Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[innrkid]

Hello ND2Fire,

Before you waste any money call Iowa Farm Equipment as ask
about the Italian Del Morino boom flail mowers they carry as a
product line. They will ship them directly to you from Iowa.

Leonz, I may be wrong but I don't think Iowa Farm Equipment carries Del Morino. They do carry Maschio. I purchased my Del Morino out of Indiana from Bane Welker. I had to call the distributor to find a dealer! Not very efficient.

 

[bandit67]

I want to change out my "B" type blades on my Caroni 1600 to "P" type to see if I can get a slightly finer cut on my field grass lawn area, and also actually use the mower on the small portion of regular lawn that I have. The P type blades leave a bit too rough of a cut for my taste, and don't work very well on the regular lawn area. I found the more expensive Hardonite treated blades at HardHitter.com that are about $150 cheaper for the full set than the Caroni blades at TractorToolsDirect.com. Overall length of the Hard Hitter blades is 1/2" shorter than the Caroni's, and the shackle hole is 3/4" vs 9/16" on the Caroni. With the price difference, if I am not completely happy with the cut of the new blades, I'm not out a whole lot of money.

Are the Hard Hitter blades close enough in size to work? Assuming the slightly larger shackle hole won't matter much due to the rotational speed of the rotor?

GE709-D with Hardonite Fits: Dandl/Flory/Vrisimo/J.D./Rears/Befco
Thickness: 1/8"
Width: 2 3/4"
Length: 2 3/4"
Hole Diameter: 3/4"

Caroni blade:
Width: 2 7/8"
Length: 3 1/4"
Hole Diameter: 9/16" x 1" (oval)

 

[IslandTractor]

I want to change out my "B" type blades on my Caroni 1600 to "P" type to see if I can get a slightly finer cut on my field grass lawn area, and also actually use the mower on the small portion of regular lawn that I have. The P type blades leave a bit too rough of a cut for my taste, and don't work very well on the regular lawn area. I found the more expensive Hardonite treated blades at HardHitter.com that are about $150 cheaper for the full set than the Caroni blades at TractorToolsDirect.com. Overall length of the Hard Hitter blades is 1/2" shorter than the Caroni's, and the shackle hole is 3/4" vs 9/16" on the Caroni. With the price difference, if I am not completely happy with the cut of the new blades, I'm not out a whole lot of money.

Are the Hard Hitter blades close enough in size to work? Assuming the slightly larger shackle hole won't matter much due to the rotational speed of the rotor?

GE709-D with Hardonite Fits: Dandl/Flory/Vrisimo/J.D./Rears/Befco
Thickness: 1/8"
Width:2 3/4"
Length:2 3/4"
Hole Diameter:3/4"

Caroni blade:
Width:2 7/8"
Length:3 1/4"
Hole Diameter:9/16" x 1" (oval)

I've never used P type blades but I'm skeptical regarding their ability to give you a significantly better cut. The issue is more the number of blades on the rotor. The B rotor has about half as many blade mounts as a finish rotor.

And, if you do proceed with your experiment then use a sawzall to cut off the old bolts. Unscrewing bolts that have damaged threads is a nightmare.

 

[bandit67]

OK, I agree with your point about the F rotor for finish mowing vs. the B rotor that I have.

I did find a review on another forum posted by a member that purchased the TM1900 with the B rotor. I have the TM1600 with B rotor. He HATED the cut quality of the B blades and was ready to return the mower, until he switched to the P blades and found it to be a night and day difference in cut quality, and at twice the tractor ground speed as with the B blades. The slow speed I've had to mow at to get a decent cut has been another complaint I've had.

So, I am going to give it a try. Upon further research, I found that the Hard Hitter blades will not work because the mounting hole is too small to fit over the Caroni shackle. FlailMaster has 2 slightly different B type blades that will work, so I will give one of those a try.

I'll report back in a month or two after I've had a chance to mow with the new blades.

 

[IslandTractor]

Bandit you might consider changing the Caroni supplied metric clevises for the 3/8" from Flailmaster. I will point out that you would need to modify the Flailmaster clevises with a grinder and a big vise to squeeze them but I've done that on my Caroni and much prefer the tougher Flailmaster clevises. If you don't have a rocky environment you might not see the benefit.

