Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,521  
---------------------------

A question I forgot to ask last night, I'm having trouble with grass wrapping up on the roller and jamming the roller with the scraper bar. My scraper is off the roller a bit, are they typically set pretty tight? I need to try something different with that (either adjusting or removing the scraper) before I go out again today, had to stop several times in an hour last night to clear it..

Are you sure that the cutters are not on backwards? A flail usually cuts the clippings so short that they could not wrap around the roller.

Pictures would help.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,522  
From the pictures you posted of the field you are cutting it looks like the knives might be mounted in the wrong direction. Cutting on the backside maybe. I know that sounds drastic but those long shoots left standing shouldn't be there. It makes sense what you said about the front holding the stalks and not letting it get cut but the front of the mower is going to be higher than the tip of the knives. Correct me here if I'm wrong about the height. That's the way my Mott is.

Your Jubilee should have enough power to run your flail as long as you are running it at PTO rpm. With the sherman transmission you have a low enough gear. You will have to go a lot slower than you would with a rotary cutter especially until you get the grass knocked down but something is surely wrong. Take that scraper off the roller like Leonze mentioned that will eliminate one of the things that may be giving you trouble. Most mowers don't have them anyway.

1. Make sure the knives have been installed correctly and in the right direction.

2. Take the scraper off the roller.

3. While sitting on smooth ground or concrete pad adjust the roller up or down to the desired
height of your cut. Do this with the 3 point hookup on the mower is vertical.

4. Cut slowly at a high rpm. All tractors are built to run at PTO rpm for hours at a time. Most
like it better than slow rpm's. My old ford likes it just a little slower than pto speed but still
very close.

Hope you don't get a bad taste about your new implement maybe it's something you and/or the crew that put it together missed somewhere. Who knows you might have the toughest grass in the world and everything else is just fine. :)

Wish I could offer some expert advice here but just posting my :2cents: worth.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,523  
1. Make sure the knives have been installed correctly and in the right direction.

Heck, some of these gear boxes can be installed for reverse rotation, by flipping them over,,,
1-a) Make sure the gear box is installed correctly and in the right direction.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,524  
CADplans that's the way mine is. Either direction of the cutting rotor. I use it with the rotation same as the tractor tire. Let's not get into what direction that is called. :laughing: It may cause a lot of wasted data usage.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,525  
I might be dealing with multiple issues at once... The knives are side cutters that are sharpened on both sides, can't be installed backwards. I verified the other day that the knives are rotating upward in front so rotation is correct. Started doing some tune-up (haven't had this tractor long...) and found a bunch of corrosion on one plug wire and corresponding distributor terminal, no replacements locally of course but I cleaned them up pretty well, went out to test, no change. Checked base timing and found it off about 10 degrees, fixed it, went out to test, no change. Found that the distributor points had almost no gap and set to proper .025, was getting dark so didn't go back out yet. I've never had to mess with points so no idea how much difference that could make. Verified that the mechanical advance weights move smoothly and no play in the distributor shaft. Couldn't check timing advance yet, it's been so many years since I've needed a timing light I couldn't find it and don't know that I even have one any more.. :laughing: Also ran a compression test and got 130/115/120/120 so I'm all good there. That stuff is all separate from the cutting issues as the areas I've posted pics of were gone over with the tractor at or a little above 540 ptm rpm, so even if I get the tractor running better I don't expect any difference in the actual mowing. I'll try taking the scraper off, but if the grass isn't getting mulched up it will probably just wrap up more without it...
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,526  
The knives are side cutters that are sharpened on both sides

Are your knives straight? You may have dethatching knives on it.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,527  
What's the rotation on the PTO? Might be turning the flail in the opposite direction from which it's most efficient. Though, as noted, the cutters are sharp on both sides, it might be an issue of getting proper lift (proper rotation). Not sure if this has been brought up or not; also, no real knowledge on the tractor.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,528  
CADplans that's the way mine is. Either direction of the cutting rotor. I use it with the rotation same as the tractor tire. Let's not get into what direction that is called. :laughing: It may cause a lot of wasted data usage.

😝😝😝😝. Sooo funny and true
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,529  
Don't claim to be an expert, as the New Holland 918H is the only flail I've ever owned or used. Both the top link and bottom arm pin connections are slotted, presumably to enable float? The slots allow the mower to rotate slightly in use. Has worked well for 16 years! Vic<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=480563"/>[ATTA<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=480565"/>


Excellent machine!!! I have a 918H and it needs to be tweaked a bit but is well worth the $400 I paid for it. New belts game in yesterday. But I use another 918H all the time and it's just a fantastic machine. This is what sold me on searching all over for one.

I'd still really like to try a Mott shd and see how is compares.

I have 3 flail mowers and all are different with different configuration.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #3,530  
Excellent machine!!! I have a 918H and it needs to be tweaked a bit but is well worth the $400 I paid for it. New belts game in yesterday. But I use another 918H all the time and it's just a fantastic machine. This is what sold me on searching all over for one.

I'd still really like to try a Mott shd and see how is compares.

I have 3 flail mowers and all are different with different configuration.

I like the idea of having 3 flails. I could get by with 2, a finish mower which I have (Mott 72), and I've been keeping an eye out for ford 917 or preferably a 918 and set it up for rough cut if that's possible. I've had good luck with old ford equipment so that's what I'd prefer. Of course I'm not stuck on that brand another Mott but with a rough cut setup would be fine. Is you 918 set up for rough cut and are you satisfied with it.

The Mott 72 I have has a bunch of side slicer knives, 92 stations with 184 knives. If a piece of grass gets through all that, bless its heart, I just leave it for the next time. Flail mowers have never been that popular in my area and a used one is hard to find but I'll keep waiting and looking. I can't see myself giving 1500 - 2000 new for another mower.



IMG_1552 TBN Ready.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1552 TBN Ready.jpg
    IMG_1552 TBN Ready.jpg
    183.9 KB · Views: 191
  • IMG_1535.jpg
    IMG_1535.jpg
    338.6 KB · Views: 165
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2011 FORD F-450 (A50854)
2011 FORD F-450...
2007 MD-8 TRIPLEX PUMP POWERED BY 1050HP MTU ENGINE (A50854)
2007 MD-8 TRIPLEX...
2017 Ford F-450 Crew Cab Mason Dump Truck (A50323)
2017 Ford F-450...
2022 RAM 2500 (A50854)
2022 RAM 2500 (A50854)
MAXUM 1000 TRIPLEX PUMP POWERED BY 3412 CATERPILLAR ENGINE (A50854)
MAXUM 1000 TRIPLEX...
2016 GENIE GTH1056 TELESCOPIC FORKLIFT (A51242)
2016 GENIE GTH1056...
 
Top