Orec tracked flail vs Grillo wheeled flail vs ride on

[2manyrocks]

My arms are pretty tired this morning from pushing down on the handlebars to lift the cutter.

Not seeing any Grillos/BCS for sale in Middle TN other than a couple at the dealers. Least expensive option so far is a used 110 plus new 28" Bittante flail for $5500. I've heard of the Berta flail, but can't find much information on the Bittante.

 

[leonz]

I have some hillside areas I'd like to mow. Currently own both a Gravely walkbehind with 30" rough cut mower and a Bachtold rough cut. Already own a Kubota L2501 and MX5200. Don't want to use either Kubota on the hillside.

I tend not to use the Gravely because of the weight.

The Bachtold starts easily and does a good job of cutting material off at the base, but doesn't grind it up because it has an open deck that isn't enclosed on the sides. It's exhausting to push the handbars to lift it up over material, drop it down, and then pull it back by hand to cut up the material. It has a single forward speed and no power reverse. So what tends to happen is cut briars pile up at my feet and then I have to pull it back to chop them up. I use it as a last resort and never look forward to using it. Plus it has thrown a few rocks at my shins even though the rubber flap is in place that is supposed to stop that from happening.

I've been wondering if a flail mower would do an easier job of chopping up 6' tall briars and honeysuckle. The nearest BCS/Grillo dealer says he has a Grillo 110 with less than 100 hours that he could sell me with a 28" Bittante flail mower for about $5400. The list price of a new one with the flail would be around $6,300.

Then I noticed Orec America has a 25" flail driven by tracks. The nearest dealer didn't give me an exact quote other than to say it would be about $6,000 plus $300 shipping. The dealer has one to rent for $180/day so I could at least test one before buying. Both the Grillo and Orec have Honda engines, but the Orec is 8.4 hp vs 13hp on the Grillo.

I tend to think the tracks would do a better job of being able to push the flail into/over brush, but there is a substantial difference in HP between the Orec and the Grillo. The Orec advertises .6 mph in lowest gear vs .8 mph for the Grillo. I could see the slower speed as being better for allowing the flail time to chop up brush.

I don't care about other implements. This would be for brush cutting only.

Another option is there is a Steiner 410 with a 5' finish mower with 550 hours on the tractor and a new Honda engine listed for $8500. It does not have the two speed gear range of later Steiners and a finish mower would not be the best option for cutting brush. However, it would be nice to ride instead of walk if the Steiner could do the job. I don't think I have the option of testing it on my property before buying. The dealer does not have a brush cutter in stock to fit this model.

Final option would be a Power Trac PT 425 with a 48" brush cutter. The price is $17,750 plus shipping. I hate to spend this much just to mow a hillside.

Mulling this over. Would appreciate any thoughts to help think this through.

You would be much better off renting a FECON tracked mulcher for three plus days for the amount of money spent on a new machine as you would be able to clear every acre and mulch below the ground to rip up roots and stumps to clear the land and perhaps cover it with plastic mulch to kill off any weeds and other brush.

 

[2manyrocks]

I see your point. Why spend $5500 or whatever and still not get the job done versus renting a machine that will do it.

 

[Rustyiron]

Not exactly "on topic" but I have a "F" model kubota, F being front cut. It's intended for lawns but over my almost 30 years of ownership I've put it in some very precarious slope situations.
This was with turf tires and I've always wondered if someone offered either a bush Hog or flail type mower for it. The tires could be easily upgraded to something more aggressive and from the OP's pictures, I wouldn't be concerned about the slopes up, down or sideways.
Older F models can be had for less than the proposed walk behinds and if you found one with the factory mower shot or missing I'd bet it would be $2-3000 at the most.... if only such a mower a
was offered.

 

[2manyrocks]

That's on topic as far as I'm concerned. That idea has crossed my mind. I have seen some front flail mowers advertised to fit some front mowers like Kubota, Grasshopper, and maybe others.

 

[joecoin]

A flamethrower or roundup, then keep up with the mowing if it ever grows back.

 

[Rustyiron]

I was going to mention goat's, even a hired heard annually.

 

[2manyrocks]

Some years ago, we had an area that was kudzu infested, but couldn't mow it because of not knowing what was under the layers of kudzu. We fenced it off with electric fence and put a pair of goats in there. They did a very effective job of clearing it, and the area has stayed more kudzu free than the areas I sprayed with glyphospate.

The issues with goats are having a good fence to keep them in and feeding them in the wintertime. A good fence is also needed to keep coyotes away from them.

Tried glyphospate. The kudzu kept coming back, and I finally decided I was wasting my time and my money. Forest service guy recommended a mix of what amounts to brushtox and milestone by their common trade names. That seems to be doing a better job of killing it, but these herbicides aren't cheap these days.

Goats would probably be a better long term choice for the hillside that has kudzu because they will actually help kill it. Mowing doesn't really do that.

Mid-October through November is baby copperhead season here.

https://www.facebook.com/TVA/photos/a.390527717690/10157897780847691

Dampens my enthusiasm a bit.

 

[Rustyiron]

If there's such a thing, copperheads are just plain mean!
Rattlers will at least give you a warning.
Check around for someone who hires out their goats FOR clearing purposes. A friend did that for some very steep and rocky ground that gave him a lake view. I was skeptical but not after the goats turned it all into goat chit!

 

[jeepcoma]

So what's your estimate of whether a flail will be able to cut this overgrown briar patch in a single pass?


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A 2-wheel tractor with a flail mower will absolutely annihilate that briar patch. It's the correct tool for the job, no need to keep deliberating about it. If you don't want to buy one, I agree that renting or hiring someone for a day make a lot of sense, especially if you just want a once-and-done approach. Buying a 2-wheel tractor on the other hand is an investment - yes it's expensive, but it's a versatile machine that will last you many years. If your only goal is to clear this patch, buying brand new probably doesn't make sense. Used packages do come up often enough and Earth Tools has a bulletin board and lots of good deals.

I have all the implements that are being discussed here: flail mower, double action cutter bar, brush hog, small lawn mower, big lawn mower, flamethrower. The flail mower is exactly what you need for this job and would be the only tool I'd reach for in the case. You already have a nice clearing up to the patch so you can offset the handle bars so that you are working in the cleared space, and cut right across it. It'll mulch it so nicely that you can wear flip flops while you cut.

I think a misconception is that because they only have two wheels, they are thought of as "big lawnmowers" and put in that pricing/utility category. They are not - they are tractors in every sense of the word, and the implements they drive and just as rugged as anything you can get for larger 4-wheel tractors.

Other random thoughts based on things you've brought up:

* When clearing land, things happen fast. Speed is not your friend. Even 0.8 mph will be too fast some times and you'll be wishing for a half gear slower (or a hydro)
* You shouldn't consider anything other than the largest foam filled tires you can get.
* I've never spun the wheels unless I drive it right into a big tree or solid object. You'll bog the engine down first if you've got too much material under the deck.
* You won't need to be working hard behind the levers, because you won't need to apply pressure to lift the deck. You want it flat on the ground.
* I'd only be taking "nibbles" if I thought there was an obstacle somewhere that I couldn't see, like a partially buried concrete footing or a rusting pile of iron that someone piled up.
* Doing a 180* turn while mowing in 3rd gear will have you running to keep up, but in all other conditions it's a walk in the park