Flail, Finish and Rotary Cutter Comparison
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2017
- My #1 most asked question on this channel relates to flail mowers. Viewers hear me talk all the time about finish mowers and rotary cutters (or brush hogs) and never hear about flail machines. That's because they are widely unknown in my area, or, we're simply too cheap here in hillbilly country to invest in the extra cost for one. I had one of my viewers ask about them a couple of months ago and so I called Rhino Ag, because they offered a flail mower and know my channel. They agreed to ship me a rotary cutter, a finish mower and a flail mower to evaluate with no strings attached. Pretty risky move, right?
We did the evaluation at the new country home of my cousins, Beth and C.R. They moved to the country for the first time in May, and neither one had ever been on a tractor before. C.R. wants to keep his place looking really nice and asked me what he needed to buy. I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone by doing the evaluation at his place to help him make a good decision.
We ran the three machines in ankle-deep grass, about what you have when it's time to mow your yard, and knee-deep grass. We wanted to see the strengths and weaknesses of all.
The rotary cutter, or brush hog, did an admirable job in both conditions. Not a great cut like a lawn mower, but from a distance, I'm not sure you could tell. The advantage of that machine is you can go back in the woods and cut a trail with it and not tear it up. When you do that though, the blades will gradually get dull, so unless you're handy with a grinder, your field cut could decline in how attractive it is over time.
The finish mower, in my opinion, did the best job in the ankle deep grass. It looked amazing from a distance, and had that nice striping. In the tall grass it was a disaster. Finish mowers just can't handle that much volume, and it struggled. It would be the choice if you never let your mowed area get away from you.
The flail surprised me. I've heard they pull hard on the tractor, this one didn't. I couldn't notice the weight of it, or the spinning hammers requiring a lot of horsepower. I thought the machine was too big for the 60 hp tractor, but it wasn't. The flail did the best job of cutting in the tall grass, and does a good job of striping. It's more compact than the other two machines, making it more maneuverable, and it can be offset with hydraulics, so it sticks out past the tractor tire for mowing next to fences and trees. It is, by far, the most expensive of the three machines, but it'll probably outlast three finish mowers in rough field conditions, so take that into account when buying. Finally, flail mowers cut horizontally, so they tend to throw rocks downward, rotary cutters and finish mowers can throw rocks into widows. Get the flail mower if you're mowing next to houses or where people could be, they're much safer.
I tried to include as much video as possible of the cutting and the results, it's hard to judge how pretty a cut is by looking at a video. Bear in mind that we shot this video in late July, and our cool season grasses are well on their way to dormancy at that point. A better shoot would have been in spring or fall, but you have to take advantage of the opportunity when you can. The grass we were cutting wasn't the best either, a combination of fescue, red clover and Johnson Grass, a little better than the typical pasture in the area where I live.
I'll probably get asked, so I'll give you my final opinion. I still like a rotary cutter, or brush hog, for our area. They're tough, they do a decent job of cutting anything from grass to brush to small trees and they're the cheapest option, and I like cheap. My least favorite option is a finish mower. They do the prettiest job of cutting, but there's no way I'd ever keep my estate clipped to the grass height where they shine. If you want the manicured cut that you get out of your lawn mower in your pasture, get the finish mower. Finally, I was impressed by the flail. If I was trying to get a well groomed look, that's what I'd buy, because if the grass gets away from you, you can still cut it and have it look nice. I like the maneuverability and the safety aspects as well. I'm not sure I'd like replacing hammers.
Thanks to C.R. and Beth for letting me hang out at their property for a month and especially, thanks to Rhino Ag for supplying the products and the drone shots. I want a drone.
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Hi Tractor Mike, thank you for all of your excellent videos. For everyone interested let me say, "There's nothing like a flail mower, they can do it all beautifully. I understand change comes hard, and we're all used to rotary and finish mowers, but the flail does both, and better than the others mentioned. Your viewers will NOT be disappointed, trust me
I've got five acres. I was beating my old riding mower to death trying to "reclaim" the former pasture. My dad sold some land and no longer needed his tractor, so he gave me his old tractor and rotary cutter.
But now that I have the land cleared, I'd like a more finished looking lawn type cut. Since I've already got the rotary mower in case the land gets away from me from again, I plan to get a finish mower to use on my new big lawn.
This video was a key to my decision. Thanks for posting!
I just found this channel recently and I truly want to thank you Mike. It is so amazing that you address all these issues and speak directly to the UNINFORMED tractor buyer/owner. This is just what I need to help me make informed decisions and keep safe.
Best demonstration between these three type of machines, just what I was looking for.👍
Thank you Tractor Mike, I have one on order just a 62 inch. I train retrievers so I have 20 acres I use for training. Your videos have helped me a lot, thank you.
Great video, I had not seen a flail mower in action and was glad to see what it could do. Thanks to Rhino for the loan of their equipment to make this video possible.
