Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[sunspot]

Does anyone know the difference between BSPP and BSPT?

 

[IslandTractor]

Does anyone know the difference between BSPP and BSPT?

BSPP has parallel threads. BSPT is tapered.

BSPP is what the Caroni fix needs.

 

[Bill the Elder]

Well the big day arrived and I got the TM-1900 off the truck without dropping it on its head. A promising start, since then some issues have come up.

The manuals leave something to be desired, the contradiction between the driveline manual and the implement manual to start. I did have to shorten the driveline and the prohibition in the Caroni manual and the detailed instructions in the Cardan manual made me uneasy.

Cut down the driveline and hooked up the mower. First thing I managed to do was a lovely scalp job complete with sod dug up. Sure would appreciate any thoughts on how to set this mower up properly.

The joints on the driveline "seemed" to be lubed but my buddy showed me how much more lube needed to be applied. Are the lube points on the mower the same way? Can they be overfilled? Also the problem with the gear case spitting, the solutions seem excellent but once you've added the standoff how do you check for proper fluid level in the case?

Are there any other insider tips to be had either from experience with this type of attachment or the school of hard knocks?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm the first kid in the neighborhood to go flail and I'm catching some flack (but also great curiosity) about my choice. I'd like to have success and maybe some of my friends will let their rotaries go and see the light of the flail.

Thanks for your help.

 

[davitk]

First thing I managed to do was a lovely scalp job complete with sod dug up. Sure would appreciate any thoughts on how to set this mower up properly.

He he..... that's called "dethatching"..... try raising the front of the mower about an inch (?) higher than the rear. I would highly recommend further "tests" be administered out-of-sight of SWMBO

Don't believe it is possible to own and operate equipment w/o attending the shcool of hard knocks seems there's always another pop quiz waiting right around the corner. Just don't hurt any humans

 

[allen in texas]

I unloaded my Rears SPF 6 footer of of the truck, just before lunch today with my FEL.
I had to take off my quick hitch to hook up to it after I got it on the ground, not because the hitch wouldn't fit but because the shredder was sitting cattywhompus on account of the pallet it was strapped to.

Anyway, it's on the three point now, on my trailer, ready for me to service it out this afternoon and learn how to use it.


Just in time. I already have a mowing job for it booked for tomorrow.

Added bonus, the color is almost a perfect match to my orange tractor.


I was rather shocked at the size of it but after I hooked it to the tractor, it's juuuuuuuust right.

 

[sunspot]

Sure would appreciate any thoughts on how to set this mower up properly.

The rear roller is shipped in the "all the way up" position. There are 2 bolts to remove, 2 to loosen, and drop the roller 2 holes down.

Put more grease in the U-joints.

Take of the side cover. Grease 2 more fittings that are hidden. Check the belt tension. On mine, the idle pulley tensioned spring was fully relaxed. I think I was having belt slippage so I tightened it up until there was some air space between the spring coils.

As far as the gear case spitting oil, maybe someone else can help. The spillage does not bother me.

BTW, I went through the same "shorting the PTO shaft" dilemma you did. In the end either you cut the shaft or contact Coroli

The manuals leave something to be desired

That is somewhat understated. Could they make it any smaller?

 

[IslandTractor]

Take of the side cover. Grease 2 more fittings that are hidden. Check the belt tension.

There are three grease fittings accessible without removing the cover that should be greased regularly ie. with each use. The two under the cover are not part of the drive or cutting mechanism so those can be greased occasionally. Probably every couple of months is OK for the fittings under the cover.

Photo shows the two fittings under the cover and the belt tensioning system.

 

[sunspot]

IslandTractor.
I see some air space in your coil spring. Mine did not until I tightened the spring. I think that's why my side cover got so hot, because of belt slippage.

Grease fittings.
On top of the gear shaft, on the side plate and on each side of the roller. Did I miss any?

 

[IslandTractor]

Grease fittings.
On top of the gear shaft, on the side plate and on each side of the roller. Did I miss any?

If you missed any others then I did too.

 

[Eagleview]

0 Sure would appreciate any thoughts on how to set this mower up properly.

It's a long read but there have been some very detailed directions on set up , greasing , shaft shortening and directions for flail usage in this thread . Get a cup of coffee and some bikies and settle in .

 

[Bill the Elder]

0 Sure would appreciate any thoughts on how to set this mower up properly.

It's a long read but there have been some very detailed directions on set up , greasing , shaft shortening and directions for flail usage in this thread . Get a cup of coffee and some bikies and settle in .

Now that would be a reasonable thing to do and I'm pleased to say that I did. Now there is no doubt that I do better outside taking care of the place than I do with searching computers and I may very well have missed these items but:

1. I coudln't find any reference to how one checks the gearcase level afer adding the extension to cut out the leakage. Important for me to leak as little as possible as the flail will be cutting green manuare to be spaded back into our beds.

2. Sunspot's just mentioning having to unship the roller was the first mention I've heard of that here much less in the manual.

3. You discuss the skid shoes on 5/24 but the relationship between roller, cutting height and skid shoe setting is not clear to me.

4. I can't find any mention of whether it is possible to force to much grease in the fittings. You discuss the subject relative to your mower's fittings, just wanted to make sure that was the same on the Caroli.

I've actually cut and pasted a lot of the great information here and printed it out as a supplement to the limited information in the manual. Just thought I'd ask for clarification on an few things and get any additional tips to add to the document. The folks on this forum should write the manual for the mower, you're all a lot more informative.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[IslandTractor]

1. I coudln't find any reference to how one checks the gearcase level afer adding the extension to cut out the leakage. Important for me to leak as little as possible as the flail will be cutting green manuare to be spaded back into our beds.

