Is a 60in flail mower too much for a 25 PTO-horsepower?

[jbeech]

Inexperienced tractor owner wondering . . . is a 60in flail mower with hammer blades (like the ones offered by Betsco) too much for an L3010 with ~25 PTO-horsepower?

BETSCO: https://betstco.com/product/60-commercial-centered-flail-mower-with-hydraulic-offset-fh-fmc155h/

And yes, I know my mower doesn't have hydraulic to operate the offset cylinder. Figure it won't hurt anything to either remove it, or leave in place, block the lines, and prevent the unit from shifting. This, on the off chance I some day upgrade the tractor.

Anyway, principal use is caring for the 5 acres surrounding my home in Central Florida. Been mowing this for 20 years with a zero turn type mower. And while I'll stop and clear fallen branches after a storm (if larger than an 1/2 inch), smaller stuff is about the only thing being mown other than grass. So zero clearing work, or dealing with unknown terrain, etc.

Wondering because within a thread I started about brush hogs, one of the respondents said this: This is controversial but I run a 6 foot light duty Landpride cutter behind my L2501 which is rated at 19HP PTO. The type of trail maintenance , material I am cutting, the topography of my land has not been an issue. It also lets me "cut back" the trails a bit due to the 6 or 8 inches wider per side than the tractor rear tires.

So he made no mention of cutter (but suspect he meant a brush hog), and because I'm not wanting to birdwalk that lovely thread entirely toward flail mowers, hence this new post.
--
John, well and truly fed up with it taking 4-hrs 'and' my back killing me!

 

[SDT]

Yes, in many/most conditions. It will also be too heavy.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You could run a 60 standard duty flail on that, and you could add a rear remote if you wanted it to offset.
I would run Y blades, they are a little better on clean grass than hammer blades.
Your at the min HP to run it but being flat and clean grass it shouldn't be an issue.
It's not too heavy at only 527 pounds your well under what the three point and the tractor can handle.

 

[Blue76]

Slightly off the topic but I am also considering a flail mower. One with the ditch / tilt feature. I have a L2501. Guessing I need to stay under a 60" on that as well? I have the rear remotes already.
My thought was this. You can buy these direct from China. Same manufacture as Bestco and others that have a different sticker on them for $600 bucks. Add Tariffs and now it is probably $940ish. I got a freight quote for $1,100 to my door. Kicker is who knows when I would get it. The mower would be tagged as a one off and put on any open slot in a container. It might take 45 to 60 days to ship. Anyone on this sight ever put together a mass buy? If it was a full container the freight would be much less, and it would ship almost immediately. Crazy idea?

 

[Elliott in GA]

It appears to be a 60 inch Del Morino flail on a 25 HP.

 

[Flintknapper]

If you are 'maintaining' that area fairly regularly, you might consider a good finish mower. I regularly use a 72" LandPride Rear Discharge to mow certain parts of pasture with.

At times the grass will be 10" high (more than what the mower is designed for) but it will cut it just fine. My tractor is only 20 PTO hp.

Normally, I will cut the grass when it is 6"-10" high and it pretty much sails through that, while making a nice cut. Not as good as if I use my zero turn, but plenty good enough.

 

[jbeech]

Flintknapper . . . regarding your sweet Land Pride finish deck, I've considered a finish deck, but I've basically got one of those with my existing belly mower. What I am buying for is the worst case scenario like the grass in the Messicks video. For that, right now, I believe I need a brush hog . . . until I learned of flail mowers.

Elliot in GA . . . based on the video with 20hp at the PTO, it looks like a flail will do a plenty good enough job for me. Downside is look how slow he has to go. Unfortunately, I'm thinking the extra 5hp produced by my L3010 won't mean a hill of beans and I'd have to go slow, also.

Note; only time it ever got too high for my Jacobsen, was as high as in this next photo. Then I had to borrow my neighbor's tractor/brush hog. Embarrassing, but only the 1st time in my 20 years here I've need to borrow something.

