Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[GinNB]

I've got a couple of flail mowers where "land plane" cutting height is recommended by the factory. They do a phenomenal job on land just levelled with an excavator and tend to shave off the tops of undisturbed knolls a bit and deposit the dirt in the low sections. They'll even shave off moss so low no chemicals are required for control. They're not terribly cheap and maintenance costs are pretty high though.

 

[TomOnTractorByNet]

I have a Chinese flail mower from around 2008-2012. I think it was known as a Town sunny FL-150.

My drive belt side bearing seized onto the shaft over last winter. In the course of its removal, I broke the cast iron hearing flange/housing and am finding it impossible to find a replacement here in Ireland.

The bearing fits the 40mm rotor shaft and is 80mm o.d., housed in a 4-holed circular cast-iron housing that's 150mm in dia.

Does anyone have any information on a possible reference / part number that I could use to source a replacement?

T.I.A.

 

[CADplans]

In the course of its removal, I broke the cast iron hearing flange/housing and am finding it impossible to find a replacement here in Ireland.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Does anyone have any information on a possible reference / part number that I could use to source a replacement?

T.I.A.

A guy that has done it before could fix that broken casting by brazing.
An oxygen/acetelene torch is needed, some brazing rod, ,, some flux,,

I have fixed such parts before.

When I was trained to braze, we had to break the sample parts that were brazed together,
the break was expected to occur away from the braze joint.

 

[John0829]

A guy that has done it before could fix that broken casting by brazing.
An oxygen/acetelene torch is needed, some brazing rod, ,, some flux,,

Sad to say the that is becoming a lost art around here. Around here only a few that still uses a torch for anything other than cutting.

 

[CADplans]

Sad to say the that is becoming a lost art around here. Around here only a few that still uses a torch for anything other than cutting.

and,, if you were to try to charge more than a few dollars for the repair,,
people would act like you were trying to rip them off.

 

[LouNY]

Here is a link to several 40 MM bearings and houseing;
Metric Mounted Bearings

 

[JWR]

Here is a link to several 40 MM bearings and houseing;
Metric Mounted Bearings

I think Tom in Ireland has a nearly impossible circumstance for finding such parts. You are probably in for a repair that involves some fabrication and mating of parts different than the originals. I would try and use LouNY link to see what 40mm inside diameter bearing are available as an assembly with an outer housing and mounting hardware. Being able to get the outer housing and mounting hardware -- in a form that can be mounted on your existing mower frame -- is the hard part. You'll probably have to weld the new housing/mount onto your mower OR with some luck be able to drill holes and bolt it on. It is going to be very hard to do this I am afraid. Have you searched for an old mower that you could buy for parts?

 

[dieselscout80]

My 917 started vibrating kinda bad today while mowing. When I got home I looked and I had lost 3 pairs of knives and their mount loops. The my 917 has the knives laid out in three straight lines each with 11 pairs. The three I lost were in the same row/line.

I replaced them and it was back to normal.

 

[Reg]

A thought on the cast iron brazing question.

Such skills DO still exist (-:

I would try asking the local "dirt bike community".
A good start would be the local motorcycle shop, they may be able to do it if their clientele has a strong off road contingent, or they may have a small ads board.

 

[John0829]

A thought on the cast iron brazing question.

Such skills DO still exist (-:

Not many have or want to learn the skill. I have tried to teach my SIL but he is impatient. As far as I know I am the last one around close that still can do it and have made several brazing repairs for my SIL's work place, to help him out, when they were told it was going to be months before replacement parts would be available. I actually enjoy brazing but hate to admit I am losing the ability due to nerve damage, hands that shake worse everyday makes holding things steady and hand eye coordination a REAL challenge.