 

[bandit67]

We grow a lot of rocks out here, but I try to keep them under control and the original knives still are in good shape after 5 seasons of mowing - of course I'm only looking at 2-3 mowings per season since I tend to let the field grasses grow longer because we can go a month at a time without rain come July. Most of the growth occurs April, May, & June. A little different out here than where I grew up in New England.

Clevis bolt threads look to be in great shape also, so I should be able to change the new blades out without too much issue. I figure I'll keep the cost under control and just buy the new knives to see if I agree with that one particular review. They're inexpensive enough that I will probably order at least a half dozen spares.

 

[N2DFire]

N2DFire, You've obviously already done a lot of investigating but I'll make a few comments. First, I would personally go for the 165 with a CK35. You might need to go a bit slower in the heavy patches but the extra width will be appreciated when doing ditches etc. A CK35 is about as heavy as a Kubota or Deere 40hp tractor (just estimating) so it's not like the 165 is going to be a tail wagging the dog.

Flail hammers are going to give you a MUCH finer cut than any RC bush hog type mower. Probably not quite what a finish mower will provide but close. That said, I have Y blades on my Caroni TM1900 and I've never wished I had hammers or scoops. The Y knives on clevis hangers do a fine job with brush and grass. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for hammers.

I've only heard of Bestco flails here on TBN but I haven't heard of anything bad. My main concern with the Chinese flails is with the importer and whether they will be in business ten or twenty years from now. The Italian and US brands are much better established so supplies are less likely to be an issue in the future.

Regarding price, if you go with the 165 and have evidence on Ebay that they sold the 165 for a discount then point that out and see if they'd like to sell another for the same price.

Thanks IT, It does show on their E-bay sales history what they accepted & the auction has a "Make Offer" option. My only concern with the 165 is I'm about 200 lbs below their recommended weight (roughly 4200 lbs including loaded tires & FEL by my calcs.) but I don't plan to be mowing anything like hedgerows where the mower is ever extended AND unsupported so I think you're right on the 165.

Hello ND2Fire,

Before you waste any money call Iowa Farm Equipment as ask
about the Italian Del Morino boom flail mowers they carry as a
product line. They will ship them directly to you from Iowa.

Leonz, I may be wrong but I don't think Iowa Farm Equipment carries Del Morino. They do carry Maschio. I purchased my Del Morino out of Indiana from Bane Welker. I had to call the distributor to find a dealer! Not very efficient.

leonnz & innrkid
Thanks for the recommendations. I will check into both of those brands / dealers as well.

Right now I'm fighting the "inner tightwad" that doesn't want to spend a lot and he's using the argument that I'll be 45 this year and
1) For all my life we managed with a RC so why change now?
and
2) Just how many more years will I be able to mow & look after this place anyway? My son doesn't live near here and as of yet shows no interest in moving here & taking on the "family home place" so at some point I'll either have to pay someone just to look after it or let it go.

It's just a small "hobby farm" and the cattle aren't even ours. We've "leased" the hay field to a dairy down the road & my uncles / grandfather pasture a few cattle here in the spring & summer months. Mostly I just go up some nights & weekends to visit Mom & Dad, "piddle", and get away from the real world for a while. For me this would be more toy than tool.

Thank you all for the information & input. It is much appreciated.

 

[leonz]

Check with the New York DOT and Virginia DOT with regard to surplus auctions
they have lots of mowers with boom mounted flails that are used seasonally ONLY and
are a bargain when you look at the cost of new mule power.

Check with NYDOT on the states home page first as they will have auctions several times a year
for surplus mules and mowers.

 

[innrkid]

Thanks IT, It does show on their E-bay sales history what they accepted & the auction has a "Make Offer" option. My only concern with the 165 is I'm about 200 lbs below their recommended weight (roughly 4200 lbs including loaded tires & FEL by my calcs.) but I don't plan to be mowing anything like hedgerows where the mower is ever extended AND unsupported so I think you're right on the 165.






leonnz & innrkid
Thanks for the recommendations. I will check into both of those brands / dealers as well.

Right now I'm fighting the "inner tightwad" that doesn't want to spend a lot and he's using the argument that I'll be 45 this year and
1) For all my life we managed with a RC so why change now?
and
2) Just how many more years will I be able to mow & look after this place anyway? My son doesn't live near here and as of yet shows no interest in moving here & taking on the "family home place" so at some point I'll either have to pay someone just to look after it or let it go.

