Front mount flail mower from mid PTO

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Not being picky, just don't want it coming unglued on you.
And maybe add a couple gusets off the sides of those supports?

 

[Paul Allwood]

Not being picky, just don't want it coming unglued on you.
And maybe add a couple gusets off the sides of those supports?

View attachment 180196

Thanks - so far some parts are just tack welded together enough for testing. There's still some welding to finish off.

 

[Paul Allwood]

Finished welding a few bits then re-fitted the rear roller today. I also shortened the links between the tractor and the mower by about 300 mm to get it closer to the front of the tractor - hoping that this, along with the rounded ends on the rear roller, would help the steering uphill.

I had also made some other changes to allow it to drop a further 20 mm closer to the ground as the first cut was just a little long.





These links are still temporary - enough so I can use it to mow our grass. I think I'll make a lifting setup so I can use it with the loader removed.

I started mowing and the cut height was better, having it closer to the front of the tractor was better for maneuverability, but it didn't really help the steering uphill. The only thing that helped here was lifting the weight off the rear roller, then it steered like the mower wasn't there.

I tried it on some light green waste that we had pulled out of the garden and it mowed over it and mulched it like it wasn't there.

Here's what I tested it on....



Sorry the video isn't great - best I could do from the drivers seat....

8 October 2026

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Pretty happy with how it works overall.

I'm curious - does anyone here use a front mounted flail mower with a rear roller ? If so, does it affect your steering as much as mine does ?

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Finished welding a few bits then re-fitted the rear roller today. I also shortened the links between the tractor and the mower by about 300 mm to get it closer to the front of the tractor - hoping that this, along with the rounded ends on the rear roller, would help the steering uphill.

I had also made some other changes to allow it to drop a further 20 mm closer to the ground as the first cut was just a little long.

View attachment 180222

View attachment 180223

These links are still temporary - enough so I can use it to mow our grass. I think I'll make a lifting setup so I can use it with the loader removed.

I started mowing and the cut height was better, having it closer to the front of the tractor was better for maneuverability, but it didn't really help the steering uphill. The only thing that helped here was lifting the weight off the rear roller, then it steered like the mower wasn't there.

I tried it on some light green waste that we had pulled out of the garden and it mowed over it and mulched it like it wasn't there.

Here's what I tested it on....

View attachment 180224

Sorry the video isn't great - best I could do from the drivers seat....

8 October 2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Pretty happy with how it works overall.

I'm curious - does anyone here use a front mounted flail mower with a rear roller ? If so, does it affect your steering as much as mine does ?

Maybe you could incorporate some spring into the lift arrangement to the loader to take some of the weight off?

If you go with a separate lift, you could include an accumulator deal to keep some pressure on the lift cylinder.

 

[Paul Allwood]

Maybe you could incorporate some spring into the lift arrangement to the loader to take some of the weight off?

If you go with a separate lift, you could include an accumulator deal to keep some pressure on the lift cylinder.

I am thinking of some sort of a separate lift that includes a spring so it can take some weight but still move with the ground.

Interested in the accumulator idea too.

Thanks.

 

[Paul Allwood]

To improve the steering without taking the weight off the rear roller, I could possibly replace the roller with caster wheels since they seem to be working really well at the front. Maybe then I could move the roller in closer to the cutter drum and up a little so it still helps prevent scalping, but let the mower mostly ride on the wheels.

Another idea that's got me thinking is to incorporate the design of omni-directional wheels into a long roller so it can roll in any direction - back and forwards, side to side - so the tractor doesn't have to push the roller sideways. Like these....







No idea of I could size and make them so they would fit and survive at the back of a flail mower. Probably too many moving bits for things to get stuck in.

I like to think about dumb ideas sometimes - it helps make my less dumb ideas seem better.

Yeah, more caster wheels might be a better plan.

Still interested in others' experience if you've used a flail at the front of your tractor.

 

[Paul Allwood]

I found a spot of longer grass outside our place to test it yesterday. Pretty happy with how it cuts.

9 October 2026

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[Chanceywd]

I found a spot of longer grass outside our place to test it yesterday. Pretty happy with how it cuts.

9 October 2026

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Looking like it does a nice job cutting, Paul.

Bill

 

[Paul Allwood]

Looking like it does a nice job cutting, Paul.

Bill

Thanks Bill. Yes, I'm happy with how it cuts. For our lawn area the finish is plenty good enough for us, but I had to set it so low that the tips of the Y flail blades are quite close to the ground. Then even with the rear roller it skinned some dirt off a high spot where the ground wasn't very uneven.

I'm also pretty happy that with a cutting width of 55", it doesn't seem to strain the tractor, and that's with only 14 HP at the PTO.

For our grass I think a duckfoot blade as shown below would be better. Might try this on the MKII cutter drum.

 

[Russell King]

Thinking more about the turning problem you have and wanting to remove the loader (which eliminates the ability to lift the front mounted mower in your current configuration).

Since you have hydraulics and a welder and are clever…

Can you come up with some hydraulic cylinder that lifts the rear of the mower as you need to turn? I am not sure how the hydraulic steering system (that you are adding ) works but perhaps you could use it to lift and lower the mower as you turn and lower it as you straighten out the turn.

This may be way too complicated to be reliable though???