Thanks for posting this very informative video. I really liked the side by side comparison. Stay safe.
Thanks Mike - I know this video has been up for a while but its just what I have been looking for. I have been stuck between these mowers for sometime and really liked this comparison.
Thanks again for your videos. (I have a 26 ace property and a 35 h J.D. in New Hampshire and appreciate the advice I get from you!)
Thanks for posting MIke!
Super helpful on basics with the flail mower and in comparison to the other two types
Great video! If you don't mind me adding a few things here is what I've found:
Flail mower: pros; really shines when you add hammer blades to clear brush and prunings
great for striping on lawns, better than a rotary cutter when preparing land for plowing cons; can't turn without lifting the mower which is not efficient for areas with obstacles, uses more fuel because rpms have to be higher to function properly, slower and will catch every rock that is in the field.
Rotary mower: pros; less fuel to operate, easy to turn, faster, not nearly as likely to hit rocks cons; doesn't mulch as well as the flail mower and cannot get a cut as close to the ground (you'll have to disc before plowing).
Finish mower is the best tool for lawn maintenance. In this application, it seems to offer the best balance between maintenance and speed particularly for areas with lots of obstacles. If you are doing a large area with no obstacles then either the flail mower or the finish mower would work well. Bottom line, you need all three. hehe
Thanks for putting this on.
My Favorite Channel on UA-cam! Thanks Mike...this video answered alot of questions for me! ~ Rod =)
I'm a pro cutter in southwest MO. I use an fm 4188. Italian made piece of crap I have to repair all the time , however, it mows better than any rotary cutter. I do commercial development lots mainly. Pad ready, no...don;t think so...I encounter soooo many rocks, which is why I went to flail last year. No more thrown debris that I had with my old rotary cutter. All my customers appreciate the lower mowing height and clean cut of the flail. Drag a rotary through a rock field and then a flail. No comparison. Just today I mowed a 7 acre field that was done in June by a 6ft rotary, but he mowed at about 12'. for fear of the rocks.
I did it today in 9ft johnson grass with many saplings and did it at a 5" cutting height. Customer was amazed and could see the rocks finally and started clearing them out so the property could become viable.
Yep, hit some rocks, and on one as big as a hall closet, I sheared about 5 bolts . 30 minutes left in the job...Yep! Stuff happens. The rock I hit would have killed my old rotary mower, major, MAJOR damage. I' ll get some bolts on Tuesday and finish the job, no problem!
The video and comments are a great source of info on the capabilities of these three types of mowers. I run a Frontier 2072 that I cut 18.5 acres with in north Florida and had never even heard of a finish mower never mind a flail, but being new to this there's a lot to learn. I, also was burning through PTO bolts and my rotary has a slip clutch. Even the replacements bolts from the dealer were still Class 2 bolts vs Class 5 or 8 which are recommended for a slip clutch model. I'm not really cutting anything significant other than grass so I was amazed I was sheering bolts. Anyway, my only comment about rotary vs finish would be that on my property (which is mostly flat) I have a lot of terrain changes so when I turn the mower (even slow and wide) my skids cut into the ground and carve out turf. I guess I could raise the mower on the turn, but that's kind of a pain. This is where I think a finish mower would have the advantage over the rotary as it rides on a wheel on each corner and would avoid the cuts into the turf on the turns. Only speculation at this point, but logic would seem to dictate. I also think that with the four wheels it would better follow the contour of the land vs the rotary which seems to have a more static position that follows the lead of the tractor. My Frontier rotary does have a little play where the top link attaches to the mower and there is a 4-5" bushing that lets the mower deck pitch forward or back, but nothing for side to side movement. If anyone has actual experience with this I would be interested in your opinion before I go buy a finish mower. I like the "golf course" like look, but wonder if I'd really see any difference between the two. Is the juice worth the squeeze ?
Awesome video. I really appreciate it.
It's important to remember that's a brand new brush hog with sharp blades. Once you've used one to cut heavy brush and small trees, it will never cut grass that well again. It will "beat" the grass down rather than cut it.
Really awesome video. 👍🏼
Well this decides it for me. With the cut being very similar between the flail and the rotary, but the rotary being cheaper and having the added benefits of being stout enough to hit rocks and stumps, run over thick brush and small trees, easier to repair and maintain, etc, it just makes more sense and a better investment to get the rotary, in my opinion.
My brother just purchased a finishing mower last spring and love it, and I have a regular brush hog and love it for working in the field. My brother's mower does a better job at mowing the field and I would love to have one, but don't want to spend the extra money to obtain one to keep my field mowed down that low. For my lawn, I depend on my zero turn mower which is great for keeping the grass down in my lawn. The Flail mower you showed in the video seem to be nice and I think it would be great for around the farm.
Drum direction rotation makes a big difference in cut on the flail......My flail cutter is bidirectional.....
Thanks for the video.