On the flip side, I loved the experience so much it led me to buy a tractor - no regrets for it. Anyway, while you can't actually see my face in the photo, Lynn says I was wearing a big grin and that I was obviously operating in full on Eddie Arnold mode. Pint being, she wasn't surprised when I began shopping tractors.

SDT . . . you have doubts regarding the 60in flail given with my ~25 PTO horsepower. Right now I'm leaning toward taking the chance the flail mower will do the job with my tractor given it's FL flat and runs over nothing but previously mowed grass. That, and I'd try hard not to let it get as high as in the photo above. That was special circumstances. And honestly, I don't want to let it get that high just because I'd have to slow down to for the job. I hate going slow.

Note, I view it as a benefit a flail doesn't hang out as far behind the tractor.

Finally; as compared to the three blades of my Jacobsen (60in) or the belly mower (72in), I suspect a 60 or 72in finish deck needs three blades taken care of, also. And here in central Florida, it's basically sand and thus, the edges dull and worse, literally erode away quickly.

Meanwhile, the hammers 'seem' to need least maintenance of all followed by the Y-blades, and neither seem to need the same level of care and loving as the 3-blades of a finish deck. Could be wrong on the basis if for no other reason than of TANSTAAFL (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch).

This means I could rue the day I have to screw around with 24 hammers vs 3 rotary blades. What is it they say about repenting at leisure? Anyway, I was considering a 5ft brush hog until I learned about flail mowers. And of course, these things have been around since Moses came down the mount so I'm not surprised nothing new under the sun except these newer Chinese flails counter rotate.

Anyway, all these responses are useful, many thanks!
--
John

 

[BBFarmer]

If you are 'maintaining' that area fairly regularly, you might consider a good finish mower. I regularly use a 72" LandPride Rear Discharge to mow certain parts of pasture with.

At times the grass will be 10" high (more than what the mower is designed for) but it will cut it just fine. My tractor is only 20 PTO hp.

Normally, I will cut the grass when it is 6"-10" high and it pretty much sails through that, while making a nice cut. Not as good as if I use my zero turn, but plenty good enough. View attachment 155882

I to fancy a 1672.....And this ole girl has done way more then she should've. Try to keep her mainly in the grass these days. I do see an offset flail in our future though.

 

[jbeech]

BBFarmer . . . at what horsepower is This old girl rated? About the only thing that would make me upgrade would be an air conditioned cab and more horsepower.

 

[SDT]

Flintknapper . . . regarding your sweet Land Pride finish deck, I've considered a finish deck, but I've basically got one of those with my existing belly mower. What I am buying for is the worst case scenario like the grass in the Messicks video. For that, right now, I believe I need a brush hog . . . until I learned of flail mowers.

Elliot in GA . . . based on the video with 20hp at the PTO, it looks like a flail will do a plenty good enough job for me. Downside is look how slow he has to go. Unfortunately, I'm thinking the extra 5hp produced by my L3010 won't mean a hill of beans and I'd have to go slow, also.

Note; only time it ever got too high for my Jacobsen, was as high as in this next photo. Then I had to borrow my neighbor's tractor/brush hog. Embarrassing, but only the 1st time in my 20 years here I've need to borrow something.

On the flip side, I loved the experience so much it led me to buy a tractor - no regrets for it. Anyway, while you can't actually see my face in the photo, Lynn says I was wearing a big grin and that I was obviously operating in full on Eddie Arnold mode. Pint being, she wasn't surprised when I began shopping tractors.

View attachment 155886



SDT . . . you have doubts regarding the 60in flail given with my ~25 PTO horsepower. Right now I'm leaning toward taking the chance the flail mower will do the job with my tractor given it's FL flat and runs over nothing but previously mowed grass. That, and I'd try hard not to let it get as high as in the photo above. That was special circumstances. And honestly, I don't want to let it get that high just because I'd have to slow down to for the job. I hate going slow.

Note, I view it as a benefit a flail doesn't hang out as far behind the tractor.

