Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Fallon]

Anyone know of a supplier for knives and belts for a Ford 917???

Flailmaster in TN is closed for Covid and I can't seem to reach them

They were entering bankruptcy or shutting down at one point. But they seemed to be recovering somewhat not to long ago. Who knows how COVID may have derailed that or not.

Messicks had some bearing for my 917 & may have blades.

 

[thoner7]

Another question..... How often do you guys need to replace blades or hangers on your flails? Not because they are full, but because they've broken off and are missing????

For example, I have 7 missing from mowing maybe 4 acres yesterday. This to me seems like an incredibly high number to lose.

 

[leonz]

Another question..... How often do you guys need to replace blades or hangers on your flails? Not because they are full, but because they've broken off and are missing????

For example, I have 7 missing from mowing maybe 4 acres yesterday. This to me seems like an incredibly high number to lose.

==========================================================================================================


If you have 7 broken side slicer knives you need to raise your mowing height meaning lower the rear roller one position AND make doubly sure the mower is level from front to back using a torpedo level on the gearbox if it is a flat top gearbox-if not the front cross member under the gearbox.

You cannot run the flail mower the way it is now.

 

[jthibodeau89]

Well, I can't see the knives from here so it's hard to tell which way they're suppose to rotate. :confused2: You also didn't say which way it's rotating now.

Mine uses the "folded spoon" style knives. When the knives are hanging down, the cutting edges face the front. This is because mine rotates back to front.

View attachment 665398

Both my JD25A and JD390 rotate in same direction as tractor motion. (Opposite of image)

 

[thoner7]

==========================================================================================================


If you have 7 broken side slicer knives you need to raise your mowing height meaning lower the rear roller one position AND make doubly sure the mower is level from front to back using a torpedo level on the gearbox if it is a flat top gearbox-if not the front cross member under the gearbox.

You cannot run the flail mower the way it is now.

I already did raise it. I do bottom out here and there due to changes in terrain, but there's nothing I can do about that really. And yes it's level.

So how many do you lose when. You mow?

 

[Rebeldad1]

Had mine for a couple months. Havnt lost any and dont see that happening often either.
If you lost them..... the connection to the mower has failed.
If you broke them then you need to raise the mower up.

Havnt looked but believe it rotates counter clockwise to the wheels of the tractor. Just like a rototiller.

 

[leonz]

I have never broken any side slicer knives in 40 years of use. Even on the rental unit I used in 1976.
I still have the same set of new and sharpened side slicer knives mounted on the mower that I sharpened in 1992.
If you have time could you upload some images of your mower mounted on the tractor as I would like to look at everything as something is wrong somewhere.

The only other suggestion I have is to raise it another position after you obtain the replacement side slicer knives.

 

[Fallon]

I lost 7ish side slicers over a few years on my old beat to **** 917. All related to hidden well heads or football sized rocks. A couple were still attached but to mangled to keep using. None went MIA without good reason.

 

[thoner7]

I have never broken any side slicer knives in 40 years of use. Even on the rental unit I used in 1976.
I still have the same set of new and sharpened side slicer knives mounted on the mower that I sharpened in 1992.
If you have time could you upload some images of your mower mounted on the tractor as I would like to look at everything as something is wrong somewhere.

The only other suggestion I have is to raise it another position after you obtain the replacement side slicer knives.

Dropbox - flails - Simplify your life

Here are some pictures. I have the roller on the highest setting. You can't see the bubble on the belt guard but, it's set to be level.

The problem is my property is quite hilly with abrupt changes in grade, so I scalp the ground all the time, and there's no way to really avoid doing that. I included some pictures of that too.

You guys must be mowing football fields

 

[leonz]

The only thing I can think of as to the cause of this is that the three point hitch is sinking on you while you are mowing.

Do you lock the hydraulic valve or draft control stop on the draft control to hold the lower links in position?

If you do lock the draft control in place and it is doing this the hydraulic system in the transmission is leaking off.