One other issue that's worth discussion is the varying propensity to throw objects during use. I run a brush hog 99% of the time for mowing but when I'm in a rural neighborhood/mobile home park/right-of-way, I use a flail mower. It's not near as likely to throw objects like a brush hog will, even with guards on. Fun vid, Mike. I've been looking forward to this one.
I would have to go with the rotary cutter as well.The frail mower down here in Florida usually is way on one side
Using a flail with a Yanmar 16hp compact tractor,in the UK.Key is it's versatility.Can cut lawn longer grass,and three feet high brush,with just the one machine.
Great video
I think the flail will do a much better job than the other two in any grass & brush. I currently have a 6 foot rotary. Gary Keslar
Great video. Thanks
The flail was running at a higher height than the finish mower, could have been run just as low and would have given a much better cut than shown. Also confused about how "the flail puts more weight on the rear tire"...? Run properly it would be sitting on the rear roller or wheels in this case with the 3 pt in float, so little weight on the tractor. The way the flail bounced when the tractor did looks like it was held at a fixed height, almost like someone didn't want the flail to do well... Yes, I have a flail, no, I don't have anything against rotary brush cutters, but lets test them as they should be run. I bought a flail instead of rotary because I mow outlots near houses and wanted the better finish of the flail and no threat of throwing objects. There is no question the lots look better after I mow than when we used to hire someone with a rotary to do it. The taller the grass, the more clumping with the rotary and you would see it more after a couple of days when the cut grass is brown instead of fresh cut and all green.
I totally agree with you
Mike, Thank you for your videos. you worked in the tractor and small farm implements, I work in video production. Your production values are great, nothing fancy, but everything visual is top notch. Your Audio on the other hand is not quite up to snuff. When you interview someone, please get the mic closer... their audio is so low in several of these videos that the border on inaudible even with the sound at max.
Your mixing of the music is good, it complements but does not drown out the voice-over and all in all the sound is very good most of the time. Step into them a bit when interviewing them, make sure they know you will do that, so that they don't then back off to get more personal space.
Again, I love the videos, they are a great way to become educated in small tractor 101. Keep up the good work!
The hearing is slowly going away. Being around equipment a lot and playing loud music are recipes for deaf old guys :(. I find when I'm speaking with someone that doesn't talk very loud my volume goes up to try to get them to raise theirs. That makes it worse. The point is also well taken about mike placement. That's a bad habit that I'll work on. I have an app that I can run the sound through that equalizes everything but it adds one step to the process, but it might be time to do it anyway. Thanks for the advice!
I just bought a flail mower, I did my research and for me the flail is a great all-rounder. It mulches better and it is good to get into tight spots. Plus it loves the more tough vegetation like brambles, doesn't worry about the odd branch either. Avoid stones and fencing wire if you can!
How has it been to re-sharpen, replace, and repair?
I have used a Finnish mower on hay and I say no way. So I use a brush hog on the fields twice a year to keep the milk weed down. Great video !
There is USDA program that pays you to grow milk weed.
Love to watch tractor mike good advice on these videos
I personally like the brush mower. I keep 2 sets of blades for it. 1 set of standard brush blades and a second set which I have sharpened much like lawnmower blades would be.
Since I mainly use it as a lawn mower, the sharpened blades are what stay installed. Once or twice a year when I need to cut back brush, I remove the "lawn" blades and install the brush blades. It takes me about 45 minutes to do the swap now. Used to take me longer.
When I do the swap I also take that time to sharpen the lawn blades for when they get re-installed they will be in good working order.
Mike I forgot to explain that my flail articulates down to do ditches etc. as well to vertical to do bushes etc. that is why it is so versatile!
Which one plugs up the most and least, in short and tall grass?
Can you go faster with one of them or have to go slower with one?
Which is easiest to clean and maintain?
How long can you expect each to last?
What does each cost?
Hi Mike, I was wondering how does a flail mower do on hip high grass/weeds or taller? The reason I ask is we have property that has lots of hills and it's a lot of raising and lowering of the brush hog. With a flail mower, I was thinking I could put it in float and it would be less likely to dig in or not cut anything at all. It would also save space in the barn.
I run all three styles of mower, the rotary cutter hasn't been used since we got our flail mower, going on five years and I might have to replace the flails for the first time. Running duck foot blades on the flail mower and cutting often, it leaves a finish nearly as good as the finishing mower, but my finishing mower is a front mount, so there are no tire tracks before the cut. I also used it to grind down willow and caragana stumps. The flail mower is the heaviest, and most expensive, but it is by far the most versatile mower you can buy, it all depends on the flails you spec on the machine.
I agree. I noticed in the previous video the Flail they used was using hammer type blade. The reason it struggled with the lower ankle deep grass was because of this. If that flail would have had a fine cut or reverse Y, you would have seen a near perfect cut. Even the deeper grass would have looked better. The blade that was used is for light brush. Instead of buying two machines, it would likely be a lot cheaper for your brother-in-law to buy a fine cut set of blades and perhaps if needed a set of hammers. MUCH less expensive than two different machines. I think you need to get that flail back see it with a fine cut blade.
