To flail or brush hog with L2501?

[Gary Olson]

The neighbors used large equipment to mow and bail the easy fields. I am left with the small, hilly, tedious fields. Since the PTO output max is 15 HP, the maximum size mower I can get is 48" wide. So, the question is to flail or brush hog? From what I can find, the large equipment OEMs don't make small equipment. Has anyone used a MechMaxx flail mower?

thanks
Gary

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

4’ seems smallish for an L250X. I don’t really know that’s my opinion.

Why would your machine not run a 5’ cutter? (Personally I would try to cover the tracks).

 

[Gary Olson]

Good day.

4’ seems smallish for an L250X. I don’t really know that’s my opinion.

Why would your machine not run a 5’ cutter? (Personally I would try to cover the tracks).

Mowers wider than 48" state PTO 25HP minimum. Outside my power range.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Mowers wider than 48" state PTO 25HP minimum. Outside my power range.

I would politely / respectfully encourage make sure looking at Pto Hp or KW rating. I think maybe it’s 19-20ish. I don’t know as a fact but I’d check before you buy. Could be a game changer for you what you can reasonably run. And the in that case I’d look at 5’ widths. I am sure some l250x owners will chime in. I don’t know myself for a fact but please check the math (respectfully).

TractorData.com Kubota L2501 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

 

[ken erickson]

My L2501 hst is listed at 19 PTO HP and a gear drive at 20.5 PTO HP.

Landpride matched implement guide recommends a 5 foot brush cutter for L2501's and I have been running a 6' light duty LP for 3 seasons now without issues.

My humble opinion it would be a mistake to think the largest rotary cutter you can run is 48".

 

[Russell King]

I would go flail unless you are wanting to cut the grass pretty high, then rotary cutter

 

[MountainMeadows]

I've got a 5' brush hog behind mine, which has 19 hp pto and have never run into an issue mowing our meadow.

 

[Pawnee]

I run an RCR1260 on my L2501.
Page 10 of the manual states tractor HP rating = 18-60 which is fine.

it's just a recommendation anyway, they don't know what you are cutting.
I just cut a new path through thick weeds taller than the hood with no problem.

 

[Gary Olson]

Seems I am looking for what is called an orchard mower in the flail mowers; with Y cutters. Interesting. This avoids trailing equipment multiple feet behind; which was a requirement in my head I didn't post.

 

[mcmxi]

Seems I am looking for what is called an orchard mower in the flail mowers; with Y cutters. Interesting. This avoids trailing equipment multiple feet behind; which was a requirement in my head I didn't post.

I have a 5ft flail, a 7ft rotary cutter and a 12ft folding cutter. Flails are smoother (less vibration), quieter from the operator's perspective, require less hp, put less stress on the PTO, are much more compact, and don't tend to get high centered on uneven ground due to the rear drum. Flails are also available as offset models, and some have hydraulic adjustment of the offset and even cutting head rotation. Hammers will cut a lawn better than well enough, but also mulch up 5ft of tall weeds or grass.

Flails are very popular in Europe whereas rotary cutters aren't. Perhaps that's because of the miles and miles of hedgerows that need to be cut each year. I have no plans to upgrade the rotary cutter or folding cutter, but another (bigger) flail for the M6060 is on my wish list.

Here's an example of one pass with the flail. A few more jobs like this and the flail will have paid for itself.