Finally; as compared to the three blades of my Jacobsen (60in) or the belly mower (72in), I suspect a 60 or 72in finish deck needs three blades taken care of, also. And here in central Florida, it's basically sand and thus, the edges dull and worse, literally erode away quickly.

Meanwhile, the hammers 'seem' to need least maintenance of all followed by the Y-blades, and neither seem to need the same level of care and loving as the 3-blades of a finish deck. Could be wrong on the basis if for no other reason than of TANSTAAFL (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch).

This means I could rue the day I have to screw around with 24 hammers vs 3 rotary blades. What is it they say about repenting at leisure? Anyway, I was considering a 5ft brush hog until I learned about flail mowers. And of course, these things have been around since Moses came down the mount so I'm not surprised nothing new under the sun except these newer Chinese flails counter rotate.

Anyway, all these responses are useful, many thanks!
--
John

Hence, "many/most conditions." Should be OK in good conditions, i.e., level ground, cover not too thick.

Offset mowers weigh more and need larger/heavier tractors and/or front weight especially on steep ground.

 

[chim]

Your usage doesn't sound like a bush hog job. No experience with flail mowers, but there's a discussion of over 800 pages here:

Flail Mower - Let's talk flail mowers

I just bought 5 acres and will build a new house, probably this fall. I plan to have about an acre around the house as a lawn area and the balance will be cut only two to three times during the growing season. I had intended to use a rotary cutter to cut the 4 acres, but the more I hear about...

www.tractorbynet.com

General information from personal experience with finish mowers:

B7500 (21HP, 17 at PTO) with a 60" RFM cut grass at about 40 minutes / acre
L3200 (32HP, 25 at PTO) with a 72" RFM cut grass at about 34 minutes / acre
L4240 (42HP, 35 at PTO) with a 90" RFM cuts grass at about 22 minutes / acre

Any of the above could handle the tall grass in the picture you posted (at a slower pace than shown above). Probably would adjust the wheels so you're not whacking it all off the first time through.

Rear discharge works best for me to limit windrowing.

Upgrading for a cab and A/C is what I did when moving from the L3200 to the L4240. I wanted A/C and a wider mower. The L3200 combo did fine, so I went 5HP more for A/C and another 5HP for the bigger deck. Wouldn't want anything else.
Well, I do have daydreams of a Valtra Unlimited, but it would cost a fortune and could be considered overkill for 3-1/2 acres

EDIT TO ADD: Just a matter of time till the ZT fans post that they can cut it in half the time

 

[Petey]

New here, first post. Currently in process of getting an LX4020 with the cab. Is the Land Pride FM2560 too much for the LX4020 with hammer blades for grass and brush work? I've come across conflicting information regarding the weight of that particular flail mower, can't find a definitive answer. Besides weight, what about horse power?
I've also been looking at a Del Morino Flipper 62" with hydraulic shift, model FLI158MHSS.

Edit: I've decided on the Del Morino - more budget friendly, and has hydraulic shift option. More practical choice.

 

[RMS]

I run a 65" flail on my cabbed lx2610 with no problem.

 

[Petey]

I run a 65" flail on my cabbed lx2610 with no problem.

Good to know, thanks. Just curious - what brand/model?

 

[RMS]

Good to know, thanks. Just curious - what brand/model?

Here are pictures of the mower and it's manual. It is a Cosmo and I believe it is made in Italy. Not sure, but this is what my dealer sells and it has been good for my needs. This is my 3rd season with it .

 

[Petey]

I had reached out to Land Pride directly out of curiosity - they confirmed the LX4020 will handle the Land Pride FM2560 with hammers without any trouble, and the total implement weight would be 1433 pounds.

 

[ACDII]

Something I learned. The bigger the tractor, the smoother it works. I started out with a B2410 for 20 years. Have a 6' King Kutter finish mower on it, and used a 4' rough cut (bush hog is a brand name). The rough cut shook the crap out of the tractor. The finish mower was fine on it. I moved up to an L4060 HSTC and the rough cut is smooth as silk on it. Finish mower same thing, just a lot quieter.
60" tiller on the B2410 works, but hard spots make the tractor jump, on the L4060, smooth as silk.