I generally mow with a Zero Turn mower. But I'm trying to claim additional mowable acreage (presently under power line brush). It looks like the rotary cutter is the way to go. But since this is a one time deal, I think I'll rent.
Wish i had known about the flail mower before i got the finish mower, would much rather mow once every month or two versus twice a month...
Great comparison and very helpful!
I went through similar "quality of cut" experience. My property is in eastern Tennessee thus hilly. I first obtained a rotary cutter and does very good job but, due to different pitch of the terrain, always having to adjust to avoid scalping and scraping to get a "low" cut. As the property is also nestled in forest, I have many seedlings and saplings, insignificant to a rotary cutter.
When it rains, even with weighted ag tires and weights on tractor (due to trees do not use front loader), ground becomes unable to hold the tractor thus easy to go from ankle deep to knee or above while I wait for the ground to dry.
As with CR's final thought, I ended up purchasing a finish mower to compliment the rotary cutter. The pasture looks like a golf course when the mower is used. Should the grass get ahead of me, I use the rotary cutter and just have to bring it down to where the mower gives the final manicured look.
It is a greater expense but I have found that having both implements gives me the flexibility to deal with weather, terrain, vegetation, and desired look.
Thanks again for the comparison!
Thanks for the input, I think that's exactly what he's thinking. I'll make sure he sees your comment.
Thanks Mike! One more point for your cousin, the finish mower's discharge. The video evaluated Rhino which had a rear discharge. If he goes with different brand, he should choose similar rear discharge as it makes for a much better final look, i.e., no row like a typical lawn mower side discharge deck would do.
This is a great video Mike - I was quite surprised at the cut I got with my bush hog and wondered if perhaps I was sold the wrong equipment :D (I was brand new to tractors at the time.)
You're saying you weren't expecting a nice cut, right? Newer machines have high blade tip speeds and taller decks and they seem to cut prettier than some of the older brush hogs. I thought the one in the video held its own well against the other machines. It's still my choice for field cutting.
Mike, I suppose maybe that is something to ask when purchasing is the gear ratio or tip speed at 540rpm? I had a neighbor that loved his cutter and he said it had a high spin rate. I have the same results with wigglerx as my cutter never gets as good as a cut as the cutter brand you showed in the video.
I don't think I'd rely totally on blade tip speed. This cutter's speed wasn't as high as some, but the deck was tall and it did a really nice job of cutting. I'm wondering if the taller deck allows better air flow and helps pick the grass up before cutting, requiring less blade tip speed. I need to interview an engineer someday who knows all this stuff and find out what really gets you a good cut. That's on my list for future videos.
Got to be a flail every time......this flail was not set on is roller in 3pt link float mode. I used mine set high to destroy all the saplings and thorns, mole hills and tussocks a few times then spent an hour getting the cutters sharp and now it finish mows big stripes!! thanks for the vid.
Hi good video, at 6:00 min comparison, the ground speeds for each was way off.
I have a finish and a rotary for lawn and pasture maintenance. Love them both for their specific applications. The rotary is great for taking care of the up to one inch sapling copses that got established in my pasture before I go the mower. The slip clutch protects the tractor and drive train... Great machine! The finish mower does just that around the house and other buildings. I'd never run it over brush though. Bent blades and drive train havoc would be the best case result. Both are powered by a Kubota L3540.
I have a finish mower for my 3 acre yard and tidy up tight spots with a weedeater an lawn tractor. I like a nice lawn but don't have time or the inclination to fertilize or irrigate it. I spray a preemerge on it and keep it trimmed to a lush 3-4 inches. This promotes deeper root growth and more hardiness when it gets dry than if you cut it shorter. My lawn is bermuda when the seed stems get above the grass I finish now the seed heads and the grass back to 3-4 inches which allows the lawn to stay hardy and thicken from the germinating seed heads. So I have no need for the closer cutting more expensive flail. I imagine the more expensive flail would do the same with more cost and moving parts to repair. If you had expectations of a golf course go flail, if you want a nice yard and less repair and up front cost get a finish mower.
If you have a real farm or ranch get the rotary cutter
If you tend to let you house yard and smooth non rocky pasture yard get away from you a rotary and finish mower is all you need.
If you have a lot of time and love cutting you grass do short you have to spend time and money on fertilizer and irrigation to keep your grass alive like in a golf course get the flail.
I raise cows and have rocky hillsides with terraces woodland and uneven ground. I just want to knock down the tall weeds to make the grazable grass available to the cows so pretty lawn doesn't even enter my mind, If I hit a rock or have 2" saplings in 6' tall weeds to knock down I just keep going with a rotary brush hog. No worries about overloading a finish mower or upsetting the delicate balance of a pair of flails.