It's just a small "hobby farm" and the cattle aren't even ours. We've "leased" the hay field to a dairy down the road & my uncles / grandfather pasture a few cattle here in the spring & summer months. Mostly I just go up some nights & weekends to visit Mom & Dad, "piddle", and get away from the real world for a while. For me this would be more toy than tool.

Thank you all for the information & input. It is much appreciated.

N2D--
We may be brothers! Same internal arguments I had, similar property (leased and getaway) and the age question combined with long term ownership vs liquidation. I am a lot older than you and I have spent more money on 'this will get me by' things than I care to admit. My decision was based on not wanting another rusting hulk that barely met my minimum requirements vs investing in the right level of quality and resale value. Each of us is different, I get it...just do what you won't regret in the long run and you will be fine. By the way, I am blown away by how smooth (no vibration and quiet) the product is that I ended up purchasing. I couldn't be happier that I didn't settle.
I only share this not based on the brand I purchased, simply the notion of buying for today...tomorrow comes soon enough.
Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[powerscol]

Had a fantastic day yesterday. New neighbors moved in next door and were trying to mow their fields with a big zero turn mower. The key word here is trying. I have been looking for an excuse, so with a bit of help (shoulder surgery) I got my Mascio Giraffetta 160 SE hooked up. Started out a little timid, but once I got going it was beautiful music to my ears, The hum of grass being cut and the crunch of the saplings. One acre was very heavy in grass and cattails. Mower and tractor mowed through it with ease. It was also cool to swing it out over the irrigation ditches and just trim everything down. Did a pretty good job of mulching, but I am still wanting to add the counter blades to make it a bit finer. I did learn a few truicks on the corners (pick it up slightly) so the skids dont dig in. Also mow so wind does not blow everything back on to you :shocked::laughing: After cutting I inspected the unit - some paint off the hammers, but that was it.

Went well and I made good friends with them. They sent their son over to mow my small back yard as barter.

So far it is a good match for my tractor and does a pretty decent cut.
Keith

 

[biodegraded]

Can someone identify the make/model of this flail that showed up on the local craigslist?

 

[shaeff]

99.9% sure that's a Mott. GREAT mowers!

 

[biodegraded]

Thanks. Given a make to search on, it does indeed look like a Mott of some kind. The owner says it's a 6 footer and "has new knives". Wants $1200. He's not even that far away as things go hereabouts - about an hour.

Edit note: Never mind - he sold it earlier today. So it goes.

 

[innrkid]

Had a fantastic day yesterday. New neighbors moved in next door and were trying to mow their fields with a big zero turn mower. The key word here is trying. I have been looking for an excuse, so with a bit of help (shoulder surgery) I got my Mascio Giraffetta 160 SE hooked up. Started out a little timid, but once I got going it was beautiful music to my ears, The hum of grass being cut and the crunch of the saplings. One acre was very heavy in grass and cattails. Mower and tractor mowed through it with ease. It was also cool to swing it out over the irrigation ditches and just trim everything down. Did a pretty good job of mulching, but I am still wanting to add the counter blades to make it a bit finer. I did learn a few truicks on the corners (pick it up slightly) so the skids dont dig in. Also mow so wind does not blow everything back on to you :shocked::laughing: After cutting I inspected the unit - some paint off the hammers, but that was it.

Went well and I made good friends with them. They sent their son over to mow my small back yard as barter.

So far it is a good match for my tractor and does a pretty decent cut.
Keith

Keith, Thanks for the update and tips. As you know I ended up going with the Del Morino and I can't wait until something grows around here! I did find my new tractor needed a linkage adjustment in the hydraulics which I will tackle this weekend. I did sneak out and mow some thorny old raspberry bushes. Incredible experience.
You were a great help in my decision, so, thanks again!

 

[IslandTractor]

Keith, Thanks for the update and tips. As you know I ended up going with the Del Morino and I can't wait until something grows around here! I did find my new tractor needed a linkage adjustment in the hydraulics which I will tackle this weekend. I did sneak out and mow some thorny old raspberry bushes. Incredible experience.
You were a great help in my decision, so, thanks again!

So far everyone seems to love their Italian made flail mowers whether Caroni, Mascio or Del Morino. I suspect that some of the OEM branded flails are Italian made too.

As best I can tell the Italians focus on and have mastered what I'd call medium duty flails. They sell for thousands less than the heavier duty "highway maintenance" flails sold by the big US manufacturers and the Italian medium duty mowers seem to handle all types of pasture/field and light/medium brush mowing with aplomb. They cost a bit more than the Chinese knockoffs (which also seem to work well in medium duty service).

