IB Flail Mower Blowing Grey Smoke and Tensioner Belt Snapped

[Dave W]

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Hi,

It's not a compact tractor and it's not a 4ft flail. It's a Honda quad bike and a 6ft flail, but recommendations for the machine are to ride a max of 6.2mph. I rode at 4mph on average - never above that. Gave my field specs to Quadbikeparts before purchasing the machine and they said it would do the job, otherwise I would never have purchased it. Check out Iron Baltic's video's. Someone else posted one on this forum to demonstrate the machine cutting grass at what appears to be 3-foot tall plus. My own grass is about 30cm tall so not a hardship for a machine of that capacity with 28 hammers in a mainly level field. Thanks.

6ft!!!!!
Christ you'll need 30hp to pull that through a foot of grass at whatever speed.
Sorry but you've been sold a lemon.

 

[davieh3350]

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Hi,

It's not a compact tractor and it's not a 4ft flail. It's a Honda quad bike and a 6ft flail, but recommendations for the machine are to ride a max of 6.2mph. I rode at 4mph on average - never above that. Gave my field specs to Quadbikeparts before purchasing the machine and they said it would do the job, otherwise I would never have purchased it. Check out Iron Baltic's video's. Someone else posted one on this forum to demonstrate the machine cutting grass at what appears to be 3-foot tall plus. My own grass is about 30cm tall so not a hardship for a machine of that capacity with 28 hammers in a mainly level field. Thanks.

I've done a fair bit of topping with an 8foot votex roadmaster flail topper with an 80 horse tractor and in dense tall grass it had to go slow or you would burn the belts on it.
4 mph in my mind is too fast. Just cos the book says up to 6 mph doesn't mean you are safe to go through grass at 4mph.
What was the grass you were cutting like, dense and wet or dry like in the video?

 

[Colt12]

I've done a fair bit of topping with an 8foot votex roadmaster flail topper with an 80 horse tractor and in dense tall grass it had to go slow or you would burn the belts on it.
4 mph in my mind is too fast. Just cos the book says up to 6 mph doesn't mean you are safe to go through grass at 4mph.
What was the grass you were cutting like, dense and wet or dry like in the video?

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Grass is new young grass. The field was a barley field before, so this is first new season grass. Totally dry conditions.

 

[Colt12]

6ft!!!!!
Christ you'll need 30hp to pull that through a foot of grass at whatever speed.
Sorry but you've been sold a lemon.

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I will refine my answer. The flail mower unit is 6ft. The blades cover a length of 4-foot, from left to right.

 

[8100]

Are the blades the Y type reversible ones or L type with one cutting side .Not unknown for blades be on wrong way around .We had a brand new jacobsen on the council which would not cut anything and blew hydraulic pipes first time out.That had the wrong hydraulic pump fitted by mistake

 

[TripleSix]

We have a 4ft flail on a 36hp diesel tractor, and in certain conditions, it's not enough power....

You can't drive at a set speed with these machines, you need to listen to how hard it is working

 

[davieh3350]

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Grass is new young grass. The field was a barley field before, so this is first new season grass. Totally dry conditions.

Maybe you should ask someone to mow it with a mower, would be good grass to feed a few horses

It's a lot of grass to whack down with a flail mower.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

We have a logic flail mower for back of quad, it will cut pretty much anything we put in front of it but you have to be sensible, don’t expect fast forward speeds or lawn finish from 1ft or more tall grass

 

[Bobthebuilder]

A mix of long thick grass, nettles and brambles, 2-3ft tall in places taken down to @8” with first very slow pass then down to @3” with a faster 2nd pass

 

[Colt12]

Are the blades the Y type reversible ones or L type with one cutting side .Not unknown for blades be on wrong way around .We had a brand new jacobsen on the council which would not cut anything and blew hydraulic pipes first time out.That had the wrong hydraulic pump fitted by mistake

Are the blades the Y type reversible ones or L type with one cutting side .Not unknown for blades be on wrong way around .We had a brand new jacobsen on the council which would not cut anything and blew hydraulic pipes first time out.That had the wrong hydraulic pump fitted by mistake

Hi,

Thanks. The blades in my flail mower are hammers for finer cutting (not the Y blades for rough cutting). Noticeable from the onset was that the blades would not operate unless the choke was left on full. Every single time we turned the choke off, the blades stopped turning. We tested by taking the belt cover off and watching the belts mechanism. The belts stopped turning as soon as the choke was turned either three quarters way to full, or half way to full or completely off. So, when the choke was turned off, the grey smoke starting pumping out from the belts / clutch area ... We did allow the machine to warm up a bit before turning the choke lower. Thanks again for your reply.

 

[Colt12]

View attachment 787908
View attachment 787910
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A mix of long thick grass, nettles and brambles, 2-3ft tall in places taken down to @8” with first very slow pass then down to @3” with a faster 2nd pass

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Thanks Bob! I think more than a few folks on the forum are treating this flail as if it's being towed by a tractor on a PTO shaft, but it's really similar to your images - quad and self-powered-engined flail mower - no PTO shaft at all.

Our field is young grass so not as tall as in your images. Took a tape measure out earlier and the grass is only 19cm at some points. I think some people are missing the point though. My initial information sought to understand why a choke needs to be ran on full 'permanently' in order to get the blades to turn. I am sure this is why the clutch and belts have overheated. The issue with the choke clearly isn't right. Iron Baltic's own videos show grass being cut much taller and thicker than my own. I don't have any brush to cut, and so I expect the flail to handle my young grass without a problem. I am sure the flail has been defective since receiving it though. Thanks again to yourself and everyone's comments.