Scalping and mating are a problem with the rotary. Both kill grass and the look. Flail mow only when it gets away from you, and finish mow when you can. It’s worth spending the money for both units, if it bring you joy and satisfaction. And keeps you from tearing up your finish mower, so it keeps that look.
Thanks for doing the comparison. Bushhog is the most versatile.
And still my choice for what I do...
Awesome Video! One that has been needed to do for a while and unbiased comparison. Very informative. Do you have any photos after the residue has dried and turned brown that might help customers choose the mower based on crop residue. Also the grass condition. Rotary Mowers beat the grass and often fractures the stems so it creates a white look a day or two after the cut whereas finish mower cut the material and remains green as the plant can heal faster. That might be a good addition to video if you can show after cut results from a day later or week later, that's what many of my customers ask and desire from their cutting implement. Awesome video all around and great comparison. Thank YOU!
Doug, I should have gone back and got pictures of the residue, but after several days hanging out there in 90 degree heat, I'd had all I wanted. I think my cousins were getting a little tired of having me around as well. The machines are still there, if the Rhino guys don't pick them up by then, I may sneak over there this fall when the grass is a little more lush and do some more comparisons. Great idea, thanks!
I can keep them RhinoAG guys away...LOL Again it was Excellent Review and one that has been needed!!!
Good video Mike - thanks!
I've just bought a finishing mower to replace a 20-year old Wessex 'brush hog', ('topper' in the UK); sadly, it's not up to my 11-acre grass field used as pasture, but does do a nice job on the 'manicured' grass sections I keep. As a result, I'm also buying a new brush hog to run alongside it.
It's interesting to hear what equipment is called in other countries...Topper in the U.K., I believe it's a "Slasher" in Australia. I had a chance to go to your country last October to cover a news story and I really want to go back. My ancestors came from there in the 1600's. I don't know why they left, they may have been asked to leave. :)
If you are thinking of buying a flail mower vs. a brush hog, I recently purchased the top of the line WOODMAX 96H (which cuts an 8 ft swath, with a hydraulic offset mechanism).
The machine cuts well, but the rails on which the hydraulic shift traveler rides is made of soft Chinese steel.
The thing bowed in the middle before I could ever put the mower in use. This bowing caused the traveler to catch on the rail, which transferred the pressure from the hydraulic unit to the rail itself. The result was that
the rails pushed the freeze plug, and the snap ring which held the rail in place, plumb out of the seat, along with rail itself.
This was bad enough, but the real, and lasting damage is that the WOODMAX company won't return my calls, respond to my e-mails, or any of my direct mail attempts to have them send me a replacement rail, end plugs, and snap rings.
The unit came with a 3 year warranty, which appears now to be a complete sham.
The price was right at $4,000, as that is about half of what a legitimate Kubota or John Deere would cost.
Since I have received zero response from WOODMAX, I hired a fellow to weld metal covers over the ends of the rail guides, which for now is working fine. But, the rail itself continues to bend upward in the middle, and will most likely end up being completely useless.
The old brush hog was virtually maintenance free for forty years. The flail mower is three months old.
The cut is nice, and it turns 1" twigs to mulch, which is good for the pecan orchards where it is used.
With minimal customer service from WOODMAX, I could install a new rail, after having my welder heat-temper the steel for strength. But, WOODMAX apparently does not care one twig for their customers.
Would a 40 hp tractor drive a 185cm flail mower?
Thank you.
Great Comparison Mike, I wonder what the maintenance issues are on each unit, also what unit would hold up better if you hit a rock or branch? Thanks much!
Finish mowers don't like to touch anything but grass, so they're not going to do well. I'd love to spend the summer with a flail mower in all conditions so I could answer your question. I will say this, it's BY FAR, the heaviest of the three. They all came on a flatbed and the tractor easily picked up the finish mower and the brush hog and lifted them off the trailer. The flail mower picked the butt end of the tractor off the ground and nearly gave Tractor Mike a heart attack. Had there not been a track loader doing some grading at the property we couldn't have unloaded it.
Tractor Mike Really?!? Are your rear tires fluid filled? I can't imagine the mower would weigh more than a tiller... Am I wrong??
Have a Rhino TW14 rotary I use with my Massey Ferguson GC1705 did leave some piles after cut knee high grass but after 3rd mow cleaned it up. You can increase mulching by raising deck approx. 3/4" in front allowing it to cut grass twice with a more even cut & distribution. 1 neighbor said looked like finish mower cut & another asked what I'd charge to play 18 holes. ( Thx Mike for the advice you gave me b4 I made these purchases! , the MF totally surpassed my expectations, got it mid march & have 177 hrs.)
love the video! quick question, since i live in the west and we have a high fir danger, is the risk of fire greater with all the moving metal and the chance of it striking a rock?
