Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[nova3930]

If you do this the flail mower rotor will become unbalanced. The best thing to do is simply
remove the opposite knife mounting station if you do not have the identical knife to replace it
and raise the cutting height of your beautiful flail mower.

I'm talking about replacing all the blades, not just the mangled ones....long as you're using the same blades at every station balance shouldn't be an issue I'd think...

 

[ross0201]

I know I've seen this talked about on this forum, but I can't find it now.

I would like to be able to trim trees back from paths and shooting lanes. Do people have much luck running a flail mower vertically? I like flail mower and have an old Rhino RF60 which works well for me. I would be interested in a 72" mower but I'm not sure how to size these for stability running vertically. Tractor is a John Deere 4600 (35 hp, 3,450 lb plus FEL). I'm open to filling tires to add weight.

Open to other suggestions too (sickle bar?)

 

[LouNY]

My flail mowers can mow in the vertical position,
one of them is a 78" and it bounces a 10,000 tractor around,
the other is a 48" boom arm mower and it also is the maximum mower I'd want on my tractor.

I wouldn't recommend these types for a tractor your size.
They do make sickle bar mowers that will trim smaller sized brush and limbs.
FH-BRM Boom Sickle Hedge Cutter | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service:

 

[dieselscout80]

My flail mowers can mow in the vertical position,
one of them is a 78" and it bounces a 10,000 tractor around,
the other is a 48" boom arm mower and it also is the maximum mower I'd want on my tractor.

View attachment 813120

View attachment 813121

I wouldn't recommend these types for a tractor your size.
They do make sickle bar mowers that will trim smaller sized brush and limbs.
FH-BRM Boom Sickle Hedge Cutter | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service:

View attachment 813123

LouNY, if one didn’t run a 78” ditch bank flail vertically could it be run on a 4800 pound tract with 39 PTO HP?

 

[LouNY]

LouNY, if one didn’t run a 78” ditch bank flail vertically could it be run on a 4800 pound tract with 39 PTO HP?

I think to 78" would be just to much weight when swung out to the side. While directly behing or just a sliver offset you'd likely be alright. But any offset is going to really load the heavy side axle and hub.
The HP needs would be directly related to how heavy of a material being cut and how fast you want to go.
A 48" is going to be under 1000 pounds and would likely be much more manageable.

 

[ross0201]

My flail mowers can mow in the vertical position,
one of them is a 78" and it bounces a 10,000 tractor around,
the other is a 48" boom arm mower and it also is the maximum mower I'd want on my tractor.

View attachment 813120

View attachment 813121

I wouldn't recommend these types for a tractor your size.
They do make sickle bar mowers that will trim smaller sized brush and limbs.
FH-BRM Boom Sickle Hedge Cutter | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service:

View attachment 813123

Thanks for the advice! What does that 78" weigh? There's a Del Morino Centurion Super line that are all under 1,000 lbs.

That sickle is interesting, looked a little fussy in their video, but I'll think on it a little.

 

[LouNY]

Thanks for the advice! What does that 78" weigh? There's a Del Morino Centurion Super line that are all under 1,000 lbs.

That sickle is interesting, looked a little fussy in their video, but I'll think on it a little.

Around 1800-2000 pounds as I recall.

 

[workinonit]

My 10' Maschio weighs almost 2100 pounds.

 

[Fallon]

My Peruzzo 7.2" is 1,500lbs. My L4060hstc is probably under 5,000lbs with loader & loaded rears. If I side shift it over. It torque my machine pretty good. That's just side shift with only 1/3 or so of the flail hanging out to the side. Not even an offset one like the other guys are talking about.

I'd look at an old sickle that can run vertical for your use case. A sickle also slices cleanly. A flail is pretty safe on the ground, but raise it up in the air & the spinning hammers or knives is going to have the ability to throw debris around a lot.

 

[ross0201]

My Peruzzo 7.2" is 1,500lbs. My L4060hstc is probably under 5,000lbs with loader & loaded rears. If I side shift it over. It torque my machine pretty good. That's just side shift with only 1/3 or so of the flail hanging out to the side. Not even an offset one like the other guys are talking about.

I'd look at an old sickle that can run vertical for your use case. A sickle also slices cleanly. A flail is pretty safe on the ground, but raise it up in the air & the spinning hammers or knives is going to have the ability to throw debris around a lot.

Thanks, you have the most directly comparable tractor to me, I would be around 4,500 lb with beet juice in the tires plus whatever a FEL weighs. You would still feel unstable in your rig with an 800 lb mower?