3. You discuss the skid shoes on 5/24 but the relationship between roller, cutting height and skid shoe setting is not clear to me.

4. I can't find any mention of whether it is possible to force to much grease in the fittings. You discuss the subject relative to your mower's fittings, just wanted to make sure that was the same on the Caroli.

1) I plan to measure the difference in height and hopefully the current dipstick will just need to be recalibrated to show the appropriate level. Otherwise I'll just periodically remove the snorkle and check with the dipstick.

3) This is a bit confusing for those of us used to rotary cutters. What I have learned is that the key to operating a flail is to focus on the rear roller. That should be on the ground and you then use the toplink and 3pt to adjust/pivot the mower to achieve appropriate cutting height. The rear roller position can be varied by about 4 inches or so by moving the roller mount but that is not something you would do regularly to change cutting height. It serves more to help set a cutting height range. The toplink and position control are used to set cutting height regularly. I set the toplink so that when the rear roller is on the ground the side skids are almost parallel to the ground with a slight angle up/forward. That is for lawn/pasture cutting. When I decide to back into some brush, I will often raise the 3pt so the roller is now off the ground by 3-6 inches then back in and then I lower it again as I back out to cut closer (or I don't bother and just tolerate having 3 inch stubble). The side skids are, as far as I can tell, just there to prevent you from accidently using the mower as a tiller. I have my side skids set at the lowest/shortest position and they rarely if ever touch the ground.

4) I don't know if it's possible to put in too much grease but I routinely put in about 4-5 pumps into each of the 4 exposed nipples for each 2-4 hour mowing session. You will not see excess grease come out of the bearings as a guide as you might with FEL pins or PTO shaft etc. I don't know that this is optimal but that is what I have been doing and so far so good. After Ironhorse posted his note about feeling the heat over the cutter bearings, I have done that but just note that is has been warm. Not too warm to keep my hand on it so I decided that is OK.

 

[sunspot]

Hi Bill

I routinely put in about 4-5 pumps into each of the 4 exposed nipples for each 2-4 hour mowing session.

I prepped mine with 4-5 pumps to the zerks. Now I use 2 pumps before each mowing session. I remember what that ex-Caroni dealer said about the gear shaft seizing up as the main problem because owners forgot to grease. If I see signs of too much grease, I'll cut back some on the greasing.

Sunspot's just mentioning having to unship the roller was the first mention I've heard of that here much less in the manual.

It is in the manual. I could very easily understand missing it. I think I read both the mower and PTO shaft manuals at least twice before I hooked up the mower and read it again after the first cut.

 

[Bill the Elder]

Hi Bill

I prepped mine with 4-5 pumps to the zerks. Now I use 2 pumps before each mowing session. I remember what that ex-Caroni dealer said about the gear shaft seizing up as the main problem because owners forgot to grease. If I see signs of too much grease, I'll cut back some on the greasing.

It is in the manual. I could very easily understand missing it. I think I read both the mower and PTO shaft manuals at least twice before I hooked up the mower and read it again after the first cut.

Found it, wow they don't make it easy do they. Maybe you guys could do a rewrite of the manual and send it to Caroni. I'm going out and getting started on the "commissioning" process. I think I missed it due to its proximity to the upsetting reference on the prior page stating that it's "strictly prohibited to cut PTO shaft in order to adapt its length."

Good thing we haven't needed to buy any new equipment for some time. This global economy and multilanguage manuals make my head hurt.

 

[sunspot]

This global economy and multilanguage manuals make my head hurt.

Yeah, the shaft manual is about the size of a pack of smokes and written in 10 or so languages. We even have to translate it from British English to American English.

 

[allen in texas]

I've got my Rears ready to go. First job this afternoon after I get off from my "day" job.

My mower turns against the direction of travel.
I thought it would turn with the direction of travel.

Which way does all of yours turn.

 

[Reg]

Dip stick extender mod.
{Just don't - - Do this instead}

1) Remove drain plug - might as well change the break-in oil anyway.
2) Drill and tap for a suitable 90 degree male to hose barb fitting.
3) Thread it back in, tighten just enough to get the hose barb pointing up.
4) Attach about a foot of clear plastic hose to act as a sight glass.
5) Loop the top over to avoid rain, tie it off to the fill plug cap with a tie wrap.
6) Re-fill with oil, note level on sight glass, feel good about knowing where the liquid level actually IS relative to whatever it is in there that you would worry about if you didn't know.

 

[Nuru]

Dip stick extender mod.
{Just don't - - Do this instead}

1) Remove drain plug - might as well change the break-in oil anyway.
2) Drill and tap for a suitable 90 degree male to hose barb fitting.
3) Thread it back in, tighten just enough to get the hose barb pointing up.
4) Attach about a foot of clear plastic hose to act as a sight glass.
5) Loop the top over to avoid rain, tie it off to the fill plug cap with a tie wrap.
6) Re-fill with oil, note level on sight glass, feel good about knowing where the liquid level actually IS relative to whatever it is in there that you would worry about if you didn't know.

actually that is an interesting idea.

 

[DirtHauler]

Went out and looked at my rotary mower and my rototiller and they're not equipped with a "dip stick", how will I know what is the correct oil level?



From a simple $3.00 quick fix for the oil slinging problem to an "over-engineered" extension........... GEEEEEEEEZ

 

[GinNB]

Hey, don't complain. I know of people who use multi-thousand dollar guidance systems for mowing with their tractors. Seems like overkill, but the mowers are wider than the tractors and it eliminates missed strips and wasted mowing time for having too much overlap. Talk about overengineering a solution for a problem of just learning how to drive though.