 

[bitwrx]

Can you take a pic of the choke and throttle lever area for us? Just want to see if it's like anything I recognise.

 

[Dave W]

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Thanks Bob! I think more than a few folks on the forum are treating this flail as if it's being towed by a tractor on a PTO shaft, but it's really similar to your images - quad and self-powered-engined flail mower - no PTO shaft at all.

Our field is young grass so not as tall as in your images. Took a tape measure out earlier and the grass is only 19cm at some points. I think some people are missing the point though. My initial information sought to understand why a choke needs to be ran on full 'permanently' in order to get the blades to turn. I am sure this is why the clutch and belts have overheated. The issue with the choke clearly isn't right. Iron Baltic's own videos show grass being cut much taller and thicker than my own. I don't have any brush to cut, and so I expect the flail to handle my young grass without a problem. I am sure the flail has been defective since receiving it though. Thanks again to yourself and everyone's comments.

No ones confusing what you have. A few people have posted suggesting the engine isn't running right.
@chapmanmachinery gave you a detailed description of how the engine not running up to full speed will give the issues you describe.
I'm afraid you're going to have to forget about any useful backup from the supplier or dealer. Whatever the rights and wrongs you're on you're own.
Get a half decent mechanic to look at it. He'll probably diagnose the engine issue in 10 minutes. Could be as simple as some machining debris got in the carb.
Until the engine is running at full speed you can't go on to diagnose other issues

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Took a tape measure out earlier and the grass is only 19cm at some points. I think some people are missing the point though. My initial information sought to understand why a choke needs to be ran on full 'permanently' in order to get the blades to turn. I am sure this is why the clutch and belts have overheated. The issue with the choke clearly isn't right. Iron Baltic's own videos show grass being cut much taller and thicker than my own.

It could just be a simple fix - although I’m doubting it from your description of the issues. New belts don’t burn through in 5 metres of work in 19cm high grass from “overwork” or “incorrect use” as some on here are purporting. Sorry but they just don’t.

Brand new centrifugal clutch’s similarly don’t burn out in such little time. Engines do not require permanent over fuelling with a choke on to make them rev up to clutch engagement revs or anything approaching their full rpm, with no load on. There’s serious issues with this machine, quite possibly setup related but more likely inherent defect(s) in the clutch/driveline, pulleys and flail rotor/bearings.

The fundamental question you want to ask yourself - do you (or rightly should you) really want to be bothered spending additional time and money fixing a defective/incorrectly setup new machine (from a dealer that doesn’t give a sh!t) or do you just send it back?

I know what I’d do and it’s absolutely not get the spanners out or be funding a mechanic.

Craziness. Get your money back.

 

[Colt12]

It could just be a simple fix - although I’m doubting it from your description of the issues. New belts don’t burn through in 5 metres of work in 19cm high grass from “overwork” or “incorrect use” as some on here are purporting. Sorry but they just don’t.

Brand new centrifugal clutch’s similarly don’t burn out in such little time. Engines do not require permanent over fuelling with a choke on to make them rev up to clutch engagement revs or anything approaching their full rpm, with no load on. There’s serious issues with this machine, quite possibly setup related but more likely inherent defect(s) in the clutch/driveline, pulleys and flail rotor/bearings.

The fundamental question you want to ask yourself - do you (or rightly should you) really want to be bothered spending additional time and money fixing a defective/incorrectly setup new machine (from a dealer that doesn’t give a sh!t) or do you just send it back?

I know what I’d do and it’s absolutely not get the spanners out or be funding a mechanic.

Craziness. Get your money back.

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Hi Pheasant Surprise,

I agree with you entirely - thank you.

I won't be buying a Chapman, that's for sure ...

The dealer has also replied to me and offered me a different flail mower but they said I could fit the hammers myself. I am more thinking I should get a refund instead. This new flail seems to be unbranded. What do you think - your humble opinion is most appreciated:

https://quadbikeparts.co.uk/atv-qua...ith-14-hp-briggs-stratton-e-start-engine.html

Thanks again - much appreciated.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

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Hi Pheasant Surprise,

I agree with you entirely - thank you.

I won't be buying a Chapman, that's for sure ...

The dealer has also replied to me and offered me a different flail mower but they said I could fit the hammers myself. I am more thinking I should get a refund instead. This new flail seems to be unbranded. What do you think - your humble opinion is most appreciated:

https://quadbikeparts.co.uk/atv-qua...ith-14-hp-briggs-stratton-e-start-engine.html

Thanks again - much appreciated.

Much the same again as what you’ve got isn’t it? I’d be once bitten, twice shy. Can they really support you properly should you have more issues?

Personally I’d just get my money back, get them to exercise this....

 

[Colt12]

Thanks Pheasant Surprise. I will post when I have an update. That flail they are now offering is delivered un-assembled, bar the engine!! Seeking a refund for sure ... Thanks to all.

 

[Colt12]

Can you take a pic of the choke and throttle lever area for us? Just want to see if it's like anything I recognise.

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Hi,

Image attached now. Thanks.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Thanks Pheasant Surprise. I will post when I have an update. That flail they are now offering is delivered un-assembled, bar the engine!! Seeking a refund for sure ... Thanks to all.

I think that pretty much sums up the level of support they’re going to offer. Best to get shot and your money refunded. Chalk it up to experience.

Take on board some of the comments here around more generous engine sizing, especially should you need to tackle longer, thicker and heavier grass. The unit will last longer and the engine drink less fuel if it’s not being asked to run at ten tenths all the time.

Try and find perhaps a more established brand and one in which (a more local) dealer is better prepared to be able to support you, should you need it.

 

[Highland Mule]

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Hi,

Image attached now. Thanks.

Where?