Great question. I'm not absolutely sure of the answer,. My first thought is that the flail would create more of a fire danger for the reason you said, but you're pushing material down in the dirt versus throwing it out, so maybe there's less danger. Maybe someone who knows for sure will reply to this one because I don't know.
Know the feeling shakessld, I'm in Montana survived 1 fire that burned all my 40 acres except for fire break around my cabin, even got my clock cleaned when plane dumped fire retardant on me! From what I've seen I'd go with the rotary which I use,, neighbor cut with a flail & made multiple scratches in rocks he hit with a the flails would think would be more chance of sparks. Of course have to watch deck height.
You mention rocks all the time. What effect does dealing with many gopher mounds have on the flail vs rotary?
Nice job. Best video. Where do we buy Rhino mowers?
Great video Mike. I'd like to have seen the difference between the flail and rotary for brush/sapling cutting.
I would have as well. To me, a flail would be amazing to go into the woods and cut a trail and just pulverize everything there. It would be much more maneuverable that a rotary cutter and you'd have less worries about throwing debris. I'll try to come back to this topic from a couple of different angles at a later date because it generated a lot of interest.
Thanks Mike. That would be great. I'm currently shopping for a mower. I was initially shopping only for a rotary cutter but recently I've been "enlightened" to the benefits of a flail mower.
If I were you and seriously considering a rough cut flail, I'd ask the dealer to provide names of a couple of people they've sold them to and contact them. Most customers are very willing to tell the pro's and con's of their purchase. Good luck and let me know what you find out . E-mail is mike@asktractormike.com.
@@audsp98 did you make a purchase? Why did you choose what you did? I'm like you were two years ago (looking for the right mower and I haven't even bought a tractor, yet) and am trying to learn to make the right purchase.
Hi Mike
Is there any difference between these mower with regard to ground speed/travel speed when mowing?
Michael
The rotary can go fastest then the flail. If you go to fast with the finish mower you could burn the deck belts
@@michaelgray2793 I mow 5 hilly acres. I go the same speed with a 6 1/2 foot flail as I did with a 5 foot rotary. Much better cut in less time.
Flail mower is a winner in my opinion because it’ll destroy branches up to 1 inch thick and mow your bushes and all that stuff . I have one at my farm . Best thing .
Hi Tractor Mike,
Could you please run a comparison video on flail mowers, Rotary Mowers and finishing mowers but for 599 cc powered ATVs? They obviously need to be self-powered equipment as an ATV does not have PTO's, I wish they did, but they were mostly design for racing and the military.
durability and price here are huge. The finish mower won't respond well to any sort of uneven ground where you hit dirt or branches, stumps, etc. The others will handle those harsher jobs of light brush and vines, etc as well as cut grass reasonably well. And a brush hog doesn't cost much different than a finish mower. Unless one wants the best looking cut on their lawn and never needs to cut longer grass or clean a field/brush I don't see a reason to get a finish mower. Unless you want to purchase both of course which is a reasonable option depending on your needs.
What about speed of cutting? Did any one allow you to cut at a higher rate of ground speed and get a better result than the others?
Good question Matt, but impossible to answer in this part of the world. That field is too rough to get much speed. The limiting factor is staying in the tractor seat. In the video, in one scene it's me cutting and I was trying to see how fast I could go with the flail and the field was too rough to get much speed., my head was trying to touch the roof of the cab with the seat belt on. I would have loved to have tested all three on smooth ground. That's a great idea for future videos.
so I'm thinking it sounds like the hog is the way to go unless your gonna stay on top of the grass weekly then the finish mower is better suited. I had thought about buying a flail mower but honestly after seeing this video I can see I'm pretty well covered since I own both a hog and a finish mower.
Yeah, I think you're on the right track. If you ever need to replace the finish mower I'd take a look at a flail, but you won't gain much by adding one where you're at now.
Why not include descriptions of different knives/ blades/ scoops? Flail mowers can level rough terrain, big advantage!
Which one gives the finest mulched result?
What's a rough price difference between the three? I believe that will make a person's choice differ as well. Great video.
The brush hog, or rotary cutter will be the cheapest, followed by the finish mower and then the flail. I really should have researched retail on all three, I would bet the flail is nearly twice what the brush hog is, but I could be wrong. That's why I never sold any when I was in the dealership world, people stroked out at the price of flail, we're pretty cheap here in the Ozarks.
@@TractorMike Enjoyed the video as I have been considering a flail for several years but have been to tight wadded to pull the trigger. Personally have never been able to use a flail. Have used 3 different rotary cutters and two finish mowers. That said, I would have liked to hear it stated if all three were run at the exact same ground speed and engine rpm levels. Additionally, there are "hammer" options for at least some flail units that will produce a significantly better finish cut. The solid hammers shown in video #1 were most definitely the style seen on the rougher cut versions of flail mowers vs the "Y" shape hammers typically seen on the finish mower style flail unit. Since all that was being cut in this test was grass of varying height I would like to have seen the flail use the finish hammers. Just saying.
