Why a Flail mower...?

[wetstuff]

I have a 5ac front pasture that gets full of vines, Gum trees, maples and all sorts of vegetation. I cut it with a Farm Store, 5' bush hog behind a 40hp Deere 1070. ...but, because I sometimes only do it when it gets waist high - I have to use a crawler gear.

I see the guys with the state contracts for right-of-ways using flail mowers, but assume it's because they ..A) Do not wanna be sling'in stuff into traffic .. B) Cannot tell what they are going to drive over next! So would a flail mower be of any benefit to a civilian?

Second part of the question; Are 'branded' mowers like maybe a Green one any better than box store types? Thanks all.

Jim

 

[leonz]

I have a 5ac front pasture that gets full of vines, Gum trees,
maples and all sorts of vegetation.

I cut it with a Farm Store, 5' bush hog behind a 40hp Deere
1070. ...but, because I sometimes only do it when it gets
waist high - I have to use a crawler gear.

I see the guys with the state contracts for right-of-ways using flail mowers,
but assume it's because they ..A) Do not wanna be sling'in stuff into
traffic .. B) Cannot tell what they are going to drive over next!
So would a flail mower be of any benefit to a civilian?

Second part of the question; Are 'branded' mowers like maybe a Green one
any better than box store types? Thanks all.

Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=


Hello Jim,

Please enter flailmower in the search box in the attachment
section and you will see over 100 plus pages of information
about flail mowers and you should read it before you make
any decisions.

You are more than welcome to PM any of use listed there with
questions about flailmowers as well.


Any of the "major" brands of flailmowers including the John Deere 25A units
are well worth looking at with the intent to purchase.

In your frame and horsepower size a seven foot rough cut or finish flail mower
will work well for you.

The reason I say this is becuase we used Ford Jubilee to operate a 7 foot JD 25A finish
flail mower to knock down and maintain 12 acres of overgrown pasture with 10-12 foot
tall golden rod and other weeds as well.

if you have the time please read the information about them in the attachment sections and
collectively we can answer your questions if you have any after reading through them.

 

[jeff9366]

Are 'branded' mowers like maybe a Green one any better than box store types?

I have never observed any cutter at a box store rated more than light or standard duty. Heavier duty Rotary Cutters will cut thick brush better and larger saplings.

Woods, Land Pride and Bush Hog make both standard duty and heavy duty cutters. The heavy duty cutters in these brands and King Kutter PROFESSIONAL SERIES are the pick of the litter.

You need to have tractor power sufficient to power the heavier cutters to "reap" the benefit.

Search "FLAIL".

LEONZ is our in-house flail mower GURU.

 

[Code54]

I had a flail mower that was used for cutting the sides of the roads - extremely heavy duty and well made. I only used it a few times to clear my fields and found it to be slower than using a brush hog. My area was about 3' or so high and various plants and little brushy stuff. The flair did grind it up a little better (all blades were in excellent shape and sharp) but I had to travel a lot slower so I ended up selling it and just went back to the brush hog. To me it was more trouble than it was worth - it really was not the next great thing.... (Sorry Leonz)

 

[2458n]

I liked the cut better with the flail. That and not throwing things in town. Have both so one type must not be a total answer. When I typed that I realized that there is also a six foot finish mower around here.

 

[wetstuff]

Thank all..

Code54, I noticed the guys working the right-of-way seem none to eager to get down the road but I ascribed it to being a government Cost Plus contract, not cutting speed. I already have slow. I think I will look to upgrade to a better quality bush hog. Thanks again.

Jim

 

[leonz]

Thank all..

Code54, I noticed the guys working the right-of-way seem none to eager to get down the road but I ascribed it to being a government Cost Plus contract, not cutting speed. I already have slow. I think I will look to upgrade to a better quality bush hog. Thanks again.

Jim

Dont assume the operators are slow or lazy on purpose;

Before you make that decision and purchase you have to understand the majority
of the flailmowers used and mounted on municipal mowers ARE HYDRAULIC DRIVE-hence the slower speed.

THEY ALSO have to watch the mower path ahead of the mower to prevent impacts
of large objects and damaging the knive hangers and breaking the side slicers or scoop knives.

Getting a better rotary cutter will not solve your issues as the the amount of cutting edge exposed to the
brush is still much less in total cutting edge feet than any flail mower especially a finish flail mower .

 

[Code54]

When I was going through College and right when I got out I worked for the township I lived in and my main jobs was mowing the schools, fields, etc. I cut 40 hrs a week, all summer for years and we used two kinds of mowers. Brush hogs and finish mowers. The lower maintenance and speed of cut were the two factors they considered and the flails just, well, didn't make the cut shall we say.....
I got the flail mower on a whim, I was at an auction and it was a large commercial unit in decent shape that was selling cheap. Figured, it was sort of neat and I had the tractor to power it so I bought it (my buddy looked at me like i was crazy and my wife just shook her head as usual...)
Anyway, I cleaned it up, repainted it, replaced some blades, sharpened others and head to the field. It was ok, cut decent but I had to reduce my cutting speed so it would do a good job and cut everything. With my brush hog I found I could cut faster, cut larger stuff and do it cheaper so I sold the flail mower,and made a few bucks. Can't say I have any regrets.