Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

KenB2920 talked me into looking for a flail, and I found a too-good-to-pass-up deal on a Ford 918H 8ft flail in great condition. So far I'm really liking it.

Best I can tell is that it is from the 1990's.

But... Does anybody have any specific knowledge on this mower? Any points of interest worth mentioning, things to keep an eye on specific to this model, general consensus on the quality of this mower? I'm not really finding a ton of info out there.

Thanks in advance.



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I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations"
(no Passport required).

You can obtain replacement manual for the mower I believe from a Ford/New Holland dealer.


Just be sure to grease the flail rotor bearings with no more than six pumps of grease and grease the roller bearings with three pumps each time you mow.

Now you have to remove the V-belt guard and scrape away the rubber and grass dust to grease one or more fittings under the cover. you all so need to check the V belt or belts to see if they are deteriorating and the rubber is flaking off the belt or belts and replace them.

You can get the Kevlar belts in most places like NAPA or tractor supply etc.

You need to make it an every day practice to look under the mower to check and see if there is
anything wrapped around the flail mower rotor like string, wire, garden hose snakes-(they extremely
vicious when they become unwrapped).

You have to check for this as the material wrapped around the bearing housing will hold tremendous
amounts of heat which will lead to early flail motor rotor bearing failure.




All bearings and V-Belts are metric and you can obtain them locally or from
Flailmaster or Clean Cutter etc.

Buying the side slicer knife replacements and hanger parts will cost more from
a ford/new holland dealer.

 

[leonz]

KenB2920 talked me into looking for a flail, and I found a too-good-to-pass-up deal on a Ford 918H 8ft flail in great condition. So far I'm really liking it.

Best I can tell is that it is from the 1990's.

But... Does anybody have any specific knowledge on this mower? Any points of interest worth mentioning, things to keep an eye on specific to this model, general consensus on the quality of this mower? I'm not really finding a ton of info out there.

Thanks in advance.



View attachment 433647



View attachment 433648



View attachment 433649



View attachment 433650

============================================================================
I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations"
(no Passport required).

You can obtain replacement manual for the mower I believe from a Ford/New Holland dealer.


Just be sure to grease the flail rotor bearings with no more than six pumps of grease and grease the roller bearings with three pumps each time you mow.

Now you have to remove the V-belt guard and scrape away the rubber and grass dust to grease one or more fittings under the cover. you all so need to check the V belt or belts to see if they are deteriorating and the rubber is flaking off the belt or belts and replace them.

You can get the Kevlar belts in most places like NAPA or tractor supply etc.

You need to make it an every day practice to look under the mower to check and see if there is
anything wrapped around the flail mower rotor like string, wire, garden hose snakes-(they extremely
vicious when they become unwrapped).

You have to check for this as the material wrapped around the bearing housing will hold tremendous
amounts of heat which will lead to early flail motor rotor bearing failure.




All bearings and V-Belts are metric and you can obtain them locally or from
Flailmaster or Clean Cutter etc.

Buying the side slicer knife replacements and hanger parts will cost more from
a ford/new holland dealer.

 

[TSO]

============================================================================
I want to welcome you as the newest member of the "Flail Mower Nations"
(no Passport required).

You can obtain replacement manual for the mower I believe from a Ford/New Holland dealer.

Just be sure to grease the flail rotor bearings with no more than six pumps of grease and grease the roller bearings with three pumps each time you mow.

Now you have to remove the V-belt guard and scrape away the rubber and grass dust to grease one or more fittings under the cover. you all so need to check the V belt or belts to see if they are deteriorating and the rubber is flaking off the belt or belts and replace them.

You can get the Kevlar belts in most places like NAPA or tractor supply etc.

You need to make it an every day practice to look under the mower to check and see if there is
anything wrapped around the flail mower rotor like string, wire, garden hose snakes-(they extremely
vicious when they become unwrapped).

You have to check for this as the material wrapped around the bearing housing will hold tremendous
amounts of heat which will lead to early flail motor rotor bearing failure.

All bearings and V-Belts are metric and you can obtain them locally or from
Flailmaster or Clean Cutter etc.

Buying the side slicer knife replacements and hanger parts will cost more from
a ford/new holland dealer.

Thanks Leonz. What are your observations on the cut quality, or overall quality and prescription of this mower? I have read a fair amount about the older "Ford 917" but not much about the 918. I did see a post that said it was made in Italy...?

Also, Are the "upside down Y knives" the best option for grass and weeds, including finish mowing? And I ask that in the matter of, if I only installed 1 set of knives for all purpose, which would be the best option?

 

[leonz]

Thanks Leonz.

What are your observations on the cut quality, or overall quality and prescription of this mower?
I have read a fair amount about the older "Ford 917" but not much about the 918.
I did see a post that said it was made in Italy...?

Also, are the "upside down Y knives" the best option for grass and weeds, including finish mowing?
And, I ask that in the matter of, if I only installed 1 set of knives for all purpose, which would be the best option?

===========================================================================

You are referring to the side slicer knife ment for "Verticutting" grass and brush. they are the best knife for getting a golf course finish neatly equivalent to a reel mowers.


