Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[IslandTractor]

The Caroni are medium priced flails and are 1/3rd. The price of the commercial American made models. I personally would not go for the really low end flails but I am not writing the check for you so it is your choice!

My feelings exactly. I do note though that all the guys who have the Chinese flail seem to like it just fine too.

 

[Parkanzky]

I went through this recently. I decided to buy the Value Leader for my purposes. My reasoning is that I could abuse it without any guilt and I can afford to fix it multiple times for the money I saved. So far I'm pretty happy with my choice. I'm surprised at how well it works, especially considering what I paid for it.

 

[Reg]

Ok, new guy here and needing a mower. Been reading this thread for days..Ok, so I skipped a few pages can you blame me? I've had tractors and brush hogs for years, on my third Kubota now.. just acquired an L3540 HST 4x4.
Never had a flail, never really thought about one till recently.I just bought 100 acres and a little house in South Carolina. Old guy I bought it from lost his health a few years back so its pretty over grown. So lots of brush, little trees, lots of vines, all while driving through big pine trees planted plantation style.Some of the ground is pretty rough, not many rocks but quite a few half rotted tree stumps. I'm liking the short length for maneuverability through the trees , didnt really need an 8' long brush hog back there.

So I've been convinced pretty much to get a Caroni 75 incher, but now I see there are the Value something or other mowers too at about half the price of the Caroni.. what to get, what to get? Several used ones around for sale, but that scares the heck out of me. Is the Caroni twice as good as the Value job, almost twice the money... and what about maintenance.. this thread started in 2008 and everyone still has nothing but good stuff to say about the Caroni, they dont seem to be falling apart or anything..

Great thread by the way...

Yeah, three Kubotas eh ?
A Caroni flail will almost certainly outlast your NEXT three Kubotas.
Buying ONE less fragile tractor would save you a lot more money than buying the Value Leader vs Caroni mower.

 

[hunt4570]

Yeah, three Kubotas eh ?
A Caroni flail will almost certainly outlast your NEXT three Kubotas.
Buying ONE less fragile tractor would save you a lot more money than buying the Value Leader vs Caroni mower.

Wow, not a Kubota fan I'm guessing!! I had a pretty big one in Oklahoma on my 160 acres, downsized it when we unfortunately moved to the hideous state of colorado , now upsized again when I moved here... NEVER one stitch of trouble with any of them. When I went tractor shopping this last time I didn't even consider another manufacturer, it would have only been a step back. sure didn't want a fragile tractor.. thats why I bought another Kubota, thank you very much!

 

[IslandTractor]

Wow, not a Kubota fan I'm guessing!! I had a pretty big one in Oklahoma on my 160 acres, downsized it when we unfortunately moved to the hideous state of colorado , now upsized again when I moved here... NEVER one stitch of trouble with any of them. When I went tractor shopping this last time I didn't even consider another manufacturer, it would have only been a step back. sure didn't want a fragile tractor.. thats why I bought another Kubota, thank you very much!

I think he was just yanking your chain. Successfully I might note.

 

[hunt4570]

I went through this recently. I decided to buy the Value Leader for my purposes. My reasoning is that I could abuse it without any guilt and I can afford to fix it multiple times for the money I saved. So far I'm pretty happy with my choice. I'm surprised at how well it works, especially considering what I paid for it.

So I saw that earlier.. you buying that.. was looking for a report on it and didnt see one. You liking it pretty well then?

 

[Parkanzky]

So I saw that earlier.. you buying that.. was looking for a report on it and didnt see one. You liking it pretty well then?

If you're hoping for a super-glowing review, I can't give it to you.

The fit and finish reminds me of something you'd buy at Harbor Freight. Runs in the powder coat, cardboard stuck to a couple pieces from being sprayed sitting on the cardboard, some ugly welds and rough edges, etc. It was delivered in a rusty metal frame strapped to a long pallet. Make sure to have forks to unload it when it shows up.

Assembly wasn't too bad at all. It comes with the gearbox dry, so fill it with gear oil and grease all the zirks before you run it. The collars on the ends of the PTO shaft were incredibly brittle plastic. So those disintegrated as soon as I ran it. The PTO shaft it comes with is incredibly heavy/awkward. I may buy a nicer shaft (with new guards) to make installation/removal easier and to make it a little safer.

It comes with pins for the 3PH and the lynch pins that it comes with are garbage. They just fall out. I bought a bag from TSC and replaced them for a couple bucks.

However, once it's all together it works pretty well. I'm not trying to mow lawn with it, but I ran it around the woods and mulched up a lot of brush before the snow came and I was pleased by the performance. A friend of mine was over helping me take down a couple trees and really liked it. I think he's going to order one in the spring.

I ran it over some pretty big saplings and if they get into the flails they get chopped up. I really like that it doesn't leave big pieces behind when I clear brush. It's going to make very short work of cleaning things up around here in the springtime. I wish I had pictures, but I backed it through a bunch of waist-high scrub and it was nicely cleared after a couple passes. The hinged flails seem to be pretty forgiving when I hit stumps or logs.

I'm curious how it will work on the lawn. I will give it a try in the spring to see if I can use it to mow the grass if it needs done and the flail is already on the tractor.

Overall, I'm pleased. I definitely don't regret the purchase. For as little as I have into it, it's hard to argue with the work it is doing.

 

[hunt4570]

I think he was just yanking your chain. Successfully I might note.

Well if that Coroni flail will out last 3 Kubotas... I'm really sold!

And he can yank whatever he likes I guess..

 

[IslandTractor]

Well if that Coroni flail will out last 3 Kubotas... I'm really sold!

And he can yank whatever he likes I guess..

the Caroni is well designed and built. As with any flail, there is more maintenance than with a bush hog but the flexibility and safety more than make up for that IMO. If you get one, just don't buy consumables from AgriSupply. Flailmaster has better stuff and cheaper.

 

[hunt4570]

the Caroni is well designed and built. As with any flail, there is more maintenance than with a bush hog but the flexibility and safety more than make up for that IMO. If you get one, just don't buy consumables from AgriSupply. Flailmaster has better stuff and cheaper.

Another question for you.. the way that thing is offset, I have 70 inches from outside to outside of my tires... does it miss the left tire track? can you move it over at all? Seems way to the right side.