Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[powerscol]

This is how I did my hose runs and it works pretty good:

View attachment 488427

Thanks - this helps a lot. I have hose block clamps they provided and today found where the clamp mounts. The parts book has a good picture. I got busy servicing my tractor today, so did not get to it. I am still looking for the correct socket for the nut. Its circular with 4 notches in it. I was told I need a spindle nut socket, or I was going to use my pipe wrench with a scrap of rubber tubing to keep it from being damaged. Its self locking, so I dont need to be a gorilla with it. There are also four brass washers in the kit ( could be bolt shims) I need to ask where they go, otherwise its straight forward. I hope to have it mounted and run by mid week. Its fun going over it and comparing the manual. It appears there is an optional inside wear plate I can get to attach inside the housing and a second internal cutter bar to get finer mulch. Thoughts on those? There are knockouts on the housing for the attachment hardware.

Question There are three settings for the roller and three for the side skids I need to attach. I was going to start out in the highest setting for both. The manual does not seem to cover if they should be the same, just the cutting height above the ground when set level. I was going to use my concrete drive for that - level and flat. I also plan to check belt tension and great everything. The factory greats is clear to amber in color - never seen that. Book says to use GL2 and all I have ever seen is red (high temp), blue (marine) and black (generic). I know there is new better stuff out there, but I can remember the name. Also gear box (Maschio brand made in china) take 85/140. I may be filled, but I need to check. Would synthetic be better, or should I stay dino oil for the seals?

Hope to get to it tomorrow. Please pass along your thoughts. Thanks

 

[powerscol]

LeonZ
Thanks so much for your advice and help
Keith

Wishing you the best for the Holidays and New Year

 

[leonz]

Greetings,


I saw this as I was getting ready to check my coal stoker for the night.

I would stick with the regular dinosaur gear oil in the gear box,
the red high pressure grease is a good overall grease so no worries there.

I would take your toy out and mow with it before deciding on investing in
the mulching plates. BUT in saying that they will always be there to recut
everything and the brush will not lay on the ditch sides and clog up the ditches
over time.

Docsfarm loves his recutting bars on his Landpride flail mower so if that is any
indication installing them when the mower is not stinky from grass dust and dirt
now would be the time to get them.

BUT dont screw up your shoulder now when you can use hot water and Dawn Dish Soap
to wash the mess out from under it later to install them.

Set your skids one height higher than your rear roller as your roller is going to determine
the mowing height.

The skids are there to protect the rotor and the hammers in case the mower nose dives somewhere.

Use your top link and a bubble level to level the mower at the gearbox and set your hydraulics and lock them in place before mowing to reduce any chance of the mower nose diving before you can stop.


Happy Mowing my dear friend.

 

[powerscol]

Greetings,


I saw this as I was getting ready to check my coal stoker for the night.

I would stick with the regular dinosaur gear oil in the gear box,
the red high pressure grease is a good overall grease so no worries there.

I would take your toy out and mow with it before deciding on investing in
the mulching plates. BUT in saying that they will always be there to recut
everything and the brush will not lay on the ditch sides and clog up the ditches
over time.

Docsfarm loves his recutting bars on his Landpride flail mower so if that is any
indication installing them when the mower is not stinky from grass dust and dirt
now would be the time to get them.

BUT dont screw up your shoulder now when you can use hot water and Dawn Dish Soap
to wash the mess out from under it later to install them.

Set your skids one height higher than your rear roller as your roller is going to determine
the mowing height.

The skids are there to protect the rotor and the hammers in case the mower nose dives somewhere.

Use your top link and a bubble level to level the mower at the gearbox and set your hydraulics and lock them in place before mowing to reduce any chance of the mower nose diving before you can stop.


Happy Mowing my dear friend.

Thanks Leon - Ill post later when it is totally assembled and checked out. Weather is turning nasty for a few days, so Ill keep everyone updated. Cant wait to get out and mow, but I want it correct from the start. Learned the hard way on a sickle mower.

Happy holidays all.
Keith

 

[leonz]

Thanks Leon - Ill post later when it is totally assembled and checked out. Weather is turning nasty for a few days, so Ill keep everyone updated. Cant wait to get out and mow, but I want it correct from the start. Learned the hard way on a sickle mower.

Happy holidays all.
Keith

==========================================================================

AH, did the gearbox break the pitman arm on you or did you suffer the ultimate
indignity with the sickle bar pitman arm connection breaking the spline stub at the gearbox
and the pitman arm breaking the sickle stub as well?

 

[powerscol]

When I bought the sickle mower (IH 1300) I was told it was in running condition. Its belt driven, so when I fired it up the first time there was a god awful noise - the wobble head needed rebuilding, bearings were dry. If I had known what I was looking at I could have figured it out ahead of time. Its the last time I bought used from an unknown party.

