Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[DavesTractor]

No kidding! not only is it two rotors, but it's fine cut on top of it. That's 4x the knives of a regular rough cut mower.

I'd like to sell those mowers, in fact I'd give them away as long as the customer promised to buy the knives from me. Sort of like an inkjet printer....the purchase price is the cheap part.

 

[leonz]

Just discovered that Alamo made a dual rotor flail mower called "Grass Gator". It must not have been very popular because it is no longer produced.

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Man, that would cost a fortune to swap out the knives!

No kidding! not only is it two rotors, but it's fine cut on top of it. That's 4x the knives of a regular rough cut mower.

I'd like to sell those mowers, in fact I'd give them away as long as the customer promised to buy the knives from me. Sort of like an inkjet printer....the purchase price is the cheap part.

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It did not help matters that the previous owner used it as a brush mower and ruined the the thing grass side slicer knives.

You could install the 4 inch heavy heat treated side slicers and have a good flail mower for both good sod and brush mowing.

 

[Ford850]

I've been researching flail mowers some more, and was looking at the Maschio Girafetta and some other Maschio series including offset varieties. I was trying to justify the high cost of these, but figured they are better quality Italian made flails. Then I found they are made in China per the Iowa Farm Equipment sites. Very disappointing. I'm still considering them, but might shift to the Land Pride version of Mascio (pre 2018) or even the new Land Pride flails since they are mainly built or assembled in the USA.

Thanks to all those on here offering feedback on flail mowers - this thread has been a great resource. After verifying these are mostly made in Italy, or USA for the LP, I found a nice Alamo for sale at a dealer. I seriously considered it but after talking to the dealer in detail about what I planned to mow he said I would be disappointed. So a flail is not in the works for me, but I'll be updating my old rotary to a new one sometime soon.

 

[metalbender]

Bought a 60 inch Mateng Chinese verge mower a couple weeks ago. Totally loving it. Have a 1/2 mile drive to the house with a steep 4 to 5 ft ditch on either side. The verge mower is the best solution for cutting. Neighbor did it in the spring with a large bat wing, dropped one wing down, blew dust with the rest of it. I can cut the bottom with the old bush hog, actual brand name, but the sides are too steep to navigate. Also used it vertical to trim some bushes, sweeeet attachment, even came with a slip clutch shaft, worth every penny. Did have to put a splitter valve on the tractor, needed it anyway to run the blower chute and front angle blade without getting out to change hoses around for each operation.

 

[RoyJackson]

Bought a 60 inch Mateng Chinese verge mower a couple weeks ago. Totally loving it. Have a 1/2 mile drive to the house with a steep 4 to 5 ft ditch on either side. The verge mower is the best solution for cutting. Neighbor did it in the spring with a large bat wing, dropped one wing down, blew dust with the rest of it. I can cut the bottom with the old bush hog, actual brand name, but the sides are too steep to navigate. Also used it vertical to trim some bushes, sweeeet attachment, even came with a slip clutch shaft, worth every penny. Did have to put a splitter valve on the tractor, needed it anyway to run the blower chute and front angle blade without getting out to change hoses around for each operation.

I'd like to see pictures of that verge mower...

 

[ericm979]

Also where did you purchase it from?

 

[leonz]

Thanks to all those on here offering feedback on flail mowers - this thread has been a great resource. After verifying these are mostly made in Italy, or USA for the LP, I found a nice Alamo for sale at a dealer. I seriously considered it but after talking to the dealer in detail about what I planned to mow he said I would be disappointed. So a flail is not in the works for me, but I'll be updating my old rotary to a new one sometime soon.

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I would like to know what this dealer told you.


leonz

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

Thanks to all those on here offering feedback on flail mowers - this thread has been a great resource. After verifying these are mostly made in Italy, or USA for the LP, I found a nice Alamo for sale at a dealer. I seriously considered it but after talking to the dealer in detail about what I planned to mow he said I would be disappointed. So a flail is not in the works for me, but I'll be updating my old rotary to a new one sometime soon.

I've had a dealer tell me that, too. I was looking at a Ford 917 and he said that flails are for finish cutting only. He obviously didn't know flails and especially the 917. The 917 you can change over from finish to rough with new hangers, links, blades, and weights (rough cut and fine cut use the same rotor).

If you want rough, get one with heavy side slicers (typically about 6 stations per foot of mower). If you want a good finish get one with about double the the number of lighter side slicers. If you want to do both, get one with duck foot blades or hammers (or airplane wings on the 917). The Ford 917 and JD 25A both use a stamped flat tipped blade that can cut thick stuff, but also leave a flat finish if you go slower (to avoid "waffle" look). The cast/forged hammer blades are best for cutting brush along with leaving a flat (but not golf course fine) finish. If you aren't looking for golf course cut, the rough cut flail is a very good choice. If you want golf course look, the fine cut flail is a very good choice.

 

[JimCan]

"he said I would be disappointed"... This past July, my wife wanted a Bosch dishwasher; partialy because all her firends, who had one, liked it. The dealer sold her on a $1k Kitchen Aid because it, the Bosch, is "a foreign made machine is limited by European rules and does not dry dishes as well". Result: my wife is happy with how it looks and basicaly works, but very unhappy at how the basket holds dishes. Her friends never had a problem with loading dishes.

I mowed 5ac of raw pasture for 20yrs with a couple of different rotary mowers. Perhaps if I had spent some serious money, I would not have gotten large wadds/clumps of cuttings belched all over the place - where the grass did not grow. Maybe if I bought a hay rake and bailer to pick up the mess things would be as good as they are now with a <$2k flail. In my second year, my pasture finally looks like the grass is growing instead of Gum, Beech sapplings and about five types of thick stalk weeds.

Had this mower been sold locally, I think I would have asked to take it home for a test ...('probably would have returned with my checkbook) Around me, other than all the contractors who mow for the county and state, I am the only civilian I have seen with one.

Jim

 

[bruceha2000]

Slight aside:
We have a Bosch dishwasher. SUPER quiet, it has a light that shines on the floor so you know it is running. There is no heating element to dry the dishes but they dry just fine. However OUR machine likes to leave bits of stuff on the glasses, even the insides. Doesn't matter which wash cycle is used. The best way to get rid of those before they harden on as they dry is to take them out as soon as the cycle finishes and wipe them with a towel.

Back to your regularly scheduled flail mower discussion.