Del Morino flail mower 3 point attachment

[imarobot]

My Centurian Super 158 has two options for connecting the tractor top link. One is just a hole for the pin and the other is a slot which will allow the mower to pivot a bit on the top link. Which option is normally used to connect the top link?
Also, one of the lower link connections is on a pivoting link and the other side is to a fixed connection. Is the pivoting link to allow some lateral float to the mower?

 

[McMXi]

My Centurian Super 158 has two options for connecting the tractor top link. One is just a hole for the pin and the other is a slot which will allow the mower to pivot a bit on the top link. Which option is normally used to connect the top link?
Also, one of the lower link connections is on a pivoting link and the other side is to a fixed connection. Is the pivoting link to allow some lateral float to the mower?

I use the slotted top link but use whichever works best for you. There is no right or wrong answer here. If you have an FD valve and hydraulic top link and use the fixed top link hole you could have the same (or similar) performance as the slotted top link on the flail with a fixed top link length. I have an hydraulic top link and FD valve but chose to use the slot and adjust the top link on the fly to center the pin in the slot if I want to "float" the cutting head so that is maintains it's orientation relative to the ground.



As for the articulating side link on the right side of the flail. I think this is a safety/reliability feature perhaps more than a cutting feature and seems to be common on European made flails with significant hydraulic offset such as our Del Morino Centurion Super 158 models. There's a substantial lever arm with a flail mower swung out all the way to the right side of the tractor, and the articulating link on the flail allows the lower link (arm) on the right side of the tractor to change its elevation relative to the left lift arm. If the cutting head is all the way out to the right and it contacts a solid or semi-solid object, and there's no ability of the lower link closest to the head to move independent of the other link that's going to submit the tractor to a significant bending/turning moment. This could pose a safety hazard or at least subject the tractor's 3-point to a lot of additional stress.

I've come to this conclusion based on what we know and that is that the pins on the lower lift arm connection points on the implement must be parallel (but not co-axial) at all times. With most implements, the pins are co-axial at all times. The balls allow for minor adjustment (and even some major adjustment) to the orientation of the pins on the implement, but once on, that orientation never changes. For example, the balls allow each lower link to be positioned such that they're not symmetric (angle) to the center line of the tractor as viewed from above.

With the flail, the left and right pins must be parallel within the limitations of the offset on the right side. The offset ranges from where the pin is currently shown in the photo below to a maximum offset when the bracket is rotated all the way down. The only way to achieve this is for the lower links to be at different elevations. I hope this makes some sense. So I do think it's a safety/reliability issue more than a cutting feature that attempts to orient the cutting head in some desirable position.

 

[imarobot]

Well, I'm not going to pretend I understand all your precise and accurate information, but that was a great write-up, thank you.
I understand the top link slot vs hole explanation, makes sense. I don't have a hydraulic top link and use the slotted connection point to allow for some pivoting as the terrain slightly changes. Is that correct?
As far as the right pivoting lower link connection, I understand the need for the "float" to allow the mower to pivot up and down as needed, and the need for it.
What I still don't get is how to adjust the right lower link with the pivoting connection. Should I adjust the right lower link so that the mower pivot link is at its upper most pivot point or at the middle of its pivot, or at the bottom of its pivot? I would think adjusting this so that the pivot point is at the top point would allow both lower links to have the mower be leveled on level ground.
But now I wonder about your comments about the ability of the mower to adjust up or down when in the extended right position.
Should the right lower link be adjusted so that the pivot point is fully up in the mower non-extended position, then re-adjusted to a centered position if extending the mower to the right?
I hope you understand my questions, after reading this, I'm not sure I do but hope you do

 

[McMXi]

I understand the top link slot vs hole explanation, makes sense. I don't have a hydraulic top link and use the slotted connection point to allow for some pivoting as the terrain slightly changes. Is that correct?

You have the right idea. If you you want to run the flail so that it basically follows the terrain you could adjust the top link to be in the center of the slot when the tractor and flail are level. It's even more useful when the cutting head is offset since the terrain to the right of the tractor might be different than what's under the tractor. An hydraulic top link makes on the fly adjustments very easy, so you can increase cut height by extending the top link.

What I still don't get is how to adjust the right lower link with the pivoting connection. Should I adjust the right lower link so that the mower pivot link is at its upper most pivot point or at the middle of its pivot, or at the bottom of its pivot?

Set up the lower links with the right hand "hinge" in its upper position (flipped up). This is like an implement without the hinge and it's what I showed above. As I mentioned, I'm not so sure that the hinge is there to allow the cutting head to float, but more as a safety feature in the event that you run into something solid. I watch a YouTube channel from the UK and today he was repairing the yoke from a flail. The owner drove the flail into a post or tree or something and it twisted the yoke.

I'm hoping that I can run the flail on the QH10 this year. As long as the PTO shaft has clearance all should be good.

 

[imarobot]

Thank you. Just to clarify I should use this setup with the mower fully extended out?

 

[McMXi]

Thank you. Just to clarify I should use this setup with the mower fully extended out?

You can set up the top link either way and for all applications.

 

[imarobot]

Thank you!

 

[McMXi]

Thank you!

Send me a PM if you need more help with your Del Morino. I've been running mine for four summers and it's on the MX all summer long. I'll be getting it back on the MX soon I'm sure.