Flail recommendations for BX2680

[TRUCK3]

I'm looking to purchase a flail mower for my new to me BX2680. Looked at rotary cutters, but the length, for both my trailer (14') and maneuverability, made me look hard at flail mowers. I like the more compact size of the flails and from what I read and from YT videos, are quieter. I'm mowing mostly high grass, so Y-blades should work well and again from what I read and see, provide a nicer cut than a RC.

My research shows 3 available units, all probably 52"/54" - Ironcraft FL-135, Woodmaxx FM-54, and Del Morino Funny Top 132. They are priced from low to high in that same order. The Del Morino is the most expensive, but does offer the adjustable offset (8"). The Ironcraft isn't much more than an RC and I'm planning to visit the local dealer and take a look at it. I'm definitely interested in the Ironcraft.

The Woodmaxx is a few $100 more - I'm not sure if I'm getting anything for the extra $$. It is an imported unit from what I understand. The Del Morino gets good reviews but would be on the order of $1k more than the Ironcraft. Ironcraft's website doesn't have any drawings on the off-set (if any) so I'll need to check at the dealer. Regardless, I don't think the 8" adj offset on the Del Morino will be much more.

Just looking to see if anyone has done a comparison on the Ironcraft vs. the Del Morino or if anyone is using the Ironcraft FL-135 on a BX and how that is working out. The reviews I found on a forum search seems to show good reviews on both brands.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[BAP]

Have you been to your local dealership and inquired about flail mower? Landpride, which is Kubota owned, makes some. Plus, the dealer may carry another brand.

 

[skipperbrown]

My experience with a flail in high grass, 2 to 3+ ft, is that the mower can't process all the material except at a snail's pace. The drum rotates "against the grain" so all the material that is cut must rotate around the drum before exiting. There is only so much grass it can process. It worked fine up to 18", but after that I started smoking belts. In all grasses, it was considerably slower than a rotatory. I recommend you rent one before shelling out a lot of cash on one. Mine was an Italian brand, I can't remember the name.

Yes, they are a nice compact package that fits on the trailer and they don't throw limbs and rocks 300', but in my case, that's where the advantages ended. I sold mine and went back to the rotatory and never looked back.

 

[mcmxi]

I'm looking to purchase a flail mower for my new to me BX2680. Looked at rotary cutters, but the length, for both my trailer (14') and maneuverability, made me look hard at flail mowers. I like the more compact size of the flails and from what I read and from YT videos, are quieter. I'm mowing mostly high grass, so Y-blades should work well and again from what I read and see, provide a nicer cut than a RC.

My research shows 3 available units, all probably 52"/54" - Ironcraft FL-135, Woodmaxx FM-54, and Del Morino Funny Top 132. They are priced from low to high in that same order. The Del Morino is the most expensive, but does offer the adjustable offset (8"). The Ironcraft isn't much more than an RC and I'm planning to visit the local dealer and take a look at it. I'm definitely interested in the Ironcraft.

The Woodmaxx is a few $100 more - I'm not sure if I'm getting anything for the extra $$. It is an imported unit from what I understand. The Del Morino gets good reviews but would be on the order of $1k more than the Ironcraft. Ironcraft's website doesn't have any drawings on the off-set (if any) so I'll need to check at the dealer. Regardless, I don't think the 8" adj offset on the Del Morino will be much more.

Just looking to see if anyone has done a comparison on the Ironcraft vs. the Del Morino or if anyone is using the Ironcraft FL-135 on a BX and how that is working out. The reviews I found on a forum search seems to show good reviews on both brands.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I have a Del Morino flail (Centurion Super 158) and a Land Pride rotary cutter (RCR1884). If I were to part with one it'd be the rotary cutter without a doubt. The flail is way more versatile, and other than being wider (in my case), the rotary cutter offers few advantages and lots of disadvantages. They both have their place, but I consider a flail to be superior if it's one or the other.

If you're cutting tall grass or weeds and you want to do a good job you'll be going slow regardless of what you're pulling, and in my experience the flail does a much better job of mulching than a rotary cutter.

I've cut 4ft to 5ft tall weeds and grass with the flail with good results and no burned up belts or other issues.

 

[Russell King]

Look at the height of the cut you need to get. I believe the rotary cutter will be able to leave a height of about a foot while the flail will go to only around a half foot.

 

[TRUCK3]

Thanks for all of the feedback, very helpful. I was able to get out this week to my closest Ironcraft dealer. I looked at the FL-135 for my BX2680. The units are actually Titan Implements branded. Sales rep stated they picked them up on a good deal when Ironcraft was trying to sell Titan Implements branded equipment. They have been sitting out in their yard for a year+, but they still look very good.

They look to be imported units from Italy from the equipment tag. Construction look good from what I could tell - structurally seems as good as the Del Morino finish mower that came with my BX when I picked it up last year.

The fixed offset would be about 8" to the outside of the tires on the BX. If I added 2" spaces, down to 6". Seems ok and better than a 48" RC. A 48" rotary cutter only gives me about 1.5" outside the tires. If I add 2" wheel spacers, which I'd like to do, I'd be slightly negative with the RC not quite covering the tire tracks.

The only thing that surprised me on the flail was the size of the rotor housing (?). I was expecting it to be larger. The next size up, the FL-165, didn't seem to have a much larger rotor housing. I don't have any other brands to compare, but watching YT videos with similar sized Del Morino's the DM's rotor housing didn't seem any different.

Right now it's the Iron Craft (Titan Implements) unless I want to spend on the order of $1k more for the DM Funny Top with the manual side shift. I probably would get some benefit from that extra side shift, but I don't know if it worth the extra $1k, right now I'm thinking no on that. If I could pick up a used DM, I'd probably go that route, but I want to pick something up in the week or two and it's looking like the Ironcraft.

 

[D2Cat]

Look at the height of the cut you need to get. I believe the rotary cutter will be able to leave a height of about a foot while the flail will go to only around a half foot.

I cut my pasture with a 7' flail and leave it 10"-12" high. Have it anchored at that height with a deck height stabilizer kit. Mows fine, has Y blades.

 

[Russell King]

I cut my pasture with a 7' flail and leave it 10"-12" high. Have it anchored at that height with a deck height stabilizer kit. Mows fine, has Y blades.

So tractor is carrying the mower and nothing on the flail is touching the ground, correct?

Is the cut still fairly consistent or does it vary somewhat depending on the ups and downs of the tractor front wheels?

Does the mower still chop up the material or is it just leaving it as cut? In other words, if you are cutting from 24 to 12 inches, what is the length of the removed material?

I had been thinking about getting a flail to replace the shredder but the cut height was too short on the flails so never pursued one.

 

[D2Cat]

Russell, here's some pictures I took a couple of years ago. This is an area I keep some round bales in and in the summer the grass doesn't get touched. The tractor is a Deutz 6206 to give you an idea of height of grass (7.50 x 16 front tires).

I did not have the chains holding the mower up in these pictures. What is really interesting is I can mow an area with some grass and some weeds the cattle won't touch, but as soon as I go over it with the flail they are out there eating it like birds after plowing. I think it is because the grass get chopped up good.

 

[Russell King]

@D2Cat
Thank you for the information

 

[D2Cat]

@D2Cat
Thank you for the information

I have done nothing to that mower except replace the dolly tires and change gearbox oil.

Bought it from a guy on FB who bought it at an auction and before him it was owned by the Corp of Engineers. Paid him $700 or $750, I don't remember. Had to drive 70 miles to pick it up.

I have an 8' brush type mower I haven't used since I started with this.