It's not really about the HP, but the weight of the tractor. At 2700 pounds, it will more than likely run that mower just fine. I wouldn't run it on anything smaller though, at least not without counterweights. Always needed one with the B2410, but not the L4060, I can take the loader off for the two mowers, where it was required on the B2410.

 

[Blue76]

Your usage doesn't sound like a bush hog job. No experience with flail mowers, but there's a discussion of over 800 pages here:

Flail Mower - Let's talk flail mowers

I just bought 5 acres and will build a new house, probably this fall. I plan to have about an acre around the house as a lawn area and the balance will be cut only two to three times during the growing season. I had intended to use a rotary cutter to cut the 4 acres, but the more I hear about...

www.tractorbynet.com

General information from personal experience with finish mowers:

B7500 (21HP, 17 at PTO) with a 60" RFM cut grass at about 40 minutes / acre
L3200 (32HP, 25 at PTO) with a 72" RFM cut grass at about 34 minutes / acre
L4240 (42HP, 35 at PTO) with a 90" RFM cuts grass at about 22 minutes / acre

Any of the above could handle the tall grass in the picture you posted (at a slower pace than shown above). Probably would adjust the wheels so you're not whacking it all off the first time through.

Rear discharge works best for me to limit windrowing.

Upgrading for a cab and A/C is what I did when moving from the L3200 to the L4240. I wanted A/C and a wider mower. The L3200 combo did fine, so I went 5HP more for A/C and another 5HP for the bigger deck. Wouldn't want anything else.
Well, I do have daydreams of a Valtra Unlimited, but it would cost a fortune and could be considered overkill for 3-1/2 acres

EDIT TO ADD: Just a matter of time till the ZT fans post that they can cut it in half the time

I can certainly cut it faster on a ZT but my back would be killing me. I currently mow a 4-1/2 acre field each week that used to be planted. So it is rough in some areas. Looks smooth until you try and fly across it on a ZT and you bounce out of the seat. Thinking about a finish or flail mower in something 72" or bigger. I can drive my tractor across it and don't feel any of the bumps.

 

[chim]

I can certainly cut it faster on a ZT but my back would be killing me. I currently mow a 4-1/2 acre field each week that used to be planted. So it is rough in some areas. Looks smooth until you try and fly across it on a ZT and you bounce out of the seat. Thinking about a finish or flail mower in something 72" or bigger. I can drive my tractor across it and don't feel any of the bumps.

As my post indicated I do prefer finish mowers on tractors. Everyone has their own favorite.

I never had a serious interest in flails due to the initial cost and tales of blade sharpening and replacement, balance issues, etc. Some have indicated they require more maintenance than RFM's.

I tried a couple ZT's and didn't enjoy using them. I especially like being in a climate-controlled cab when the heat, pollen, dust and bugs would be unpleasant.

The mowing times in my earlier post are actual, not in a hurry times. The last time I mowed Sweet Pea rode along. She either sits on my leg or stands in the front left corner. I take it slow because even with the HST response time dialed back, she sometimes bumps into the glass. It took 90 minutes to mow the 3.5 acres. That's about 26 minutes per acre with the 90" RFM.

 

[McMXi]

I run a 65" flail on my cabbed lx2610 with no problem.

I have a "ditch bank" flail, rotary cutter and folding rotary cutter. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the flail mower is by far the most versatile, in fact it's not even close. Flails avoid the issue that rotary cutters have i.e. cutting backwards as you're moving forwards. It's one of the reasons why they do such a good job of mulching. They also require less input hp so take less power away from the tractor for other uses i.e. climbing a hill, and they're smoother and quieter to run.

I really should sell the RCR1884 since I have the flail on the MX all summer, and even though it's slower that the RCR when cutting an open field, it does a way better job for me. It results in a better cut and does a much better job of mulching.