Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Hilbilly]

I have a rotary mower (brush hog type) and find it too dangerous to use anywhere near the house or people. It flings large rocks a looooong way. I have some area around the house that is rough and hilly that I opened up last year. Now there is small brush growing back and I want to cut it but NOT with the rotary mower. Far too dangerous. I raked it numerous times but rocks just keep popping up every pass. I hand picked most of the them but there are still more lurking. So would a flail mower be a good application here?

There are some areas with a fairly steep sidehill and I'm concerned about doing that with the tractor. My Bobcat would be a better machine for this but it does not have a driveshaft. Is there a way to add a hydraulic motor to one of the shaft driven mowers, as a second drive mechanism. ie use the mower with either the tractor or the Bobcat?

 

[Xfaxman]

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There are some areas with a fairly steep sidehill and I'm concerned about doing that with the tractor. My Bobcat would be a better machine for this but it does not have a driveshaft. Is there a way to add a hydraulic motor to one of the shaft driven mowers, as a second drive mechanism. ie use the mower with either the tractor or the Bobcat?

Bobcat makes several types of machines including utility vehicles.

I will take a wild guess that you have a skid steer. Bobcat and many other companies sell hydraulic flail mowers for skid steers, but they are high dollar.

And yes there are hydraulic PTO adapters available.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have a rotary mower (brush hog type) and find it too dangerous to use anywhere near the house or people. It flings large rocks a looooong way. I have some area around the house that is rough and hilly that I opened up last year. Now there is small brush growing back and I want to cut it but NOT with the rotary mower. Far too dangerous. I raked it numerous times but rocks just keep popping up every pass. I hand picked most of the them but there are still more lurking. So would a flail mower be a good application here?

There are some areas with a fairly steep sidehill and I'm concerned about doing that with the tractor. My Bobcat would be a better machine for this but it does not have a driveshaft. Is there a way to add a hydraulic motor to one of the shaft driven mowers, as a second drive mechanism. ie use the mower with either the tractor or the Bobcat?

Probably cheaper and better to just buy a PowerTrac or Ventrac articulated tractor/mower. A PT425 would handle just about any sidehill that a reasonable person would want. If you need more they make specialized hill mowers that require use of an accessory parachute in case you fall off.

 

[Hilbilly]

Bobcat makes several types of machines including utility vehicles.

I will take a wild guess that you have a skid steer. Bobcat and many other companies sell hydraulic flail mowers for skid steers, but they are high dollar.

And yes there are hydraulic PTO adapters available.

You're right it is a skid steer and I should have been more specific. Just used to calling it that around here.

I think anything for a skid steer is about double the price for a similar tractor attachment, or more. The hyd PTO adapter you speak of, is it one of those hdyraulic pumps that attaches to the PTO or is this something else and if so where can I get some more info on it.

 

[Hilbilly]

Probably cheaper and better to just buy a PowerTrac or Ventrac articulated tractor/mower. A PT425 would handle just about any sidehill that a reasonable person would want. If you need more they make specialized hill mowers that require use of an accessory parachute in case you fall off.

I'm not familiar with those machines. I will do a search. Are the parachutes standard equipment.:laughing:

 

[IslandTractor]

I'm not familiar with those machines. I will do a search. Are the parachutes standard equipment.:laughing:

There is a subforum here on TBN for PowerTrac. Very enthusiastic group. I almost bought a PT425 myself before finally running across a great deal on a big rear wheel tractor. If PT hadn't been closed over Memorial Day a decade ago I'd own one.

 

[Xfaxman]

You're right it is a skid steer and I should have been more specific. Just used to calling it that around here.

Yep, I have owned 5 different Bobcats and none were skid steers.

I think anything for a skid steer is about double the price for a similar tractor attachment, or more. The hyd PTO adapter you speak of, is it one of those hdyraulic pumps that attaches to the PTO or is this something else and if so where can I get some more info on it.

It is a hydraulic motor that drives the PTO shaft. A lot of companies make them, here is one from a site sponsor: Skid Steer Quick Attach Adapter – Skid Steer Solutions

Or you can buy the motor and make your own: Surplus Center

 

[Hilbilly]

I like the hydraulic motor idea. Ever since making my grapple I'm hooked on fabricating. Now I've got myself into machining. That's why I haven't been on this forum for a while. I bought a metal lathe and a milling machine and I'm now learning how to use those. Made some new pins and bushings for my Bobcat ........... I mean skid steer. Might be time to make an adapter for the skid steer to allow using the tractor implements.

Do you guys think running a 3PTH flail mower on a skid steer, using the hydraulic motor, would work. The skid steer would have to be run in reverse to use it (which I don't like) or the flail mower would be going backwards to normal travel direction.

