Orec tracked flail vs Grillo wheeled flail vs ride on
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ArlyA
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I call machines made by that company as Destroyed and should be Recycled.
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groundcover
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Hire it out to a mini with a forestry mower the first time , then don't let it go so long. Sometimes your best tool is a telephone!
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2manyrocks
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Your analogy of wrestling a raccoon merits some kind of TBN award.
I tend not to use the Gravely because it is not just difficult to wrestle, but practically impossible to wrestle in my experience. Mine got stuck when a wheel dropped into a groundhog hole. It was very difficult to get it out. I believe larger wheels like on the Grillo, along with less weight, would make a difference.
The Bachtold is easier to handle and super efficient at cutting though potentially dangerous because of the exposed cutting blade on the front. I make it a point to always stay behind the rear of the Bachtold when the engine is running. If it only had a power reverse, it would take a lot of convincing to persuade me to spend $6,000 on another walk behind cutter.
MossRoad
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Looks like work!
ArlyA
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where is a video or the orec in action.
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2manyrocks
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^Driving uphill into a pile of brush trying not to get impaled in the process. You can see how the 20 or 22" inch wheels would be better than 4.80x8 wheels used on the Gravely. I have an older David Bradley that uses car size tires that will roll over a lot of stuff, but it doesn't have a cutter on it. That's why I appreciate the difference that larger wheels make. The Bachtold uses larger diameter tires, too, although they are only bicycle size in width.
The Orec got my attention because the track drive should be able to push over a lot of brush plus it appears to have a slower ground speed which allows time for the operator to make course corrections as needed. The Grillo 110 has more HP, however, and can accept other tillage implements.
I think these have a place to be used for mowing small hillside areas and/or garden work. However, I nearly always use the ZTR to mow my lawn and hardly ever use the finish mower deck on the walk behind Gravely.
I did see some 4x4 ride on mowers, but they put the cutting deck under the operator's platform. I'm not interested in using my body to plow through the briars.
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2manyrocks
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A few more thoughts came to mind.
In the case of something like the Grillo, the tractor itself is most likely designed around a certain width for tillage and with a certain HP in mind. The Grillo salesman recommended a 28" flail as matching well to the available HP in part because a wider flail demands more power than a rotary cutter and stalling the unit can damage the clutch. Wider isn't always better if it becomes too much for the power unit.
The Bachtold has a 26" single blade if I remember while the Gravely brush deck is 30 inches. The Orec Cyclone cutting width is 25.6. These seem to be representative cutting widths for walk behind brush cutters.
Coming back to my experience, clearing a 24" or 30" path typically means I will get stuck by briars that overhang into the path. It would be better, IMO, if they'd make brush cutters with about a 48" cut because you'd have a wider path cleared plus the acres mowed per hour should be double that of a 24" cutter assuming the same level of cutting performance.
48" happens to be the cutting width of the PT425 rotary brush cutter driven by a 25 gas engine.
In the case of something like the Grillo, the tractor itself is most likely designed around a certain width for tillage and with a certain HP in mind. The Grillo salesman recommended a 28" flail as matching well to the available HP in part because a wider flail demands more power than a rotary cutter and stalling the unit can damage the clutch. Wider isn't always better if it becomes too much for the power unit.
The Bachtold has a 26" single blade if I remember while the Gravely brush deck is 30 inches. The Orec Cyclone cutting width is 25.6. These seem to be representative cutting widths for walk behind brush cutters.
Coming back to my experience, clearing a 24" or 30" path typically means I will get stuck by briars that overhang into the path. It would be better, IMO, if they'd make brush cutters with about a 48" cut because you'd have a wider path cleared plus the acres mowed per hour should be double that of a 24" cutter assuming the same level of cutting performance.
48" happens to be the cutting width of the PT425 rotary brush cutter driven by a 25 gas engine.
MossRoad
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Nice that not much comes out the front or gets flattened down before it's cut.