Used Flail Mower.

[leonz]

Just bought a 917 flail. Is the rear roller height adjustable? It resides at my property a couple of hours from home so I can't just go outside and look. Hope I'm not guilty of thread hijacking by asking the question here.

Hello Jerry,

I want to welcome you as the newest Member of the "Flail Mower Nation"


Yes the rear roller is what controls the mowers Cutting height as long as it is properly adjusted at the top link and leveled using a bubble level from front to back on the top of the gear box using the top link ONLY.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Curious if the son of Mott was killed by the mower of their namesake.

My Dad once took my 917 out with our old Universal 445 tractor. Seems he doesn't have much feel for this sort of thing. He thought he was doing a great job, essentially using it more like a harley rake. Didn't stop until he burned the belts off!

I would be the happiest man alive if I could get a flail mower for the front of my Steiner 430! Seems they used to make one, but apparently dust and chaff was an issue, plugging up everything. Maybe a little common sense and slight modifications could avoid any trouble.

When we traded the Universal for our JD 6200, I started breaking the 3ph bars that go up to the third point. Not sure what that was about. Seems that tractor is just too big for that mower. One reason why my remaining fine cut 917 has been sitting in the barn on racking for at least ten years.

One interesting note. I have a steep hill behind our house, which is why I initially bought the first 917. I could not understand why I was scalping the crest of the hill going down. Anyway, I build a small model duplicating the pivot points of mower and tractor. Seems that if the front of the tractor goes down, the mower doesn't go up as might seem intuitive, but down. Hard to explain but the model confirmed this.

 

[Member]

Curious if the son of Mott was killed by the mower of their namesake

I believe it was a plane crash.

 

[sundogjames]

Things that can wear on these mowers: 1) knives/flails - look also for cracked knives. Sometimes the front edge is cracked or broken where the metal is folded. I replaced mine and I think it was about 6 dollars each. 2) pulleys and idler. I have seen worn spines on the pulleys and of course seized idlers. 3) bearings at each end of the drum (one is covered by the pulleys and pulley cover) - especially if the drum is bent and out of balance. 4) cracked bodies - especially when the drum is our of balance. 5) rear roller is subject to getting bent out of shape too and the bearings are subject to a lot of dirt and moisture. These mowers sometimes hit large rocks in ditches (which can bend a drum) and also get a lot of hours on them. It would be good to at least hear it run to make sure everything is in balance. They are built to last, but it seems that they are often subject to poor maintenance.

 

[leonz]

Curious if the son of Mott was killed by the mower of their namesake.

My Dad once took my 917 out with our old Universal 445 tractor. Seems he doesn't have much feel for this sort of thing. He thought he was doing a great job, essentially using it more like a harley rake. Didn't stop until he burned the belts off!

I would be the happiest man alive if I could get a flail mower for the front of my Steiner 430! Seems they used to make one, but apparently dust and chaff was an issue, plugging up everything. Maybe a little common sense and slight modifications could avoid any trouble.

When we traded the Universal for our JD 6200, I started breaking the 3ph bars that go up to the third point. Not sure what that was about. Seems that tractor is just too big for that mower. One reason why my remaining fine cut 917 has been sitting in the barn on racking for at least ten years.

One interesting note. I have a steep hill behind our house, which is why I initially bought the first 917. I could not understand why I was scalping the crest of the hill going down. Anyway, I build a small model duplicating the pivot points of mower and tractor. Seems that if the front of the tractor goes down, the mower doesn't go up as might seem intuitive, but down. Hard to explain but the model confirmed this.

You have to remember the rear roller is trailing and the lower links will sink even further as they are designed to do.

if you ever look at them fully lowered they may only miss the ground by 2 or three inches depending on the position they are mounted in if you have a splined lower link stub coming out of the transmission.

Also the tire size, type and rolling radius is an issue too mowing on hilly ground.


The younger Mott (who was going to take over the company from his father)was killed when he was trying to land his experimental aircraft on the company property if I remember my history correctly.


It was sad day for the business of safer lawn mowers.

 

[greg_g]

Just bought a 917 flail. Is the rear roller height adjustable? It resides at my property a couple of hours from home so I can't just go outside and look. Hope I'm not guilty of thread hijacking by asking the question here.

Three pair of holes, they're considered coarse cutting height adjustments. Fine adjustments are subsequently made with the toplink. Top holes put mower chassis closest to the ground (short cut). Middle and bottom holes progressively increase chassis height. Mine's just for pasture & roadside maintenance, so I stay in the bottom holes full time.

//greg//

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Three pair of holes, they're considered coarse cutting height adjustments. Fine adjustments are subsequently made with the toplink. Top holes put mower chassis closest to the ground (short cut). Middle and bottom holes progressively increase chassis height. Mine's just for pasture & roadside maintenance, so I stay in the bottom holes full time.

//greg//

Greg, are the adjustments made from the inside of the rotor housing?

 

[leonz]

Greg, are the adjustments made from the inside of the rotor housing?

Hello Jerry,


The rear roller is simply mounted with nuts and bolts.

 

[greg_g]

Greg, are the adjustments made from the inside of the rotor housing?

There's a bearing carrier on each end of the rear roller, which double as the roller height adjustment points. That's the triangular bit in the diagram (#18). Obviously, the other one is at the opposite end of the roller. The bottom hole is for the pivot bolt, the upper hole is the one that can be fastened to any of the three roller height holes on the frame. See below: #3 is the pivot, #1 is the adjustment selection


//greg//

 

[Josh Shoemaker]

Talked with the guy about it and he said it is in pretty good shape. He used to mow pecan orchard and some pasture. I will probably go look at it weekend after next if he still has it. He is wanting $800 for it. Red Flag went up about the pecan orchard, I have never seen a pecan orchard that didn't have limbs laying it. Anyway is there a place I could download a manual for it in case I decided to purchase it?