Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

Anyone have any experience with the John Deere 360 flail..look like it is a 5 footer and Quick hitch compatible. Made in Mexico it seems.

It is the next model number in the series after the JD25A and before the JD390

It comes the the double edge side slicers as standard equipment, 54 pairs I think.


What makes you think it was not built in Moline Illinois the United States?

 

[LouieJunior]

Okay, my New Caroni is ready to go -- except the drive shaft is 4 inches too long. I have shortened many of these before -- but thought it was odd the Caroni instructions specifically prohibit shortening the PTO shaft for some reason.

Anybody want to clue me in as to why -- before I put my hack saw to use?

BTW, Deere makes Large Combines, Planters, Wheel Loaders, Graders, Dump Trucks, and Wheeled Forestry Equipment here in Moline -- NO FLAIL MOWERS.

 

[Utopia Texas]

I just received my new Caroni last week and had to take 6 inches off both halves of the PTO shaft to get it to the proper length. Works great and I mowed 15 acres to perfection!

 

[IslandTractor]

Okay, my New Caroni is ready to go -- except the drive shaft is 4 inches too long. I have shortened many of these before -- but thought it was odd the Caroni instructions specifically prohibit shortening the PTO shaft for some reason.

Anybody want to clue me in as to why -- before I put my hack saw to use?

BTW, Deere makes Large Combines, Planters, Wheel Loaders, Graders, Dump Trucks, and Wheeled Forestry Equipment here in Moline -- NO FLAIL MOWERS.

Measure twice, cut once.

 

[powerline]

What makes you think it was not built in Moline Illinois the United States?

Cuz the 370 I looked at had a sticker on the side that said "made in Mexico"? Granted it is the next size bigger ...



25a. Appears to be way bigger than the 360 btw, i do not understand JD numbering

 

[LouieJunior]

Measure twice, cut once.

For sure - First I thought I could make it work using my quick hitch because that increases the shaft distance by 3+ inches. Didn't work -- the top link connection pin on mower was way too high. Believe me, I have measured more than twice. I have also checked my other drive shafts to see if they are the correct length.

The drive shaft has it's own manual with instructions on shortening. I'm less hesitant after seeing this and hearing from Utopia Tex.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thank you for all of your helpful answers!

I will locate the dip stick today when I get everything unpacked and inspect the gearbox. The manual says to "fill the gearbox with oil HD 80 W 90" -- but I do see a dip stick in the parts diagram further back.

One more issue for you to address sooner rather than later. The dipstick/vent cap is unfortunately in the path of spinning gears so that oil is thrown directly at the vent cap when the oil level is in the appropriate range and therefore oil burps out of the vent cap during operation creating the sort of greasy mess on the back of the motor that your mother would yell at you about. There is a simple solution which is documented several years ago in this thread. I'll link that here: Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers - Page 60 The only update I know if is that while the extensions are still available, the price as gone up a bit and unfortunately they seem to force you to buy a pair of them. You will never need more than one so my advice is to first ask a question here if anyone has an extra they want to sell and if not then get a pair and make clear here for the next guy that you'll sell them your extra for cost plus shipping.

And, be aware that when the extender is installed, the dipstick is no longer quite long enough to touch the oil when close to the fill line. I simply periodically (couple times a season) take a wrench, take off the extender, check the oil with the dipstick and then put the extender and dipstick back on. You could alternatively do some careful measurements and just make yourself an ersatz dipstick with a piece of steel that would allow you to measure without taking the extender off.

Good luck.

 

[Utopia Texas]

I wonder if Caroni changed the vent cap/dip stick in some way. I received my new 72" unit last week and mowed 15 acres and not a drop of oil came out the cap and the oil was at the proper level according to the dip stick.

 

[IslandTractor]

I wonder if Caroni changed the vent cap/dip stick in some way. I received my new 72" unit last week and mowed 15 acres and not a drop of oil came out the cap and the oil was at the proper level according to the dip stick.

Possible but this is the first suggestion of it I've heard. They certainly have been made aware of the issue over the past several years. Perhaps they installed an internal shield or something like that if the gearbox looks externally the same. I don't recall if I noticed the leakage in the first few acres I mowed but 15 acres is easily enough to warm up the oil and would clearly have burped it out on my mower. Photos of typical oily mower below.

 

[LouieJunior]

Island Tractor -

Your link takes me to the most recent post and I don't see anything about the extender on page 60. I did search for this and located your invoice from British Metrics in Maryland on another 2008 thread. Is this still the solution you recommend?

