MOWER COMPETITION - Flail VS. Rotary Cutter VS. Zero Turn 

I agree with this. I will also say with hammers you can really chew up debris that happens to be on the ground. I wouldn't really worry about a branch. A rock might knock off a hammer from time to time but that is about it.

How high of a cut can you get with a flail ? I dont like to cut under 6-8 inches

What brand and model of flail mowers do you like to use for situations like this? I agree in that I have read a lot from guys experienced with flails saying hammer knives work as good or better on grass, yet can handle some branches and woody material when needed. I have a small, 6 acre field to maintain, similar to what this video shows, where i will let the grass get long between cuttings.

We had a Mott flail mower years ago that had a large roller on the back of it, man that thing cut nice.. pulled it with a Fordson Super dexta

Hi, I am a beginner and wanting to know more about flail mower. As you mentioned that brush knives will get a nicer cut, I've tried to google brush knives but I couldn't find it. Could you please explain more about this type of blade?

I quite agree. In UK we use flails as they are way more durable because the flail heads will bounce on object and fold back. He is only using flimsy y blades not hammers

i cut 7 acres with 130hp john deere and 16ft cutter. Set my blades really low, maybe 3" and open up the rear of cutter so it can throw out and spread cuttings to the rear. Ive found having a tall deck height is best as it allows room for cuttings to flow and less drag on my blades, i think my deck is 10" in height. I find if i really sharpen blades often so you can cut your hand on them it makes all sorts of difference on the finished job and is easier for my tractor to pull I dont get in any hurry either, mainly running at only6 mph so what i cut gets chopped pretty well before i move over it. I sometimes cut a mix of brush, pines, cedar, and maple trees. My loader bucket helps a lot in this as when i mow, i do so with bucket about 6 inches high. That way anything i run over is bent down well such that the cutting blades on a 15 ft tree cuts the trunk while its bent over pretty well. At times i discover hornets nests but cab and air conditioner make that a non event. Thanks for your fun video, we all get to learn from others as we go along,,,,regards

Well, at least the air conditioner!

Exactly right regards the zero turn,throw the cut grass away towards the already mown area.A poor comparison not showing the Hustlers true ability. Yes the Flail is better suited to those conditions, but also handicapped ,too fast..

I gave this comment multiple thumbs up only one of them is showing though.

That would have been a good addition

A sickle mower would do a decent job.. however the residue would take longer to break down... as it is not chopped up...

@@MessicksEquip Wouldn't have had a good outcome, after using a sickle you have to remove the cut crop or you kill the field. As land clearing using a sickle then a flail a day's dry later really clears the burden back down as mulch.

What width flail do you run on the 2650. I have a 5' midmount and I'm wondering if I could run a 6' flail.

@@jonburt2695 I run a 60 flail mower. You might be able to run a 6', but it'd limit how large of stuff you can mow.

full hoodies and high-vis pants/chainsaw pants with toe-cut socks bundled up on top of the work boots, sprayed top to bottom.

you can say the same with rotary cutters as well. there are various duties, the bigger you go the higher the HP requirements for a given size.

An old clay pipe is preferable to a three foot long half inch piece of rebar in a reverse drive tiller. That thing went right for the right side housing and wrapped itself around almost every bolt on the side of it. It took a good two hours and a grinder to cut it out.

Yes it was

What brand and size Flail mower did you purchase? suggestions for a 39 HP tractor?

I totally agree. I have 4 flail mowers and just ordered another one. The y blades are the best in my opinion because they just bounce off rocks and shreds brush and even 4x4s! I wish these dealers would run one for more than five minutes before making a video. He’s wrong on so many points. They are really hardy machines. The only weakness they have is barbed wire or any kind of hose. It gets wrapped around the rotor so quickly. I carry bolt cutters, compound wire cutters but usually able to back it out with a chain anchored to a tree or post and pull the wire or fencing out in one piece.

@@raulhogland7309 I really wanted to get a flail mower but, couldn't justify the cost of one. So I use my Rhino 84" finish mower and 6" Bush Hog brush cutter. I pull them with a Kubota 3901 I just bought last year after upgrading from my 1975 6600 Ford tractor. I had to stop watching the video when he showed what the brush cutter cut. Either they didn't know how to use it to cut the grass clean or just wanted to make the cutter look bad. I can make the grass look good or bad with the same cutter. Just depends on the quality of cut I want at the time.

@@flash1259 Agree, Jimmy. He was definitely trying to make that rotary look bad. Just watching it bounce along 8-10" off the ground insures a sloppy "cut." I have all three mowers and generally choose the flail for its superior performance, but agree that a rotary can give a good finish given sharp blades and proper operation. I have two types of flails, the "Y" for brush and also "grass" flails which give a manicured cut on grass of any height. It has been years since I changed the Y flails to the grass flails since if I have to cut anything really knarley I just grab the rotary. A zero-turn can also do a surprising amount of work if you don't "push" it too hard, but those "pot-metal" spindles won't take much abuse. The flail mower would be the last one I'd sell. They say that once you've used a flail mower you'll never go back to a rotary, and I believe it. The main reason highway departments favor the flail is that it doesn't throw material like the rotary. But you do have to reduce ground speed a bit if you want a smooth finish. The ability of some flails to be radically off-set is a real "plus" but they're heavy and expensive. They will help you keep the tractor out of the pond....

