Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[leonz]

Hello Plant 175,

You can call Cummings and Bricker in Batavia, NY on Monday to find a Del Morino dealer in or near Wisconsin.

1-585-343- 5411

Happy New Year

 

[Plant 175]

Thank you

 

[leonz]

You are most welcome, Happy New Year.

 

[hornett22]

Disclaimer - we sell these, we also sell 3 other flail brands. We have only been selling these for a few months. Several have gone into small commercial orchards where guys are putting some serious hours on them mowing and shredding small prunings. So far zero issues in the dozen or so we have sold. We have ordered more of them as it seems clear to us that this will be the go-to mower for many folks.

They are well made, well featured, priced fair. If you want something a little more commercial/industrial than most of the China imports (which have their place no doubt) and significantly heavier duty than the Caroni, etc. this is a great way to go. Not everyone needs a heavy duty hydraulic side-shift mower, but if you do this one should be considered.

Most of what Titan sells they make in Tennessee, but these mowers are actually built in India for Titan.

Neil Messick says they're made in Italy. Is that only certain models?

I think I'm going to drive to the factory and talk to someone.

 

[leonz]

Neil Messick says they're made in Italy. Is that only certain models?

I think I'm going to drive to the factory and talk to someone.

No, I don't believe so it is all thier machinery line. Tim from tractor time with tim did a factory tour there and they
had a very long walk through tour show while they were in Italy on vacation.

 

[JethroB]

LeonZ, thanks for your reply and tips. Sad to hear that the nuts, bolts, and hangers may need replacing. Agri Supply is really proud of all the Caroni parts. Big $$$. By my quick calculation if I were to go all in and replace them all along with 56 blades the total is around $1300. May stew on it a while longer. And call Flailmaster. Thanks again.
Jethro

Revisiting my interest in replacing my Y blades now that Spring has arrived. Here’s some photos of my blades. Most have been reversed in the past by others and a few are fairly new. Due to the cost I’m wondering if I would be disappointed with new blades or would it be a WOW moment? (sorry that they posted sideways)
Thanks

 

[JWR]

I see some of your knives have been replaced (nice and square tipped) where others are very worn and rounded. Mine are just like yours mechanically except that mine have a pin with cotter key instead of the bolt holding each clevis in place. Is yours an Alamo ?

So long as it is not vibrating and shaking too badly I would just replace the knives one at a time as they fail or get torn off (or get so badly worn they beg for replacement.) I do not think you would notice any great big change if you replaced all the knives. Obviously it would do a little better, cleaner cut but probably no "Wow." I'd be tempted to cycle through and replace just the very worst worn ones.

Cost ? Hmmm. I have found the knives to be pretty inexpensive at a local JD dealer who provides parts for the WV State Road Alamo flail equipment. They were cheap enough I bought a dozen or so just for spares.

 

[jthibodeau89]

Those look very similar to the Flailmaster FM7 blades I use on my JD 25A flail. Bought a bunch when FM was closing a couple years ago. I mean like 2 complete sets plus blades for my JD 390 flail. It helps that i drive by FM every day on my wayvto anf from work. The FM7'S were like $1 ea at the time. Definitely check out Flail Master for replacement blades. They may even have bearings. LMK if you need assistance with an order or to pick up parts.


View attachment 740314

 

[JethroB]

Those look very similar to the Flailmaster FM7 blades I use on my JD 25A flail. Bought a bunch when FM was closing a couple years ago. I mean like 2 complete sets plus blades for my JD 390 flail. It helps that i drive by FM every day on my wayvto anf from work. The FM7'S were like $1 ea at the time. Definitely check out Flail Master for replacement blades. They may even have bearings. LMK if you need assistance with an order or to pick up parts.


View attachment 740017

Thanks for the offer. Its good to know definitely that Flail Master is still in business. I have a Caroni mower they don’t list in their online catalog but hopefully they will have parts that will fit it. Agri Supply wants about $7-8 per blade.

 

[JWR]

Thanks for the offer. Its good to know definitely that Flail Master is still in business. I have a Caroni mower they don’t list in their online catalog but hopefully they will have parts that will fit it. Agri Supply wants about $7-8 per blade.

Good grief! My Alamo knives are about $1.35 each. That is the heavier "Y" style (there are lighter ones and heavier ones, both stamped steel.) Used in pairs and hung on clevis just like TethroB shows above. Note these are reversible too so JethroB may have some knives he can reverse if they still have plenty of metal in them. Maybe he already has ?

