MMM or 48" flail?

[LindenBruce]

I hear you jimpen, I hear you. I'm sure the eMax is a very good unit knowing Mahindra. I'm absolutely positive the eMax's are not MTD units. I have a request in to a dealer to take a few pics and forward to me. I will definitely be getting a FEL. Plus an appropriately sized box scraper and a yard rake as I have a ton of rocks I need to get cleaned up.

I took some rocks and laid out the known dimensions of the eMax and the Max with my Husky in the middle. Width wise they are not much different between each other, but length wise they kill the Husky. Which is not a problem I know because of the FEL out front and the 3pt out back. So I can live with that. I can't seem to find the WHEEL BASE of either of the Mahindra's. Kinda odd.

It's to bad the max 25 is on it's way out and availability is limited. By the time I get to making a purchase in about two months they may be all gone. Keeping my fingers crossed and making a final decision. B.

 

[DavesTractor]

Yes, I have priced the 48" flail and it ain't that bad really. They are between 1300-1700 depending on who you buy it from. About the same cost as the MMM correct? Thanks for the PDF Galen. It shows these two tractors are very similar in specs. So I guess that would be a wash when it comes to considering one over the other.

Flail's are very common in the orchards around here. In fact, I think that's all the farmers are using. And they do a very good job of smashing the weeds that's for sure.

Typically the flails in orchards in our area are Rears or Vrisimo brands. You'll have to triple (at least) the $1300-$1700 you mentioned to get into a commercial grade flail like the Oregon built Rears or the California built Vrisimo. But they last forever and are smooth and quiet. Worth it if you have a lot of mowing, like acres and acres every week. A 72" Vrisimo is about $5k. The smaller 48" will be around $4k. A 10 foot is about $10k, +/- depending on model. High entry price, cheap after that. Some of these are used 8-12 hours per day for weeks on end. Most homeowners would be hard pressed to justify the expense though as an import can do a pretty good job for a bunch less but they won't stand up to hundreds of hours per year. There is a place for Snap-On, and a place for Harbor Freight, it depends on a number of factors.

With a flail, you can mow an orchard really low and pick up any pieces of nuts, sticks, etc. and keep the orchard floor really clean. And you can mow pretty fast if the grass is not too high. I do several acres/hour with a 10' Vrisimo we use on our place.

 

[architect]

the eMax is built with a frame like the Kubota BX, just measured the width and eMax was up to two inches wider than Max 24 (new model that replaces Max 25) and it sits a little lower. Both the Max and eMax take the same backhoe both have same FEL lifting but eMax has ONE cylinder at middle of bucket verses two at each side of bucket on Max. Both MMM are the same. eMax is new and just released in Feb. Max series is being revised with less models.

 

[whiz]

Just got home from buying an eMax 22 at our local dealer. It definitely is NOT an MTD piece of junk, I know, I've had several of those. Without crawling around in and under it, it's very little different from the Max 22 just as someone posted here above. Sitting in the seat I really saw little difference in them (actually preferred the look and feel of the eMax controls) and I really liked the eMax dual hydro peddles vs. the treadle peddle on the Max 22. The wife prefers the dual also, and you know the saying, "When mama's happy....etc.".

I was quoted $2310 for the mid mount (60") and $2,021 for a 60" 3 pt. mounted finish mower. You might do better than that on the 3 pt mounted. That might be a consideration for you rather than a flail. I'm going with a 3pt. finish mower at some point due to the on and off convenience (also bought a quick hitch, making it better) and I don't have anything to mow around in my pastures to be concerned about the maneuverability of it. The MTD junkers will still mow the yard areas.

 

[LindenBruce]

Just curious, why the 22 over the 25? The side by side hydro pedals is very appealing to me as well.

I prefer flails over rotary cutters because you have way less rear end swing to compensate for when turning. With a 48" flail, it only sticks out out behind you by about 24-30". But with a 48" rotary cutter it sticks out at least 48" behind you. Which means you have to be careful when turning so the mower doesn't take out something you don't want taken out. That's why I am doing the flail over the rotary. Plus flails are every where around here so getting blades is a walk in the park. B.

 

[Browneyesvictim]

I have drawn some conclusions for myself in these same type of decisions. Of course you know what they say about opinions...

If you want to do some heavy digging with a FEL or BH you WANT a full frame tractor. The eMax is not a MTD, but IMHO not even in the same league as a MAX 22/25/28. If someone is looking for a big boy tractor and not just a mower, they might as well step up to a full frame. The Max fills the gap in an amazing way no other brand does.

The choice of grass cutting implements all depends on the terrain you wish to mow and the finish you expect. In my case, the land I mow has tree roots sticking up, and is terribly uneven/choppy ground. I considered a flail for this but went with a MMM instead. Hands down glad I did! I brush-hogged the first few times mowing when I moved to the property and got a feel for "what lies beneath". A flail is much more forgiving on that kind of stuff and would serve the same purpose... But- that being said, now I set the MMM at the highest level and GO!!!! Now that I'm confident I won't hit anything, I maneuver around trees, and tight corners mowing is so much more enjoyable and faster not always twisting around behind me at a 3-pt mower. Now I'm filling in around low spots and roots. It's still all natural grown "weeds", as I don't want the expense of maintaining grass, but I like the finish and enjoy mowing and the blade is getting lower each year the more I groom the soil.