I am currently pricing all three in the Titan brand. Rotary $1300. Finish $2300. Flail $1800. Hope this helps maybe not for you since its been a while but might help someone else.
@@bradleylayton1741 This is helpful to me. Thank you.
If you can ever get your hands on a sickle mower would be nice to compare the cut quality with one of those, as they seem nice for people with lots of trees/fences to cut under
I own a sickle mower and I'll talk about it soon. They cut pretty, but they don't break up the grass, they're designed as a hay mower, so it lays it back and it can have a "mulching" effect if the grass is high. They're really nice for pond banks and steep areas you don't want to drive over and they're good at cutting hay if you take your time.
What blades or hammers did you have in the Flail? I am personally wanting a flail because of the ability and safety of that type of mower over a rotary. The rotary sends debris flying 20-50 yards with my five footer.
They're a fine cut brush hammer. Designed for grass and material up to 2" diameter. It is built like a tank but you wouldn't want to take down a big locust or hedge tree with that particular model.
Hey and thanks for this. My situation is I'm about to pull the trigger on a tractor purchase for the firest time. I have 3 acres of mostly Bahia grass. I am going to try and kill the Bahia for either tall fescue or Zoysia grass. I'm trying to buy the right implements for my homestead.
Currently I will be buying a tiller and box blade to attempt to level my yard. Trouble is that here during the summer months the temperatures and the rain make for very tall grass that I have to contend with. I only want to buy 1 mower and am leaning towards the Flail style. Is a Flail mower OK for tall fescue or Zoysia?
Thanks for your page Mike.
It would sure be okay for tall fescue, I don't know why it wouldn't work on Zoysia, but I have no personal experience with it. I know you want to cut Zoysia really low, so you are headed in the right direction trying to get the area extremely level. Check out a Harley Power Rake for a good leveling/seed preparation job. Rental yards usually have them. They're one of my favorite products.
Flail mower is the best, finishing mower just for lawn mower purpose, rotary cutter is not safe.The flail mower in video I think it is not only grass, but also for vineyard tree branches as the rear rake in this mower.
So what about when it comes to real brush? For me, my primary concern is not cutting grass. Mine is around cutting waist-high brush, blackberries, salal, etc. Any ideas between a flail mower and rotary cutter in things other than grass?
We didn't get the opportunity to test it in a situation like that. My guess would be that it would just pulverize all that stuff but it would work the tractor pretty hard and you'd have to drive fairly slow, but honestly, I haven't had personal experience in those conditions. The rotary cutter will take that stuff down with no problem, but it won't mulch it up like a flail. I have it on my list to test a flail mower in the woods knocking down real brush, because I get lots of questions about that, but I haven't had availability of another machine to do it with yet. It's on the list.
You should do a video on reel mowers. Like the large area gang reel mowers
I'd like to, I've never run one. Maybe some company that makes them will send one for evaluation :).
that would be awesome. Hah, you never really think about how many types of mowers there are until you actually do think about it.
I agree. An old Parkmaster 7 can be had for $2K and that has bigger than a 10' swath. Nice for turf runways. :) Inexpensive and a lively cut.
Wanting something that can mow large areas of manicured turf for the city without having to invest in a wide area mower. What implement would provide the best cut......similar or close to a ztr finish?
If you have a tractor, my vote would be for a rear discharge finish mower.
Thanks, Mike. I think you said the tractor was a 60hp. What was the width of the flail? I want to purchase one and have a tractor about the same hp. Regards.
It was a 6' flail. Seemed like about the right size for that tractor.
I am still leaning towards a Flail mower for my next purchase of heavy grass / light brush application , because checking out the specification of both , the flail , and rotary cutters , both will cut up to 2 inch brush ( a Brown Tree cutter can do up to 6 inch ua-cam.com/video/58jvISuJDrY/v-deo.html ). the flail wins out because it would take up less space and i could keep it inside my shed , unlike now , i have a 6 foot rotary cutter and i have to leave it out side except the PTO shaft. also in my commutes i see a lot of rotary cutters left out side on these Hobby farms. Also the flail looks like i has less of tail swing.
Hi what do you think is the best brand of pto driven wood chipper to buy.
Gerald, I'm really not an expert on chippers. We sold Woods chippers at the dealership where I worked and they were good machines. We didn't have extensive experience with them, though, we might sell one a year in a good year. My experience has been that Woods makes good products and backs them up well.
Thank you i have been leaning towards a woods chipper
Another great vid Mike. As my 20 acres is 99% wooded, I think I'll stick with my Medium Duty Rotary bush hog. It will cut thru up to 2.5 inch trees.
They're hard to beat. They can make a big rock smaller without having to buy any parts as well.