Linkage arms are assembled, very tight fit on the bolts and bearing selves (very well made), now on to the hoses. They too appear to well put together with two layers of protection. I carefully used my pipe wrench to tighten the spindle nuts. Lubed everything before installing. Maschio has done a good job of keeping these connections neat and simple in their choice of bolts, pins and workmanship. Nothing cheap and everything is graded 8.8 or better. Lock nuts on all connections too in addition to white/gray lock-tite on the threads

However I need more tools - I did not have a big enough box wrench for the nut on the end of the hydraulic cylinder, and I dont have a big enough metric allen wrench to fit the gear box to check the oil, and I cant find my Harbor Freight bit set that should have one that will work. Maybe Ill find it tomorrow - its probably right where I put it.:confused3:

 

[leonz]

When I bought the sickle mower (IH 1300) I was told it was in running condition. Its belt driven, so when I fired it up the first time there was a god awful noise - the wobble head needed rebuilding, bearings were dry. If I had known what I was looking at I could have figured it out ahead of time. Its the last time I bought used from an unknown party.

Linkage arms are assembled, very tight fit on the bolts and bearing selves (very well made), now on to the hoses. They too appear to well put together with two layers of protection. I carefully used my pipe wrench to tighten the spindle nuts. Lubed everything before installing. Maschio has done a good job of keeping these connections neat and simple in their choice of bolts, pins and workmanship. Nothing cheap and everything is graded 8.8 or better. Lock nuts on all connections too in addition to white/gray lock-tite on the threads

However I need more tools - I did not have a big enough box wrench for the nut on the end of the hydraulic cylinder, and I dont have a big enough metric allen wrench to fit the gear box to check the oil, and I cant find my Harbor Freight bit set that should have one that will work. Maybe Ill find it tomorrow - its probably right where I put it.:confused3:

==========================================================================

Hello Powerscol,

I would loan you my set of Metric Allen Wrenches but
I am too far away to help play with your new toy.

About the nut on the end of the cylinder--

Am I correct that the cylinder rod does not have an "EYE"
and it is replaced with a threaded cylinder rod end??????

Forgive my asking again but is there one or more cushion valves????
Did you tell me that it has preset restrictor valves?

Is that cylinder and its threaded rod end for swinging the mowers boom in and out?

I did not look at the pictures you posted yet.

It sounds as if you have everything under control now.

 

[Xfaxman]

---------------------------------------------

However I need more tools - I did not have a big enough box wrench for the nut on the end of the hydraulic cylinder, and I dont have a big enough metric allen wrench to fit the gear box to check the oil, and I cant find my Harbor Freight bit set that should have one that will work. Maybe Ill find it tomorrow - its probably right where I put it.:confused3:

For large metric allen plugs, I use a metric bolt that the head fits into the plug and double nut it.

Loosen with the nut closest to the head, tighten with the nut farthest from the head.

 

[leonz]

For large metric allen plugs, I use a metric bolt that the head fits into the plug and double nut it.

Loosen with the nut closest to the head, tighten with the nut farthest from the head.

View attachment 488578

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That works well too, I always liked the Ringfedder locking ring systems too.

 

[powerscol]

The end of the hydraulic arm is U shaped with a hole through both flange legs where it connects to a pivot point on the swing arms. From the pictures and a similar connection I figured out the washer was a top spacer when fitting over the connection. As the connection also had sides, I was able to lock the nut from turning by wedging a pair of cutters in to fill the gap. It tightened right up. The nut was a lock nut, so everything is good. I did lube the connection up where it rotates before assembling.

I think I have figured out what the 4 brass washers are for - seems strange, but they look to be used when installing the boss hydraulic connections to the cylinders. They show up on the parts diagram. Never run across this before, but will check with IFE in the morning. Most boss connections with the seal installed as part of the fitting, just screw in to a machined female boss unit. Question I have is should I use any lock-tite on the threads. I have the blue stuff available, but not sure if it is compatible with hydraulic fluid - need to read the bottle.

Lousy weather for the next few days, at least down here so Ill get back to it in a few days. Snow up in the mountains :cool2::dance1::cool2::drink:

Thanks for the help

 

[powerscol]

For large metric allen plugs, I use a metric bolt that the head fits into the plug and double nut it.

Loosen with the nut closest to the head, tighten with the nut farthest from the head.

