I have both, and both have pros and cons. Flail leaves a much nicer finish, but struggles on a sub compact through real heavy brush. They require a lot more HO. A brush hog leaves a rougher finish, but goes through the thicker heavier stuff much easier, is a lot cheaper and easier to repairs. Flails can get expensive. That’s why I have both. Brush hog to knock down the unmaintained, overgrown paddocks. Flail for once the the paddock has been knocked down and is manageable to maintain.
Exactly, i often see people do videos of comparisons where the flail comes out on top, but I don't see it that way, bush hogs are not really for grass, of course a flail mower will do better, but stick a flail mower is heavy brush, good luck. I have both as well, they each have their jobs.
I have a completely different experience with my flail, a Maschio 300 12’ with hammers which I know is bigger then most... I run it on a 250HP PTO tractor and I can shred logs 6” in diameter. What I love about a flail is how it cuts, even with hammers if I cut grass my fields look like a golf course. A flail is great for land reclamation because it shreds weeds, brush and grass very fine to break down faster as usable nitrogen. A flail is not great in sage brush, hammers can’t cut it, if you hit a rock, even with a slip clutch and a very heavy duty mower like mine you can bend the drum a lot easier then you think. Replacing the drum is not cheap. If you look on your drum (easy on a new mower) you will see counterweights welded on from where the manufacture balanced the drum. Those counterweights fall off, so when you hit a rock you can do some major damage. A flail also mower only in one direction. I would never back into brush with my flail. That’s where a rotary mower excels. What you’re calling a brush hog is actually called a rotary mower. I mow with a Schulte 20’ batwing as my rotary mower with foam filled tires which is better in deep thick grass. A flail can easily plug in thick fine grass. I back my rotary into thorns for instance and can go through rocks without causing damage. A flail is more dainty in situations like that.
@@zfilmmaker mate you are absolutely right. But what you are running is a different league. With 250hp PTO you'll destroy anything. The size of your flail is comparatively small compared to the power of the tractor. With sub-compacts, 18-20hp pto is really not enough for a 48" flail.
@@danbskyguy I ran mine today again and it was getting grass stuck on the drum and I smoked the belts 3 times and a fourth time because a branch got stuck in the underneath part. Had to stop each time and clean it out. It went through the weeds fine oddly enough, but got hung up with actual tall grass, go figure. Again, it does mulch very well, but tall weeds and small branches, I will not sell my bush hog, but am always on the fence about the flail
I have to say that I get a very good finish on grass using a 5ft Fleming topper. I think the secret is to make sure the blades are really sharp which, with only two to deal with is easy. Like this its just a giant rotary mower which we know can give a good finish.
True, but I'm grateful for this comparison as I just recently bought a tractor and likely would have ended up with a brush hog if I haven't seen a comparison like this.
This is 100% true but if you just have a brush hog only you can sharpen the blades to have a better finish but during the process might hurt the heat treat so I use old blades to make into sharps blades for my brush hog. Am not saying this is the fix but it might be ok for a little bit
You’re right that the brush hog sticks out further and you have be aware of that. However, that can be a huge advantage when cutting under or between trees (reversing in) where you can’t easily get your tractor - especially with a cab. I’ll also agree with many of the prior comments that you have to go slower with a brush hog. You have to give the blades a chance to hit the same area more than once. I think each device has its purpose.
Working for the county, I personally always had better luck with bush hogs when it comes to taking a beating. You can mulch up concrete blocks on the side of the highway and have no problems. The few times I used a flail mower they didn’t seem to handle thicker brush the way a bush hog did. They did leave a really clean cut though.
A good brush hog will cut rough and light material If you slow down and let the unit do its work at the recomended rpm range. We have guys that use 15 batwings to mow state right of ways and they do a great job. Slow your roll, or mow it weekly and go faster.
A brush hog is just that, rough and tough cutting of heavy growth and small trees. Windrows are good for raking up hay or straw for animals. A flail mower is for nicer cuts of light to medium wild grasses and only very small brush type of saplings. Parks and townships use these mowers because of safety. Less chance of sticks or stones being thrown. For a truly nice lawn a reel mower is used like on golf courses. But the rotary mulching or straight blade mower works well for 1" to 5" grass.
Up to now, I’ve had no need for either of these machines as I live in an area where a small hand mower does the job. Now that I’m going to be on property considerably bigger, I need this information to keep from injuring myself because of my lack of knowledge on such things.This type of review is exactly what someone needs when starting out so keep these videos coming, they are appreciated by us amateurs!
I loved watching your dad's channel, i liked his layed back perspective attitude towards life, he enjoyed having his cup of coffee in the beginning of every video he made, miss him greatly
I have both, haven't used the slasher (brush hog) once since I got the flail mower. There is no competition at all, the only benefit the slasher has is simplicity in design and construction but i've had zero issues with my flail. I wouldn't be running the slasher without a slip clutch though, $150 is a lot cheaper than gearbox repairs if you hit something...
If I could go back in time, I would have gotten the flail mower instead of my brush hog. Cutting trails would have been so much cleaner I think. Thanks for sharing, Jon!
I just bought a large used flail mower, its a beast. You can buy parts at Flail-Master in Murfreesboro, TN. They are local for me, but ship all over. Great prices, nice people. Its a small outfit, and I love supporting this type of business. I'm not affiliated in any way, just a customer.
The cheapest used 48” rotary cutter without 4” rusted out holes was $850 in our area, even it had a lot of rust. The cheapest new was $1,600 before taxes. Amazon has a 49” flail for $1,950, the flail is on the way…
It's been a long time since I've seen such a one-sided argument on YT! Listen, it's right there in the names: BRUSH hog and flail MOWER (as in "lawn mower"). Intentionally slowing almost to a stop when the flail hit the heavy stuff while maintaining a speed with the hog; lifting the flail to help cut while keeping the same height on the hog. Oh, and I don't agree with your description of the blade operation on the hog. The blades are spinning so fast that the opposing blade cones along and also cuts the same spot long before you leave it, no matter the position. As to the front/rear center position, the difference is two directions: left-left-left; stump jumper; right-right-right. If the blades only have time to cut the media once, your tractor ground speed is too high. True enough, the massive momentum of the heavy spinning blades are far more suited to larger tractors. A man has to know his limitations...
Dude loves his flail mower, I’ll give him that. I’m in the process of buying one myself and even I see that the brush hog is superior in heavy brush removal efficiency, even with the suggestion being otherwise. Looked like he spent an increasing amount of time over every material with the flail mower vs the brush. The heavy brush bringing the tractor to a crawl really showed the disadvantage of the flail in heavy brush.
Nicholas DANNUNZIO I tend to agree with original poster, there was a bit of a bias... in the testing approach. Need to maintain the same speed and passes. If you do multiple pass with one, you do them with the other. Also, although just six weeks of owning a tractor and brush hog, I have learned that changing the entry height to the exit height at the wheel makes a difference... lower the space at the wheel end and you will mulch more as the material stays in their longer. A real rest would be same exit height between the two of them. All that being said, a mower will mow better..a brush hog will do brush better. Just makes sense.
I should also point out, I have a 60hp Kubota with a 72” brush hog, so there is amp,e blade and ample power. Still I wouldn’t mind trying a flail mower one day.
Sorry all but I’m from the UK and live in the USA now , the heavy duty flails we get in UK are 3 times better than this flail and still I think it flail is good. I come from a farming background and whether big or small flails perform much better from cutting brush inc stuff up to 4” in diameter and through to cutting a large lawn..... go for a heavy duty flail any day but make sure they have hammers not Y blades.
Got me convinced that both have their place. Larger brush needs knocked down by the brush hog, then finished to fine by the flail mower. Here in Nova Scotia flail mowers are what we use on blueberry fields. The brush hog, does the heavier alders and such.
Get your self a little John Deere it will give you a cut more like a lawn mower. I have an MX6 it dose have a clutch. My Mother-in-laws mower went down and I used the Deere, she thought I used her mower. I know you will pay a lot more for the Deere. I've never used a flail mower, but I do want one that's an off set for my ditches. Thanks for the comparison 👍
@@realityhurts8697 I know the feeling the one I have was given to me it had a bad gearbox on it, I found a set of gears for $425.00 and rebuild it myself. John Deere wanted $1800.00+ for the box.. Like I said before I still want a thrasher type mower just can't justify it right now. Thanks for the reply.
60" Mid mount mower, brush hog, flail mower, and a sickle bar mower. The sickle bar mower would be great to use to mow my irrigation ditches. Can't really think of anything better to mow ditches and ditch banks than a sickle mower.
@@ritterjon I kind of wondered about that, thanks for the heads up. Probably would make the BX pretty tippy by trying to do an offset flail mower that way, especially on a bit of a hill around an irrigation ditch.
I sold my Brush Hog and bought a Flail Mower (Hammers), I already have a big Finish Mower (which does as good a job on lawns as my Husqvarna ride-on, but a lot faster). I think the Flail Mower and the Finish mower are a perfect combination for achieving a nice finish. The Brush Hog is fine if you aren't concerned about a nice finish. Basically it knocks stuff over but it was a pig to manoeuvre around big trees and I'd always wish I had a flail mower when I looked at the results. The huge clumps of grasses the brush hog left took all year to rot away and made further mowing an issue when they got soaking wet.
Hi Jon, great video. Although I agree that the flail mower leaves a better cut, one thing you have to take into consideration in heavy brush is rocks. The brush hog is better suited for heavier obstacles because of blade density and it’s easier to sharpen 2 blades instead of 20 or so. Both implements have their positives and negatives, just depends on your individual application, IMHO. Keep on tractoring!
I've hit a few rocks with the flail before and it handled them well. When sharpening the flail it only took me about 20 minutes or so. I would agree however the brush hog handle heavier brush better. Keep on tractoring!
I chose a 62" flail over a brush cutter primarily due to the smaller footprint and therefore easier storing inside (limited space available). In addition it is my 750 pound rear ballast, much more convenient than hanging a long brush cutter off the back plus it is an additional 300 pounds. The instructions say not to mow in reverse because you can damage the roller but I THINK that concern refers to running the mower in backwards somewhere you don't know what you will find. Not a problem in a known field. Something you didn't mention is that a brush cutter is a fair bit cheaper than a flail mower. I'm not sure I'd want to run over those trees unless I had a full underbody skid plate. Too many things that could be damaged.
I agree with you about the mowing in reverse, if you know what you're running over it's not going to hurt a thing. I do have a underbody skid plate from BX-panded that works really well and is very easy to install and take off. Keep on tractoring!
