Mott Flail Mowers - Experience, Opinions?

[ghennessy]

After seeing Buzzard Wing's great post it got me thinking of flail/disc mowers versus rotary mowers for rough-cutting my pasture areas. Given the hanging "outboard" belly setup and the rear-mounted variants, what is your folks' take on them? Is it too much for the paltry 10hp and are they that effective? I understand they can "roll over" rocks and some items which could wreck a rotary setup, though I really am wondering about the usefulness and if it's worth looking out for one.

I think the belly setup would make it pretty convenient to get into the hedgerows and along our fences. I'm growing weary of grass cutting this season, it's just not slowing down!!

[Eugene]

I use a WD Allis with 5 foot trailer brush hog type mower to mow about 16 acres of pasture. I make one pass with the WD and knock the grass down to 6 inches. I spray herbicide on fence lines.

I have a standard Cub with belly mounted Mott flail mower and a 154 with belly mounted rotary mower. I use both Cubs to mow parts of the acreage, black walnut plantation and around buildings, that I want to look sort of like a lawn. They are lawn mowers. Quite frankly, neither tractor has the power to mow pasture, tall grass, at a decent ground speed.

If the grass gets ahead of me, I use the Cub 154 Low-Boy to mow small areas where I can't use the WD. My 154 has creeper gear and I usually have to mow in 2nd or 3rd gear with the creeper engaged and the mower at it's highest elevation for the first pass.

A Cub with sickle bar mower would be a much better choice for clipping pastures or hay production.

[TJG]

I like my flail mower. With a cub sharp blades, minimal bearing and belt drag are a must or there isn't the power necessary. That is for any mower on a cub. Buzzard Wing has posted some excellent flail mower work pictures cutting some heavy vegetation. I and others have some YouTube video also for a flail mower.

Todd

[Bigschuss]

I have a FH flail that I use to mow my 5 acre field...do it about twice a year just to knock it down. With sharp blades the flail mower will do a good job if the grass isn't too high. Long grassy fields tend to really bog the machine down and stall out the Cub. As long as you get the grass and weeds before it gets too long it does a good job.

On the other hand, woody stemmed weeds it tends to pulverize nicely even if it's over the top of the hood. I have mowed late season ragweed, goldenrod, and milkweed that was 4 feet high with no problem.

It's worth stating again....having SHARP blades is critical.

One advantage I enjoy over a cycle bar is that a flail mower pulverizes what you mow instead of letting it lay around, this allowing for quicker decomposition.

Blair

[Redclip]

Does tall grass or weeds ever have a tendency to get wound up on the cutter shaft, or are they shredded before that could happen?

[Buzzard Wing]

Probably should have never opened my mouth... I would like a FH Mott for my 77 Cub and they sure seem scarce lately.

Do you have a fast hitch, is the first question. Are you just going to mow with the Cub? And last is, what do you plan on mowing? Once you start mowing, you may be on the lookout for more stuff to mow so keep that in mind.

What I mow is way outside what is 'normal mowing', so my requirements in a mower are different. Even if you are careful, it would be tough to not scalp the top edge of a "precision' slope at Fort Adams with any kind of rotary mower. Or out of 3 million rocks I need to remember up north, which one will I forget this time??

Mowing takes power, but not as much as you are lead to believe. A tuned Cub, good bearings in the mower, and sharp blades will cut nearly anything you need with any kind of mower.

[Eugene]

Does tall grass or weeds ever have a tendency to get wound up on the cutter shaft, or are they shredded before that could happen?

Tall tough stringy grass, such as fescue, has a tendency to get wound around the cutter bar. I also have a marshy area with tough stringy grass that gets wound around the cutter bar.

My pasture is mostly fescue. Prior to being combined for seed the fescue was 3 or more feet tall. My Cub powered flail mower or 154 with rotary mower will not reasonably handle fescue that tall without taking a partial swath, and mower raised to it's highest elevation, and/or using the creeper gear.

Yesterday and today I have been clipping pasture with my 154 low-boy, 60 inch rotary belly mower, in 2nd gear. Cattle have eaten the grass down, the fescue has dried, and there are only a few clumps of grass the cattle won't eat and a some weeds. Very easy mowing.

Edit: Bigschus and wire. I had mowed the lower area on the acreage for several years. One day, flail mowing with the Cub, Cub stopped jolting me into the steering wheel. Found about 30 feet of barbed wire wound around the cutter bar.

Another time I ran over a snapping turtle. Killed the Cub and the turtle.

[Bigschuss]

Does tall grass or weeds ever have a tendency to get wound up on the cutter shaft, or are they shredded before that could happen?

I'll echo what Eugene said....YES! Tall grass and grassy weeds get wrapped around the cuter shaft. So so small saplings. So does old 4' woven wire fence that was left out last summer and forgotten about until I ran over it .

[SONNY]

IH 706 and Woods C-80( 3-pt model), is my weapon of choice for that kind of stuff!---I have bush hogged with the 185-6 speed in L-1and mower up,tale only 1/3 mower width and as said super sharp blades and it will work!---706 is just hammer down and your done! thanks; sonny

[Posco]

Not to hi-jack the thread but what would be a reasonable price to pay for a sickle bar mower in good condition? Is it going to manicure my lawn or do I just need to tell my wife it will?

[SONNY]

Sickle bar mower is for tall weeds and hay cutting only no grass!--but tell wife it will mow, just dont tell her what it wont mow! LOL!!!---I just got a sickle bar, problem is that it was already on an older cub, so I cant give you an auction price! (auction price would be much lower than private party would want for them!) thanks; sonny

[Posco]

Sickle bar mower is for tall weeds and hay cutting only no grass!--but tell wife it will mow, just dont tell her what it wont mow! LOL!!!---I just got a sickle bar, problem is that it was already on an older cub, so I cant give you an auction price! (auction price would be much lower than private party would want for them!) thanks; sonny

Thanks for the input, sonny. I was skeptical whether or not it would trim my putting green but that's not what I wanted it for anyway. There's a guy who has one for sale and it appears to be in very good condition, just didn't want to pay too much or miss a good deal. I'm greener than a pea when it comes to this stuff but I'm learning.

[Buzzard Wing]

Blue tarp, bailing wire, posion ivy/other weeds and very tall and thick grass. The blue tarp stalled the Cub before I knew what happened. Recently cut saplings (from brushcutting) is a problem, but older twigs are not too bad. A rotary mower won't have a problem with saplings or the thick viney stuff if it;s up to speed.

[Don McCombs]

A complete Cub-22 sickle bar mower will range in price from $250 to $350, depending on condition. Incomplete ones are obviously less. Mowers and parts are numerous and relatively easy to find. Use the appropriate pages from this manual to determine whether all the parts are there for any that you look at.

http://www.farmallcub.com/[ Sorry, direct links to manual section is not allowed. ]/files/M ... %20OCR.pdf

[Posco]

A complete Cub-22 sickle bar mower will range in price from $250 to $350, depending on condition. Incomplete ones are obviously less. Mowers and parts are numerous and relatively easy to find. Use the appropriate pages from this manual to determine whether all the parts are there for any that you look at.

http://www.farmallcub.com/[ Sorry, direct links to manual section is not allowed. ]/files/M ... %20OCR.pdf

Thanks, Don. The fellow says it is complete...I wouldn't know but your link will help and it is in excellent condition by the looks of it. His asking price is $400.00 or BRO. He knows what he has and thanks to you, I know what to offer.