Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[Fallon]

I see that as a desperate attempt to sell you a partial piece of equipment. Stay away from it unless you have a good means of replacing the roller which will be expensive. With that approach by the seller I'd have to assume the mower is beat up badly overall. And trying to operate the mower without roller is just a path to disaster. You'd be replacing knives constantly. Anything MIGHT be done. Should you? Good heavens NO !

I concur. A rear roller is key for a flail. Without it, things won't ever be level ir smooth. The only exception would be one if the few flails with a pair of rear wheels instead of a roller.

 

[JethroB]

I see that as a desperate attempt to sell you a partial piece of equipment. Stay away from it unless you have a good means of replacing the roller which will be expensive. With that approach by the seller I'd have to assume the mower is beat up badly overall. And trying to operate the mower without roller is just a path to disaster. You'd be replacing knives constantly. Anything MIGHT be done. Should you? Good heavens NO !

I agree. With every bump or dip either the skids or blades will be in the dirt. I lift mine off the roller occasionally in rough terrain. It gives a very poor cut then.

 

[Number15]

Please keep us informed as to what you determine was the cause and fix for it.

Just an update. I replaced the belts, it was an easy process. Set them to manufacturers spec and have used the flail for about 3 hours now.
The fields I mowed was denser than the one it had the belts fail on. Happy to report everything is working as it should. I rechecked tension and belts are still good so no stretch so far. Lesson learned, always check belt tension on new equipment.

 

[LouNY]

Looking for input here on operating a flail mower without the rear roller. Seller has heavy duty flail mower 84" wide he thinks is an Italian model with the two-part "Y" style blades but the rear roller was ripped off many years ago. Seller says he 'floats' the mower a few inches above ground with his 3pt hitch without issue so he never replaced the roller. Says it does better without the roller when backing up on brush too. I'd be using it to knock down tall clump grass and keep cedar seedlings at bay around the ranch in central Texas. Definitely not looking for golf-course cutting but I wonder if without a roller I'd just be asking for trouble.

As long as you don't have a problem keeping it out of the dirt and are going for a taller cut I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Most likely wouldn't be the easiest to get set up and use. If you try it out and see how it works for you you'd have a better ideal.
A person could add a piece of 3-4 pipe with a couple of stub shafts and bearings or even a couple of wheels to maintain level.
The Y blades aren't really designed for brush work but will in smaller stuff.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Just an update. I replaced the belts, it was an easy process. Set them to manufacturers spec and have used the flail for about 3 hours now.
The fields I mowed was denser than the one it had the belts fail on. Happy to report everything is working as it should. I rechecked tension and belts are still good so no stretch so far. Lesson learned, always check belt tension on new equipment.

Thanks for reporting back Number15. I have made a mental note to check mine as well when I get it this year. By the way, how does it cut?

 

[Number15]

Thanks for reporting back Number15. I have made a mental note to check mine as well when I get it this year. By the way, how does it cut?

Cuts great. I love this flail. I also have a Sicma ditch bank flail, but I like the cut of the Befco better. They both have hammers so I don't really know why the Befco is better. The Sicma has much better reach though, but that's to be expected. I can also run the Sicma vertical if needed.

The Befco has about 16" of side shift which is pretty good for cutting without flattening grass with the wheels. Also I push this flail so I get the grass before I run over it

 

[JWR]

Beauty of a setup.. what is that low cg machine ? Is that an Aebi ?

 

[Number15]

Beauty of a setup.. what is that low cg machine ? Is that an Aebi ?

It's an Antonio Carraro ttr7600. I got it for mowing my hills, it sticks to the ground like glue. I was too scared to mow these areas with my Branson. I did it once and that was enough, felt like I was going to tip over.

 

[Number15]

Banded (multi rib) AG belts will put an end to those kind of problems and they last a lot longer. I switched a 12 ft Taarup mower conditioner and a 6ft New Holland flail over to banded belts a couple years ago, both went from destroying 3 or 4 sets of belts a season to lasting 2+ years.

Banded belts seem like they would be hard to install in this application. Did you find it more difficult? Anyway I have extra sets of singles now just in case. OEM is on now and a B/U set of Gates

 

[LouNY]

Well I just order one of the chinese offsettable ditch bank flails,
will find out if I cuss myself out after I get it.