Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

[JethroB]

When you flip it over backwards, does the tranny oil run out?

No leaking issues. I put a temporary plug in the top filler hole to prevent that.

 

[ShowroomShine]

So I picked up a used but like new Ferri FM155 flail recently for my 1025R. After some grease and gear box oil I tried it out on the highest cut setting. I found that it does not cut anywhere near as nice or clean in taller grass as my Alamo flail, no matter the speed. The knives look pretty decent and aren’t beat up.

Where can I find a manual for this mower and is this generally a good mower or is there a reason for the poor cut?

 

[JethroB]

So I picked up a used but like new Ferri FM155 flail recently for my 1025R. After some grease and gear box oil I tried it out on the highest cut setting. I found that it does not cut anywhere near as nice or clean in taller grass as my Alamo flail, no matter the speed. The knives look pretty decent and aren’t beat up.

Where can I find a manual for this mower and is this generally a good mower or is there a reason for the poor cut?

I’ve found with my Caroni the higher the cut setting produces the poorest cut.

 

[leonz]

So I picked up a used but like new Ferri FM155 flail recently for my 1025R. After some grease and gear box oil I tried it out on the highest cut setting. I found that it does not cut anywhere near as nice or clean in taller grass as my Alamo flail, no matter the speed. The knives look pretty decent and aren’t beat up.

Where can I find a manual for this mower and is this generally a good mower or is there a reason for the poor cut?

Hello showroomshine,

The Ferri Flail Mower like all flail mowers is best operated at
the lowest setting or 2 inch cutting height as this creates
the highest pressure gradient/suction pressure to cut and
lift the clippings up and over the flail mower rotor and back
down to the ground.

The Ferri Family has been making farm implements for
4 generations since 1844 and is a world leader in
mower technology.

You have an excellent mower for all conditions and it will
outlast your current mule and the next one as long as you
take care of it.

With your mower you can flip the side slicer knives to expose
a fresh sharp edge for mowing.

The best and easiest way to maintain a paper cut sharp edge
on your side slicer knives is to invest in a wet well grinder
from the folks at the Micromark Company.

www.micromark.com

The low speed water bath cooled grinding wheel is the best way to
safely cool grind your side slicer knives.

The wet well grinder sold by Micromark is currently $99.00 plus sales
tax and shipping.

The low speed wet well grinder can be used for grinding sharp edges
on chisels and pocket knives as well.

You can send the FERRI Company an e-mail with the 155 flail mowers
serial number and your physical address and I am sure they will supply
you with an owners manual either by mail or via a PDF file that you can
print out in landscape form which is easier to read.

Happy mowing.

 

[Gregster613]

I lost my dog Maggie this past saturday. We think she had a stroke. Looked like she laid down and went to sleep. She was only 3

So sorry to hear that Nova! Unfortunate at only 3 also, yet a stroke can happen at any time. Still sorry news.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Currently I am being offered full new bearing assemblies, a new axle weldment and a new set of hammers. I appreciate the fast response. but... the idea of needing to rebuild the whole thing that I have nothing but trouble with isn't super exciting. I am contemplating my next steps.

Did you ever get this resolved?

 

[Weeb]

Has anyone here ever drilled additional holes in their flail mower to allow a bit more height when cutting? I was thinking of adding a couple more holes to see if I could bump up the cutting height from 4 inches to closer to 6 inches for pasture mowing.

 

[TractorTYMe]

After 100+ h on my 68'' offset palletforks.com flail mower, I sold it due to the lack of available service parts, then I went and got a Betstco AGL165 articulating flailmower. Still made in China I suppose, but they seem well made. Have absolutely nothing bad to say about the palletforks.com mower. Just the company itself suck.

 

[leonz]

Has anyone here ever drilled additional holes in their flail mower to allow a bit more height when cutting? I was thinking of adding a couple more holes to see if I could bump up the cutting height from 4 inches to closer to 6 inches for pasture mowing.

Your flail mower will not work well if you do that but if you want a rougher
cut just raise the three point hitch 6 inches and lock it in place after you
set the roller on the ground.

 

[leonz]

After 100+ h on my 68'' offset palletforks.com flail mower, I sold it due to the lack of available service parts, then I went and got a Betstco AGL165 articulating flailmower. Still made in China I suppose, but they seem well made. Have absolutely nothing bad to say about the palletforks.com mower. Just the company itself suck.

View attachment 803190

I am so sorry to hear of your bad experience.

There are many very high quality of build smaller American or Italian made flail mowers available.

 

[nova3930]

The EA guys are carrying flails again/now (not sure which).