 

[IslandTractor]

Island Tractor -

Your link takes me to the most recent post and I don't see anything about the extender on page 60. I did search for this and located your invoice from British Metrics in Maryland on another 2008 thread. Is this still the solution you recommend?

Funny, the earlier link worked for me. Try this one: Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers - Page 60 (note this post #593)

Should have a couple photos of the extender installed and another of the invoice from British Metrics with the appropriate ordering info.

I do think that is the only solution at the moment UNLESS, as Utopia pointed out, Caroni has changed something internally in the gearbox to prevent the burping. Based on his recent experience I would hold off on ordering the extender and just use the mower with the appropriate level of oil. If you get oil burps just clean it with some Dawn and order the extender. If you don't get oil then apparently Caroni has changed something. Please report your finding here so we can amend the story for future purchasers of the Caroni mowers.

 

[leonz]

I can tell you the 25A my father had was built in Moline Illinois.

But that was in the early 1990's, I guess times do change.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Funny, the earlier link worked for me. Try this one: Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers - Page 60 (note this post #593)

Should have a couple photos of the extender installed and another of the invoice from British Metrics with the appropriate ordering info.

I do think that is the only solution at the moment UNLESS, as Utopia pointed out, Caroni has changed something internally in the gearbox to prevent the burping. Based on his recent experience I would hold off on ordering the extender and just use the mower with the appropriate level of oil. If you get oil burps just clean it with some Dawn and order the extender. If you don't get oil then apparently Caroni has changed something. Please report your finding here so we can amend the story for future purchasers of the Caroni mowers.

Looking up into the dip stick cap on the Caroni it appears to be engineered well. Any oil traveling up from gear movement has to travel through a central channel at the dip stick then move horizontally to some baffles where it drips back into the gear case. Air is allowed to escape through the horizontal channels by holes under the cap. I've never seen another Caroni vent cap so I have no idea if this is a new design. It is not just a plain cap with a hole. See attached pictures...

 

[DaNag]

I wonder if Caroni changed the vent cap/dip stick in some way. I received my new 72" unit last week and mowed 15 acres and not a drop of oil came out the cap and the oil was at the proper level according to the dip stick.

I've gone two seasons with heavy use on mine. Same story. Not a drip, dry as a bone. Haven't needed to add any oil since the initial fill.

My cap/dipstick looks like the one posted above as well - can't see how it would leak. Perhaps it's been updated.

 

[AaronS]

Well shoot, I missed out on what looked like a good deal yesterday. A 6 foot Mott sold for $125 on Auctiontime.com. It looked like it may have needed new blades, paint, and other tlc, but still seemed like a great deal. The biggest problem is that the website wanted bank info to create an account, and I wasn't going to do that. We prefer to pay cash when we buy.

 

[Hill Billy Bob]

I've gone two seasons with heavy use on mine. Same story. Not a drip, dry as a bone. Haven't needed to add any oil since the initial fill.

My cap/dipstick looks like the one posted above as well - can't see how it would leak. Perhaps it's been updated.

I don't think there has been any updated cap/dipstick released. Bought my TM1900 August 2013, and it seeps out at that location. Mower arrived with gear box overfilled, drained it before running it, measured 32oz. Refilled with 16oz of new oil (full mark on stick)....maybe I should add another pint, maybe oil at a higher level would cut down on the splashing or slinging effect...HB Bob

 

[jamtuc]

OK I need some help. I just purchased an OLD JD flail mower. I need knives and a belt. It has the cup type knives. The belt is old it may still work for a while but thought I would replace it. It needs some work but I will be useing it for rough cutting and pasture. Where can I find any information on the mower? I cannot find ANY data plate or numbers. maybe I just don't know where to look. I have skimmed through some of this thread but didn't see anything I could use to ID the beast. Thanks for your help.

 

[IslandTractor]

OK I need some help. I just purchased an OLD JD flail mower. I need knives and a belt. It has the cup type knives. The belt is old it may still work for a while but thought I would replace it. It needs some work but I will be useing it for rough cutting and pasture. Where can I find any information on the mower? I cannot find ANY data plate or numbers. maybe I just don't know where to look. I have skimmed through some of this thread but didn't see anything I could use to ID the beast. Thanks for your help.

If Leonz doesn't reply, send him a PM. He is our resident flail guru.

 

[JD40MO77]

Just ordered new knives from hardhitter and flailmaster plus new belt, hanger hard ware, bolts, and nuts for my 25a. Trying to sort out rotor bearing and order a pair also.

 

[sloooow]

Regarding the sloppy oil problem:

If you want to give the British Metrics extender a try, pm me for the extra one I got (since they come as pairs). I think it cost about 10-12 bucks plus shipping.