Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[jrsavoie]

There is a Alamo Flail Mower for sale on my Local Craigslist.

Alamo Flail Mower - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Hope not to offend anyone but someone once gave me a heads up on one for sale so I'd like to pass on the favor.

Thanks for the link. Apparently somebody beat me to it. I should have checked in sooner

 

[ddbackhoe]

So, 518 pages later I now feel that I know everything about flail mowers. I thought I needed a flail for quite some time, but couldn't find a decent used one. Then one day, I got a phone call about an ad for a 36" rototiller. Turns out it was a Caroni TL0900 flail mower that the seller said didn't work for crap as a rototiller . I took it home, cleaned it a little and regreased and I became a believer in flail mowers. After reading all these pages, I decided to upgrade and ordered an EFME dual mount from Nova Tractor EFME middle duty flail mower series. Sometime after it gets here, I'm going to play with using it behind the tractor and adapt it to my skidsteer.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a 36" flail, I remember where I left it.

My new flail mower arrived sometime Thursday Here's what I found, after opening the crate, 8 bolts later it was ready to move. Then it rained and rained some more, maybe tomorrow it will actually be removed from the box. One of the warning labels said to read the instructions. They weren't on top so I'm guessing they are underneath.
From What can see it looks decent. The welds are good and they added some bracing to the 3 pt. This one has a comer transmission instead of a gearbox so that the driveshaft will fit either side

 

[Ricn]

When being young, my Dad had empty grease tubes laying all over, white tubes with red letters, not sure of the brand but was what the only auto parts store guys sold so he used it for everything and I don't recall him complaining of lost bearings or other due to grease quality. Now, we have so many brands, types etc. how is anyone to know unless reading TBN?
In my case and for both tractors, excavator, mowers and general grease apps I use Mobil Ultra Duty EP NLGI 2 that my sons give me, it is what they use on their excavators, Cats, trucks, trailers and all else when needing grease. So far, so good for me, no issues over 5 years.

Ricn




















Ricn

 

[KTA CAT KILLER]

Hey ddbackhoe any chance you can upload a picture of the rotor when you get it together. Also I like how they build that to be front mount or rear mount.

 

[jthibodeau89]

How does the Deere 390 compare to the Woodmaxx FM96. I picked up a JD 390 that is basically new for $3500 and wonder if I made a bad choice. I'm pretty sure I can resell the 390 for what I paid for it, but wonder if the Woodmaxx features are that much better for a little lower price. I cut about 15 acres this past weekend, and the 390 is a dream compared to my Bushhog 3210. Cutting hill pasture with 36" grass and a couple overgrown hillsides wth 7' tall briars. Total acreage to mow is about 35 acres. Tractor is a 69HP AGCO Allis 5670 4WD.

 

[leonz]

What you have is a flail mower that is worth almost 10K in United States Dollars new.

There is no comparison between the two, you did not make a bad choice, please do not sell John Deere 390 Flail Mower.

My dad used his ford Jubilee to knock down 12-15 foot goldenrod to reclaim the 12 acres of old pasture he mowed every two weeks in 4 acre blocks.
If and or when you upgrade to or rent a larger mule the John Deere 390 Flail Mower will out last that mule as well and the cut will still be great.

You can leave one of them at a higher height of cut and the other one with a 2 inch cut and you will be able spend even less time mowing if the rain prevents you from mowing.

If you mow in a spiral pattern from the center you will spend even less time mowing as you will not be doing any braking and stopping until you mow the corners. The fastest way to mow the corners is just loop in reverse when you pass over the last un-mowed portion.

When you have sod that has been winter killed you can mow down to 2 inches and have to spend less time mowing for first mowing.

Do not be surprised if you see the bush hog trying to throw rocks at your flail mowers when you are not looking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Happy mowing my friend.

 

[KenB2920]

Changed all 128 flails on my ford 918h..... all brand new. What a pretty site!!!! I cut 8 acres with it and what an awesome job

 

[leonz]

Hello Ken B2920,


I love it when a plan comes together.

 

[jrsavoie]

Changed all 128 flails on my ford 918h..... all brand new. What a pretty site!!!! I cut 8 acres with it and what an awesome job

How much does it cost to change all the flails?