@@theburnhams2925 I haven't got a flail mower. They're selling an offset bush hog close to where I live. I've been thinking about checking it out. My oldest zero turn and my wife's riding mower have the "pot metal" spindles. I've broke plenty of them on both of the mowers. I've also bent blades in a "U" shape. My 61" Bad Boy Outlaw XP and my 84" Rhino finish mower have steel spindles though. I've got most of the area's I mow a lot better shape now. Some of it still needs a lot of work. Unless they've changed lately all the highway crews I've seen around here bush hogs. Maybe we're out of date. It would be nice to have a flail mower.

62" funny top. The size is a great fit for this tractor.

Hammers are heavier and more expensive and require a much tougher housing in case one cuts loose, the whole combination takes a LOT more horsepower to do the same job. All flails (blade, hammer, loop) mulch pretty well. The blade flail is far less likely to pick up and carry stem and wire and debris. You can be guaranteed to lift debris/cord/wood with the hammers. The blade flail are superior in any kind of broadleaf cover. But the best flail mower is the front-mounted flail.

Ys are the best all around. Spring steel just bounces off rocks. The hammers try to cut too much at a single pass it requires much more horsepower and if you are n dry ground it makes a dust storm that even in an enclosed cab you are not going to be happy. Can’t see and dust on your glass. I only recommend hammers for doing a lot of brush all the time. Not worried about dust no need to go fast. I use them on my ditch bank mower that I can turn upright 90 degrees to open roads closed by overgrown trees. I put it against 3”+ branches and kapow!! It’s the physics of a blade cutting horizontally or perpendicular to large amounts or a full blades worth that encounters so much resistance versus a y blade that does more of a side swipe going in between the grass faster and fewer at a time that does a better job.

Also, the grass from the zero turn was being discharged into the uncut grass. If this guy knows what he’s doing then he set the rotary and zero turn up for failure…or he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Clippings are not normally a concern for a field. A flail will do a better job of spreading them out than a rotary mower. A finish mower would be a step better, but you need to make frequent cuttings.

What timeframe did it take you to do the 15 acres.

@@3535gt It took me about 18 hrs to do that overgrown field the first time with a six foot bush hog. I keep it under control now, and filled most of the big holes, so I can get it done in about 10-12 hrs now. A lot of that time is used clearing the edges of the surrounding woods, which takes longer than just cutting the grass.

@@michaelcox1071 thanks for the reply. Just picked up a mowing contract that’s pretty similar to what you mow. Looking at shredder sizes and a general idea of timeframe. Thank you!

@@3535gt good luck!

To me it would depend on how well i knew the field. I'd mow over 2-3-4 times to get it caught after with a zero turn if I knew it was clean and I was not going to hit rocks and stuff that could damage my mower. If its an unknown field, its probably smart to get someone in with a heavier machine.

I buy my own stuff, the hustler was cheap

you could not be able to rake the clippings after cutting, they are too mulched.

Similar outcome, I know as I have one. If the grass is tall like in this video, you have to make two passes to get it cut clean. It leaves windrows of cut grass though, not evenly spread clippings like that flail. Perruzzo makes flails for the F series mowers, I'd love to have one.

I wonder this as well. But would it have given the same results as the zero turn since it works the same way? Or do the PTO powered finish mowers have more power for the heavier stuff?

@@wildbill23c I was just curious how a rear discharge deck as wide as the side discharge deck would have compared.

I have a LP three point rear discharge finish mower and it does not do well in tall grass at all. If the grass gets over 5/6 inches tall will need to make two passes raising the mower to the highest setting then dropping an inch for a second cut. Second issue is on the highest setting the wheel yokes bend easily.

@@Cst-dh7hn thank you for your insight.

63". I would not go any smaller.

Del morino for compact tractors. There's much higher end stuff for roadside mowing or orchards. There's no specification, mostly cups down the build quality.

hit and miss. They tend to do a great job in light grass, but will still clump when it gets thick.

It would bog some with the rotary cutter, not with the flail. As long as you don't have hugely horsepower dependent implements, the 2650 does great.

@@MessicksEquip thanks for the reply. I think I need to go bigger because I’ll use the rotary cutter often, not a flail. Appreciate the videos.

Just like anything else. Kills blades. And I have 64 blades to sharpen. So do your mower a FAVOR. Harrow mounds before mowing or, drop flail to the lowest position possible and skive them. THEN mow. I either use my rider with deck dropped down to the ground to skive mounds or harrow them. You can go rather fast harrowing and it pays you back with much less time spent sharpening flail multiple blades. I also made a conveyor belt strip attached to the front flail deck edge. Idea was for the semi flexible belt skive mounds height before blades hit them. It, actually, worked. But, only on short grass. On tall grass, when I didn't mow for 2 weeks, I found that that "dam" in the front laid grass down and flail skipped much more of it. So I removed it. As you know, flail does not have much of uplift, to stand grass up, like rotary cutters do.