Your mower is only going to be able to mount one type of knife; be it the side slicer or the scoop knife.



Most of this is related to tractor ground speed an engine PTO speed-YOU have to maintain the engine speed
that will get you the 540 RPM PTO speed for the mower to work effectively.

The slower you mow at the proper engine speed 540 RPM being the better the cut and finish and for recutting the clippings if they are a bit long from rain delayed mowing.

You cannot mount two different types of knives on a finish flail rotor you have to use the side slicer knife for a flail mower rotor ment only for a finish flail rotor with a high knife count.

Invest in a wet knive grinder to cool grind your side slicer knives, I have had my wen wet well grinder for 30 plus years.

 

[GManBart]

I mowed for about 4 hours today using my Caroni 1900. Yesterday's session ended early when the original belts gave up the ghost! The flail performed very nicely today and while mowing I was thinking about the "pressure gradient" debate.

On several occasions, I came upon a hawk feather (maybe they were turkey feathers), and each time the feather escaped from the mower unharmed! I even ran over a few of them a second time to see if I could mulch them. No, I could not.

My conclusion is that GMan Bart is correct.

I would't say that too loudly

I made a quick video yesterday in fairly heavy grass/weeds around 30" tall. I started with the mower raised up about 8" and then lowered it. You can see the stuff moving around as the mower passes over it, until I lower it all the way, then it stays pinned in place better. Around the 41 second mark I pan back so you can see the difference. I'm betting the difference is 90% mechanical....the grass can't move as much, and the blades hit it closer to the ground. That will also give the blades the best chance of mulching the clippings that are lying on top of the already cut grass.

 

[Code54]

What mower/size are you using GmanBart - looks like it was making a great cut - also what kind of knives are you using (can they handle brush at all)

 

[GManBart]

What mower/size are you using GmanBart - looks like it was making a great cut - also what kind of knives are you using (can they handle brush at all)

It's a Phoenix (Sicma) TE 87" cut. The blades are standard Y shaped made for up to 1" diameter brush. The funny thing is I beat up the blades pretty good while figuring out the best cut height and finding the rocks in one area I cleared...live and learn...but it still cuts very nicely.

Here's a pic of the blades before I beat them senseless:

 

[Code54]

Thanks- looks very nice! I like the fact you don't have 200 knives to change if you meet an unfriendly rock....

 

[IslandTractor]

I would't say that too loudly

I made a quick video yesterday in fairly heavy grass/weeds around 30" tall. I started with the mower raised up about 8" and then lowered it. You can see the stuff moving around as the mower passes over it, until I lower it all the way, then it stays pinned in place better. Around the 41 second mark I pan back so you can see the difference. I'm betting the difference is 90% mechanical....the grass can't move as much, and the blades hit it closer to the ground. That will also give the blades the best chance of mulching the clippings that are lying on top of the already cut grass.

Nice video. Not so sure about attributing the difference in cut just to "mechanical effect" though. FYI, I just googled flail mower and vacuum and found that several major manufacturers mention the "vacuum effect" in their sales literature. Vrisimo - Super Series Flail Mower Heavy Duty Brush Cutting Tractor Mounted /Tow Behind Flail Mowers 403 Forbidden John Deere materials also mention "vacuum" with their flail mowers/shredders.

Not exactly experimental data but these promotional materials do fit with the notion that flails cut better when riding on their roller in close proximity to the ground due at least partly to a vacuum effect.

I've noted several times that I do use my flail raised a bit (about the same as you did) when cutting in areas where I cannot see the many rocks I know exist. Even though the flail mowers cut best when resting on their rear roller, they are certainly still effective when raised or even when backing up, you just don't get the best possible cut.

 

[IslandTractor]

I would't say that too loudly

I made a quick video yesterday in fairly heavy grass/weeds around 30" tall. I started with the mower raised up about 8" and then lowered it. You can see the stuff moving around as the mower passes over it, until I lower it all the way, then it stays pinned in place better. Around the 41 second mark I pan back so you can see the difference. I'm betting the difference is 90% mechanical....the grass can't move as much, and the blades hit it closer to the ground. That will also give the blades the best chance of mulching the clippings that are lying on top of the already cut grass.

Nice video. Not so sure about attributing the difference in cut just to "mechanical effect" though. FYI, I just googled flail mower and vacuum and found that several major manufacturers mention the "vacuum effect" in their sales literature. Vrisimo - Super Series Flail Mower Heavy Duty Brush Cutting Tractor Mounted /Tow Behind Flail Mowers 403 Forbidden John Deere materials also mention "vacuum" with their flail mowers/shredders.

Not exactly experimental data but these promotional materials do fit with the notion that flails cut better when riding on their roller in close proximity to the ground due at least partly to a vacuum effect.

I've noted several times that I do use my flail raised a bit (about the same as you did) when cutting in areas where I cannot see the many rocks I know exist. Even though the flail mowers cut best when resting on their rear roller, they are certainly still effective when raised or even when backing up, you just don't get the best possible cut.