The rotary mower your using looks like the blades need sharpening. It’s possible due to the top deck the blade is bent. I would dump the oil and replace it, lift it up with you loader and grind the blade a little. It should cut far better then it did.
Both two different types of mower , I run a garden contracting company in oxfordshire England and we use flails for very long grass and vegitation and the flails work very well everytime , to keep maintained grass down we use rotorary mowers and they work perfect for that task
Cab looks funny eh? I plow snow in sub zero weather with heat. I clear acreage, haul firewood in 90 degree heat...with air conditioning. Then theres tunes...50's on 5 on sirius. Doesnt look that funny to me, especially viewing the world from inside!
Another big advantage for the flail is that it's much less likely to launch rocks or sticks. This is a bit safer than a rotary when you're mowing near people, buildings, and livestock.
That is true, that is why on the side of roadways you will likely see flail mowers used for ditches. The brush hog can really throw debris a long ways. Keep on tractoring!
Fitting that I saw this one after seeing Tim of TTWT run a fixed flail mower (and a 4' brush cutter in another episode) today. Only thing I'd have to add with mowing heavy brush is possibly needing a brush mulcher. Granted, one of those like what Tim has needs a good amount of PTO power.
I have a 7' pull behind Bush Hog, a 6' John Deere 25A flail mower with rough cut hammers and a Mott 6' flail mower with fine cut blades. Each one has a distinct advantage over the other. The brush cutter is what I use for very heavy brush with trees. The John Deere with the rough cut hammers is great for briers and brambles and small sapling trees and does a passable job on pasture fields. The Mott with the finish knives is perfect for grass and pasture fields but it is soon overwhelmed in heavy brush. If I could only pick one machine, it would be a heavy duty flail mower with the rough cut hammer knives. That machine would be the best all around in my opinion. But having all 3 is perfect ;-) One other comment is that with a rotary cutter, like the brush hog, the blade does it's best cutting when the blade is moving forward (assuming forward travel with the tractor) from the 90* to the front center of the mower. This is where the blade speed is fastest with regard to tractor speed. The worst cut is from the front center of the mower to the rear of the mower where the blade speed is slowest in regard to tractor speed. If the brush cutter is set up properly and the front of the cutter is lower than the rear, the rear portion of the blade really doesn't cut as much as it just moves the clippings around, therefore, the windrows while cutting. (This was explained in a John Deere publication many years ago.)
Some people will also use to mow their yard as if it's a finish mower. Apparently, this is becoming more of a common thing with flail mower owners. It cuts well enough to replace a lawn mower. If used for a lawn mower I would suggest the Y blades though as those are meant for more of a grass situation. The hammer blades are meant for more thick, overgrown areas and chopping up small saplings. Just a thought for people considering using them for lawn mowing their property.
On the flip side, I recently sharpened my Y-blades on the flail using the bench grinder, and it took best part of 3 hours to get them all off, sharpened and re-assembled. Don't own a brush hog / topper but would guess it's more like sharpening a normal rotary mower blade in about 10 minutes!
Next time you do it just flip you flail upside down leaving the blades on and use an angle grinder. Took me about 20 minutes to sharpen all my hammer blades with that method. Keep on tractoring!
I reckon it takes even less than 10 minutes. I use a 5ft Fleming topper (hog) and I just hold it up on axle stands and grind the blades in situ as there is plenty of room to get an angle-grinder in to do the job. This also means I'm not renewing the nyloc nuts every time I sharpen. Maintenance of the topper is trivial - nothing to do but check the gearbox oil and grease the PTO. No belts to tighten or change.
@@ritterjon Yeah, but he's got Y blades, not hammer cutters. I haven't sharpened either, but looking at them I'd bet the Y blades take a lot longer to sharpen.
Tools have a purpose, the flail to flatten, the Bush hog to maintain a leveled field. Just what we did at a golf course. Our Bush hog was a maintenance "fairway mower" of course we mowed 40+ acres of rough weekly behind a 50 hp JD. A 12' wide three bottom Bush hog, 9 blades with14 tires, required twice weekly maintenance. The flail was used for heavy grass around our ponds monthly.
@@tomandolina383 if it is a used brush hog make sure the previous owned didn’t replace the “cheap pin” that kept breaking with a grade 8 bolt. 😎. Not that anyone would ever do such a thing.
The one thing I notice with a lot of videos and comments about the flail mower is the "how to". I absolutely smash the heavier stuff shown in this vid. The flail does cut in reverse but not neatly. By raising it on the 3 point hitch and reversing in it roughly chops at a higher level. Then dropping it down to go forward it tends to power through. The other important part is keeping revs up. When you hear and feel your revs dropping in really thick heavy or wetter areas, just stop your forward movement for a moment and feel those revs increase again. And slow down. The slower you drive the more effective the cut. Awesum and serious piece of machinery if you feel and as importantly listen to your mower. Cheers
I meet 2 sets of brush cutter blades. 1 set sharpened and the 2nd unsharpened. I keep the sharpened blades installed 95% of the time for standard grass cutting. It literally cuts like a lawn mower. When I need to cut heavy brush (about 2 times a year) uninstall the unsharpened blades. When I install the unsharpened blades, I use that opportunity to sharpen the "sharpened blades". Just how I do things.
Couldn't have come at a better time Jon. My brother just barrowed my 5' finishing mower for his 40 HP John Deere tractor. 5' is just the right size for my 25 HP tractor but a little too small for his bigger tractor. He's planning on buying a 6' finish mower, I was telling him 6' Flail mower might be better. I'm gonna show him this video. I agree, I think the Flail would be my choice, thanks buddy.
Try sharpening your blades. I use a 5’ bmb draw bar with Outside wheels. I use a 3pt for rough cut. Then I switched over to my bmb after a year of using the 3pt. Not a finish mower however works fine for my place. And mine is not a flat property.
I have a brush hog and have considered getting a flail to shorten the equipment length when doing rocky trail maintenance. Front tires go up on a rock, 3 pt leans back causing it to hit rocks. It's just hard to manage. It also takes up tons of space on the trailer.
That is exactly why I made this video because a lot of people right now are thinking whether they should get a brush hog or a flail mower. I’m glad I could help you make your decision. Keep on tractoring!
Appreciate the comparison video, it's answered many of the questions I had. My opinion is both attachments have their place depending on the situation, for me the flail attachments providing I have proper PTO output would work better on my property. We have invasive Scotch broom and this stuff is killer to any attachments that have to deal with it! Thank you for awesome video.
If your just cutting grass with a brush hog sharpen those dull blades of yours and it will give you a much better cut . I mow grass with a brush hog and it does a pretty decent job . It won't be as good as a finish mower or your flail mower though , and yes slow down so it has time to make the cut . You will find you will have more maintenance with flail mowers .
@@hc7190 Would the cut quality in this case have anything to do with the lack of PTO Horsepower that the BX is putting out? I was thinking of getting a 42 or 48 inch brush hog when I get my BX2680 in the future it has slightly more PTO Horsepower than the BX23s used in this video, but is it really going to work very well with this size tractor? Thinking maybe the flail mower would be a better way to go...there isn't much in the way of heavy brush, mostly pasture grass and weeds that I'd need to be cutting, so I think a flail mower might be a better option anyways and probably less horsepower demand.
@@wildbill23c I had a woods 5ft. cutter for my B2650 and it would cut grass , not a hayfield just fine but I always thought it was a little to big for the tractor ( 19 pto hp ) . I bought it because it would cover my wheel tracks and the dealer said it would be fine . I wish I had bought the the 4 ft. one . The 2680 should handle a 4ft. just fine , you just have to match the speed to what ever you are cutting . If I were only going to have one I will choose the brush hog . If you keep the blades pretty sharp they will cut your field just fine . I have a 6ft. on my larger tractor and mow 50 acres of field with that and it looks fine to me . A flail will do a better job they say and yes maybe a little less HP required . A brush hog has fewer moving parts and easy to maintain .
@@hc7190 Thank you for the reply. I was leaning towards a 4 foot I think the BX would do fine with that, but nothing any larger at least I wouldn't want to try it. I think I'd go with a brush hog for the few times a year I'd need to mow a field...I plan on getting the 60" mid-mount mower which should handle everything else anyways, no need for a flail mower for what I'd be doing I don't think...either mowing grass or light brush so mid-mount mower and brush hog will do fine for me.
I really want to invest in an offset flail mower in the near future. They are pricy though…. i appreciate the comparison, thanks again for taking the time to create this video.
I think you were going about twice as fast as you should with the brush hog cutting grass with only 5” of cutting-edge you need to travel slower so it can hit every blade of grass. Finish mowers that size have 3 blades each with about 5” of cutting area and blade speed of 10k. Feet per/sec brush hog probably 1/3 of that! Still agree with flail for small tractors. But those big batwing brush hogs do a great job on big tractors!
I’ll wanted to compare similar speeds not really focusing on similar results. It was evident to me that the brush hog can’t handle heavy grass at the same speed a flail does. You make good points however. Keep on tractoring!
Brush hogs definitely have their place. There's more moving mass to cut bigger brush. Flail mowers do a better job on heavy grass and smaller brush. They're also safer because they don't throw material out from under them. I'm either case, a skip clutch is a good idea compared to repairing a PTO.
Love your videos and watch them all....but going to disagree with a few things on this one. The brush hog rides on the tail wheel not lifted buy the tractor. You can lift if you need to during a sharp turn but it is designed to ride on the contour of the ground. It sticks out too far? This length is perfect for getting under trees with branches. Just back under them instead of forward. The flail MOWER is designed to cut weeds and small brush and does a great job. A BUSH hog is designed to cut heavy brush (and will leave windrows if cutting hay) Like you said, it's all about what you want the machine to do. I purchased my 4 foot King Kutter from L&M supply for about $900 and have cut acres of brush. (not sure what the new cost of a flail mower, but I'm guessing twice the cost) I have only broke one Shear Pin. No need to worry about a slip clutch to protect your PTO. The pin will break and $1.59 later you have a new pin installed and back to business. I guess the bottom line is, are you needing a Bush tool or a Mower? Keep the great videos coming. Russ. Esko, Minnesota
It's not about hitting the grass twice it's about hitting it moving in both directions. When the brush hog is slicing in the front it's moving one way across the grass and when it is slicing in the back it is moving the other way across the grass. On the edges it only goes one direction so it has pushed the grass over and it just stays pushed over.