I think it'd be awesome to run a commercial land-care 5 segment park reel over what's left.

They give a pretty good cut with tall grass, but if you hit an obstacle like a rock with it, it'll really tear up that bar. If you are mowing down an area you know is clear, it'll be great, otherwise I'd go over it with the brush cutter. Course the sickle mower will just cut the grass and lay it down, but it gives a nice clean cut, and of course you could always go over it with a finish mower after you get it cut down. A friend of mine uses a sickle mower for cutting hay, it works great.

You will love it. Flail mowers are the best option. I have cut thistle 4' high and it knocks it down and mulches it up beautifully.

I bought tow behind gas powered flail specifically because my lower tier property is very uneven. Small hills and valleys. Plus, some of those 3 acre are wetland, very muddy spring time after rains. As the result, two ZTRs I had, were literally killing me on that terrain, ride was so bumpy (I had 2 Hustlers, 54 and 60 decks and I shall NEVER recommend a Hustler to anyone. They are very poorly made). So I ended up, comfort wise, with Pioneer UTV towing gas powered flail. That's as comfortable as it gets and UTV does not care about mud, just pulls mower through. So, how does it do on uneven ground? It depends. Mine has 2 wheels on either deck side and, if they overlap high points, entire deck lifts up and whatever is below the high points, is not cut. There is same flail with 2 wheels behind the deck, that may follow terrain a bit better. Also, flail has heavy solid roller in the back, so if roller is lifted up, it lifts deck/blades up. But, the good part to tow behind is, it floats on the hitch ball. I can't possibly imagine same to happen with a 3 point hitch attachment. So, what I do is I do perimeter pre cut with my rotary Cub Cadet, as I can get very close to the fence with its deck, and use it around trees. Then, I finish it all in one run with tow behind. I have plenty of tight spots and turns and, UTV+tow behind has large turning radius. My last thing now is to debate about adding hammer blades to my flail instead of Y blades, as Y-s skip grass too much to my taste. Plus, it's twice as many blades to sharpen, with Y blades.

@@ingvarleskovar7169 Good information--thanks

He said in the video they let it get out of hand on purpose for this demonstration. However, yes when mowing something like that raise the deck up as high as it will go and then mow it again at your finish height and it'll look great. I've done that several times on properties with my lawn tractor. I think it would look better too if they did a second pass with the rotary mower and the flail mower.

Dumb question 30 acres, why not put a finish mower on the back of your L6060? I've thought about that, I wish @Messick's Equipment would have compared a rear finish mower. I cut most of my fields with a rotary cutter, but have considered getting something to provide a better look especially closer to the house. I thought about a zero turn but a good majority of what I cut near the house is on the hill.

@@MLJenkins my hills are the reason I like the zero turn compared to the tractor. I feel much safer on the side slopes. May actually not be any safer but I feel it is. Of course u can’t beat the cut. Just have to stay ahead of it and wear goggles. It is a least 4x faster as well.

or a goat

No fuel or time used.

@@bradjenkins932 until those goats eat what you want to save

@@Raymo853inLeDroit I don't have goats

Having the rear higher than the front is the proper way to setup a mower. They should not be level.

I'd guess somewhat better as that deck will handle volume better.

Put a flail on the front

@@tomkeating65 is this possible to fit a flail out front with the F series? I need to decide between F series or tractor for regular mowing 40 acre. I dont wanna be out there all day so was leaning towards the faster mode

@@andy3973 check out iowa farm equipment

60"

@@MessicksEquip Thanks what is the width of the flail mower? I’m thinking about getting one too!

@@mainelyelectric 62".

@@MessicksEquip Wow I thought that I had read in my manual of my B2650 that the flail mower max width was 48” How are you able to run a 62”?

@@mainelyelectric really was no problem at all. in typical grass you may even eek out a 72"

It'd still be slower and shave some of the stems instead of cutting them. A commercial rider rear discharge would likely work better than a zero-turn.

The one I used offsets. Its actually cheaper than a sickle.

Brush hog

Yes, but if I recall correctly, it took Neil several hours to remove the branch he ran over. For many people, time is money.

He was not using hammers. I use whale tail hammer flails and that stick getting stuck was a joke. My blades would have shredded it.

You can twist the mounts a little and you can lift solid things up against the housing and damage that, the sprockets, chain and even the shaft. That's why the rotary is preferred for unknown terrain and debris. You can detach the blades and pull them right out of a big bight of twine, rope, wire and fence mesh. I once saw an experienced operator cut 10 feet of chain link off his rotary in a few minutes and be back at it.

@@prjndigo I have a flail hedge trimmer and three point teagle. Never ever had a blade bent and I have rolled in wire. Yes you need to cut it out but no its doesn't do damage

@@fibreguy1971 I had 15 feet of barb wire wrapped up in my flail mower. I had to cut out a little and the rest pulled straight out in seconds. Took about 3 minutes total. I keep wire cutters on my tractor.