 

[leonz]

Hello jrsavoie,

Generically speaking, the cost to replace knives, knife hangers, nuts and bolts depends on the brand of flail mower, the knife length and the knife width and the number of mounting stations requiring knife pairs in the case of a finish or rough cut flail mower with side slicers like the Vrisomo and the two row Caroni flail mowers.

I need new thatching blades for my Lawn Genie Pickup mower and they are $3.00 each and I need 64 of them-
($192.00+tax+freight) as the 64 thirty eight year old thatching blades look like butter knives they are so worn out on both edges.

Old side slicer knives in good condition or with a few nicks in them can be sharpened with a wet well grinder and the angle guide to set the tool rest be made almost new again.
Over half of my side slicer knives are 35 plus years old so...............
If you have a slow speed wet well grinder(micromark has them for $99.00+tax+shipping) the most you
would have to worry about is the occasional broken mounting strap or sheared off bolt and money to
fill the swear jar if you do not have a good breaker bar,12 point wrench and box ratchet wrench.

Leon

 

[jrsavoie]

Thank you much

 

[ddbackhoe]

Hey ddbackhoe any chance you can upload a picture of the rotor when you get it together. Also I like how they build that to be front mount or rear mount.

yes, that's mud. I found a new soft spot and a missing chunk of concrete with the new mower. No real damage found after either one.

This rotor has 28 cutters (175 width).

 

[KenB2920]

How much does it cost to change all the flails?

This machine was $339. Free shipping from flailmaster with orders over $100.

I actually had a box laying around so I only ordered 100 of them and shipping was only a couple days.

I have 3 flail mowers (and may get more). As mentioned, all flails aren’t equal and therefore vary in price.

Now I just replaced the knives and reused the bolt, nut and retaining clip. The Salesman gave me the price on the bolt which I forget (I think around $3). He then advised it is simply a grade 8 bolt which would be a lot cheaper to buy in bulk locally. The retaining clip is $5..... he and I had a good laugh over that.

This is not the first time I’ve changed or sharpened the blades. But man does it feel and look good having a new set.

I do a good amount of cutting on a wide variety of land / lots. So my flails can tend to get beat up. Some bent, so broke and the rest get dull. They are well made and retain a great edge but unfortunately they don’t like concrete / debris etc. the property I just cut was 3 plus feet high and some a little thicker. The flails still look like new. I’ve cut small lots and they get pretty tore up.

Breaker bar sometimes is the answer. I can typically break them free with my half inch ratchet and open end wrench (bolt size 3/4”). I break it free then use my air ratchet. (I’m waiting on electrical to get finished so I can use my bigger compressor). With that said. It still took about 4 hours I think over 3 days to change them.

I wish I could post photos but it’s not working for me from my phone for some reason.

The ford 917 I have is super easy to change and only has 33 spots (I think). Can change them in about an hour.

My Mott has I think 90ish locations and it is a small nightmare changing them.

 

[leonz]

Hello kenb2920,

Thanks much for keeping all of us up to date with mowing chores and the maintenance required for the high quality of cut everyone deserves and obtains with finish cut flail mowers.

Hello to ddbackhoe, please keep us up to date on your new flail mower and please post some photos of your mowing when you have the time.

 

[Sid Post]

Ok first, I'm getting a bit lost in all the Flail mower information and comments and have only gone through the ~50 pages in this thread! :confused2:

I have a Kubota L4600 and a feral hog ig: rutted 40acre pasture with Sweet Gum saplings trying to take it over along with Golden Rod and various fallen limbs and hidden stumps left behind by the previous owner. My lightweight "bush hog / shredder / rotary cutter" is dieing a slow death. I have also discovered a few rocks and plenty of bricks used for drainage control by the previous owner and apparently as border trim by his wife for long dead bushes and shrubs at various places. I also need a shorter length and less high velocity ejections around the house, barns, vehicles, etc.

