Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

docsfarm · Nov 7, 2016

leonz said:
Hello Docsfarm,

I am glad you did not have to deal with the barbed wire snakes and the wire removal job went well.

Thanks Leon!

JimCan · Nov 7, 2016

In looking at I-T's photos.. there's a solid chance I bolted the triangular piece the top link attaches to backwards. His 'floating slot' is nearly vertical whereas mine is fully horizontal.. I need to look.

Jim

sidecarist · Nov 7, 2016

JimCan said:
In looking at I-T's photos.. there's a solid chance I bolted the triangular piece the top link attaches to backwards. His 'floating slot' is nearly vertical whereas mine is fully horizontal.. I need to look.

Jim

You want the slot horizontal, this allows the unit to float and articulate across the ground. I think IT said he had installed his wrong and has changed it now so it's horizontal.

powerscol · Nov 7, 2016

JimCan.

I believe you have yours installed correctly "The slot in the topping lift tower should be parallel to the ground not angled." So from your description you have it installed the correct way. Can you take a picture so folks can verify?

IslandTractor · Nov 7, 2016

JimCan said:
In looking at I-T's photos.. there's a solid chance I bolted the triangular piece the top link attaches to backwards. His 'floating slot' is nearly vertical whereas mine is fully horizontal.. I need to look. Jim

Read my post carefully. I noted that the dealer had installed my topping lift tower backwards. At the time I took those photos I hadn't figured that out yet. The slot should be horizontal not angled like in the photo. Sorry for the confusion.

JimCan · Nov 9, 2016

Claro I-T ..I think I'll leave it at the moment. I'm only into about my third hour of using the flail, better I go slow. I found just raising the lower lift arms a bit seems to ease the audible processing going on out back. Only once in these few hours has the governor asked the tractor for more power to add to the effort. There is frequently a sound as if the mower is 'digesting' something more that in the previous 10' feet - like it had a chunk to deal with.

I am a convert. This mower has done a better job on my pasture than both a bush hog and finishing mower. Both already sold off.

The pasture will never get this tall again.

Jim

JimCan · Nov 9, 2016

I wanted to add a separate bit. We live in the woods and theres always a ton of leaves and pine shats. I blow them into piles with one of those wheeled-blowers then drag them off into the woods.

My wife likes 'clean' shats for her garden beds but leaves and shats have the same schedule. So I thought what about giving them a good thrashing?

A couple of passes and the usual dumpy mess looks a lot better...

It's not perfect ..the shats do not break into smaller pieces (maybe with more passes?) but it's still remarkably better than I would have expected. Am thinking about horse manure and light soil blending...

Jim

Dan in MN · Nov 9, 2016

JimCan,
Doesn't look like a huge amount of space between the roller and frame, the problems I had with mine were all due to not enough space to eject the material I was cutting so it built up under the mower deck. Drop the roller as low as it goes in relation to the frame if you want to make sure that isn't your issue also.

Dan

JimCan · Nov 9, 2016

Dan... Someone suggested lowering the roller to gain height but my roller is fixed. There's spring-loaded flap above the roller - like a 'trailing scraper'. If I play with that I can reproduce the sound.. it may be material wanting to sneak out this flap rather than getting rolled over....? I'll take a pic of the roller setup in the next few days. Thanks.

Jim
Flaillist

Dan in MN · Nov 9, 2016

Opening the door a bit to allow more room for ejection would duplicate dropping the roller and determine if that's the problem or not. If it doesn't seem to load harder and pull the tractor down then it probably isn't that problem. If it's just a sound it's more like what I'm experiencing now after changing to scoop knives. I get a vibration along with a nasty sound, if you are familiar with boating it kind of reminds me of a boat motor cavitating. It's the end of the year and grass isn't growing any more so I haven't experimented with mine at all to try and solve it.

DirtHauler · Nov 9, 2016

I dare you to ask me how I like my Rears SPF compared to my Caronis!

DavesTractor said:
arrows,

Rears is built in Oregon, and Vrisimo in California. I bet either would build you a mower offset just like you want, and they are both super high quality. The problem is that it is expensive to manufacture things in the USA, and the west coast in particular. So these are not cheap. But then again, they will last a lifetime.