 

[IslandTractor]

Flails don't cut as well when backing up so reversing orientation might not work as well.

I routinely cut brush by backing into it but then drive forward to reposition which cuts again in forward orientation. That works fine but isn't the same thing as mowing in reverse.

 

[Xfaxman]

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Do you guys think running a 3PTH flail mower on a skid steer, using the hydraulic motor, would work. The skid steer would have to be run in reverse to use it (which I don't like) or the flail mower would be going backwards to normal travel direction.

Yep, it will work: Rockhound Brush Hound 72" Brush Flail Mower Attachment for Skid Steer Loader | Skid Steer Solutions

If you are going to fabricate the setup, Put the SSQA plate on the back of the 3 point flail, so the "Bobcat" is pushing it forward and a wheel out front. Couple the motor directly to the gear box, no PTO shaft.

Like my brush hog on my "Bobcat":

 

[Hilbilly]

Yep, it will work: Rockhound Brush Hound 72" Brush Flail Mower Attachment for Skid Steer Loader | Skid Steer Solutions

View attachment 468313





If you are going to fabricate the setup, Put the SSQA plate on the back of the 3 point flail, so the "Bobcat" is pushing it forward and a wheel out front. Couple the motor directly to the gear box, no PTO shaft.

Like my brush hog on my "Bobcat":

View attachment 468319

View attachment 468320

I REALLY LIKE your setup for the brush hog and would love to use your design if I get a flail mower. Much better using the skid steer in tight places around trees and on side hills. I have a question though. When you shut down flow to the brush hog is there any problem with the hydraulics being suddenly stopped?

 

[Xfaxman]

No, the system has a bypass valve to allow the motor to stop turning. It stops very quick for safety.

 

[Halftrack]

If you are looking for a flail skid steer mount, check out Loftness and their Utube video under "Loftness Flail".

 

[Hilbilly]

For the last few weeks I've been checking Kijiji and Craigslist for used / new flails. No luck with used ones on this side of the Country. I called a couple of suppliers and got prices for new ones but the local dealers and the supplier are out of the Agri Ease and Caroni flails. Late last night I found a used Caroni TM1900 went into the big City this morning to check it out. It is now sitting in the back of the PU and will soon be attached to the tractor for a quick trial run. Pics will follow and thanks for the input.

 

[Fallon]

The problem with a flail running backwards is the roller. It will push stuff over so it wont get cut. Not to mention the rotor spinning backwards. A rotary cutter only has the 1 small wheel in front when ran backwards & that doesn't cause much of s problem.

For a flail, you'd need to have the 3pt attached to something hanging a ways out front to pull the flail infront of the machine rather than push it. A lot more of an engineering challenge than a somple SSQA to 3pt + hydraulic motor required for a rotary cutter. The commercial skid steere flails are designed pretty differently than tractor ones.

 

[hawkeye08]

It would seem to me that someone with some fabrication skills could run a flail mower forward on the front of a skid steer. Fabricate the skid steer mount off the back, remove the PTO gearbox and replace with hydraulic motor... add a wheel out front to set the depth of cut...

 

[IslandTractor]

It would seem to me that someone with some fabrication skills could run a flail mower forward on the front of a skid steer. Fabricate the skid steer mount off the back, remove the PTO gearbox and replace with hydraulic motor... add a wheel out front to set the depth of cut...

That would be my approach too. The Caroni flail is somehow capable of being run in front of a tractor. Never seen it done in the US but the Caroni website used to have some photos or video of such a set up.

 

[Hilbilly]

Well here are the pics of the new flail. It is in very good condition for a used mower and the cutters haven't been reversed yet.

First impressions: 1) It does not cut small brush as well as the brush hog and I must travel a lot slower. 2) it does not throw rocks and that is what I was really after. 3) the offset is a great feature and will come in very handy for mowing the grass along the sides of the driveway.





I may have to figure out how to run this on the skid steer too because there are some areas I want to mow with it that I cannot do safely with the tractor. That will be a long ways off though as I have many other projects to complete first.

 

[Xfaxman]

:thumbsup:

Gooder-un.

 

[Parkanzky]

I'm sure this has been covered here before, but I did a search and can't find it and I don't want to read 290 pages of posts.

What size belts do the Value Leader EFG155 flails have? I can get a new set of stock belts from Betsco for ~$50 shipped but they don't list dimensions and I was thinking it would be worth upgrading based on how much abuse my mower takes. I'm separated from my tractor and mower for awhile and I'd like to put an order in before I'd be able to pull a belt and measure.

Does anybody have a source and part number for kevlar replacements?

I was working on clearing a friend's very overgrown pasture and managed to spin the belts a couple times in 8' tall brush. The belts still look OK, but it reminded me that I should have spares before I use up all their smoke.