From what I have gathered, I need hammers and a reverse 'cutter' to mulch things so I don't end up 'plowing' my yard and pasture with huge clumps of grass and weeds. Plus, I really dislike hitting a large clump of grass with my pickup or UTV. Having some offset to clear the roadside ditch in front of my property (too deep to mow with the bush hog as the front tire of the tractor can't cross it) and the banks of my two ponds. I'm not looking for golf course putting greens around the barns or house as the native grasses in this sandy soil will never look that good and I'm not that picky about the mower finish. I can always trim up around the house with a push mower and string trimmer as well.

Caroni gets lots of love and I'm initially leaning towards a Woodmax 78H (largest Cat 1 3pt). However, I'm wondering about the Persuzzo and Maschio options. The 'articulated' offset options intrique me for their abilities to mow under trees and keep the tractor away from pond bank edges and out of the ditches but, what about trade-offs around corrals, buildings, tight corners, etc.

Then their is the 'pay once cry once' issue of cost and capability. Is a sub-$3K Woodmax a better choice or should I suck it up and step up to a Peruzza/Maschio? :confused3:

 

[Fallon]

Ok first, I'm getting a bit lost in all the Flail mower information and comments and have only gone through the ~50 pages in this thread! :confused2:

I have a Kubota L4600 and a feral hog ig: rutted 40acre pasture with Sweet Gum saplings trying to take it over along with Golden Rod and various fallen limbs and hidden stumps left behind by the previous owner. My lightweight "bush hog / shredder / rotary cutter" is dieing a slow death. I have also discovered a few rocks and plenty of bricks used for drainage control by the previous owner and apparently as border trim by his wife for long dead bushes and shrubs at various places. I also need a shorter length and less high velocity ejections around the house, barns, vehicles, etc.

From what I have gathered, I need hammers and a reverse 'cutter' to mulch things so I don't end up 'plowing' my yard and pasture with huge clumps of grass and weeds. Plus, I really dislike hitting a large clump of grass with my pickup or UTV. Having some offset to clear the roadside ditch in front of my property (too deep to mow with the bush hog as the front tire of the tractor can't cross it) and the banks of my two ponds. I'm not looking for golf course putting greens around the barns or house as the native grasses in this sandy soil will never look that good and I'm not that picky about the mower finish. I can always trim up around the house with a push mower and string trimmer as well.

Caroni gets lots of love and I'm initially leaning towards a Woodmax 78H (largest Cat 1 3pt). However, I'm wondering about the Persuzzo and Maschio options. The 'articulated' offset options intrique me for their abilities to mow under trees and keep the tractor away from pond bank edges and out of the ditches but, what about trade-offs around corrals, buildings, tight corners, etc.

Then their is the 'pay once cry once' issue of cost and capability. Is a sub-$3K Woodmax a better choice or should I suck it up and step up to a Peruzza/Maschio? :confused3:

Any options on a flail will leave a smooth clean cut with no clumps. My old 917 had the side slicer inverted Y knives & my new Peruzzo has big hammers. Both leave a smooth even carpet of clippings with no clumps. All flails you are going to look at are going to spin the opposite of the tractor wheels when going forward. Some commercial right of way clearing mowers spin "forward" to eject solid trash, but not many.

Heavy hammers deal with brush & woody stuff better. I suspect the bigger frontal surface of the hammers causes more drag than the side slicers in heavy grass. I think the Peruzzo taxes the tractor a bit more in grass than the 917 did. But it's not that bad.

The 917 & side slicers did ok in fingersized brush, but topped out on 1/2" material. It would do decent on 1-2" dead dry limbs though. The lighter knives tend to bounce off heavier thick stuff. Which isnt actually a bad thing if you run into rocks & bricks.

A Peruzzo Super Bull 2200 with a 87" working width will run you over $7k (probably more these days with the trade wars spinning up). The hydraulic side shift is nice. With side shift & HST I can get really close to things safely. Interesting note, I MAY have gotten to wide of a flail. My L4060 couldn't properly lift the 1920lbs pallet until I pulled off the PTO shaft & packing. 30-40 hours on it & I'm still on the fence, so it's not that bad for being oversized. I do wish for more HP in heavy grass. The smaller bulls have optional, not standard side shift.

