Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[GinNB]

Doesn't anyone on here like the Alamo flails? They're expensive, but you can mow practically anything with them. I've found that my 88" Alamo does equally well mowing pasture, trees under 1.5" diameter, and finish mowing. Neither the shaft clutch nor belts have ever slipped, either With heavier patches on the lawn, the 57hp tractor runs right through it all without the RPMs dropping perceptibly.

I've got two Mott Super 88s, which are the super heavy duty model Alamo. Fantastic mower for grass and light brush. Oh yes, and blueberries too. With 3/16" thick knives and shackles (rock knife mounting system) it's one of the best for mowing uneven ground with the occasional rock thrown in.

 

[wrenchit]

Just a side note, there is a Mott knife grinder on ebay now, but am sure it will be gone soon. Saves the time of stripping the knives and replacing them if they get dull.

 

[streamin]

I just caught this thread, very good but I just bought a Rhino 6' hog last sept.Only used it once. Now I will also need a finish mower but this thread has almost convinced me to sell it and buy a flail. Iron horse seems to have the only dissadvantages of it but my question is , is it worth taking the hit on my rotary cutter and buying the flail or should I keep it and use the flail for mostly finish work??? I have a new property of 26 acres, hilly, brush, woods and about 5 acres of finished lawn.

 

[Eagleview]

I would keep the Rhino as well now that you have it . Im not sure what you meant about me having disadvantages , i thought i was speaking quite highly of them only pointing out some of the limitations so new buyers are'nt disapointed after purchasing one .

 

[Charles Park]

I am looking at a John Deere used flail. The cutters look like flat spoons mounted on the shaft. Thought I saw a picture of some cutters that looked more sharped and curved. Is there a difference? Just want to know before I go too far.

 

[IslandTractor]

I am looking at a John Deere used flail. The cutters look like flat spoons mounted on the shaft. Thought I saw a picture of some cutters that looked more sharped and curved. Is there a difference? Just want to know before I go too far.

There are varying size, shape and style knives or even "hammers" on different flail mowers depending somewhat on the intended use. Mounting systems vary a bit too. Me flail has two comma shaped reversible knives held on by a clevis on each of 28 mount points and it is designed to cut grass and light brush. (see earlier post with photo) Using the clevis adds additional flexibility to the knife when it strikes a hard object to reduce risk of breaking just the same way that a bush hog blade can swivel backwards when it hits a stump. The related Caroni model intended more for finish lawn work has as I recall double the number of knives but without the clevis system.

I'm not quite sure what your JD "flat spoon" is but it sounds kind of like you might be describing the type of knives on my mower. If so it is probably similar to the Caroni as a finish/light brush mower rather than something designed with "hammers" to work in heavy brush or highway shoulders.

 

[IslandTractor]

I just caught this thread, very good but I just bought a Rhino 6' hog last sept.Only used it once. Now I will also need a finish mower but this thread has almost convinced me to sell it and buy a flail. Iron horse seems to have the only dissadvantages of it but my question is , is it worth taking the hit on my rotary cutter and buying the flail or should I keep it and use the flail for mostly finish work??? I have a new property of 26 acres, hilly, brush, woods and about 5 acres of finished lawn.

I agree with Iron Horse. I would keep the Rhino rather than take a big hit on depreciation and would use it for the heavier brush work just to limit wear and tear on the flail. If the brush you are talking about is less than an inch or so then maybe it is not such an advantage to have the bush hog but in that case, were I in your shoes, I'd set a high price on the Rhino and continue to use it until someone decided to pay me for it.

 

[davitk]

I am looking at a John Deere used flail. The cutters look like flat spoons mounted on the shaft. Thought I saw a picture of some cutters that looked more sharped and curved. Is there a difference? Just want to know before I go too far.

?

AKA hammer knives, an option on my flail and for use on brush.

 

[sunspot]

I would keep the Rhino as well now that you have it . Im not sure what you meant about me having disadvantages , i thought i was speaking quite highly of them only pointing out some of the limitations so new buyers are'nt disapointed after purchasing one .

IH, I went back and re-read this thread. This is what I read as far as limitations on the flail.
-------------------------------------------------------
May not be a fast mower (forward speed).
Possible damage to flail if ground is rocky or rough.
One 2" sapling at a time. Cutting them may be difficult as the roller will lay them down.
------------------------------------------------------

Not so bad as I can see.

 

[Grapeman]

?

AKA hammer knives, an option on my flail and for use on brush.

My Kuhn has 2.5 lb hammers for brush chopping. When used for mowing fields, it still does a nicer job than a rotary mower.

 

[streamin]

IH, I went back and re-read this thread. This is what I read as far as limitations on the flail.
-------------------------------------------------------
May not be a fast mower (forward speed).
Possible damage to flail if ground is rocky or rough.
One 2" sapling at a time. Cutting them may be difficult as the roller will lay them down.
------------------------------------------------------

Not so bad as I can see.

Your right, that's not so bad but I just don't want to get into a situation where I regret. I think I'll keep the hog as a back up. Thanks everyone.

