Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

milesvdustin · May 8, 2021

How much does it weigh? I have a kioti ck4010hst asking price under a grand

leonz · May 8, 2021

I am not sure of its weight; can you bring the kioti to the mower?

The flail mower is carried by the rear wheels as it has no rear roller so keep that in mind as
you do not have to raise it very high to transport it.

milesvdustin · May 8, 2021

I cannot bring the tractor to the mower

leonz · May 8, 2021

It should be well under 1,000 pounds so I do not think you will have any issues with it for mowing other than becoming more familiar with it while mowing slowly at first.
Replacement parts like knives, knife hangers and V belts are still available for it from various sellers including Montage and Flail Master.

Fallon · May 9, 2021

Racenut said:
I'm looking at flail mowers. My tractor is 66 inches wide, but only 28hp at the PTO, so a bit underpowered to run a flail wider than the tracks. I was looking at hydraulic adjustable offset so I could push it out past the wheels on one side for edges, fence line and around trees and stuff. This vs just having a fixed position that's maybe not centered but sticks out on one side a bit. I guess I'm asking those that have hydraulic offsets how often do you actually need it? Or those that don't, how often do you wish you did?

I ran a 7' 917 behind my L3200 ok. 32hp, 25pto, 60" track. It would lift it & spin it OK. I just couldn't go fast.

I've since upgraded to a Peruzzo Brush Bull & L4060. Both mowers are heavy for the machines they were on. I just have to go slower. I prefer wide & slow to going faster though. Smoother ride for me & the machine.

The Peruzzo has hydraulic side shift. I use it a fair bit, especially to kick the mower out into rough brush I don't want to drive through. The 917 was fixed offset so I could do that as well, only much tinyer passes. I use it for getting really close to fences too. Fixed offset you have to stay a bit further away so you don't get jammed in with a mower that catches a post. Not a big deal.

Hydraulic offset is definitely nice to have, but not required. Especially if you are mowing established fields. It is another thing to hook up & maintain. My side shift does occasionally get jammed up with clippings & dust. Have to clean it out with a stick & that takes a few minutes.

DeerPark5 · May 9, 2021

I'm looking at flails too. How large of a unit can a JD2032r handle. <60"? There don't seem to many "small" flails out there.

leonz · May 9, 2021

Hello DeerPark5,

There are many small flail mowers available and on the market today so you can look at 48-60 inch flail mowers.

Per tractordata specifications the 2032r can lift a maximum of 1432 pounds with the three point hitch.
The idea being you need to have the front suitcase weights for stability when using a flail mower of any size.

With the rear PTO operating at 540 RPM engine speed you need to keep in mind that the mule having hydrostatic drive is going to suck up engine torque and a 5 foot rear mount flail mower is all your really going to want to handle.

If the 2032R is what you want you need to plan on investing in a loader on the tractor as it will be harder to trade or sell it in if and when the time comes or you wish to trade up.

TheFarmerInAdell · May 10, 2021

Racenut said:
I'm looking at flail mowers. My tractor is 66 inches wide, but only 28hp at the PTO, so a bit underpowered to run a flail wider than the tracks. I was looking at hydraulic adjustable offset so I could push it out past the wheels on one side for edges, fence line and around trees and stuff. This vs just having a fixed position that's maybe not centered but sticks out on one side a bit. I guess I'm asking those that have hydraulic offsets how often do you actually need it? Or those that don't, how often do you wish you did?

I have an 88" with a 72" tractor width. I wish I had a side-shift. It would be nice when I mow the ditch I wouldn't have to go as far in and risk getting stuck (the ditch holds water so it's always soupy at the bottom). It would also be very nice when mowing a line of trees; I could just shift in and out while driving a straight line instead of weaving and backing up to the tree to mow or going from different angles. Or if I misjudged distance and instead of backing up or turning I could just shimmy it over and continue on. If you can afford the side-shift it will be worth the investment, especially if you cannot get a mower as wide as your tractor.

milesvdustin said:
What flail would this be? It's a 6 foot cut and has trailing wheels behind?

This would be an Alamo SHD74. These units are still being made by Alamo. The wheels came as a factory option, but it looks like someone thought the mounts weren't strong enough and welded their own bracing on to them. Alamo makes very good mowers. A good portion of municipality mowers are Alamo SHD series. It is well worth the price. If you would like to switch back to a roller instead of the wheels you can purchase all the parts necessary to do so.

milesvdustin said:
How much does it weigh? I have a kioti ck4010hst asking price under a grand

Weight is listed at 930lbs.

Fallon · May 10, 2021

DeerPark5 said:
I'm looking at flails too. How large of a unit can a JD2032r handle. QUOTE]Specs seem about the same as my old Kubota L3200. TractorData.com John Deere 2032R tractor information The flail was 2' wider than the tractor. Not sure what a 7' 917 weighed, probably around 1k lbs.

You can go wide as long as your machine can lift it. To account for a lack of power you just go slow. Really easy with a HST. Just push the go pedal until the RPMs drop a a little bit & adjust the pedal to keep it matched to varying conditions. With a gear machine you just have to pick a gear that doesn't bog the engine.