Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Ozarks Landowner]

The hitch is not free to move up or down unless you take the top link adjuster completely off. When the top link is lengthened out it it causes the shroud and drum to rise.

I can use a drawbar on my lift arms to control the cut height. If I don't the knives would be in the dirt often as my ground is not near flat enough otherwise.

I will take a better picture of the set up later.

 

[CADplans]

Thanks for your trouble. I missed that. Like you said you can't see the adjuster in the pix but now I think I know the type you're talking about. I see the tires at the rear that should make it move across the ground smoother than a steel roller. Where I cut the ground is never smooth and the mower bounces a good bit. I'm guessing the purpose of the roller, besides being the height adjuster, is for a manicured look.?

I think there is zero chance a flail mower could cut within 6 inches of the ground without a roller.

A bushhog has big skids, the flail does not have those. If you only had 2 tires, and tried to cut within 4" of the ground, the blades would constantly be digging dirt.

The roller can take rough conditions,,, mine has no problems.
I mow pretty fast, and the roller works perfectly.
I would not want tires.

 

[kco]

I'm curious about the proper 3 point hitch set up. As you can see in the photo there is a slot that I'm currently using and holes for I'm assuming if you want the mower to be more rigid. Anyone have some insight on this. The 40 acres I'm mowing is by no definition smooth. I'm thinking it was ploughed or disced maybe 20 or 30 years ago and then allowed to grow in. View attachment 476821View attachment 476822

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the slots or fixed hole for the top link? I was using the fixed hole until I saw this post and the answer in the next post recommending the slot over the fixed hole. So I switched to the slotted hole and it worked well too. Are there conditions which favor using the slot over the fixed hole and vice versa?

 

[IslandTractor]

The slot allows the mower to respond to dips and bumps without changing cutting height by keeping weight and pivot point on the rear roller. I cannot think of any particular benefit to he fixed holes unless mounting the mower on the front of a tractor. Not sure even that would be different.

 

[Steave]

The slot allows the mower to respond to dips and bumps without changing cutting height by keeping weight and pivot point on the rear roller. I cannot think of any particular benefit to he fixed holes unless mounting the mower on the front of a tractor. Not sure even that would be different.

I was thinking on adding a swinging hitch on my Mott as it don't have the slot. It would be based on the design of my finish mower. Do you see any reason this wouldn't work.? It would be an easy fix.

I quoted IslandTractor so everyone would see what my question was about. Anybody have an opinion about me adding this or any reason I shouldn't.

 

[sodamo]

Follow up on my belt smoking, albizia project

My start with the old belts



Today, about 10 minutes in:




When I quit a few minutes ago - luv those hammers

 

[IslandTractor]

I was thinking on adding a swinging hitch on my Mott as it don't have the slot. It would be based on the design of my finish mower. Do you see any reason this wouldn't work.? It would be an easy fix. I quoted IslandTractor so everyone would see what my question was about. Anybody have an opinion about me adding this or any reason I shouldn't. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=478283"/>

Same principle. I don't see why it wouldn't work. Key point is just to remove the topping lift as a rigid pivot point. People use chain instead of rigid topping lift on rotary mowers for the same reason.

 

[Steave]

I think there is zero chance a flail mower could cut within 6 inches of the ground without a roller.

A bushhog has big skids, the flail does not have those. If you only had 2 tires, and tried to cut within 4" of the ground, the blades would constantly be digging dirt.

The roller can take rough conditions,,, mine has no problems.
I mow pretty fast, and the roller works perfectly.
I would not want tires.

I grow rocks small ones and large ones and for some reason they like hiding on the edge of the fields and the field roads. My roller finally bit the dust. It had a dent where it looks like a previous owner might have dropped the mower off a trailer or something like that. It lasted a little while but the rocks won the battle. It's constanly jumping up and down when rolling over small rocks, roots, even sticks. I don't mean jumping several inches just bouncing I guess I should say.

Around here you'll run into that situation if you're mowing and no matter what speed it's going to bounce a little. I was just thinking of a smoother running with the tires giving a little cushion instead of the steel roller. The tires would have to be adjustable of course and set them to run the same depth as you would set the roller.

I can imagine what you're saying about not being able to cut as low when using the wheels so maybe I could have both and just raise the wheels out of the way for cutting close.

I built another roller out of schedule 40 black iron pipe. I didn't have any schedule 80 so I used what I had. So far it seems to be holding up well. I tried without success repairing the original roller but it's some kind of material that I can't weld. May take it to a real welder someday and get it repaired. It's some kind of cast steel or cast iron or cast something. :laughing: I tried mig, stick, stainless wire on mig, reverse polarity, I even tried brazing with no go. I finally got tired of patching and almost wore the bolts out taking it off and on so I built another.

If you keep showing me pictures of that JD 390 you're going to cost me a lot of money as that's what I want. :thumbsup:

 

[CADplans]

If you keep showing me pictures of that JD 390 you're going to cost me a lot of money as that's what I want. :thumbsup:

Can you believe the 390 is almost the only new tractor or attachment I have ever bought?

I have built a few machines, I guess they are "new",,, :confused2:

I drove past the Deere dealer, and almost ran off the road when I saw it!! :laughing:
I did buy a new TroyBilt MANY years ago,,, a couple chain saws were bought new,,,
BUT, otherwise,,, I want used,,,,

 

[Steave]

CADPlans that some nice equipment. Got to love the gravelys. I bought a sickle mower few years back form a gentleman that owned a lot of restored gravely equipment. His was not for use but for shows and he had some of those hit and miss engines running different gadgets. They were set up on trailers and he carried them to shows and fairs.

After I bought the mower he almost had to run me off. I went inside his shop while he was trying to find a box of sections and rivets that he was to give me to go with the mower. It was amazing at the parts new and used he had for the gravelys. Yours look show quality do you still use any of them.