Forza Italia!!!

 

[leonz]

Had a fantastic day yesterday. New neighbors moved in next door and were trying to mow their fields with a big zero turn mower. The key word here is trying. I have been looking for an excuse, so with a bit of help (shoulder surgery) I got my Mascio Giraffetta 160 SE hooked up. Started out a little timid, but once I got going it was beautiful music to my ears, The hum of grass being cut and the crunch of the saplings. One acre was very heavy in grass and cattails. Mower and tractor mowed through it with ease. It was also cool to swing it out over the irrigation ditches and just trim everything down. Did a pretty good job of mulching, but I am still wanting to add the counter blades to make it a bit finer. I did learn a few tricks on the corners (pick it up slightly) so the skids dont dig in. Also mow so wind does not blow everything back on to you :shocked::laughing: After cutting I inspected the unit - some paint off the hammers, but that was it.

Went well and I made good friends with them. They sent their son over to mow my small back yard as barter.

So far it is a good match for my tractor and does a pretty decent cut.
Keith

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


I am glad when a plan comes together and there is one less rotary cutter being used to mow heavy brush.


Yay!!!!

 

[powerscol]

Keith, Thanks for the update and tips. As you know I ended up going with the Del Morino and I can't wait until something grows around here! I did find my new tractor needed a linkage adjustment in the hydraulics which I will tackle this weekend. I did sneak out and mow some thorny old raspberry bushes. Incredible experience.
You were a great help in my decision, so, thanks again!

That is what is great about this place - the sharing of good information. Everyday as I read different threads, I learn something new. I don't think I helped much as a lot of what I know came for LEONZ...which I am told may be dangerous
May your grass grow tall so you can mow.
Thanks for the thoughts

 

[powerscol]

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


I am glad when a plan comes together and there is one less rotary cutter being used to mow heavy brush.


Yay!!!!

Leonz - I want to thank you for all the advice and discussion, including the possible down sides to my quest. You have a way of making folks think - that's a good thing. I was also lucky to find a dealer that knows their product. MY local sources could order, but knew nothing of the actual units I was looking at. Iowa Farm Equipment went to the trouble of mounting two mowers up to a tractor to get the actual offset measurements. As you know for an offset ditch bank mower it is critical that the pivot point of the mower be outside of the rear tire so you not driving down the bank, For my tractor I actually clear by 6". I found that by mowing in the offset position I could just follow the inside edge of the mowed path and be able to not have any missed grass. I also discovered that when lifted and offset I am still very stable. I dropped into a ditch that was covered up and I got no real tipping sensation.

So to leonz, Island Tractor, and the many other folks here that help me make an informed decision - Thank You

 

[innrkid]

Leonz - I want to thank you for all the advice and discussion, including the possible down sides to my quest. You have a way of making folks think - that's a good thing. I was also lucky to find a dealer that knows their product. MY local sources could order, but knew nothing of the actual units I was looking at. Iowa Farm Equipment went to the trouble of mounting two mowers up to a tractor to get the actual offset measurements. As you know for an offset ditch bank mower it is critical that the pivot point of the mower be outside of the rear tire so you not driving down the bank, For my tractor I actually clear by 6". I found that by mowing in the offset position I could just follow the inside edge of the mowed path and be able to not have any missed grass. I also discovered that when lifted and offset I am still very stable. I dropped into a ditch that was covered up and I got no real tipping sensation.

So to leonz, Island Tractor, and the many other folks here that help me make an informed decision - Thank You

Plus 1

All three of you were invaluable. I am looking forward to sharing a video once things get to green around here.

 

[innrkid]

So far everyone seems to love their Italian made flail mowers whether Caroni, Mascio or Del Morino. I suspect that some of the OEM branded flails are Italian made too.

As best I can tell the Italians focus on and have mastered what I'd call medium duty flails. They sell for thousands less than the heavier duty "highway maintenance" flails sold by the big US manufacturers and the Italian medium duty mowers seem to handle all types of pasture/field and light/medium brush mowing with aplomb. They cost a bit more than the Chinese knockoffs (which also seem to work well in medium duty service).

Forza Italia!!!

Island, I am overly pleased with the construction. When this thing spools up it's like it's not even there--quiet, smooth and very precise. I think the Italians are indeed on to something. Del Morino has been around for 130 years...I would hope they have it figured out!