In my opinion ,1st thing I would do is slow down ,otherwise you will have to cut it twice to look 1/2 way decent, I always had good luck with my 52 inch and I just went a little slower, Not to take big stuff down, Mainly grass and up to 3 foot brush, No trees or shrubs both will do a good job ,I don't want a finish cut mower so I'll take a brush hog any day.Thanks for this video and your time and input.
Well both mowers work great but the flail mower does draw more power from the tractor. From my experience I only use the flail mower for brush mowing only since I have the heavy duty hammers. The brush hog is a good all round mower but I use it just for mowing grass. Oh just a word of caution super tall grass over 5 ft does bog down the little tractors.. The pto clutch is a great investment on both machines.Thanks for showing others your reviews.
I might just invest in a slip clutch after all. Depending on the species of grass the flail can bog down. The really fibrous stuff found around wetlands can be tuff to cut. Keep on tractoring!
@@ritterjon From my experience in mowing heavy brush is to go slow and raise the flail or brush mower about 6 inches or more depending on brush height on the first pass then mower near the ground for final cut. Just some helpful advice from someone who knows what there talking about.
Flail mowers are not designed for the same tasks as a rotary mower (brush hog). One is for rougher cutting and doesn't produce as nice an end result. The other leaves a much nicer finish and can be rotated up to trim shrubs and low limbs or down to trim ditches. A flail mower is more robust and versatile than a finish mower and takes less space to store, but isn't meant to be a replacement for a rotary mower. IMO you should have both. The right tool for the job and all that.
Thanks for the comparison Jon. I have been wanting a flail mower. I presently have 2 mowers. One is a 3 pt. mount brush hog made by SouthEast Mfg. The other is a tow behind brush cutter made by International Harvestor (Farmall). Both are 60 inch and do a good job for my needs. I have 110 acres of timber/ pasture that I have to mow every year. I bought my Kubota L2501 for the wide front end and 4 wheel drive. My land is pretty steep in spots. I would have to agree with you. The flail mower gets my vote. Perhaps next year I will be doing a video of my very own flail mower. Bucket list. Thanks for sharing Jon. I will have a video coming in a couple weeks of Big Bud. The worlds largest farm tractor. Bet that would pull my 60 inch mower, for sure.
Hi Gary, I’m glad that you found this video helpful. Sounds like you have quite a bit of work to do and could really use a flail mower. I look forward to watching your next video. Thanks for the comment. Keep on tractoring!
Great video!! And great comparison. I have had both a brush hog and a flail mower, and I no longer have the brush hog... The flail mower does a much better job, unless you are actually cutting down small trees. I have heard the same thing about not backing up with the flail mower, and i make an effort to not do so. One thing I did notice is it seems you were going a little fast with the brush hog. Slowing down a little will improve your cut as the blades have more time to chop the cuttings. The flail is still far superior. I have the same one as you (although 60 inches). I also bought it based on a recommendation from GP Outdoors. Thank you for your videos.
I'm sure slowing down would have helped but I wanted to compare what each would do at relatively the same speed. You're right, flail mower for in win! Keep on tractoring!
I have an old 60" pull behind that we use on fields behind a bx23s. We've kept it down over the summer but started with heavy grass at the beginning. Been reclaiming some back fields inwith it also. We do not go over anything more than an inch thick though. I'll cut those down with a chain saw. Great video. Might look into a flail mower now.
I’ve pull a 60 inch brush hog before and it’s heavy for a small BX but the BX seems to have to have the power to cut light brush and heavy grass with it. Keep on tractoring!
I've got a 60" King Kutter on my Super M and NOTHING even slows it down. The instructions say nothing bigger than 1" or 1-1/2" in diameter, but I've got the clutch on it and I'm sure I've mowed over buckthorn that is over 2" and larger, and I've never had that clutch kick in. If you have sharp blades and go slow you can get decent results in field grass but it won't be like a flail mower. I usually do a second pass to chop the stuff up finer and get the grass that folds over a bit on the first pass. Thanks for showing the flail mower- it'd be great to have that to go over what's left of the big stuff after taking the "hog" to it.
An old Farmall Super M, now that’s gotta be fun to drive. Especially running a brush hog. Those tractors were made to last forever. A brush hog working together with a flail mower would be ideal. Keep on tractoring!
I dont know if you get major equipment in America but if you happen to come across a major topper which is the English equivalent to a brush hog but without the wheel you may be pleasantly surprised at what that will cut because we've cut perfectly manicured lawns and smashed it through trees
Glad I watched this video review. Was just about to buy a Brush Hog but now I will take a look into the Flail Mower. I think it might be a better choice for my application. Thanks for posting
Each has its purpose. I have a brush hog and will get a flail soon enough but from what I can see if you have light tree or "brush" tall grass 8ft or more the brush hog is that way to go. If you have over grown fields and horse pasture type growth the flail will be great. I wouldn't out a flail in the woods to clean them up were as I wouldn't mind with the brush hog.
On, so my take on this is I need one of each, 1st pass with hog then second with a flail, now to convince the finance committee (wife), that we need two mowers and four tractors. Ps I don't like changing attachments🤪
I was planning to get a flail mower until I thought about buying and changing blades. to many blades to mess with . flail mower is more for cutting low to the ground and the hog is more for cutting high in my honest opinion. just two very different implements. enjoyed the video showed a lot of detail
I think the flail is more suitable for smaller tractors. It’s easier to carry and with only 20 hammers it’s very easy to sharper with a grinder. Just flip it upside down. Takes about 20 minutes. Larger tractors handle brush hogs much better than a BX does. Keep on tractoring!
The cut on a brush hog sucks in grass/weeds which is what most people end up using it for and it’s also worse with lighter brush. I say around 25% of the time a rotary cutter MAY do a better job. Most people don’t change their blades and some manufacturers you can even change your blades as the “balance” of the drum changes.
Interesting post. The task outcome has alot to do with the size of tractor pulling the implement. For folks who have a smaller machine, they'll have to think about where their going to use a cutter before spending money and money may be the biggest factor because of the cost differences in buying and maintaining the two machines is considerable. Good post though.👍👍👍
Good comparison! I've got the NH 918H 71" flail (my favorite), KK 72" finish (my least favorite), 48" rotary (my "go to" when mowing the really rough unknown areas before I use the flail.) I use the flail to mow the "lawn"-(anything green and looks like grass) area of my property and the horse trails through and around the woods. I also have a WoodMaxx 59" flail. I don't use it hardly at all. Works good, but the finish on the lawn is nowhere as nice or smooth. It's because the NH flail has 96 (48 pairs of Y blades) blades in 71" and the WoodMaxx only has 36 (18 pairs of Y blades) blades in 59". The WoodMaxx is better for mowing pastures or knocking down corn stubble. The 72" KK finish mower sucks up too much power for some reason plus I am constantly replacing belts (at least twice a summer). Don't know why since I had a Coroni 60" finish mower I used for 15 years and rarely replaced belts. Wore the Coroni out and replaced it with the King Kutter. Nothing wrong with the King Kutter brand-I have their tiller, box blade, middle plow and subsoiler and think they are great! Good comparison and I agree with your conclusion.
Sounds like you've got plenty of experience with flail mowers. I think they are an under estimated implement and would surprise a lot of tractor owners if they'd just give them a chance. The belts on mine have done very well so far. I have two belts and it rarely slips. I sure wish I could find a front mounted flail mower for my tractor. I think that would be the best. Thanks for your comment. Keep on tractoring!
We call them bush hogs where I live. If you do not have a ring in the middle that is what's called a stump jumper,you will have a problems cutting trees and bushes. A stump jumper allows the blade to slide behind ,the ring and does not slow your rpm down. If you do not have the ring in the center,you could shear your pto.I Hope's this helps you.
I really like the power rakes they have now and am wondering if you could use a flail mower the same way, perhaps with a little modification so it could get a couple inches lower? Thoughts? Thanks for sharing.
Jon, good points you covered regarding your comparison. That flail mower sounds like the ticket for cutting tall and thick growth. Enjoyed your comparison video. Have a fine week. 👍🏽🙂
Good presentation. One thing though, we're talking about a small brush hog here that really does not take full advantage of it's inherent design capabilities. With a larger brush hog vs a larger flail mower, the margin between each's respective capability of knocking down heavy brush and small trees becomes greater. That is, using a 7 foot brush hog for example, due to the weight of the blades, will plow right through stuff that will stop the same size flail mower in its tracks. In addition, I don't know if it's the small size of this brush hog or what, but my 7 foot brush hog does a better job at cutting grass than shown above. If I had to choose one, and I had the heavy brush and trees along with heavy grass, I'd go with a brush hog. In addition, there are a couple of more considerations such as cost and ease of sharpening the blades which both favor the brush hog. Best solution is both if you can justify the costs.
I went back in time and watched this video! I have some areas on my property that are extremely overgrown with vegetation and saplings. I have been debating whether to get a rotary cutter or flail mower. I see advantages to both. I think the rotary cutter would be better for my first reclamation, then the flail mower would be better for maintenance. I recently tried hooking up a 4' rotary cutter to my MF GC2610, I agree with you that it is a lot for the little tractor to handle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Happy seat time to you! - Rick
Yes your thinking is correct. If you have a lot of big stuff knock it down with a rotary but then a flail mower is going to be the best way to maintain. Keep on tractoring!
awesome. gotta try a flail. i solvedmy crappy mower issues with a used X Mark Lazer. damn thing is a beast. i mow small trees down. goes thru 3 ft tall grass and weeds. leaves a beautiful cut. throws cuttings 12 ft from deck exit. i go outside in now to mulch it and clean area as i cut. then i have ornamental plant beds in the center of my open areas . i circle them inwards till all cuttings hsve blown into beds and areas are clean. no raking and the plants in the beds love the cuttings. it replaced a 24 hp yanmar with shuttleshift 4 speed 2 range transmmision and a 60" woods finish deck at 3 pt hitch. this yanmar even has a 4 speed pto ! rare. still could never get it done . i was a skeptic and hated z turns beforethis one fell in my lap.broken but i repaired it. omg 50 x easier and my 4 acres looks like a golf course now. and in 3, 5 hrs vrs 6 + on the tractor. z turns are pricy but so are tractors. im so impressed with this 60" z turn , i won't mow with anything else.tractors are good for bucket work and back hoe work. need one on the farm too. got another old yanmar with a 21 hp and a bucket. it is a good little hobby tractor but not so much for work .need a new 24 hp .