JimCan · Nov 10, 2016

Ya Dan.... 'caviation' - I know it. Ya-ya.. similar. Almost as if you stuck melon rinds in a garbage disposal also. I suspect it's simply from 'the thick stuff'...'just a noise.. Going over 6" grass - this is almost silent. Great machine.

Jim

powerscol · Nov 12, 2016

Good news - It due:thumbsup: in to my loading dock the middle to end of this coming week. Starting to get a bit excited

Dan in MN · Nov 13, 2016

DirtHauler said:
I dare you to ask me how I like my Rears SPF compared to my Caronis!

How do you like your Rears SPF compared to your Caronis?

Would definately like you opinion on them, and if you don't mind sharing some pricing info. I can't find anything online for pricing. I just threw my setup (tractor and mower together) on Craigslist for the heck of it, though I doubt there will be any action this time of year in MN. With the amount of acres I have to mow (20+) I have it in my head to get a bigger setup for next year.. :thumbsup:

DirtHauler · Nov 13, 2016

Dan in MN said:
How do you like your Rears SPF compared to your Caronis?

Would definately like you opinion on them, and if you don't mind sharing some pricing info. I can't find anything online for pricing. I just threw my setup (tractor and mower together) on Craigslist for the heck of it, though I doubt there will be any action this time of year in MN. With the amount of acres I have to mow (20+) I have it in my head to get a bigger setup for next year.. :thumbsup:

You won't find any pricing info online for a REARS as that's set by the dealer and you can't order it or parts directly from the manufactory in Oregon. That being said, their mowers are priced out by the foot (cutting width) plus shipping. I bought a 84" (7 ft.) SPF which out here worked out to be just a shade under $930.00 per foot! And in less than 6 months have had to replace the rotor ($1,400.00) due to it getting bent when a 3" diameter piece of tree branch got jammed, shipping & repair of original rotor ($980.00) . Now I've had to change out the rotor again because the "new" one has come out of balance. I've also had to weld the side plates due to cracking. Now unless your 20+ acres are like a golf course or a football field and totally rock and debris free, I'd suggest getting something like a Caroni 1900. I've used Caroni's since '04 and have mowed everything with them. Just got done mowing 250+ acres with the 1900 and with all kinds of debris....rock, concrete, metal, stumps, old fencing etc.. The Caroni will withstand a lot more "abuse" than most. The last "large" thing that I hit and jammed in the Caroni was what appeared to be a cap of some sort that looks like the military ('40's) used for target practice! Damage to the Caroni..... 3 bent clevises......total cost to repair.....$21.00! If I would have had the "other" mower on..........I can only imagine what the damage would have been!
So with this little bit of rant & rave, you decide where to spend your money

JimCan · Nov 14, 2016

My new, Italian barber, Caroni, has given me the best trim in 25yrs. Typically, I let the field get too high for the 6' BH brand finishing mower (it was also a side-release - another newbie error) and the heavy bush hog simply beat the C'hit out of the pasture and left big clumpy messes. This is sooo much better.

Jim

leonz · Nov 14, 2016

Hello Jim,

I am very happy that you are a happy flail mower owner.
Your groomed ground proves once more a flail mower is worth owning.

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JimCan said:
My new, Italian barber, Caroni, has given me the best trim in 25yrs. Typically, I let the field get too high for the 6' BH brand finishing mower (it was also a side-release - another newbie error) and the heavy bush hog simply beat the C'hit out of the pasture and left big clumpy messes. This is sooo much better.

Jim

DirtHauler · Nov 14, 2016

Here's a before and after using the Caroni

IslandTractor · Nov 14, 2016

DirtHauler said:
Here's a before and after using the Caroni

No rocks, no debris, no obstacles. That's cheating. You probably won't lose knives or clevises at all. I'm jealous.

leonz · Nov 14, 2016

That is a beautiful sight for sure. Smokey Bear The USDA and its Forest Service department thanks you very much for reducing the potential fuel for grass and brush fires by mowing.