotor or so. They should not dig, scuff, slide. If the mower was laying on the ground, it would keep the rotor off the floor. Don't overthink this.

 

[troverman]

The belt should have a little deflection in it, but not a lot. I would say if you press with your fingers in the center of the belt travel, 3/4" to an inch or so of deflection. If you over-tighten, it stresses the bearings on the pulley shafts, and doesn't allow slip as easily when your mower contacts a hard object. The "belt" is essentially your shear bolt / slip clutch and protects the gearbox. Under-tighten and the belt will slip in heavy grass, causing poor performance and generating a lot of heat on the belt and causing early belt failure.

Some flails have an automatic spring tensioner, others have a manual tensioner. Some use multiple v-belts; others use banded belts. Properly adjusted, belts should last a long time. Keep in mind, new belts will stretch. I'd set the tension on a new belt, then run for 5 hours or so and adjust the tension again, then maybe again in another 5 hours and it should be good for a while.

 

[hunt4570]

The belt should have a little deflection in it, but not a lot. I would say if you press with your fingers in the center of the belt travel, 3/4" to an inch or so of deflection. If you over-tighten, it stresses the bearings on the pulley shafts, and doesn't allow slip as easily when your mower contacts a hard object. The "belt" is essentially your shear bolt / slip clutch and protects the gearbox. Under-tighten and the belt will slip in heavy grass, causing poor performance and generating a lot of heat on the belt and causing early belt failure.

Some flails have an automatic spring tensioner, others have a manual tensioner. Some use multiple v-belts; others use banded belts. Properly adjusted, belts should last a long time. Keep in mind, new belts will stretch. I'd set the tension on a new belt, then run for 5 hours or so and adjust the tension again, then maybe again in another 5 hours and it should be good for a while.

Thanks, I adjusted deflection at between 1/2-3/4...
My Mower is a Caroni, it has 3 v belts and the adjuster has an adjustable threaded rod attached to a spring then to the "idler pully" that tensions all three belts at once. so maybe "semi-automatic"?

So, as far as my skid/roller setup, setting it down on a concrete floor it seems it can be 1/2 inch high or low of the roller. It was at 1/2 inch lower so I moved it up to the next position which puts it at 1/2 inch higher than the roller.

Heading out to give it a try..

 

[troverman]

Yeah, that adjustment is how my Vrismo is, although the Titan mower I have is the more archaic full manual adjuster.

As for the roller and skids...if your tractor and flail is parked on a flat surface, the skids should be parallel to the ground with the mower setting on the roller. If the skids aren't parallel, adjust the top link until they are. Then lower them or raise them as you see fit. They are for the purpose of protecting the drum and knives.

 

[hunt4570]

Well rats!! What have I done now??

So I went mowing a little bit and it seemed like it had a new squeal so I came back and readjusted the belts a little looser. When I started it back up and engaged the PTO it made a big racket so I quick shut it down. New belts look fine, I disconnected the PTO shaft and it seems to be locked up, tried turning over with the belt pully by hand and it wont budge!
I'm pretty religious about greasing it all the time, and the gearbox is up to the line...

Whatcha think , and where do I go first?

I'm thinking taking the belts off and that should narrow it down to the rotor or the drive, yes?

 

[Lnk]

Well rats!! What have I done now??

So I went mowing a little bit and it seemed like it had a new squeal so I came back and readjusted the belts a little looser. When I started it back up and engaged the PTO it made a big racket so I quick shut it down. New belts look fine, I disconnected the PTO shaft and it seems to be locked up, tried turning over with the belt pully by hand and it wont budge!
I'm pretty religious about greasing it all the time, and the gearbox is up to the line...

Whatcha think , and where do I go first?

I'm thinking taking the belts off and that should narrow it down to the rotor or the drive, yes?

Yes, that will determine what is locked up. Make sure when you raised the skids the bolt isn't hitting the drum or debris cutter on the inside of the side panel. I don't have a caroni, but undo what you recently did. I bet it is there.