I feel the same way about my zero turn. It sure beats anything else I've mowed with as far as speed and maneuverability. If you like your zero turn you'll really love a flail mower. The thing mulches anything you can run over. It really leave a nice cut! Keep on tractoring!
I was already considering a flail mower especially if I can get one with more of an offset for the ditches in front of my property. You pretty much sold me on it. Nice video
For ditches, pond banks, and fence rows you might consider a flail mower that has hydraulic cylinders. One cylinder will kick the mower out to the side of the tractor. The other cylinder will be for the tilt up and down. I think it's 90* up and 65* down. Of course as with any attachment if there are cylinders involved they will be much more expensive, plus you would need rear remotes to operate them.
A bit of caution; even a small limb or stubble of one inch in diameter will damage hydraulic lines and or even linkages to throttles or shifters. I know from experience. Be very aware when pushing through heavier brush and then backing up to further cut or grind. If your model of tractor have optional skid plates available to protect the underside of your tractor, get them. Either that or carry insurance with a reasonable deductible. Replacing fittings and hydraulic components is expensive.
What I worry about in this place I am cleaning up that hasn't been cut in 10 years are rocks that I can't see. Can the blades of the flail mower be adjusted so the cut is higher? Much higher? You can lift the brush hog up with the 3 point hitch, whereas the flail mower is riding on the ground. I have hit some serious obstacles with a brush hog back in the day without destroying it. I am getting ready to buy a sub compact tractor and the sales guy seems to think a flail mower will be a much better choice. I had never even thought about one until today. I am not worried about speed and have no problem with going back and forth a few times. Some of this brush will be very thick with lots of very heavy vines. 10 years growth! Hardly worried about the quality of the cut as I have a nice heavy John Deere riding mower for the stuff I want to look nice. Thanks for the video!
Oh yeah my owners manual says not to back over objects, so I lift it up back into it slowly the lower down and pull forward in small patches. Also to keep grass from wadding up on the ends I took off the scraper bar off, problem fixed
I should take that scraper bar off too. I’ll give that a try next time. I only back over objects that have already been run over or are relatively small. Keep on tractoring!
Love my flail mower, it can handle up to 2.5 in. Mulching is the key, I only stop for logs, unless they are rotten then fair game. Great informative vid.
Glad you enjoy your flail mower, I wanted to make this video so people can see that a flail mower can keep on with a brush hog and get a better result. Keep on tractoring!
Brush hogs have their place, I have watched vids that make me cringe for the poor tractor with what people put them through. My flail mower, even with the hammer blades will produce a manicured cut, just keep those hammers sharp. You can grind out the dings and dents from rocks and other debris. The best part is (as you stated) the maneuverability by not having 7+ ft of implement hanging off the tractor. Again, thank you for your time making this great video and you have passed better, getting to a Ritter great!
@@miken8336 but what if you have an area such as a creek bank where you actually need the extra reach of a rotary cutter so you can back up and safely cut farther out?
When I was growing up I ran both on my folks property. bush hog is for heavier work, Knocking down over grown fields and brush. Frail mower is more a finish mower for cutting regular grass.
Having run both too I prefer a flail mower with hammers... They are a beast and really mulch up everything. They are a hair shower in heavy stuff and take multiple passes. I also find stopping on heavy brush lets the flail mower chew it up without multiple passes. Does the brush hog have a shear pin at least? The only two advantages to a brush hog that I have ever seen is you can back it into things without putting the tractor into it too. And once I managed to wrap vines around a flail mower.
I want to cut lots of vines. Is a flail mower better or wose than a rotary cutter. Most co.panies say the flail is better for vines. How hard is it to remove vines once entangled?
Very Timely, was getting ready to make a decision on brush hog, finish mower, or both. Instead I've decided on a flail mower. I can mow the field and around the barn/drive where I want it to look a bit cleaner. Since I'm gone 5 months of the year, it can get pretty out of hand but a bush hog just leaves it looking too ragged.
I think you’ll be happier with the flail especially if the finish appearance is important to you. The flail does a great job mulching up just about anything. Keep on tractoring!
What about a Fecon Bull Hog Mulcher on the front and a Flair Mower on the back? The Bull Hog mulch the big stuff to fine pieces and Flair will put the finishing touch to it. Just a thought. May need another tractor though.
Flail tricks. Engage them smooth to not smoke the belts. Do not mow in reverse lift it up back up lower and go forwards. Mowing tall stuff extend the top link and raise the nose up so it rises on the tail roller but can eject bigger stuff a bit.
I recommend a different brush hog. Not all brush hogs are created equal. Some have better blade systems as well as a free floating deck. Also a small tractor with small deck isnt going to do the same quality as a bigger tractor and bigger deck. Physics plays a big roll. Id like to see a flail mower compared to a front attach mower. Something like what Quick Attach makes or the Land Shark. I think as an all around mower the Land Shark is the most versatile with its front end loader mount and the ability to be offset and flip up 90 degrees to trim tree lines along driveways or trails.
I wonder if your rotary mower would have done better if it wasn't open in the back? I would think with that being open instead of trapping material inside the mower and beating it up, it just ejects it right out the back. Yet, it is nice to have options and finding what works the best for you is the important thing.
That would be one way of doing it, however not everyone can have both. Just showing the pros and cons of each to help people make that decision. Keep on tractoring!
I've read some of the replies and see some of their points on speed, but if You had slowed down to allow the Rotary more time to cut better then the Flail mower's faster cutting speed would not have been compared fairly either. I don't have a Flail mower, ...YET... I do like how You showed Me how one works in over grown thickets and small sapling When I found what looked like the same brand of Flail mower online for about $1,600 that seemed like it might be worth looking at in the future. The wife let be buy a 6 foot Scraper Blade & 5 foot Rototiller this year for Our Kubota L-2501, so a Flail Mower might have to be a 2021 Christmas gift to Myself She wants to move to some acreage next year and We might need one to clear and maintain I liked Your demonstration and Your Brush Hogging speed really was not a negative too Me It's a Brush Hog, and it really did the job it was designed for. I see the advantage to using the Brush Hog 1st to chop down the Big Stuff, and then using the Flail mower afterward if You want to cut things closer too the ground that the Brush Hog can't do, ( like the Tire stabbing sapling STUMPS ) Ken in Florida
You're exactly right, I wanted to compare the quality of cut at a similar speed and as you can see you can cut over growth a lot fast with a flail and it leave a nicer cut but also if you need to slow down for small brush and trees it can handle that too. The betsco 48 inch medium duty flail is the one I have. Hope you're able to get one soon. Keep on tractoring.
Each attachment has its place. I've run a brush hog for years through dense woods without any trouble. Recommend slowing down a bit for better results.
@@ritterjon I never have used a slip clutch. I ran a 5' cutter on a '48 Ford 8N and that cutter would push me all over but it cut like a dream. In 2001 I upgraded to a John Deere 35hp unit. It handled the cutter much more safely.
I’m leaning towards a flail mower when the time comes to get one. I see you were backing up with the flail mower.. this must be ok to do? I would need to be able to cut backing up sometimes with whatever I get. Thanks for the comparison, enjoyed it. Weather looked good there. Nice to see a tractor out working under the blue sky 🤠. Weather starting to get a little cooler here in Vermont. I’m looking towards to fall, my favorite time of the year to get in my woods and and cleanup my trails 💪
The advantage of the brush hog is that it will cut anything you can get your tractor over. The flail mower makes a cleaner cut but everything i keep finding says 1" max. But i have cut over 4" trees with my brush hog almost better to clear your land with a brush hog, sell it and buy a flail to maintain it
You missed the best solution. The brush hog is faster at getting the brush on the ground and once it is on the ground the flail mower does a good job chopping it up so they should be used in that order to be as efficient as possible. Also used the brushes hog to back over brush so it’s not scraping on your tractor risking damage to your tractor.
I have both, and both have pros and cons. Flail leaves a much nicer finish, but struggles on a sub compact through real heavy brush. They require a lot more HO. A brush hog leaves a rougher finish, but goes through the thicker heavier stuff much easier, is a lot cheaper and easier to repairs. Flails can get expensive. That’s why I have both. Brush hog to knock down the unmaintained, overgrown paddocks. Flail for once the the paddock has been knocked down and is manageable to maintain.
Exactly, i often see people do videos of comparisons where the flail comes out on top, but I don't see it that way, bush hogs are not really for grass, of course a flail mower will do better, but stick a flail mower is heavy brush, good luck. I have both as well, they each have their jobs.
I have a completely different experience with my flail, a Maschio 300 12’ with hammers which I know is bigger then most... I run it on a 250HP PTO tractor and I can shred logs 6” in diameter. What I love about a flail is how it cuts, even with hammers if I cut grass my fields look like a golf course. A flail is great for land reclamation because it shreds weeds, brush and grass very fine to break down faster as usable nitrogen. A flail is not great in sage brush, hammers can’t cut it, if you hit a rock, even with a slip clutch and a very heavy duty mower like mine you can bend the drum a lot easier then you think. Replacing the drum is not cheap. If you look on your drum (easy on a new mower) you will see counterweights welded on from where the manufacture balanced the drum. Those counterweights fall off, so when you hit a rock you can do some major damage. A flail also mower only in one direction. I would never back into brush with my flail. That’s where a rotary mower excels. What you’re calling a brush hog is actually called a rotary mower. I mow with a Schulte 20’ batwing as my rotary mower with foam filled tires which is better in deep thick grass. A flail can easily plug in thick fine grass. I back my rotary into thorns for instance and can go through rocks without causing damage. A flail is more dainty in situations like that.
@@zfilmmaker mate you are absolutely right. But what you are running is a different league. With 250hp PTO you'll destroy anything. The size of your flail is comparatively small compared to the power of the tractor. With sub-compacts, 18-20hp pto is really not enough for a 48" flail.
@@danbskyguy I ran mine today again and it was getting grass stuck on the drum and I smoked the belts 3 times and a fourth time because a branch got stuck in the underneath part. Had to stop each time and clean it out. It went through the weeds fine oddly enough, but got hung up with actual tall grass, go figure. Again, it does mulch very well, but tall weeds and small branches, I will not sell my bush hog, but am always on the fence about the flail
I have to say that I get a very good finish on grass using a 5ft Fleming topper. I think the secret is to make sure the blades are really sharp which, with only two to deal with is easy. Like this its just a giant rotary mower which we know can give a good finish.
A brush hog isn't met to leave a nice pristine lawn look. It's for field maintenance
True, but I'm grateful for this comparison as I just recently bought a tractor and likely would have ended up with a brush hog if I haven't seen a comparison like this.