 

[Alien]

I just had to replace my main flail shaft after I hit a stump. Instead of bouncing over it one hammer dug in like an axe and caused the mainshft to bow. $1100.00 for a new one and bearings and a days work for this old bloke. Very heavy.
I also bought a new set of hammers to have on hand. $20.00 each. Cost $480.00. I have re-used the old ones meantime as they sharpened up well. Knives wouldn't last very long here so never considered them.

 

[JethroB]

Good grief! My Alamo knives are about $1.35 each. That is the heavier "Y" style (there are lighter ones and heavier ones, both stamped steel.) Used in pairs and hung on clevis just like TethroB shows above. Note these are reversible too so JethroB may have some knives he can reverse if they still have plenty of metal in them. Maybe he already has ?

Someone in it‘s past reversed them. And an Agri Supply clevis is around $16. ( x 28 stations) Yeow.

 

[JWR]

These are wildly high prices. I would go to the nearest Alamo parts seller (there are many because it dominates the highway / roadside market) and take an old knife from your flail with you. See if they match up and get some prices. At least in north central WVa that happens to be the largest JD dealer in the area. Middltown Tractor. Has to be one not too far from you.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I found this description of flail mowers on the internet a few days ago and I thought it was the best description I have ever seen denoting all the benefits of a flail mower:

FLAIL MOWER​

The flail mower is the best of both worlds. They can handle heavy grasses while also providing a beautifully finished cut. A Flail Mower or a Mulcher does not create windrows rather they leave an evenly distributed mulched bi-product that decomposes quickly and puts many necessary inputs back into the soil. This mulch assists in preventing erosion and improves soil structure and fertility also reducing the chance of disease infestation. Mulching is effective for weed and pest control and over time a mulched paddock will require fewer fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.

Flail Mowers are also very popular in the bush for their ability to create firebreaks and remove fuel loads to help shut down potentially deadly grass fires.

Here is a link to the article if anyone cares to read it:

https://www.sxm.com.au/slasher-mower-mulcher-one-best-job/

 

[Alien]

The wildlife love it when I mow. Plovers, magpies, grass parrots and quail all follow my mowed areas. Must be lots of bugs to gobble up.

 

[papachaz]

Question about balance, bought a new 60" betstco flail. About 3 hours in, I found a piece of concrete with it. I had put the bucket down and thought I had pushed through enough to clear anything, but... so anyway here's what I came across. Mower came with 27oz hammer blades. Betstco is out of stock, so after searching I found some the same size from Titan. The thing is though, these are in the 1 1/2 to 2 oz range heavier each. (I weighed them on a digital kitchen scale, I did take 3 off of it just to check) So I broke one blade all the way out on the end, is that going to throw it out of balance? Do I need to put them on in pairs, opposite sides of the shaft from each other, on each end?

 

[leonz]

YES it will, you have to have an equal weight otherwise the flail mower will be out of balance.

 

[papachaz]

yeah I put two on the end where the broken one came from, it was definitely off balance. Ran out of daylight, I'll put two more on the other end tomorrow. That will give me some extras. I hate to have to order a whole set, just because one broke. It's infuriating because the concrete came from the neighbors busted up driveway, and somehow made it onto our property....thanks for the input! I'm really loving what this thing will do! I wish I'd had rear remotes and could have ordered the articulating bank mower model....for now this one will do, but I already have my eyes on a remote kit and another mower, LOL
thanks for the reply!

 

[JWR]

Question about balance, bought a new 60" betstco flail. About 3 hours in, I found a piece of concrete with it. I had put the bucket down and thought I had pushed through enough to clear anything, but... so anyway here's what I came across. Mower came with 27oz hammer blades. Betstco is out of stock, so after searching I found some the same size from Titan. The thing is though, these are in the 1 1/2 to 2 oz range heavier each. (I weighed them on a digital kitchen scale, I did take 3 off of it just to check) So I broke one blade all the way out on the end, is that going to throw it out of balance? Do I need to put them on in pairs, opposite sides of the shaft from each other, on each end?

You might get by for a while with a balancing scheme like putting same weight hammers on opposite sides BUT particularly when they are the same size and look similar you are just asking for trouble. I'd get the real same-weight hammer blades ASAP and not procrastinate.

 

[CADplans]

You might get by for a while with a balancing scheme like putting same weight hammers on opposite sides BUT particularly when they are the same size and look similar you are just asking for trouble. I'd get the real same-weight hammer blades ASAP and not procrastinate.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm,, how about some Country "Engineering"??
Why not treat those new flails sorta like a rotary lawnmower blade,,,
if the new ones are a little too heavy,, "adjust" the weight with your angle grinder.
Pick a spot that is not too functional, and grind away the excess weight.

All's well that balances well!!