The steel is thick & heavy, side shift is nice, zeros are well placed & protected. But is it worth 2-3 times what the others are? Duno. I dont regret getting it, but wonder if I could have gotten by with a WoodMaxx, which was my 2nd choice. I do side work mowing & 3-8 hours a week of mowing during the spring & summer.

I found Peruzzo the only option under $10k rated for 2" material & geared towards commercial type usage instead of homeowner or farm/ranch class.
PTO Hydraulic Offset Flail Mowers -- Iowa Farm Equipment

 

[leonz]

Ok first, I'm getting a bit lost in all the Flail mower information and comments and have only gone through the ~50 pages in this thread! :confused2:

I have a Kubota L4600 and a feral hog ig: rutted 40acre pasture with Sweet Gum saplings trying to take it over along with Golden Rod and various fallen limbs and hidden stumps left behind by the previous owner. My lightweight "bush hog / shredder / rotary cutter" is dying a slow death. I have also discovered a few rocks and plenty of bricks used for drainage control by the previous owner and apparently as border trim by his wife for long dead bushes and shrubs at various places. I also need a shorter length and less high velocity ejections around the house, barns, vehicles, etc.

From what I have gathered, I need hammers and a reverse 'cutter' to mulch things so I don't end up 'plowing' my yard and pasture with huge clumps of grass and weeds. Plus, I really dislike hitting a large clump of grass with my pickup or UTV. Having some offset to clear the roadside ditch in front of my property (too deep to mow with the bush hog as the front tire of the tractor can't cross it) and the banks of my two ponds. I'm not looking for golf course putting greens around the barns or house as the native grasses in this sandy soil will never look that good and I'm not that picky about the mower finish. I can always trim up around the house with a push mower and string trimmer as well.

Caroni gets lots of love and I'm initially leaning towards a Woodmax 78H (largest Cat 1 3pt). However, I'm wondering about the Persuzzo and Maschio options. The 'articulated' offset options intrique me for their abilities to mow under trees and keep the tractor away from pond bank edges and out of the ditches but, what about trade-offs around corrals, buildings, tight corners, etc.

Then there is the "pay once cry once" issue of cost and capability. Is a sub-$3K Woodmax a better choice or should I suck it up and step up to a Peruzzo or Maschio? :confused3:

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


Hello Mr. Post,


Like many folks that have to or wish to make a decision on what "you" need for a mowing implement.
you are stuck deciding on what type of mower you want to use and knowing what work you have to do with the mower you choose.


A boom mounted flail mower provides you with the best of both worlds as you can accomplish all your mowing tasks with it directly behind the mule in the center line as long as you have the right sized unit for your mule and the mule is properly ballasted with loaded rears and perhaps suitcase weights.

The folks at Iowa Farm Equipment can help you with more information about side shifting boom mowers/verge mowers.

You will want to look at the Italian made Del Morino Flail mowers offered by everything attachments as well. Del Morino has several other importers and resellers of thier farm machinery here in the United States.

 

[otus_branch]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I visited TBN, and even longer since I posted. Searching for info about flail mowers led me back here, and I've now read the first 64 and final five or so pages of this impressive thread.

I hope to order a flail in the next few weeks. Will go with new, as the Craigslist and Facebook used options seem sparse and what's out there is not a good fit for my Kubota L-39. Incidentally, this will be the first PTO-driven implement for my 'bota. Everything up until this point (~500 hours) has been TLB work. The mower's mission will be to tackle tall grass, multiflora rose, barberry, and even some poplar seedlings (sub-2") in a long-neglected field. A superfine cut or particularly pretty turf are not as important to me as durability and brush-cutting. I'd like a 6' mower as a minimum, but would be open to a 7-footer if my tractor is up to the task. Ground is rocky, so knife replacement will probably have to happen with some frequency.

