Flail for the Fergi

H200GT

Member
Location
NORTH WALES
What condition are the rear tyres??
As there will be a considerable load when topper is raised

They are ok, seen a lot worse, near new tread but some age related cracking. If I ever decide to get it spayed up then they will get replaced first, but they should be fine for what I have in mind for it at present.

The flail is 225kg according the the spec sheet - so I think it will be fine for the Fregi, certainly wont worry the 135 if I have to resort to a live drive tractor. All the flails for the compact / cat 1 tractors I have looked at come in at a similar weight.
 
20190730_193058.jpg

Got this flail on my compact. Brilliant bit of kit. Think its 1500mm. Be ideal on the fergy. And pretty shaw its Italian
 
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Razorback

Member
Trade
Now the P3 is getting close to being useable again I need to get a flail for it to keep the grass down around the house. I know ill need an overrun clutch but other than that for light grass I am hoping the P3 will handle a 1.45-1.6m machine

Been keeping an eye out on ebay and the likes for a decent second hand one but nothing fairly local has turned up yet. There are a few cheap looking new ones of various brands that all look like they come from the same factory, but are they any good? This being one example https://www.becksidemachinery.co.uk...for-sale-uk-flail-mowers-for-compact-tractors

I didn’t really want to spend on a new decent branded one as they will be at least twice the price of the above example but I am starting to think it will be the only route. Buy cheap, buy twice as they say.

So has anyone any recommendations of what to get? or do any members have one tucked away that they would like to part with?



Morning H200GT,

We have a range of flail mowers. Here is one working on a Ford Major 4000. please feel free to call the office to discuss and questions.

ford major 4000 picture .png
 
Hi all. New here. Fantastic forum. Thanks for all the info. @H200GT - have you got delivery of your flail yet? Interested to hear your experience so far.

I'm in a similar position. I have a 1.5 acre paddock that needs mowing. Down the line, there's also a chance to buy a 4.5-acre bit of adjoining parkland so I'm going to need something that won't have me spending six hours a week mowing grass.

I've got a Fordson Major Diesel that I would love to pair with a flail mower but not sure if that's a sensible combination. Could someone please explain (to a noob like me) why a flail mower wouldn't be workable with a non-Live PTO whereas a topper would present no (or fewer) problems? I'm sure the answer is pretty basic but, as said, I'm learning so grateful for advice. Also, what does an over run clutch do to help things? Thanks in advance.
 

Dave W

Member
Location
chesterfield
The overrun is like a one way drive.
It allows the flail to slow down with out wanting to drive the pto shaft back down the tractor.
without it, if you pressed the foot clutch on on tractor and the flail didn't have an overrun, the momentum of the flail spinning would drive back down the pto shaft to the gearbox and make the tractor continue driving forward.

It's trickier to use a flail on a non live drive but ultimately shouldn't cause a problem
 
The overrun is like a one way drive.
It allows the flail to slow down with out wanting to drive the pto shaft back down the tractor.
without it, if you pressed the foot clutch on on tractor and the flail didn't have an overrun, the momentum of the flail spinning would drive back down the pto shaft to the gearbox and make the tractor continue driving forward.

It's trickier to use a flail on a non live drive but ultimately shouldn't cause a problem
Thanks - that's a very clear explanation. Sounds like an overrun clutch is an important addition (though the field I'm mowing is pretty much dead flat and the only obstacles are a few trees. It's classic parkland, basically.

Follow-up question: do the hyrdaulics on non-live PTOs only work when the PTO is engaged? ie. will I be able to raise and lower the mower without the mower spinning around (which I imagine would be incredibly dangerous)? And, if I can't do that, are there any obvious work-arounds to the problem? Thanks again.
 

Dave W

Member
Location
chesterfield
Thanks - that's a very clear explanation. Sounds like an overrun clutch is an important addition (though the field I'm mowing is pretty much dead flat and the only obstacles are a few trees. It's classic parkland, basically.

all flails will have an overrun on them somewhere as standard. Modern ones are often built into the gearbox. Others are on the pto

A shear bolt in the system would be
Good too , mines in the pto
A shear bolt on a flail won't do any good. If you hit something, the momentum in the rotor will do enough damage on its own wether the drive has been cut (by shear bolt) or not
 

H200GT

Member
Location
NORTH WALES
Hi all. New here. Fantastic forum. Thanks for all the info. @H200GT - have you got delivery of your flail yet? Interested to hear your experience so far.

I'm in a similar position. I have a 1.5 acre paddock that needs mowing. Down the line, there's also a chance to buy a 4.5-acre bit of adjoining parkland so I'm going to need something that won't have me spending six hours a week mowing grass.

I've got a Fordson Major Diesel that I would love to pair with a flail mower but not sure if that's a sensible combination. Could someone please explain (to a noob like me) why a flail mower wouldn't be workable with a non-Live PTO whereas a topper would present no (or fewer) problems? I'm sure the answer is pretty basic but, as said, I'm learning so grateful for advice. Also, what does an over run clutch do to help things? Thanks in advance.

As it happens the flail arrived this week and had its first outing today. Ordered a Polish manufactured Remet CNC FMS140, as my brother @JET is a dealer for them.

Very pleased with it, just right for what I need and the the fergi handled it with ease even on the rushes that are not in the video. It has a built in overun on the gearbox so didn’t need a special PTO shaft. Leaves a nice finish with Y flails as well.

My field by the is not the flattest or easiest shape, and whilst live drive would have obviously made the job easier once you got the hang of it it was fine. Would have been a no go without overun though, that is a must. Photo shows the field being done and finished and give an idea on terrain, all done by the flail, whats left isn’t safe or suitable ground for a fergi.

Short video of it being used earlier today:
 

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Fantastic footage. Thanks for posting. Looks like the flail makes like work of it all. Congratulations. Also, a stunning view of the mountains you have there, by the way. Sorry for yet another rookie question but are the hydraulics independent of the PTO ie. can you raise and lower the mower without engaging the PTO?
 

H200GT

Member
Location
NORTH WALES
Fantastic footage. Thanks for posting. Looks like the flail makes like work of it all. Congratulations. Also, a stunning view of the mountains you have there, by the way. Sorry for yet another rookie question but are the hydraulics independent of the PTO ie. can you raise and lower the mower without engaging the PTO?

No not on the Fergi TE tractors, they are all non-live drive. The flail rolls on the rear roller when down in the mowing position, to lift the clutch has to be up and pto on.

The secret is anticipating when you need to raise it and time it right so its up before you depress the clutch. Once you get the hang of it its ok. The other thing it is to keep stopping to a minimum, try and keep moving all the time like in the video. I cut around the circumference of the area / field first then use the headlands to turn lifting the flail as you go without dipping the clutch.
 

H200GT

Member
Location
NORTH WALES
Never thought tractor would run with finished liners

I did get them honed out to size on the second attempt as you may recall on the other thread.

Its been up and running a while but I decided to overall the hydraulics and brakes before using it whilst waiting for the flail to arrive, so today is the first time its been used in anger other than a few runs out. It runs very sweet and starts with a flick of the starter from cold now its been run in a bit. Very pleased with it. There are a few jobs to finish it off yet before it would be ready for paint, but undecided on that at present. For the time being it will be enjoyed as it is as I slowly mop up the remaining jobs.
 

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