This is 100% true but if you just have a brush hog only you can sharpen the blades to have a better finish but during the process might hurt the heat treat so I use old blades to make into sharps blades for my brush hog. Am not saying this is the fix but it might be ok for a little bit
Yes but when you’re a sales person and a flail mower makes four times the money, it becomes the must have item!
You’re right that the brush hog sticks out further and you have be aware of that. However, that can be a huge advantage when cutting under or between trees (reversing in) where you can’t easily get your tractor - especially with a cab.
I’ll also agree with many of the prior comments that you have to go slower with a brush hog. You have to give the blades a chance to hit the same area more than once. I think each device has its purpose.
Working for the county, I personally always had better luck with bush hogs when it comes to taking a beating. You can mulch up concrete blocks on the side of the highway and have no problems. The few times I used a flail mower they didn’t seem to handle thicker brush the way a bush hog did. They did leave a really clean cut though.
A good brush hog will cut rough and light material If you slow down and let the unit do its work at the recomended rpm range. We have guys that use 15 batwings to mow state right of ways and they do a great job. Slow your roll, or mow it weekly and go faster.
Exactly. I bet that flail mower wouldn't handle actually brush to well. All hes cutting here is tall grass
Yeah I mow with a 15 footer on a ranch and a frail mower won’t mow what I’m mowing with it
A brush hog is just that, rough and tough cutting of heavy growth and small trees. Windrows are good for raking up hay or straw for animals. A flail mower is for nicer cuts of light to medium wild grasses and only very small brush type of saplings. Parks and townships use these mowers because of safety. Less chance of sticks or stones being thrown. For a truly nice lawn a reel mower is used like on golf courses. But the rotary mulching or straight blade mower works well for 1" to 5" grass.
Up to now, I’ve had no need for either of these machines as I live in an area where a small hand mower does the job. Now that I’m going to be on property considerably bigger, I need this information to keep from injuring myself because of my lack of knowledge on such things.This type of review is exactly what someone needs when starting out so keep these videos coming, they are appreciated by us amateurs!
I appreciate the comment! Glad my videos help you out.
Keep on tractoring!
You are driving to fast. Not giving it a chance to cut the material.
I loved watching your dad's channel, i liked his layed back perspective attitude towards life, he enjoyed having his cup of coffee in the beginning of every video he made, miss him greatly
Sorry, but you must be confusing my dad with someone else. My dad died in 2015 and never had a channel.
Keep on tractoring!
I have both, haven't used the slasher (brush hog) once since I got the flail mower. There is no competition at all, the only benefit the slasher has is simplicity in design and construction but i've had zero issues with my flail. I wouldn't be running the slasher without a slip clutch though, $150 is a lot cheaper than gearbox repairs if you hit something...
I agree, I need a slip clutch and gauging the popularity of this video I will probably be doing that. Enjoy your flail mower!
Keep on tractoring!
If I could go back in time, I would have gotten the flail mower instead of my brush hog. Cutting trails would have been so much cleaner I think. Thanks for sharing, Jon!
I just bought a large used flail mower, its a beast. You can buy parts at Flail-Master in Murfreesboro, TN. They are local for me, but ship all over. Great prices, nice people. Its a small outfit, and I love supporting this type of business. I'm not affiliated in any way, just a customer.
Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to check them out.
Keep on tractoring!
BUSHHOG at least that’s what we call it in southern Virginia, if it’s working. If not then it goes by a few other names:).
I picked up a Gearmore mower for $500.00, and the cheapest flail mower I’ve found for my 20 hp tractor is five times that much!
The cheapest used 48” rotary cutter without 4” rusted out holes was $850 in our area, even it had a lot of rust. The cheapest new was $1,600 before taxes. Amazon has a 49” flail for $1,950, the flail is on the way…
It's been a long time since I've seen such a one-sided argument on YT!
Listen, it's right there in the names: BRUSH hog and flail MOWER (as in "lawn mower").
Intentionally slowing almost to a stop when the flail hit the heavy stuff while maintaining a speed with the hog; lifting the flail to help cut while keeping the same height on the hog.
Oh, and I don't agree with your description of the blade operation on the hog. The blades are spinning so fast that the opposing blade cones along and also cuts the same spot long before you leave it, no matter the position. As to the front/rear center position, the difference is two directions: left-left-left; stump jumper; right-right-right. If the blades only have time to cut the media once, your tractor ground speed is too high.
True enough, the massive momentum of the heavy spinning blades are far more suited to larger tractors. A man has to know his limitations...
So you agree the flail mower did a better job?
Keep on tractoring!
Dude loves his flail mower, I’ll give him that. I’m in the process of buying one myself and even I see that the brush hog is superior in heavy brush removal efficiency, even with the suggestion being otherwise. Looked like he spent an increasing amount of time over every material with the flail mower vs the brush. The heavy brush bringing the tractor to a crawl really showed the disadvantage of the flail in heavy brush.
Nicholas DANNUNZIO I tend to agree with original poster, there was a bit of a bias... in the testing approach. Need to maintain the same speed and passes. If you do multiple pass with one, you do them with the other.
Also, although just six weeks of owning a tractor and brush hog, I have learned that changing the entry height to the exit height at the wheel makes a difference... lower the space at the wheel end and you will mulch more as the material stays in their longer. A real rest would be same exit height between the two of them.
All that being said, a mower will mow better..a brush hog will do brush better. Just makes sense.
I should also point out, I have a 60hp Kubota with a 72” brush hog, so there is amp,e blade and ample power.
Still I wouldn’t mind trying a flail mower one day.
Sorry all but I’m from the UK and live in the USA now , the heavy duty flails we get in UK are 3 times better than this flail and still I think it flail is good. I come from a farming background and whether big or small flails perform much better from cutting brush inc stuff up to 4” in diameter and through to cutting a large lawn..... go for a heavy duty flail any day but make sure they have hammers not Y blades.
Got me convinced that both have their place. Larger brush needs knocked down by the brush hog, then finished to fine by the flail mower. Here in Nova Scotia flail mowers are what we use on blueberry fields. The brush hog, does the heavier alders and such.
The Difference in your Tractor Speed with both Attachments makes the Winner absolutely Clear.👍
Get your self a little John Deere it will give you a cut more like a lawn mower. I have an MX6 it dose have a clutch. My Mother-in-laws mower went down and I used the Deere, she thought I used her mower. I know you will pay a lot more for the Deere. I've never used a flail mower, but I do want one that's an off set for my ditches. Thanks for the comparison 👍
I can't afford a deere
@@realityhurts8697 I know the feeling the one I have was given to me it had a bad gearbox on it, I found a set of gears for $425.00 and rebuild it myself. John Deere wanted $1800.00+ for the box.. Like I said before I still want a thrasher type mower just can't justify it right now. Thanks for the reply.
60" Mid mount mower, brush hog, flail mower, and a sickle bar mower. The sickle bar mower would be great to use to mow my irrigation ditches. Can't really think of anything better to mow ditches and ditch banks than a sickle mower.
They do make offset flails but they aren’t very suitable for sub compacts because of the extra side weight.
Keep on tractoring!
@@ritterjon I kind of wondered about that, thanks for the heads up. Probably would make the BX pretty tippy by trying to do an offset flail mower that way, especially on a bit of a hill around an irrigation ditch.
I sold my Brush Hog and bought a Flail Mower (Hammers), I already have a big Finish Mower (which does as good a job on lawns as my Husqvarna ride-on, but a lot faster).
I think the Flail Mower and the Finish mower are a perfect combination for achieving a nice finish.
The Brush Hog is fine if you aren't concerned about a nice finish. Basically it knocks stuff over but it was a pig to manoeuvre around big trees and I'd always wish I had a flail mower when I looked at the results. The huge clumps of grasses the brush hog left took all year to rot away and made further mowing an issue when they got soaking wet.
Hi Jon, great video. Although I agree that the flail mower leaves a better cut, one thing you have to take into consideration in heavy brush is rocks. The brush hog is better suited for heavier obstacles because of blade density and it’s easier to sharpen 2 blades instead of 20 or so. Both implements have their positives and negatives, just depends on your individual application, IMHO. Keep on tractoring!
I've hit a few rocks with the flail before and it handled them well. When sharpening the flail it only took me about 20 minutes or so. I would agree however the brush hog handle heavier brush better.
Keep on tractoring!
I chose a 62" flail over a brush cutter primarily due to the smaller footprint and therefore easier storing inside (limited space available). In addition it is my 750 pound rear ballast, much more convenient than hanging a long brush cutter off the back plus it is an additional 300 pounds. The instructions say not to mow in reverse because you can damage the roller but I THINK that concern refers to running the mower in backwards somewhere you don't know what you will find. Not a problem in a known field. Something you didn't mention is that a brush cutter is a fair bit cheaper than a flail mower.
I'm not sure I'd want to run over those trees unless I had a full underbody skid plate. Too many things that could be damaged.
I agree with you about the mowing in reverse, if you know what you're running over it's not going to hurt a thing. I do have a underbody skid plate from BX-panded that works really well and is very easy to install and take off.
Keep on tractoring!
The rotary mower your using looks like the blades need sharpening. It’s possible due to the top deck the blade is bent. I would dump the oil and replace it, lift it up with you loader and grind the blade a little. It should cut far better then it did.
Both two different types of mower , I run a garden contracting company in oxfordshire England and we use flails for very long grass and vegitation and the flails work very well everytime , to keep maintained grass down we use rotorary mowers and they work perfect for that task
hilarious seeing a cab on such a tiny tractor, I am not saying I am not jealous about having a cab but it does look funny to me.
Ikr
Cab looks funny eh? I plow snow in sub zero weather with heat. I clear acreage, haul firewood in 90 degree heat...with air conditioning. Then theres tunes...50's on 5 on sirius. Doesnt look that funny to me, especially viewing the world from inside!
@@docicewalker4764 it just looks a little funny on a lawnmower
Another big advantage for the flail is that it's much less likely to launch rocks or sticks. This is a bit safer than a rotary when you're mowing near people, buildings, and livestock.
That is true, that is why on the side of roadways you will likely see flail mowers used for ditches. The brush hog can really throw debris a long ways.
Keep on tractoring!
Beautiful review 👍
Thank you! I appreciate your comment!
Keep on tractoring!
Fitting that I saw this one after seeing Tim of TTWT run a fixed flail mower (and a 4' brush cutter in another episode) today. Only thing I'd have to add with mowing heavy brush is possibly needing a brush mulcher. Granted, one of those like what Tim has needs a good amount of PTO power.