Although the prices on the Caroni are quite a bit higher than they were when this thread began, it still seems like the best bang for the buck for a brush/grass cutting flail, as posted here: Flail Mower, Rear Flail Mower TM19 | Caroni 3837

The only other new options I am seeing anywhere near the price range of the Caroni are the Del Morino options from Tractor Tool Direct. I imagine that the L-39 could easily drive the TM 73, and perhaps could drive the TM 84 if ground speed is kept very slow? Prices for the TM 73 are $500 over the Caroni, and their TL 84 costs $1500 more than the Caroni 73", as can be seen here:
Tractor Tools Direct | Product Tags | Flail Mowers

Here is what I am thinking about relative benefits and disadvantages. I'd appreciate the perspectives of any experienced users still hanging in there after 500+ pages:

Caroni 73" - Long track record of successful importation and use here. I will grease the heck out of it, and imagine it should provide good service. It's also the cheapest option.

Del Morino TM 73 - Although Tractor Tools Direct claims this is a heavier duty unit, it weighs less than the Caroni. Parts availability and support would all be on a company that is (I think?) considerably smaller than Agri-Supply.

Del Morino TL 84 - While the parts and support concerns/questions remain with Tractor Tools Direct, this unit looks of interest for several reasons. For one, I think an 84" unit would make best use of the L-39's engine at PTO speeds, compared to a 72" unit. With the length of grass and size of brush I have to chop, I won't be running the PTO slower than 540 rpm I imagine, so why not buy an implement that makes use of every bit of engine power? As long as I can mow in third gear or so (the L-39 has 12 forward speeds), I would be happy. If I need to gear down all the way to first, I'd have regrets though. Also, this TL 84 has an adjustable (though not hydraulic) side-shift option that looks like it could add versatility. On the other hand, budget concerns make a $1500 price bump non-trivial in my world. Like many TBN members, I have a SWMBO better half who does not always appreciate the urgency of farm progress...

On-edit, I re-read Sid's post above, and looked at this Woodmaxx as a possible option at a very competitive price, though not available until September according to their website:
FM-78 Flail Mower | Tractor Flail Mower | PTO Mower Attachment | -WoodMaxx™
and if I were to go with hydraulic side-shift (since I already have rear remotes on my L-39), the Woodmaxx becomes even more attractive in price (cheaper than even the Caroni with hydraulic kit), and the reduced width becomes less of a concern: FM-78H Flail Mower | Flail Mower Attachment | Tractor Mower | PTO Mower | -WoodMaxx™

Anyone here have a Del Morino or Woodmaxx? I'd love to hear first-hand experiences before ordering one of these three possible models,

-otus

 

[otus_branch]

Just found this Caroni vs. Woodmaxx thread here:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/377434-caroni-tm1900-flail-mower-vs.html

Will read now...

-otus

 

[leonz]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I visited TBN, and even longer since I posted. Searching for info about flail mowers led me back here, and I've now read the first 64 and final five or so pages of this impressive thread.

I hope to order a flail in the next few weeks. Will go with new, as the Craigslist and Facebook used options seem sparse and what's out there is not a good fit for my Kubota L-39. Incidentally, this will be the first PTO-driven implement for my 'bota. Everything up until this point (~500 hours) has been TLB work. The mower's mission will be to tackle tall grass, multiflora rose, barberry, and even some poplar seedlings (sub-2") in a long-neglected field. A superfine cut or particularly pretty turf are not as important to me as durability and brush-cutting. I'd like a 6' mower as a minimum, but would be open to a 7-footer if my tractor is up to the task. Ground is rocky, so knife replacement will probably have to happen with some frequency.

Although the prices on the Caroni are quite a bit higher than they were when this thread began, it still seems like the best bang for the buck for a brush/grass cutting flail, as posted here: Flail Mower, Rear Flail Mower TM19 | Caroni 3837

The only other new options I am seeing anywhere near the price range of the Caroni are the Del Morino options from Tractor Tool Direct. I imagine that the L-39 could easily drive the TM 73, and perhaps could drive the TM 84 if ground speed is kept very slow? Prices for the TM 73 are $500 over the Caroni, and their TL 84 costs $1500 more than the Caroni 73", as can be seen here:
Tractor Tools Direct | Product Tags | Flail Mowers

Here is what I am thinking about relative benefits and disadvantages. I'd appreciate the perspectives of any experienced users still hanging in there after 500+ pages:

Caroni 73" - Long track record of successful importation and use here. I will grease the heck out of it, and imagine it should provide good service. It's also the cheapest option.