Tractor PTO Flail Mowers - Free shipping within 1,000 miles

Tractor PTO Flail Mowers for sale at Everything Attachments. We offer only the top rated Tractor PTO Flail mowers available

www.everythingattachments.com

 

[leonz]

The Phoenix brand of rotary and flail mowers are manufactured
by the SICMA company in Italy www.sicma.it/eng/
which is part of the family held Aurora group in Italy.

SICMA has been manufacturing farm equipment for both small and
large farm equipment for 50 years and it meets the higher farm
equipment safety standards of the European Union.

 

[johnnyvol]

Got to use the new to me flail mower this week. I'm very happy with it. Of course I'd been mowing my lawn with the bush hog so I'm not hard to please. The missus likes how the grass looks so that's a great endorsement.

One thing I've noticed is a "click" when mowing something heavier, like really tall grass or woody debris. Is that just the knives hitting the drum when they bounce off something?

I'll also hear a faint click when backing up, even on low grass. The roller bearings appear fine. Is there anything under there that could be making contact with the knives?

 

[leonz]

Got to use the new to me flail mower this week. I'm very happy with it. Of course I'd been mowing my lawn with the bush hog so I'm not hard to please. The missus likes how the grass looks so that's a great endorsement.

One thing I've noticed is a "click" when mowing something heavier, like really tall grass or woody debris. Is that just the knives hitting the drum when they bounce off something?

I'll also hear a faint click when backing up, even on low grass. The roller bearings appear fine. Is there anything under there that could be making contact with the knives?

The click you heard was most likely on of the knives just being freed up from resting on the
flail mower rotor or bumping up against the flail mower rotor while back in reverse if the engine
speed is not set at the PTO Speed or when you encounter thick brush.

When your flail mower is operating at the 540 RPM Engine speed and the flail mower rotor
is spinning with the knives tip speed of rotation reaching 2,200 revolutions per minute it
should sound like a shop vac with the cutting height set at 2 inches.


Happy mowing.

 

[johnnyvol]

After using my new to me JD 25A this week I'm thinking new knives and rings may be in order. The rings are about the same price everywhere but the scoop knives or hammers are all over the place price wise.

This is the type of knife that's on there now. They look OK and could be sharpened but the D-rings are wearing a bit and should be replaced.

$1.70 per knife for these but then I see some that say "hardened" or "Super Koat" like these for almost three times as much.

Anyone have experience enough to know the difference and if one is worth that much more than the other? Flailmaster.com quoted me $5.50 for the knives but I do not know if they are hardened or specially coated or just the same as the $1.70 model above. I'll reach out to them to find out but would like to hear from others with knowledge as well.

Thanks

 

[leonz]

To be hardened they have to be heat treated or have a carbide coating
applied to them.

If a cup knife/spoon knife is less expensive they are not heat treated.
You have to decide how much you wish to spend on them as you can
purchase a great number of regular knives to do a great deal of mowing
and not spend that much money on them per unit.

The only time a ring knife hanger/ring needs to be changed is when they
are broken or gone entirely along with the knife as the anchor strap is
also damaged and you want to use nylock nuts and washers or blue loctite
on regular fine threaded nuts and bolts for the hanger straps.

 

[ShowroomShine]

Has anyone here ever drilled additional holes in their flail mower to allow a bit more height when cutting? I was thinking of adding a couple more holes to see if I could bump up the cutting height from 4 inches to closer to 6 inches for pasture mowing.

I want to do the same. I love my flail but mostly use it for cutting pastures which need to be cut at 4-6”. The flail does not seem to work as well at that height as like 3.5”

I use my 8’ rotary cutter instead to clip pastures and it does not do near as good of a job, but I can’t do the pastures at 3.5” in summer for risk of damaging the grass.

 

[Jack Yuan]

After 100+ h on my 68'' offset palletforks.com flail mower, I sold it due to the lack of available service parts, then I went and got a Betstco AGL165 articulating flailmower. Still made in China I suppose, but they seem well made. Have absolutely nothing bad to say about the palletforks.com mower. Just the company itself suck.

View attachment 803190

Hi, you can get Titan mower spare parts from Nova Tractor

Spare parts: Titan/Betsco EFGC/EFGCH/EFG mower rear roller breaing UC205B

Parts number: 03.05.7809.UC205B Used on rear roller of Titan/Betstco EFGC/EFGCH series mower, etc.

nova-tractor.com

 

[johnnyvol]

I've read about kevlar belts in this thread but can't seem to find any for the 25a. Anyone got a source for a kevlar equivalent to a C54 v-belt?

 

[johnnyvol]

You can order a Gates V belt on line from Walmart from $27.65 if their advertising is right.
KAMAN Industrial Supply is another source as well.

I've found belts galore, just none in kevlar like I've seen recommended in this thread.