I have a 7' pull behind Bush Hog, a 6' John Deere 25A flail mower with rough cut hammers and a Mott 6' flail mower with fine cut blades. Each one has a distinct advantage over the other. The brush cutter is what I use for very heavy brush with trees. The John Deere with the rough cut hammers is great for briers and brambles and small sapling trees and does a passable job on pasture fields. The Mott with the finish knives is perfect for grass and pasture fields but it is soon overwhelmed in heavy brush. If I could only pick one machine, it would be a heavy duty flail mower with the rough cut hammer knives. That machine would be the best all around in my opinion. But having all 3 is perfect ;-)
One other comment is that with a rotary cutter, like the brush hog, the blade does it's best cutting when the blade is moving forward (assuming forward travel with the tractor) from the 90* to the front center of the mower. This is where the blade speed is fastest with regard to tractor speed. The worst cut is from the front center of the mower to the rear of the mower where the blade speed is slowest in regard to tractor speed. If the brush cutter is set up properly and the front of the cutter is lower than the rear, the rear portion of the blade really doesn't cut as much as it just moves the clippings around, therefore, the windrows while cutting. (This was explained in a John Deere publication many years ago.)
Some people will also use to mow their yard as if it's a finish mower. Apparently, this is becoming more of a common thing with flail mower owners. It cuts well enough to replace a lawn mower. If used for a lawn mower I would suggest the Y blades though as those are meant for more of a grass situation. The hammer blades are meant for more thick, overgrown areas and chopping up small saplings. Just a thought for people considering using them for lawn mowing their property.
On the flip side, I recently sharpened my Y-blades on the flail using the bench grinder, and it took best part of 3 hours to get them all off, sharpened and re-assembled. Don't own a brush hog / topper but would guess it's more like sharpening a normal rotary mower blade in about 10 minutes!
Next time you do it just flip you flail upside down leaving the blades on and use an angle grinder. Took me about 20 minutes to sharpen all my hammer blades with that method.
Keep on tractoring!
I reckon it takes even less than 10 minutes. I use a 5ft Fleming topper (hog) and I just hold it up on axle stands and grind the blades in situ as there is plenty of room to get an angle-grinder in to do the job. This also means I'm not renewing the nyloc nuts every time I sharpen. Maintenance of the topper is trivial - nothing to do but check the gearbox oil and grease the PTO. No belts to tighten or change.
@@ritterjon Yeah, but he's got Y blades, not hammer cutters. I haven't sharpened either, but looking at them I'd bet the Y blades take a lot longer to sharpen.
Tools have a purpose, the flail to flatten, the Bush hog to maintain a leveled field.
Just what we did at a golf course. Our Bush hog was a maintenance "fairway mower" of course we mowed 40+ acres of rough weekly behind a 50 hp JD. A 12' wide three bottom Bush hog, 9 blades with14 tires, required twice weekly maintenance.
The flail was used for heavy grass around our ponds monthly.
Great comparison - Thanks. I've decided on a Flail vs. a MMM for my application when I order my tractor and think I'll be very happy w/it.
A slip clutch will seem really inexpensive when you get the bill to split the tractor and repair the PTO.
There is normally a shear bolt on the input shaft of the gear box to keep that from happening.
@@tomandolina383 if it is a used brush hog make sure the previous owned didn’t replace the “cheap pin” that kept breaking with a grade 8 bolt. 😎. Not that anyone would ever do such a thing.
Did you put a slip clutch or overrun clutch on you flail mower?
Agreed. 90% of low hour repairs are operator negligence. Treat you tractor right and it will outlast you.
The one thing I notice with a lot of videos and comments about the flail mower is the "how to". I absolutely smash the heavier stuff shown in this vid. The flail does cut in reverse but not neatly. By raising it on the 3 point hitch and reversing in it roughly chops at a higher level. Then dropping it down to go forward it tends to power through. The other important part is keeping revs up. When you hear and feel your revs dropping in really thick heavy or wetter areas, just stop your forward movement for a moment and feel those revs increase again. And slow down. The slower you drive the more effective the cut. Awesum and serious piece of machinery if you feel and as importantly listen to your mower. Cheers
I meet 2 sets of brush cutter blades. 1 set sharpened and the 2nd unsharpened.
I keep the sharpened blades installed 95% of the time for standard grass cutting. It literally cuts like a lawn mower.
When I need to cut heavy brush (about 2 times a year) uninstall the unsharpened blades.
When I install the unsharpened blades, I use that opportunity to sharpen the "sharpened blades".
Just how I do things.
Couldn't have come at a better time Jon. My brother just barrowed my 5' finishing mower for his 40 HP John Deere tractor. 5' is just the right size for my 25 HP tractor but a little too small for his bigger tractor. He's planning on buying a 6' finish mower, I was telling him 6' Flail mower might be better. I'm gonna show him this video. I agree, I think the Flail would be my choice, thanks buddy.
A flail will leave a much nicer cut and will still take care of considerable sized brush.
Keep on tractoring!
60 blades vs 2 keeps coming to mind. Always wanted to try a flail as I dont like the cut of a brush hog...well at least my brush hog.
Try sharpening your blades.
I use a 5’ bmb draw bar with Outside wheels.
I use a 3pt for rough cut. Then I switched over to my bmb after a year of using the 3pt.
Not a finish mower however works fine for my place.
And mine is not a flat property.
I have a brush hog and have considered getting a flail to shorten the equipment length when doing rocky trail maintenance. Front tires go up on a rock, 3 pt leans back causing it to hit rocks. It's just hard to manage. It also takes up tons of space on the trailer.
Great video. I was leaning towards the brush hog. Now I am pretty sure the fail mower would be better for me. Thanks!
That is exactly why I made this video because a lot of people right now are thinking whether they should get a brush hog or a flail mower. I’m glad I could help you make your decision.
Keep on tractoring!
Appreciate the comparison video, it's answered many of the questions I had. My opinion is both attachments have their place depending on the situation, for me the flail attachments providing I have proper PTO output would work better on my property. We have invasive Scotch broom and this stuff is killer to any attachments that have to deal with it! Thank you for awesome video.
You're not supposed to "brush hog" at 80 mph. Just a tip.
Yeah but where's the fun in not doing that? Fast and the Furious 20 : Tractor drift
If your just cutting grass with a brush hog sharpen those dull blades of yours and it will give you a much better cut . I mow grass with a brush hog and it does a pretty decent job . It won't be as good as a finish mower or your flail mower though , and yes slow down so it has time to make the cut . You will find you will have more maintenance with flail mowers .
@@hc7190 Would the cut quality in this case have anything to do with the lack of PTO Horsepower that the BX is putting out? I was thinking of getting a 42 or 48 inch brush hog when I get my BX2680 in the future it has slightly more PTO Horsepower than the BX23s used in this video, but is it really going to work very well with this size tractor? Thinking maybe the flail mower would be a better way to go...there isn't much in the way of heavy brush, mostly pasture grass and weeds that I'd need to be cutting, so I think a flail mower might be a better option anyways and probably less horsepower demand.
@@wildbill23c I had a woods 5ft. cutter for my B2650 and it would cut grass , not a hayfield just fine but I always thought it was a little to big for the tractor ( 19 pto hp ) . I bought it because it would cover my wheel tracks and the dealer said it would be fine . I wish I had bought the the 4 ft. one . The 2680 should handle a 4ft. just fine , you just have to match the speed to what ever you are cutting . If I were only going to have one I will choose the brush hog . If you keep the blades pretty sharp they will cut your field just fine . I have a 6ft. on my larger tractor and mow 50 acres of field with that and it looks fine to me . A flail will do a better job they say and yes maybe a little less HP required . A brush hog has fewer moving parts and easy to maintain .
@@hc7190 Thank you for the reply. I was leaning towards a 4 foot I think the BX would do fine with that, but nothing any larger at least I wouldn't want to try it. I think I'd go with a brush hog for the few times a year I'd need to mow a field...I plan on getting the 60" mid-mount mower which should handle everything else anyways, no need for a flail mower for what I'd be doing I don't think...either mowing grass or light brush so mid-mount mower and brush hog will do fine for me.
I really want to invest in an offset flail mower in the near future. They are pricy though…. i appreciate the comparison, thanks again for taking the time to create this video.
I think you were going about twice as fast as you should with the brush hog cutting grass with only 5” of cutting-edge you need to travel slower so it can hit every blade of grass. Finish mowers that size have 3 blades each with about 5” of cutting area and blade speed of 10k. Feet per/sec brush hog probably 1/3 of that! Still agree with flail for small tractors. But those big batwing brush hogs do a great job on big tractors!
I’ll wanted to compare similar speeds not really focusing on similar results. It was evident to me that the brush hog can’t handle heavy grass at the same speed a flail does. You make good points however.
Keep on tractoring!
Brush hogs definitely have their place. There's more moving mass to cut bigger brush. Flail mowers do a better job on heavy grass and smaller brush. They're also safer because they don't throw material out from under them. I'm either case, a skip clutch is a good idea compared to repairing a PTO.
I got flair mower with hammers! No complaints at all! It’s a beast!
Love your videos and watch them all....but going to disagree with a few things on this one. The brush hog rides on the tail wheel not lifted buy the tractor. You can lift if you need to during a sharp turn but it is designed to ride on the contour of the ground. It sticks out too far? This length is perfect for getting under trees with branches. Just back under them instead of forward. The flail MOWER is designed to cut weeds and small brush and does a great job. A BUSH hog is designed to cut heavy brush (and will leave windrows if cutting hay) Like you said, it's all about what you want the machine to do. I purchased my 4 foot King Kutter from L&M supply for about $900 and have cut acres of brush. (not sure what the new cost of a flail mower, but I'm guessing twice the cost) I have only broke one Shear Pin. No need to worry about a slip clutch to protect your PTO. The pin will break and $1.59 later you have a new pin installed and back to business. I guess the bottom line is, are you needing a Bush tool or a Mower? Keep the great videos coming. Russ. Esko, Minnesota
It's not about hitting the grass twice it's about hitting it moving in both directions. When the brush hog is slicing in the front it's moving one way across the grass and when it is slicing in the back it is moving the other way across the grass. On the edges it only goes one direction so it has pushed the grass over and it just stays pushed over.