Del Morino TM 73 - Although Tractor Tools Direct claims this is a heavier duty unit, it weighs less than the Caroni. Parts availability and support would all be on a company that is (I think?) considerably smaller than Agri-Supply.

Del Morino TL 84 - While the parts and support concerns/questions remain with Tractor Tools Direct, this unit looks of interest for several reasons. For one, I think an 84" unit would make best use of the L-39's engine at PTO speeds, compared to a 72" unit. With the length of grass and size of brush I have to chop, I won't be running the PTO slower than 540 rpm I imagine, so why not buy an implement that makes use of every bit of engine power? As long as I can mow in third gear or so (the L-39 has 12 forward speeds), I would be happy. If I need to gear down all the way to first, I'd have regrets though. Also, this TL 84 has an adjustable (though not hydraulic) side-shift option that looks like it could add versatility. On the other hand, budget concerns make a $1500 price bump non-trivial in my world. Like many TBN members, I have a SWMBO better half who does not always appreciate the urgency of farm progress...

On-edit, I re-read Sid's post above, and looked at this Woodmaxx as a possible option at a very competitive price, though not available until September according to their website:
FM-78 Flail Mower | Tractor Flail Mower | PTO Mower Attachment | -WoodMaxx兌/url]
and if I were to go with hydraulic side-shift (since I already have rear remotes on my L-39), the Woodmaxx becomes even more attractive in price (cheaper than even the Caroni with hydraulic kit), and the reduced width becomes less of a concern: [url=http://www.woodmaxx.com/FM_78H_Flail_Mower_p/fm-78h.htm]FM-78H Flail Mower | Flail Mower Attachment | Tractor Mower | PTO Mower | -WoodMaxx兌/url]

Anyone here have a Del Morino or Woodmaxx? I'd love to hear first-hand experiences before ordering one of these three possible models,

-otus

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


Just for the sake of knowing more about these machines and your piece of mind:

You do not want to grease the heck out of these machines. 4-6 pumps every 6 or so hours of mowing is all you need unless you plant on mowing for longer periods of time as they are selaed on one side and you need to prevent blowing out the seal in the inboard side.


My father used a Ford Jubilee and a JD25A 7 foot finish flail Mower to bring down and mulch 12-156 foot goldenrod and thick stalked weeds when he reclaimed 12 acres of overgrown pasture that we owned.

Before that my father used his motorized 36 inch lawn genie pick up mower to mow a continuous jogging path for my mother that ran around the "perimeter" of the 12 acres down to 2 inches in height so she would not have to run on the local road for excercise

If you do not want a finish cut you have narrowed down your choices considerably. The best thing to do is contact Everything Attachments and Iowa farm Equipment and ask if they would be so kind as to provide any contact information for persons that have purchased these implements that you could talk to about them as you are contemplating purchasing one or the other.

IF your worried about price The smallest Del Morino Mounted Flail mower from EA or the Peruzzo boom mounted mower(from Iowa Farm Equipment) will give you more flexibility simply because of thier range of motion and increased potential for income from mowing contracting work.

The Peruzzo Girafetta and its bigger brothers have cast hammer flails and have a stronger knife versus the Delmorino Orchard and Vineyard mowers that have the very heavy heat treated side slicer knives both of which provide a very good mowing result.

Please keep in mind that many good used John Deere 25A, 290, 390 model flail mowers come up for sale and they are an excellent option for your needs as well as they will let you mow right down to 2 inches in height with little trouble.

Many equipment resellers also place excess new and used equipment up for sale on tractor house and auction time.


It may be much more beneficial to invest in a used 25A, 290 or 390 for now to get used to these fine flail mowers and go from there; and if you decide to add a second implement a small boom mounted unit from Del Morino or Peruzzo it will let you have a more versatile implement for your use and for a potentional second source of income from mowing.

AND these fine implements will out last your current mule and also work very well if you decide to trade in the current mule and go to a larger engine and frame size/implement carrier.







I am not trying to cloud the issue I just want you to be an informed consumer of information.