# Tell me About Flail Mowers



## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

I am thinking of getting a flail mower. I have acres of leathery bahia grass. The bush hog doesn't cut it well, even when sharp. It tends to knock it over without cutting all that much. Also, the bush hog is not all that easy to maneuver. Someone here suggested I get a flail mower.

I am wondering if anyone has experience with the Caroni
TM1900BSC. Do they have known problems? If I hit a branch or stump, will it self-destruct? Is Spanish moss a problem for them? Are they easy to fix? Is it easy to get parts?

I have a Kubota L3710, which is around 38 HP. The Caroni is a 73" mower which is supposedly workable with 30-60 HP. Looks like I am not far from the lower end of the range.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Suburban Plowboy, I too have bahia grass and will be very interested in your results with a flail mower. Please post some pictures of mowing results of cutting bahia with a bush hog versus with a flail mower.

From what I have read about flail mowers, they grind up branches (like a mulcher). The blades yield/pivot (like a mini bush hog) so there should no damage.

The biggest problem I have with bahia is that it lays down when run over by the tractor and my finish mower doesn't cut it completely. I would hope that a flail mower (rotating same direction as wheels) would pick up downed bahia and cut it cleanly.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

There is a U-tube presentation comparing Flail, Finish, and Rotary Cutters. Do an internet search for "Flail, Finish and Rotary Cutter Comparison".


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2018)

also do a video search "brush cutting flail mower"


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

A good flail will mow blackberry bushes to nothing but chips. Heavy stringy grass will be an easy mow. They will even mow a lawn better than most mowers.

Do not have Bahia grass here, but tons of blackberry brush that gets spread by birds. 

Not sure what you mean by stumps, but if the stump is level to the ground the flail will go right over it. If the stump is above the ground it will tear the flail apart.

When shopping for one look for the hammer blades, much better than the Y blades and are forged alloy steel. Y blades are case hardened, light, and must be sharpened with an oil or water cooled wheel or they lose the temper and turn into beaters.


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

RC Wells said:


> Not sure what you mean by stumps, but if the stump is level to the ground the flail will go right over it. If the stump is above the ground it will tear the flail apart.
> 
> When shopping for one look for the hammer blades, much better than the Y blades and are forged alloy steel. Y blades are case hardened, light, and must be sharpened with an oil or water cooled wheel or they lose the temper and turn into beaters.


Thanks for the help.

This area is full of live oaks, and they are sickly and rotten. They end up being cut off close to the ground, but sometimes not close enough. I have hit a stump with the bush hog. Had to weld the sheet metal back onto the I-beam that forms the side of the bush hog. 

I don't know what kind of blades the Caroni has, but I can find out.


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

Maybe I can detect stumps and rocks by lowering the FEL so it bumps anything high enough to hit the mower.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

If you have rough ground, that doesn't always work, but it helps. Can't help but ask, you must be of the Magnum PI generation. I grew up on that show.


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

No, that's my high school senior photo. People comment on the resemblance all the time.


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

I was thinking of getting a Caroni TM1900 mower, but it looks like Woodmaxx has a heavier mower people like better for a little less money. The next step up appears to be Del Morino, which costs around 20% more.


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## Dave Darty (Aug 12, 2018)

Just purchased n set up a woodmax FM73-H flail mower with hydraulic offset. Mowed 2 hrs last nite. My bahai was only 2.5 ft tall after bogging thru few weeks ago with my Woods rotary. Bahai looks like cut by a lawnmower. Finely chopped cluppings. No bunches but was tunning only 2.5 mph. Much quieter than a bushhog ran over small limbs n trees under 1 inch. Withholding judgment just yet but so far very impressed


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## Dave Darty (Aug 12, 2018)

Sorry for misspells. Running 2.5 mph at 1600 rpm in E-hydro on my JD 5055


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2018)

Yes, flail cutter will do everything a bush hog will and more, at the same time will give a cut that will rival a finish mower. A heck of a machine!


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

Wait...2.5 mph? It would take me a month to mow my pasture.


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## Dave Darty (Aug 12, 2018)

Going real slow on rough ground trying to figure it out before breaking anything. Will step it up and see what it can take. The tractor is my bloodpressure med. taking it slow is good for soul. But agree at 2.5 mph will take time to mow 60 acres


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## Suburban Plowboy (Jul 17, 2017)

I am considering getting one of these things, but I have 37 HP overall, 30 at the PTO, so if your larger tractor has an issue with it, I will have real problems.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2018)

In the 60's I ran a flail cutter behind a 9N (better part of 20 hp) to cut totally overgrown grass. Tractor sure knew it was working, but did just fine. In the 90's I ran a flail cutter to mow about 20 acres on a regular basis, patches of hardwood saplings and overgrown pond banks behind a 1910 (28 pto hp). If I were looking for a mower to use with my 2000 (32 pto hp), it would be a flail mower. I believe one with annual maintenance will outlast several shake and bake bush hog types. I found ground speed very satisfactory when mowing 20 acres of maintained field and ground speed was of no import when mowing pond bank and patches of dense hardwood saplings. But, get the tool you want, it's your choice.


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