 

[texbaylea]

I looked for the side shift and could not find it on Agri-supply's website

The shift kit may still be a special order item. It was when I got mine. If you are interested, call them.

Vernon

 

[sunspot]

Your right, that's not so bad but I just don't want to get into a situation where I regret. I think I'll keep the hog as a back up. Thanks everyone.

That's exactly how I feel. Anytime I get ready to spend >3 figures, I'm nervous.

 

[John861]

I've heard about forward and reverse rotation flails. Which is which? I would think that the "normal", forward rotation flail would swing the knives such that they sweep the grass in the same direction as the tractor is moving, then swing up at the front of the mower. In other words, clockwise when viewed from the left side of the unit. Is this correct?

What would be the advantage of reverse rotation?

-John

 

[Nuru]

The shift kit may still be a special order item. It was when I got mine. If you are interested, call them.

Vernon

thanks Vernon, I will do that.

 

[Foozle]

Ok, I pulled the trigger on a Caroni today, but will have to wait several weeks as I requested a new one, rather than one that has been sitting outside for a few months. The cost was $1,695.95, plus $121 shipping to South Carolina.

I thought I'd post all the info I learned to save people some time. First, I called several of the Agri-Supply stores and the people I spoke to there weren't over knowledgeable about the product, but they did say they only sold 1 or 2 a year (of the 73" at least), and the one they had in stock had been sitting outside for a while. Each of the seven store locations had exactly 1 TM1900BSC in stock, except the VA location which did not have one. Note that they also carry 36", 47", and 59" models (some may also have the A or F rotors, not certain). Here are the locations and telephone numbers (and number in stock as of today of the 73"):

Petersburg, VA - 800-551-0415 (zero)
Lumberton, NC - 800-277-0062 (1)
Florence, SC - 800-342-1294 (1)
Tifton, GA - 800-833-1458 (1)
Stateshouse, GA - 800-354-1989 (1)
Garner, NC 800-662-1873 (1)
Greenville, NC - 800-445-6814 (1)

I called Italy and spoke to Caroni headquarters but since their English is not the greatest and my Italian is non-existent, I simply got referred to the U.S. distributor, which was helpful as I got good help from them. I spoke with John Morris (919-772-9722), who referred me to Matt Fitzgerald (919-614-1914). Matt very helpful and provided the product info I was looking for. He also helped me with estimates on delivery times, although he was a bit uncertain himself as he's never sure exactly when shipments will arive from Italy.

Matt said they had about 28 TM1900BSCs on order and expected them sometime between April 26 and June 15. He referred me to the Sales person (Beverly at 800-345-0169). I spoke to Beverly and ordered a TM1900BSC (Agri-Supply part number you should give them is 30837, if you want the 73" one with B-rotor). They can special order anything you want from the Caroni line, so if you want the A or F rotor, you can get it, but will likely take several months for delivery. Caroni web site, as previously posted, is:

Caroni S.p.a.

As to the products use, many others have weighed in previously, but the distributor did confirm that the A or F rotor versions were more suitable for manicured lawns and that the B version was more suitable for brush and fields (as the Caroni site also states). However, he also confirmed that the B version does an "adequate" job on lawns. Since I have several acres around a farm house that is "rough" lawn, this was perfect for me and avoids spending for both a rotary cutter and a finishing mower.

I have to say I'm pretty excited about trying a flail out and worse case, if I find I'm not happy with the job it does on lawns, is that I have to get a finishing mower and still spent less than what I was going to spend on rotary mower in the first place.

Hope this is helpful,

Dave

 

[sunspot]

Hope this is helpful,
Dave

Very much so. Thanks.

A few question if you don't mind. Where is the shipping calculated from? Is Beverly the person to call, is she headquarter located?

TIA.

 

[allen in texas]

?

AKA hammer knives, an option on my flail and for use on brush.

Actually, those knives are for smooth cutting in grass.
Look on the John Deere site at the 370 flail. It has options for the "Y" knives for brush cutting or these knives for smooth cutting in grass.

My John Deere salesman here completely talked me out of a John Deere flail, thus one of the reasons I am buying a Rears SPF72 K960

disclaimer
Of course, as usual, I could be wrong.

 

[davitk]

Actually, those knives are for smooth cutting in grass.
Look on the John Deere site at the 370 flail. It has options for the "Y" knives for brush cutting or these knives for smooth cutting in grass.

My John Deere salesman here completely talked me out of a John Deere flail, thus one of the reasons I am buying a Rears SPF72 K960

disclaimer
Of course, as usual, I could be wrong.

What do I know, I'm a noob

Here's how my dealer's site describes them:

Brush Blade Kit for Flail Mower EF175 (Mulching)

 

[Foozle]

Very much so. Thanks.

A few question if you don't mind. Where is the shipping calculated from? Is Beverly the person to call, is she headquarter located?

TIA.

No problem. The $121 shipping is from Garner, NC to Piedmont, SC. Beverly is the person to call if you want to order one and also ask about the shipping cost. She is located in the headquarters in Garner, NC.

Dave