Flail Mowers?

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SteveHGraham
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I was told that if I put a sharp edge on the blades they will roll when they hit grass. I do sharpen them, but my understanding is that "sharp" means a 1mm flat edge instead of a fine edge.
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curtis cutter
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by curtis cutter »

SteveHGraham wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:41 pm I was told that if I put a sharp edge on the blades they will roll when they hit grass. I do sharpen them, but my understanding is that "sharp" means a 1mm flat edge instead of a fine edge.
You are correct I believe on the edge. A knife sharp edge is easily damaged.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

What I am saying....is do something different.
A set of blades for brush.
A set of blades for grass.

What you have is not working. Not changing anything...won't work either.
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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steamin10
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by steamin10 »

I wish I had a brush hog type mower. I have several common lawn type mowers that I pound into rolling wrecks with the acres of overgrown grass I try to knock down. I rely on cheap castoffs for replacement parts and newer tractors as time goes on. Paying an average of $200 for a used running tractor or less for parts jobs. I have worn to a frazzle very expensive mower decks and such equipment with gearbox failures and alll the things that get eaten and fall off. It just does not fit to buy a multi thousand dollar piece to keep up. So I struggle with too small consumer equipment.

I have no qualms about blade sharps, anything beyond round edge works for me, and I swap blades like never. The lifting part of the twist get sand blasted off or the blades get bent on object strikes before I garbage them, and then they are less than $10 ea for new. I sharpen them when the need arises but they are crude as they get beat very fast. Sharper blades are noticeably more efficient when chewing up too tall grass and weeds.

Right now i am faced with weeds and grasses that are knee high in the back areas, and will be cut over with the deck at it highest setting. Once topped over and the cuttings dry in a few days, another pass will restore a better look. Without cutting, trees and scrub come up and ruin all chance of sanity with mowing. some areas here have been lost to tree invasion that way. It was all tillable ground at one time, so the goal of keeping the trees out is where I function.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by SteveHGraham »

Craziest thing happened today. A neighbor called and said he can hook me up with a guy who will mow my pasture in exchange for the hay. I couldn't find anyone to do this last year, so this is a big surprise.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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steamin10
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by steamin10 »

That is a good swap. I would jump on that like a bird on a bug.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I am really hoping it works out. Nonetheless, I will probably get a flail mower. The hay guy isn't going to take care of my woods.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
John Hasler
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by John Hasler »

I have a 7' Matthews "rotary scythe" that I've been haying with for about twenty years. It has 28 blades that need to be sharpened every few hundred acres and replaced every few thousand ($200/set). Cuts anything up to about 2" reliably. It's enemies are stones (ruins the edges) and wire (winds tightly onto the shaft, smashes the grass shields). I sharpen the blades with an angle grinder and put a sharp edge on them. They cut very well with a fresh, sharp edge. Of course they don't keep a knife-edge long, but it still cuts well until the knives get really blunt. The knives aren't little things: they weigh 2 or 3 pounds each.

Takes a lot of power to drive it at reasonable ground speeds in heavy hay.
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liveaboard
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by liveaboard »

I use something like that; 9' wide double axis "topper" made by Major UK.
It's a heavy thing, at least 1/2 ton, made from heavy steel plate. 3 chunky oil filled gearboxes, and 8 blades [4 sets of 2, one over the other].
I sharpen it sharp with an angle grinder to cut the 'lawn', and it does a good job. For the outer fields once or twice a year, I take off the trailing wheels and use the skids. It chops brush and light wood, up to 2" if it's green.
The blurb states it requires 25HP, but in heavy high field grass it needs more; I have to use low ratio [550] on the PTO and speed up the engine.

All in all, I'm very happy with it. The width means that it only works well on fairly level ground, and when we first moved here I plowed, raked, and rolled the 'lawn' 3 acres.
John Hasler
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by John Hasler »

I'd never drag my Mathews around with no wheels: that would destroy the gauge roller bearings right quick. I try to keep it at the recommended 2" knife clearance.
curtis cutter
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by curtis cutter »

liveaboard wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:43 am I use something like that; 9' wide double axis "topper" made by Major UK.
It's a heavy thing, at least 1/2 ton, made from heavy steel plate. 3 chunky oil filled gearboxes, and 8 blades [4 sets of 2, one over the other].
I sharpen it sharp with an angle grinder to cut the 'lawn', and it does a good job. For the outer fields once or twice a year, I take off the trailing wheels and use the skids. It chops brush and light wood, up to 2" if it's green.
The blurb states it requires 25HP, but in heavy high field grass it needs more; I have to use low ratio [550] on the PTO and speed up the engine.

All in all, I'm very happy with it. The width means that it only works well on fairly level ground, and when we first moved here I plowed, raked, and rolled the 'lawn' 3 acres.
Can you show maybe post a picture of the "skids" you use? I take the rear wheel off my brush hog as it just causes it to bounce too much across fields. I also find that with the rear wheel off I can back under fences etc.

Gregg
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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liveaboard
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Re: Flail Mowers?

Post by liveaboard »

The skids are the original factory setup; I added the wheels myself for lawn work.
Here are a few pictures from file [edited to show the skid]. the bottom is a half round profile like we used to use for trim on boat cabins I made.
major topper skid and castor wheel.jpg
major topper skid.jpg
Major topper underneath.jpg
Major topper with castor wheels small.jpg
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