I have all three and by far the flail mower is the mower of choice. The flail leaves high grass in an even layer as compared to either rotary mower leaving much of the grass in clumps. Fuel consumption is notably less with the flail than the finish mower. While the finish mower cut is marginally better than the flail, the flail has a very nice cut and again leaves the clipping in a neat layer. I have a medium duty Caroni flail with about 200 hours and 2 years of use. I have changed the belts once and recently replaced the clevises for a cost of $70. The offset is adjustable by moving the flails lower arm connections. I find the offset is better for moving next to fences. The flail can handle light brush, say to about 1.5 inches in diameter, but cannot handle heavy brush like a brush hog.
If you run over heavier brush, does it hurt it, or do the hammers just swing back out of the way like they advertise? I have a lot of thicker woods I sometimes mow trails through and it's sometimes impossible to tell if there might be something larger laying on the ground.
Now, take all three machines and compare ease to maintain, parts costs, etc. I know my non Rhino brush hog is extremely easy to maintain and I am constantly surprised at how cheap parts like blades are. Just for giggles I checked on the price of the gearbox. It was less than half what I expected. After the Rhino guy leaves you might compare features to other makers machines. What is the MSRP on each machine? I don't know of any Rhino dealer in my area so they were never a choice for me. Can I assume that you can get them in colors other than pumpkin?
Someone needs to raise their gearbox prices :). They really like that pumpkin color.
lol kubota orange sure is a great match for rino,and land pride equipment matches up the nice kubota orange
I would also add a chainsaw to the comparison. Just like a brush hog, it is not intended to mow grass.
Hello Mike, I enjoyed this video and thought I'd ask you to possibly do a video on Off set Flail mowers. I purchased one this year from Tractor Tools. My model is an Italian made unit! I purchased this unit to mow around my pond as well as mow our field and trim under a number of pine trees on our property. I am going to sell the bush hog in the spring since this flail mower has proven to be an all purpose unit. So I think it would be of interest for your viewers to see an off set mower in action.
Thanks for the suggestion John. I'm definitely not done trying to figure out where flail mowers fit in, they're way too popular to not be looking at all aspects of them. I'll put that on the list.
These men are really scared to disagree with each other lol
I mow an airport, Due to standing water, etc the first cut of the season is into grass that is 4-6 feet high. After that cut, the grass is (usually) 4-6inches high. Budget considerations indicate only one mower.
There are a lot of ruts in the ground and large rocks sticking up to the surface.
We are very interested in the flail mower.
All I see for videos is grass a foot or less high so they are not really helpful.
What would be your recommendation for a mower?
Definitely not a finish mower. A flail would give a nice look (maybe not on that first mowing as much) and chew up the debris and you wouldn't have to worry about kicking up a rock into an airplane while it was landing. A brush hog or rotary cutter would work as well but it'll throw rocks and the cut is generally not as pretty. The flail is going to be quite a bit more money.
This is my question too! We just brought an old 3000'x150' grass airport (CCY4) back from the grave and we have the same conditions. We're leaning towards a powered flail mower since it can be towed by almost anything with wheels, atv, tractor, etc.. We use truck brake discs painted as markers so they lay flat and our mowers go right over them. Good luck, same questions over here! :)
BRUSH OR WEED KILLER
I think at times it looked like to me the tractor was going to fast
I like the bush hog.
flail mower is more like mini mulcher !
I want to pick up the 'hay' so I use the 'bush hog' with one side removed. It is far from perfect, but gets the job done.
hi trimax Ezeemow fial mowo S2 is the best 12 hp - 40 hp
None of them gave a finished cut. They all left grass standing.
I have an 8+ acre yard that was formerly a hayfield...Bahaia! I’ve tried cutting it with dew, dry early morning, dry afternoon, you name it! Even with “sharp” bush hog blades it literally beats the grass off. And you have nothing but clumps of cut grass debris. Bahaia will not rot down during the cutting season, so it gets worse and worse! My question is “will a flail mower cut Bahaia? I know it will not speed up the mulching process but seems like it would help the “clumping” problem. Any thoughts...other than going into the hay business? Love your channel, subscribed and watch regularly. Thanks for posting!
That's a good question I'd also like to know the answer to. Our outer yard is mostly Bahia and it can be tough.
I can’t stand flail mowers. Never did like them.
Y are u calling yourself tractor mike, i only see compact tractors, tractors from 15 to 65 hp.... our smallest tractor is 120 hp. Maybe smart to make some videos about bigger tractors
Joey, I appreciate the comment, my primary audience is the "rural lifestyle" person. The person who has lived in a suburban area all of their life and has purchased property and moved to the country and needs basic tractor education. They''re the folks I've worked with for the better part of my career, and I feel I understand their questions and needs and truly want to help them understand the products and be safe with them. If you want to know about articulated tractors, planters and field mapping I'm not your guy. I've dabbled in that world but that's not my true focus.
Tractor Mike i understand, just for people who have a few animals and need to do the small tasks.