In my opinion ,1st thing I would do is slow down ,otherwise you will have to cut it twice to look 1/2 way decent, I always had good luck with my 52 inch and I just went a little slower, Not to take big stuff down, Mainly grass and up to 3 foot brush, No trees or shrubs both will do a good job ,I don't want a finish cut mower so I'll take a brush hog any day.Thanks for this video and your time and input.
Well both mowers work great but the flail mower does draw more power from the tractor. From my experience I only use the flail mower for brush mowing only since I have the heavy duty hammers. The brush hog is a good all round mower but I use it just for mowing grass. Oh just a word of caution super tall grass over 5 ft does bog down the little tractors.. The pto clutch is a great investment on both machines.Thanks for showing others your reviews.
I might just invest in a slip clutch after all. Depending on the species of grass the flail can bog down. The really fibrous stuff found around wetlands can be tuff to cut.
Keep on tractoring!
@@ritterjon From my experience in mowing heavy brush is to go slow and raise the flail or brush mower about 6 inches or more depending on brush height on the first pass then mower near the ground for final cut. Just some helpful advice from someone who knows what there talking about.
Flail mowers are not designed for the same tasks as a rotary mower (brush hog). One is for rougher cutting and doesn't produce as nice an end result. The other leaves a much nicer finish and can be rotated up to trim shrubs and low limbs or down to trim ditches. A flail mower is more robust and versatile than a finish mower and takes less space to store, but isn't meant to be a replacement for a rotary mower. IMO you should have both. The right tool for the job and all that.
I bet you he owns a bass fishing boat because he's balls to the wall with the tractor like he's trying to get to that one spot!
I have a bass boat and even I think he was going too fast.
Thanks for the comparison Jon. I have been wanting a flail mower. I presently have 2 mowers. One is a 3 pt. mount brush hog made by SouthEast Mfg. The other is a tow behind brush cutter made by International Harvestor (Farmall). Both are 60 inch and do a good job for my needs. I have 110 acres of timber/ pasture that I have to mow every year. I bought my Kubota L2501 for the wide front end and 4 wheel drive. My land is pretty steep in spots. I would have to agree with you. The flail mower gets my vote. Perhaps next year I will be doing a video of my very own flail mower. Bucket list. Thanks for sharing Jon. I will have a video coming in a couple weeks of Big Bud. The worlds largest farm tractor. Bet that would pull my 60 inch mower, for sure.
Hi Gary, I’m glad that you found this video helpful. Sounds like you have quite a bit of work to do and could really use a flail mower. I look forward to watching your next video. Thanks for the comment.
Keep on tractoring!
Great video!! And great comparison. I have had both a brush hog and a flail mower, and I no longer have the brush hog... The flail mower does a much better job, unless you are actually cutting down small trees. I have heard the same thing about not backing up with the flail mower, and i make an effort to not do so. One thing I did notice is it seems you were going a little fast with the brush hog. Slowing down a little will improve your cut as the blades have more time to chop the cuttings. The flail is still far superior. I have the same one as you (although 60 inches). I also bought it based on a recommendation from GP Outdoors. Thank you for your videos.
I'm sure slowing down would have helped but I wanted to compare what each would do at relatively the same speed. You're right, flail mower for in win!
Keep on tractoring!
I have an old 60" pull behind that we use on fields behind a bx23s. We've kept it down over the summer but started with heavy grass at the beginning. Been reclaiming some back fields inwith it also. We do not go over anything more than an inch thick though. I'll cut those down with a chain saw.
Great video. Might look into a flail mower now.
I’ve pull a 60 inch brush hog before and it’s heavy for a small BX but the BX seems to have to have the power to cut light brush and heavy grass with it.
Keep on tractoring!
I've got a 60" King Kutter on my Super M and NOTHING even slows it down. The instructions say nothing bigger than 1" or 1-1/2" in diameter, but I've got the clutch on it and I'm sure I've mowed over buckthorn that is over 2" and larger, and I've never had that clutch kick in. If you have sharp blades and go slow you can get decent results in field grass but it won't be like a flail mower. I usually do a second pass to chop the stuff up finer and get the grass that folds over a bit on the first pass. Thanks for showing the flail mower- it'd be great to have that to go over what's left of the big stuff after taking the "hog" to it.
An old Farmall Super M, now that’s gotta be fun to drive. Especially running a brush hog. Those tractors were made to last forever. A brush hog working together with a flail mower would be ideal.
Keep on tractoring!
I dont know if you get major equipment in America but if you happen to come across a major topper which is the English equivalent to a brush hog but without the wheel you may be pleasantly surprised at what that will cut because we've cut perfectly manicured lawns and smashed it through trees
Glad I watched this video review. Was just about to buy a Brush Hog but now I will take a look into the Flail Mower. I think it might be a better choice for my application. Thanks for posting
Each has its purpose. I have a brush hog and will get a flail soon enough but from what I can see if you have light tree or "brush" tall grass 8ft or more the brush hog is that way to go. If you have over grown fields and horse pasture type growth the flail will be great. I wouldn't out a flail in the woods to clean them up were as I wouldn't mind with the brush hog.
On, so my take on this is I need one of each, 1st pass with hog then second with a flail, now to convince the finance committee (wife), that we need two mowers and four tractors. Ps I don't like changing attachments🤪
I wish you all the luck in the world! Some finance committee can be hard to work with.
Keep on tractoring!
I was planning to get a flail mower until I thought about buying and changing blades. to many blades to mess with . flail mower is more for cutting low to the ground and the hog is more for cutting high in my honest opinion. just two very different implements. enjoyed the video showed a lot of detail
I think the flail is more suitable for
smaller tractors. It’s easier to carry and with only 20 hammers it’s very easy to sharper with a grinder. Just flip it upside down. Takes about 20 minutes. Larger tractors handle brush hogs much better than a BX does.
Keep on tractoring!
@@ritterjon very true. I still may look for a used flail mower to try out. I been wanting to try a sickle mower as well.
The cut on a brush hog sucks in grass/weeds which is what most people end up using it for and it’s also worse with lighter brush. I say around 25% of the time a rotary cutter MAY do a better job.
Most people don’t change their blades and some manufacturers you can even change your blades as the “balance” of the drum changes.
Interesting post. The task outcome has alot to do with the size of tractor pulling the implement. For folks who have a smaller machine, they'll have to think about where their going to use a cutter before spending money and money may be the biggest factor because of the cost differences in buying and maintaining the two machines is considerable. Good post though.👍👍👍
I always wanted a flail didn't know u could move so fast with it. Nice!
Good comparison! I've got the NH 918H 71" flail (my favorite), KK 72" finish (my least favorite), 48" rotary (my "go to" when mowing the really rough unknown areas before I use the flail.) I use the flail to mow the "lawn"-(anything green and looks like grass) area of my property and the horse trails through and around the woods. I also have a WoodMaxx 59" flail. I don't use it hardly at all. Works good, but the finish on the lawn is nowhere as nice or smooth. It's because the NH flail has 96 (48 pairs of Y blades) blades in 71" and the WoodMaxx only has 36 (18 pairs of Y blades) blades in 59". The WoodMaxx is better for mowing pastures or knocking down corn stubble. The 72" KK finish mower sucks up too much power for some reason plus I am constantly replacing belts (at least twice a summer). Don't know why since I had a Coroni 60" finish mower I used for 15 years and rarely replaced belts. Wore the Coroni out and replaced it with the King Kutter. Nothing wrong with the King Kutter brand-I have their tiller, box blade, middle plow and subsoiler and think they are great!
Good comparison and I agree with your conclusion.
Sounds like you've got plenty of experience with flail mowers. I think they are an under estimated implement and would surprise a lot of tractor owners if they'd just give them a chance. The belts on mine have done very well so far. I have two belts and it rarely slips. I sure wish I could find a front mounted flail mower for my tractor. I think that would be the best. Thanks for your comment.
Keep on tractoring!
We call them bush hogs where I live. If you do not have a ring in the middle that is what's called a stump jumper,you will have a problems cutting trees and bushes. A stump jumper allows the blade to slide behind ,the ring and does not slow your rpm down. If you do not have the ring in the center,you could shear your pto.I Hope's this helps you.
I don't know how I missed this. Great video, my friend.
I guess so, where ya been. 😂😂
Thanks for the comment friend!
Keep on tractoring!
I really like the power rakes they have now and am wondering if you could use a flail mower the same way, perhaps with a little modification so it could get a couple inches lower? Thoughts? Thanks for sharing.
Jon, good points you covered regarding your comparison. That flail mower sounds like the ticket for cutting tall and thick growth. Enjoyed your comparison video. Have a fine week. 👍🏽🙂
I wish I saw your video before buying my tractor. I did not know about a flail mower. It does left a nice cut when you don't have trees
It is a great option especially for sub compacts. I hope you get a chance to find one and give it a try.
Keep on tractoring!
I been using my 60" badboy elite ZT as a brush hog. Does just as well. Even better than either attachment
I first used a Brush hog , ,and it looked Ok , but used very little fuel , the Flail used nearly a full tank of fuel & engine oil too .
Good presentation. One thing though, we're talking about a small brush hog here that really does not take full advantage of it's inherent design capabilities. With a larger brush hog vs a larger flail mower, the margin between each's respective capability of knocking down heavy brush and small trees becomes greater. That is, using a 7 foot brush hog for example, due to the weight of the blades, will plow right through stuff that will stop the same size flail mower in its tracks. In addition, I don't know if it's the small size of this brush hog or what, but my 7 foot brush hog does a better job at cutting grass than shown above. If I had to choose one, and I had the heavy brush and trees along with heavy grass, I'd go with a brush hog. In addition, there are a couple of more considerations such as cost and ease of sharpening the blades which both favor the brush hog. Best solution is both if you can justify the costs.
Great Video, Thanks for posting. You were moving a little too fast for the Brush Hog to be able to do it’s Job though.
I went back in time and watched this video! I have some areas on my property that are extremely overgrown with vegetation and saplings. I have been debating whether to get a rotary cutter or flail mower. I see advantages to both. I think the rotary cutter would be better for my first reclamation, then the flail mower would be better for maintenance. I recently tried hooking up a 4' rotary cutter to my MF GC2610, I agree with you that it is a lot for the little tractor to handle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Happy seat time to you! - Rick
Yes your thinking is correct. If you have a lot of big stuff knock it down with a rotary but then a flail mower is going to be the best way to maintain.
