Flail Mower Toughest Flail Mower: Gearmore?

[jsborn]

I like my Caroni a lot. You forgot one other advantage compared to a rotary cutter in a populated area: no lethal projectiles.

There you go taking all the fun out of mowing in the city.

Just kidding I am considering a frail to cut and keep clean between the rows of planted pines. They seem like they would do a better job than a rotary and probably make straw raking easier. Any one have any thoughts on this other than I need my head examined ?

 

[allen in texas]

Actually, projectiles were one of my main concerns. I threw a fan belt (yes a fan belt) thru a car window last year.

I just forgot to put it down among my "reasons"

 

[Superduper]

Allen, although price is hard to beat, caroni is probably more of a consumer use oriented flail mower. If you are using it for government contract type of work, you might be better off getting the Gearmore, Alamo flail or a Tiger flail mower. I believe you'll have less downtime for such usage.

You are correct, flail type mowers are sometimes specified for municipality usage specifically due to better manueverability, finer cut, lower cut, safer operation in close quarters, less projectiles (although they can happen). Around here, contract service providers are required to use certain "brands" or types of mowers. Many cities, towns and state transportation agencies own their own equipment as well. Gearmore and Vrisimo are common among them but then these companies is local to the western U.S. With the Gearmore, I'd go further and say that for contract work, at the minimum, you'll want to get the GCF series rather than the GML series. I haven't seen the acronyms expanded on but I'll presume that GML stands for (gearmore mower line) and GCF stands for (gearmore chopper flail).

 

[allen in texas]

Just FYI

From the dealer closest to me, in Las Cruces NM
GML69SH list $5400 selling price $4865

GCF69 list $6000 selling price $5775



He has a used (in excellent shape says he) GML79SH for $2900

 

[DirtHauler]

Had a Coroni, sold it, wanted something heavier.....bought a Vrisimo "flail", even drove all the way to Modesto to the factory and picked it up, used it on two jobs........took it back, bought me another Coroni and just ordered one more for heavier cutting. Around here where they have apples and vinyards, the majority use "PAK-FLAIL" brand flail/shredders and they do work! When they prune the trees and then run over the branches with flail/shredder, it turns them into very fine pieces, same with vines. So there's another brand you may want to check out........they're made in Oregon.

 

[jimmysisson]

And, there happens to be one on Craigslist in HI, not sure where, but it's what came up under Pak-flail: sale-579407981@craigslist.org
Doesn't look too awful rugged...
Jim

 

[Fred Cowell]

Happy Aloha Friday to TBNers,
I did some more searching on extreme duty flail/shredder/chopper.
I came across this:

Perfect Mowers & Choppers

It's marketed in the US out of Indiana, but is sold from the Netherlands. Turns out there's an affiliated dealer in Honolulu. Price is about the same as a Vrisimo and around $1200 more than a Gearmore.

It claims to pulverize branches up to 4 inches with hammers that weigh 5lbs. It even comes in relatively narrow sizes that might work in my coffee rows.

Anyone heard of this attachment?

 

[ttkeeler]

I wouldn't trade my Rears Pak Flail for any other brand. Rears Mowers

 

[DirtHauler]

And as I found out when I called the Rears PAK FLAIL factory to inquire about one is that they WILL custom build a mower to your specs!

 

[Fred Cowell]

Ttkeeler,
What size branches do you cut with your PAK-FLAIL? I know of coffee orchardists that like the Rears machine, but use it more for mowing than chopping/shredding. Does yours have knives or does it have hammers?
Thank you for your input.