Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[ovrszd]

This is my biggest disappointment with a Flail. They don't like tall grass. They prefer frequently cut grass.

 

[leonz]

if you like I can send you a video of a flailmower chopping down fully grown sunflowers.


Ino Bre?ice - Industrijska oprema Bre?ice - Kmetijska mehanizacija, kmetijski stroji in dodatki za traktorje

 

[IslandTractor]

This is my biggest disappointment with a Flail. They don't like tall grass. They prefer frequently cut grass.

I actually cut high grass almost all the time. I only mow most fields once or twice a year, typically somewhere between July 4 and mid October. I don't find there is any trouble cutting high grass unless it is very lush and dense. I'm just knocking down the weeds/grass and not too concerned generally about mulching every bit of it but the flail does a credible job, certainly a cleaner cut than my rotary provides in the same setting.

 

[Fallon]

My L3200 & old Ford 917 7' flail didn't have any problem with my pasture early this summer. Grass was almost hood height & cut well except for the tire tracks. I still need to go back & recut things. Really only need to get the tire tracks that got bent over & didn't get cut though.

The rib on the front of the flail collects debris & can probably hold a gallon or 2. It was filling up with grass seed every few minutes, which bodes well for a better pasture next year (I tilled & reseeded it a year ago to fix the overgrazing from the previous owner. Should have collected some of that seed for other parts of the property.

 

[ovrszd]

If I am to believe all you guy's claims,,, then I am have no choice but say the Ford 917 Flail is a piece of junk, even with new blades...... It certainly won't do what you guys claim. Even in low gear with the tractor. :confused3:

Here we are, full circle, back to the hype discussion.

 

[IslandTractor]

If I am to believe all you guy's claims,,, then I am have no choice but say the Ford 917 Flail is a piece of junk, even with new blades...... It certainly won't do what you guys claim. Even in low gear with the tractor. :confused3:

Here we are, full circle, back to the hype discussion.

OK, take a step back. Do you really think the entire flail industry is FOS? Do you think that highway crews prefer to use flails because they are POS????

Are the belts tight? Does it mow well in lower grass? Something is amiss here and I doubt it is the Ford 917 if properly maintained and operated.

 

[whirly]

"Happiness isn't having everything you want, it's wanting everything you have."

You evidently can't find a reason to want what you have.

 

[TSO]

I really like my flail... Does a nice job.

Is it a zero turn mower? Nope, but then again, my ZTR can't really handle grass over 12" high without bogging down and leaving tons of clippings.

Is it a Brush-Hog? Nope, but then again, I've never had a b'hog mulch clippings this well, or leave such a nice finish with tall stuff.

Each piece excels in a certain way. In my experience, I'd choose:

ZTR: grass/weeds under 10".
Brush-Hog: thick brush, and rough terrain.
Flail: everywhere else.

Here's mine... This grass wasn't real tall, 8-12" https://youtu.be/hwfa_8uGG_A

 

[leonz]

If I am to believe all you guy's claims,,, then I am have no choice but say the Ford 917 Flail is a piece of junk, even with new blades...... It certainly won't do what you guys claim. Even in low gear with the tractor. :confused3:

Here we are, full circle, back to the hype discussion.

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


Hello Richard,

As Island Tractor has said lets step back a bit.

Assuming that your mule has had "no issues with the Rear PTO" and only assuming that:

Are you operating the mules engine at the recommended speed for 540 RPM PTO speed??

Part of me wants you to look at the PTO shaft yokes and the other part
of me says you may have a V belt that is slipping or needs replacement.

Part of me also wonders if the tensioning spring is in the right hole to
hold the snubber pulley taunt against the flat side of the belt.


I dont remember if your mower has two belts or just one; if it has a pair of belts the belts
need to come from the same manufacturing lot number to be of benefit as one belt may
be doing the work of two.


1.The V belt or belts on any flail mower should have a deflection of no more than an 1/8 of an inch.

2. the spring tensioner if used for V belt tension with a flat snubber pulley must be able to move freely
after its greased. You may have snubber pulley that is bad and binding.

IS the rotor free of debris around the bearing housings?

We only want you to have forever mower that works and works well Richard as it sounds like a minor
issue of power delivery to the flail mowers rotor.

Take the V belt cover off and start there and if you have rubber flaking off in your hands you
know the belts not long for this word if not work your way froward through the drive train from
the snubber pulley to the yoke closest to the stub shaft on the tractor.

NOW the issue about the snubber pulley; the travel of the snubber pulley is done in a small arc when the V belt is tensioned
with the spring. the spring should have very little stretch on it to maintain the tension of the snubber pulley if it feels loose its mounted wrong.
I dont remember if the 907 has a bolt with a lock nut to hold it in place to hold one end of the spring(mine does)so its worth checking.

It has to be something simple richard as my dad used his ford jubilee to knock down 12-15 foot goldenrod with a 7 foot
JD25A finish flail mower and had zero issues with it the entire time he owned it(except for positive ground issues on the Ford Jubilee).
He used his first towed flail mower to cut my mother a jogging path through the same brush using an 3 foot flail mower with a flywheel slip clutch lawn Genie which I bought and used as well for my place until I traded in on a new lawn tractor-makes me wish I had not done it now even though I have its bigger brother in the stable.

 

[ovrszd]

OK, take a step back. Do you really think the entire flail industry is FOS? Do you think that highway crews prefer to use flails because they are POS????

Are the belts tight? Does it mow well in lower grass? Something is amiss here and I doubt it is the Ford 917 if properly maintained and operated.

Nope not at all. As I've said many times in these discussions, I think there is a lot of differences in what's being cut. So, if we can agree on that, then we should be able to agree that under certain circumstances a Flail is not going to be as successful in what it cuts. Also take into account there are a large variety of Flail Cutters, just like Rotary Mowers. Some work better than others. I don't see the Ford 917 as a "heavy duty" cutter that is designed to cut heavy brush or heavy, tall grass. Lastly, I guess you'll just have to trust that I can properly setup and operate equipment.