Keep on tractoring!
awesome. gotta try a flail. i solvedmy crappy mower issues with a used X Mark Lazer. damn thing is a beast. i mow small trees down. goes thru 3 ft tall grass and weeds. leaves a beautiful cut. throws cuttings 12 ft from deck exit. i go outside in now to mulch it and clean area as i cut. then i have ornamental plant beds in the center of my open areas . i circle them inwards till all cuttings hsve blown into beds and areas are clean. no raking and the plants in the beds love the cuttings.
it replaced a 24 hp yanmar with shuttleshift 4 speed 2 range transmmision and a 60" woods finish deck at 3 pt hitch. this yanmar even has a 4 speed pto ! rare. still could never get it done . i was a skeptic and hated z turns beforethis one fell in my lap.broken but i repaired it. omg 50 x easier and my 4 acres looks like a golf course now. and in 3, 5 hrs vrs 6 + on the tractor. z turns are pricy but so are tractors. im so impressed with this 60" z turn , i won't mow with anything else.tractors are good for bucket work and back hoe work. need one on the farm too. got another old yanmar with a 21 hp and a bucket. it is a good little hobby tractor but not so much for work .need a new 24 hp .
I feel the same way about my zero turn. It sure beats anything else I've mowed with as far as speed and maneuverability. If you like your zero turn you'll really love a flail mower. The thing mulches anything you can run over. It really leave a nice cut!
Keep on tractoring!
Thanks for the comment today on the bx group, my free stuff from kubota 🤫😊
I’m impressed! I would love some free stuff from them. Just a new hat would be nice.
Keep on tractoring!
I was already considering a flail mower especially if I can get one with more of an offset for the ditches in front of my property.
You pretty much sold me on it.
Nice video
For ditches, pond banks, and fence rows you might consider a flail mower that has hydraulic cylinders. One cylinder will kick the mower out to the side of the tractor. The other cylinder will be for the tilt up and down. I think it's 90* up and 65* down. Of course as with any attachment if there are cylinders involved they will be much more expensive, plus you would need rear remotes to operate them.
@@joebarrett9830 I got a maschio flail mower. It has manual offset
A bit of caution; even a small limb or stubble of one inch in diameter will damage hydraulic lines and or even linkages to throttles or shifters. I know from experience. Be very aware when pushing through heavier brush and then backing up to further cut or grind. If your model of tractor have optional skid plates available to protect the underside of your tractor, get them. Either that or carry insurance with a reasonable deductible. Replacing fittings and hydraulic components is expensive.
Hammers with carbide tips would be cool.
I vote for Flair Mower cause have mow witgh it and brush too .and sickel mower it just feild work .
What I worry about in this place I am cleaning up that hasn't been cut in 10 years are rocks that I can't see. Can the blades of the flail mower be adjusted so the cut is higher? Much higher? You can lift the brush hog up with the 3 point hitch, whereas the flail mower is riding on the ground. I have hit some serious obstacles with a brush hog back in the day without destroying it. I am getting ready to buy a sub compact tractor and the sales guy seems to think a flail mower will be a much better choice. I had never even thought about one until today. I am not worried about speed and have no problem with going back and forth a few times. Some of this brush will be very thick with lots of very heavy vines. 10 years growth! Hardly worried about the quality of the cut as I have a nice heavy John Deere riding mower for the stuff I want to look nice. Thanks for the video!
You can set the flail about 6 inches above ground but you can also run it while lifting it over rocks.
Keep on tractoring!
Oh yeah my owners manual says not to back over objects, so I lift it up back into it slowly the lower down and pull forward in small patches. Also to keep grass from wadding up on the ends I took off the scraper bar off, problem fixed
I should take that scraper bar off too. I’ll give that a try next time. I only back over objects that have already been run over or are relatively small.
Keep on tractoring!
if you get the chance i'd like to see the difference in the cutting and end product on the 2 different type of cutting teeth on the flail
Love my flail mower, it can handle up to 2.5 in. Mulching is the key, I only stop for logs, unless they are rotten then fair game. Great informative vid.
Glad you enjoy your flail mower, I wanted to make this video so people can see that a flail mower can keep on with a brush hog and get a better result.
Keep on tractoring!
Brush hogs have their place, I have watched vids that make me cringe for the poor tractor with what people put them through. My flail mower, even with the hammer blades will produce a manicured cut, just keep those hammers sharp. You can grind out the dings and dents from rocks and other debris. The best part is (as you stated) the maneuverability by not having 7+ ft of implement hanging off the tractor. Again, thank you for your time making this great video and you have passed better, getting to a Ritter great!
@@miken8336 but what if you have an area such as a creek bank where you actually need the extra reach of a rotary cutter so you can back up and safely cut farther out?
When I was growing up I ran both on my folks property. bush hog is for heavier work, Knocking down over grown fields and brush. Frail mower is more a finish mower for cutting regular grass.
There may be little rabbits in the grass. Be careful. Great work👍
Having run both too I prefer a flail mower with hammers... They are a beast and really mulch up everything. They are a hair shower in heavy stuff and take multiple passes. I also find stopping on heavy brush lets the flail mower chew it up without multiple passes.
Does the brush hog have a shear pin at least? The only two advantages to a brush hog that I have ever seen is you can back it into things without putting the tractor into it too. And once I managed to wrap vines around a flail mower.
It did have a sheer pin but I’m not sure it was the right size for my HP tractor. Wasn’t going to risk it any further.
Keep on tractoring!
I want to cut lots of vines. Is a flail mower better or wose than a rotary cutter. Most co.panies say the flail is better for vines. How hard is it to remove vines once entangled?
Very Timely, was getting ready to make a decision on brush hog, finish mower, or both. Instead I've decided on a flail mower. I can mow the field and around the barn/drive where I want it to look a bit cleaner. Since I'm gone 5 months of the year, it can get pretty out of hand but a bush hog just leaves it looking too ragged.
I think you’ll be happier with the flail especially if the finish appearance is important to you. The flail does a great job mulching up just about anything.
Keep on tractoring!
What about a Fecon Bull Hog Mulcher on the front and a Flair Mower on the back? The Bull Hog mulch the big stuff to fine pieces and Flair will put the finishing touch to it. Just a thought. May need another tractor though.
Flail tricks. Engage them smooth to not smoke the belts. Do not mow in reverse lift it up back up lower and go forwards.
Mowing tall stuff extend the top link and raise the nose up so it rises on the tail roller but can eject bigger stuff a bit.
I recommend a different brush hog. Not all brush hogs are created equal. Some have better blade systems as well as a free floating deck. Also a small tractor with small deck isnt going to do the same quality as a bigger tractor and bigger deck. Physics plays a big roll. Id like to see a flail mower compared to a front attach mower. Something like what Quick Attach makes or the Land Shark. I think as an all around mower the Land Shark is the most versatile with its front end loader mount and the ability to be offset and flip up 90 degrees to trim tree lines along driveways or trails.
Awesome video and did not even think about a flail mower until now and I like that is overall size!
I have a Billy Goat 24” hydrostatic walk behind brush mower. The machine is handier than a pocket on a shirt. 🤠👍
I wish you guys would talk more about your tractor. What model, hp, make. It would be nice to know what your pulling the implement with.
What you see here is a 23hp Kubota BX 23S. It has 17.9 hp at the PTO. Thanks for watching.
Keep on tractoring!
I wonder if your rotary mower would have done better if it wasn't open in the back? I would think with that being open instead of trapping material inside the mower and beating it up, it just ejects it right out the back. Yet, it is nice to have options and finding what works the best for you is the important thing.
Good video,, brush hog heavy stuff then finish with flail mower, neat and even
That would be one way of doing it, however not everyone can have both. Just showing the pros and cons of each to help people make that decision.
Keep on tractoring!
I've read some of the replies and see some of their points on speed, but if You had slowed down to allow the Rotary more time to cut better then the Flail mower's faster cutting speed would not have been compared fairly either.
I don't have a Flail mower, ...YET...
I do like how You showed Me how one works in over grown thickets and small sapling
When I found what looked like the same brand of Flail mower online for about $1,600 that seemed like it might be worth looking at in the future.
The wife let be buy a 6 foot Scraper Blade & 5 foot Rototiller this year for Our Kubota L-2501, so a Flail Mower might have to be a 2021 Christmas gift to Myself
She wants to move to some acreage next year and We might need one to clear and maintain
I liked Your demonstration and Your Brush Hogging speed really was not a negative too Me
It's a Brush Hog, and it really did the job it was designed for.
I see the advantage to using the Brush Hog 1st to chop down the Big Stuff, and then using the Flail mower afterward if You want to cut things closer too the ground that the Brush Hog can't do, ( like the Tire stabbing sapling STUMPS )
Ken in Florida
You're exactly right, I wanted to compare the quality of cut at a similar speed and as you can see you can cut over growth a lot fast with a flail and it leave a nicer cut but also if you need to slow down for small brush and trees it can handle that too. The betsco 48 inch medium duty flail is the one I have. Hope you're able to get one soon.
Keep on tractoring.
Each attachment has its place. I've run a brush hog for years through dense woods without any trouble. Recommend slowing down a bit for better results.
That’s what many others have suggested, I’ll give it another try after I get a slip clutch. Do you use one?
Keep on tractoring!
@@ritterjon I never have used a slip clutch. I ran a 5' cutter on a '48 Ford 8N and that cutter would push me all over but it cut like a dream. In 2001 I upgraded to a John Deere 35hp unit. It handled the cutter much more safely.
I’m leaning towards a flail mower when the time comes to get one. I see you were backing up with the flail mower.. this must be ok to do? I would need to be able to cut backing up sometimes with whatever I get. Thanks for the comparison, enjoyed it. Weather looked good there. Nice to see a tractor out working under the blue sky 🤠. Weather starting to get a little cooler here in Vermont. I’m looking towards to fall, my favorite time of the year to get in my woods and and cleanup my trails 💪
I love fall as well. I had great weather for this video. Yes backing with the flail works however it cuts better going forward.
Keep on tractoring!
A RITTER BIT WILL DO thanks 😊
The advantage of the brush hog is that it will cut anything you can get your tractor over. The flail mower makes a cleaner cut but everything i keep finding says 1" max. But i have cut over 4" trees with my brush hog almost better to clear your land with a brush hog, sell it and buy a flail to maintain it
You missed the best solution. The brush hog is faster at getting the brush on the ground and once it is on the ground the flail mower does a good job chopping it up so they should be used in that order to be as efficient as possible. Also used the brushes hog to back over brush so it’s not scraping on your tractor risking damage to your tractor.
You should try slowing down a little bit when you get in that heavy stuff I'm sure your quality will be a lot better