Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[mjstef]

All i can think is these flails need to be razor sharp to cut in comparison to a rotary which can be blunt. If that's the case, i am better off with a rotary as for all the Pocket Gopher mounds we have out here i will NEVER be able to keep anything sharp!

 

[hunt4570]

So Leonz, What in the **** am i doing wrong? Running rated speed, Good flails, 3" set height and half the ground speed i would be running with a rotary and the finish looks HORRIBLE!

Is that blade indicative of all the blades?
Can you get a pic of the cutting side if the blades?

 

[mjstef]

That is the cutting side after 20 acres of pasture full of pocket gophers. The guy i bought it from put the flails on this spring (flailmaster) and i saw him mow 2X with it as it's been EXTREMELY dry here. Pocket gophers are REALLY bad this year. Makes me want to go Caddyshack on the vile creatures!!!!

 

[IslandTractor]

That is the cutting side after 20 acres of pasture full of pocket gophers. Makes me want to go Caddyshack on the vile creatures!!!!

You need 1) either sharpen or get a new set of blades, 2) call Bill Murray

 

[hunt4570]

That is the cutting side after 20 acres of pasture full of pocket gophers. Makes me want to go Caddyshack on the vile creatures!!!!

WOW... they really dulled stuff up! How tall would you be set if you set it to mow just above the mounds? (I don't know how tall those mounds are)

 

[mjstef]

Not cost effective if you have to replace every 20 acres. **** things are twice a set of what a pair of rotary blades are. Anyone make a flail that is harder compound? Probably brittle then i suppose....

 

[mjstef]

WOW... they really dulled stuff up! How tall would you be set if you set it to mow just above the mounds? (I don't know how tall those mounds are)

Mounds are typically 4-8" tall. The rubber flap on the rotary tended to knock them down a little and maybe that is why i didn't have those problems.....

 

[IslandTractor]

Mounds are typically 4-8" tall. The rubber flap on the rotary tended to knock them down a little and maybe that is why i didn't have those problems.....

How about mounting a "mound cutter" to the front of the flail? I'd imagine a piece of 1/4 plate on stand off brackets and adjusted to bulldoze anything higher than cut height wold be a relatively simple thing to fabricate.

 

[hunt4570]

How about mounting a "mound cutter" to the front of the flail? I'd imagine a piece of 1/4 plate on stand off brackets and adjusted to bulldoze anything higher than cut height wold be a relatively simple thing to fabricate.

I like it!

 

[IslandTractor]

I like it!

Let's wait to see what Bill Murray says. He's the one with real world experience.

 

[mjstef]

How about mounting a "mound cutter" to the front of the flail? I'd imagine a piece of 1/4 plate on stand off brackets and adjusted to bulldoze anything higher than cut height wold be a relatively simple thing to fabricate.

Might give that a try, Not sure how bad that would lay the grass over as that is another issue, Grass in the wheel tracks is not being cut well......

 

[Xfaxman]

The knives on my TORO out front 5' deck are sharp on both sides, like most are. When dull you can remove the shaft and turn it around to use the sharp edges. :thumbsup:

 

[hunt4570]

Let's wait to see what Bill Murray says. He's the one with real world experience.

He's dead... didn't you see Zombieland??

 

[IslandTractor]

Might give that a try, Not sure how bad that would lay the grass over as that is another issue, Grass in the wheel tracks is not being cut well......

The front edge of the mower will lay the grass over anyway. Most of us don't have a problem with that even with very tall grass.

 

[IslandTractor]

He's dead... didn't you see Zombieland??

Haven't seen it. Is it worth renting?

 

[hunt4570]

Haven't seen it. Is it worth renting?

Yeah, its a fun little movie, more comedy than horror..

Get FIDO while you are at it, another good one. YMMV

 

[ovrszd]

Are you a member of the Flail Mower Nations yet?
I dont keep a roster of our members.

We have to be Members??? I didn't know that.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

We have to be Members??? I didn't know that.

That's why your flail isn't performing satisfactorily. You don't have the secret decoder ring. :duh:

 

[hunt4570]

We have to be Members??? I didn't know that.

OMG!!! Run everybody run... he's not a member!!! AHHHHHHHHHH.......

 

[leonz]

AHA,

You my dear friend have what is commonly referred to on the beer garden porch at the border crossing as "Altitudus To Highus Raiseus FlailMowerUs disease my dear fellow Flail Mower Nations Citizen.

Lower the cutting height one inch and go over it again.

Your flail mower rotor is not creating the Pressure Gradient needed being "suction lift" as the mower shroud is not close enough to the ground to provide enough resistance to pull air through the front of the flail mower.

If you can lower it to one inch great if you are confident the side slicer knife blades will not bang the sod too much.