View attachment 488581

Yep everything is metric except the drain and level check plugs being 1/4". Fill plug is 3/8". Chinese made Italian unit :confused3: who knows. But it seems strange the hex allen set I had did not fit as I had the 1/4" one out. Ill find my set of bits tomorrow somewhere (already found 3 missing tools in the process) so all is good. Its the one set I got from Harbor freight that I love as they seem to fit everything I have run across 1 Pc Security Bit Set with Case

 

[Xfaxman]

-----------------

I think I have figured out what the 4 brass washers are for - seems strange, but they look to be used when installing the boss hydraulic connections to the cylinders. They show up on the parts diagram. Never run across this before, but will check with IFE in the morning. Most boss connections with the seal installed as part of the fitting, just screw in to a machined female boss unit. Question I have is should I use any lock-tite on the threads. I have the blue stuff available, but not sure if it is compatible with hydraulic fluid - need to read the bottle.

Lousy weather for the next few days, at least down here so Ill get back to it in a few days. Snow up in the mountains :cool2::dance1::cool2::drink:

Thanks for the help

Read this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kioti-owning-operating/371988-hydraulic-top-link-failure-2.html

The washer does the sealing, do not over tighten. Just snug, if it leaks tighten it some more.

I would never use lock-tite or teflon tape on hydraulic fittings. Only NPT (National Pipe Thread) fittings or other tapered pipe thread fittings, need a hydraulic thread sealent.

 

[powerscol]

Thanks - they are thin and fit loose around the fitting. I guess Ill know when I get the plugs out of the cylinder connections and try the fit. Thanks.

 

[powerscol]

I called Iowa Farm Equipment. Could not have asked for better service. Andrew was out but the parts guy walked me through everything. So far I have everything right, and he gave me a tip on the hose running. I found my bit set :cool2::drink:, but the plug is still a mystery. I did get one fitting to hook up so it would not damage the plug. There is oil in the gear case, but it needs to be topped off, assuming it should just flow out of the hole when full. Still raining outside with snow up high, so will get back to it when the sun comes out and it is not so cold. Thanks for the tip on how to correctly make up the connections - I have a bad habit of getting things too tight.

 

[shaeff]

I just cross referenced the roller bearings (hex bore) on my JD 25A flail to a New Holland #

JD price: $125/ea
NH price: $49/ea

Guess which ones I ordered. They showed up yesterday, purchased from Messick's. Good service, I ordered late Sunday night and they showed up Tuesday! I also grabbed on of the hex bore retaining collars off eBay for about $20 shipped, vs JD price of $43!

Once I get that rear roller moving properly again, I'll find all the rocks on my land in the spring, dig them out (after hitting them), and once they're gone I'll put all new knives on it and start refurbishing or patching the rusted out hood.

Edit: for anyone who wants the part numbers:

JD 25A# for hex bore roller bearing: JD-AE29309-------$125
New Holland # for the very same bearing: 80121602---$49

 

[whirly]

Great find:thumbsup:

JD is always expensive. We needed 4 shims and JD wanted $100 + shipping. Found a pack of 10 elsewhere for $14 shipped.

 

[shaeff]

Great find:thumbsup: JD is always expensive. We needed 4 shims and JD wanted $100 + shipping. Found a pack of 10 elsewhere for $14 shipped.

Thanks! Yeah I hear that!

I'm a deal shopper for sure, one of the o-rings for my Massey 35 Utility was $10, I got a pack of TEN Viton units for $10 shipped elsewhere.

 

[powerscol]

OMG :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool2::cool2:

Everything is hooked up and running, PTO Just fit without trimming. Tight spot is when fully retracted. Weight is not an issue, even fully to the side. Once you get past the start up clank (and shut down) it runs with ZERO vibration. Sounds like a jet. Extension gives me plenty of room to sit on the road and pivot down the slope. I do need to lower the roller as can be seen in the pictures on my test cut with the skids leaving ruts. My son is coming for Thanksgiving and Ill get him to help. I also need to add a restriction to slow down the lowering speed - not a big thing.

 

[whirly]

Let us know what you finally come up with to satisfactorily slow down the lowering of the cutting head. Mine has the same problem and I have just managed to use a finer hand on the spool valve but a restriction would definitely work better.

 

[PRCWI]

OMG :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool2::cool2:

Everything is hooked up and running, PTO Just fit without trimming. Tight spot is when fully retracted. Weight is not an issue, even fully to the side. Once you get past the start up clank (and shut down) it runs with ZERO vibration. Sounds like a jet. Extension gives me plenty of room to sit on the road and pivot down the slope. I do need to lower the roller as can be seen in the pictures on my test cut with the skids leaving ruts. My son is coming for Thanksgiving and Ill get him to help. I also need to add a restriction to slow down the lowering speed - not a big thing.

NICE! I officially have mower envy. I love my Mott SHD88 but I would love the ability to mow my ditches more easily and mow without running over some of what I need to mow. What is the price range on those?