[AT] Flail mowers

Sat May 16 18:33:11 PDT 2015

You can make a huge improvement to the function of a sickle mower in crappy
stuff by keeping the whole bar sprayed with graphite paint (like Slip Plate
etc.) so that stuff doesn't stick to everything.
Years ago I used to care for some factory acreages that were full of a lot
of big juicy weeds and too many concrete obstacles to use a bush-hog. That
was when I learned to use the graphite paint. If it has overnight to dry it
last pretty well.

.

On Sat, May 16, 2015 at 11:24 AM, Brian VanDragt <bvandragt at comcast.net>
wrote:

> My grandpa used the sickle mower for mowing orchards, he did not raise
> peas.  The bar could reach under the trees to cut the grass.  That was the
> reason for mowing in all 4 directions instead of in a circle like you would
> a hay field.  The mowing paths crossed each other and the design of the pea
> bar prevented plugging when you mowed east and west over the strips already
> mowed north and south.  No grass board was used either.  He quit farming
> before I was born so I didn't see it in orchard mowing action but I still
> have the mower and have used it to cut some banks around a pond.  I don't
> know whose idea it was to use the pea bar for mowing orchards, maybe the
> local John Deere dealer recommended it as we are in what used to be a big
> fruit growing area.  I will see if I have any pictures of the bar.  The
> mower is in storage and hard to get to right now.  The parts catalog shows
> the parts on page 33 of this pdf:
> http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC0817.pdf
> I was wrong earlier, it is a cow pea bar, not the canning pea bar, they
> made both.  Basically what they call a guard on the pea bar is only big
> enough to hold the stationary ledger plate.  It does not extend forward
> past the ledger plate end and it does not return back up over top of the
> knives.
> Brian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: jtchall at nc.rr.com
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> >
> Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2015 6:42:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers
>
> Do you remember enough  about the setup to explain how it differed from
> conventional? The only thing I can think of is there were some really short
> guards I have seen in catalogs. I think Webbs even carries a smooth blade
> (no serations). Was he growing peas, or was that just the mower setup he
> had? I'd like to hear more about harvesting peas if he was.
>
> Speaking of sickle mowers, got to go install a new blade in ours, need to
> cut hay this coming week.
>
> John Hall
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian VanDragt
> Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2015 12:28 AM
> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
> Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers
>
> When my grandpa was fruit farming in the 60's, he had a John Deere 9W
> sickle
> mower that was outfitted with a canning pea bar instead of the normal grass
> bar.  The pea bar doesn't have guards like the regular bar and he could mow
> north, south, east, and west in the same day without plugging.
> Brian
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
> jtchall at nc.rr.com
> Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 8:50 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers
>
> How about a subsoiler? If you ve got any grade at all you can use them to
> create water channels underground. Be advised that wherever you stop at the
> low end, the water will try to blow out.
>
> Sickle mowers should work fine, but if you let it get too tall, you may
> have
> to play with the tailboard so it will keep a clean enough streak to make
> the
> second pass. Also, if there is a bunch of thatch on the ground you may have
> to twist the blade so the guards point up some or they will choke up.
> Before
> bushhogs, folks used to mount clipping wheels on the end with the tailboard
> to keep from choking the guards.
>
> A good grooming mower is hard to beat. The one we have is made by Lilliston
> and is about 40 years old. It's only on its second deck, which has been
> resheeted with 1/8 steel, had a few sets of belts, countless sets of
> blades,
> a few U joints, several spindle rebuilds, but the main gearbox is untouched
> as is the tailwheel.  Considering the heavy use it has been through I dare
> say it is one of the toughest pieces of equipment to ever come on this
> farm.
>
> John Hall
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Spencer Yost
> Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 7:34 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers
>
> Someone else will have to comment on the grading.   I know zip.  But i'll
> share the only relevant story I know.
>
> In the eastern part of the state (Ahoskie NC) I had an acquaintance who
> decided the only solution was to make his land perfectly flat. He even used
> a surveyor's transit and everything. It improved his situation according to
> him because it would encourage the water to evenly disperse across entire
> property where soak-in and evaporation were both encouraged.   I'd call him
> but he is related to my son's ex-girlfriend. (-:
>
> He had the advantage of access to a bulldozer, no water flowing in and
> fairly sandy soil.  Not like Charlie Hill but definitely sandier than those
> of us on the western side of the state.  Those are all three advantages you
> might not have.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Spencer
>
> > On May 15, 2015, at 15:50, Mike <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
> >
> > Spencer, this is land that we are desperately trying to turn into
> > pasture, it's always been wet, and making water go where you want it
> > to go is tough when you have the slope of a pool table. The previous
> > owner tried to make it work by deepening the ditch that runs through
> > the property, thinking that would make it flow. Unfortunately, all
> > that did was make it hold more water that now grows algae by the ton
> > and takes forever to dry out. My next attempt will be to fill in the
> > ditch and only leave a 2" or 3" deep channel for the water to flow
> > through. When I walk down the ditch to my neighbors property that's
> > all it is; a little trickle. It doesn't need to move large quantities
> > of water.  I know there are a lot of guys on the list who have
> > experience with this type of thing, so if you're reading this, I'm all
> > ears.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mike M
> >
> >
> >> On 5/15/2015 2:20 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:
> >> If it's that bad what about a sickle bar mower?   At least it will lay
> >> flat and not windrow on you.   By pastures do you mean literally, or are
> >> they fallow,  fenced-in fields?   If these are pastures you need more
> >> animals!
> >>
> >> Seriously though, you might want to see if a neighbor has a sickle
> >> bar mower you can test and see if you like it.
> >>
> >> Spencer
> >>
> >>> On May 15, 2015, at 11:34, Mike <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Mowing infrequently is a huge part of the problem Charlie, and it's
> >>> not because of not wanting to. The land is wet until around June,
> >>> and I can't get on it to mow. I am working on solutions to get it to
> >>> drain better, but it's a slow, trial and error process. Now that I
> >>> have a 4 wheel drive tractor, I could probably mow it sooner, but
> >>> would make a mess in the process. Last year I couldn't mow until the
> >>> grass was 6 feet high. I think I would have been better off leaving
> >>> it alone and burning it off in the Spring.
> >>>
> >>> Mike M
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On 5/15/2015 4:00 AM, charlie hill wrote:
> >>>> Mike, if you are cutting it infrequently enough that you have a
> >>>> problem with large windrows of grass then a finish mower is NOT
> >>>> going to stand up to the task.
> >>>> Or at least the ones I've been around will not.   A good bush hog with
> >>>> good,
> >>>> sharp
> >>>> blades on it will mow a pasture to look almost as good as a finish
> >>>> mower but you can't let it get so high or mow in wet conditions.
> >>>> Also some bush hogs have removable discharge panels so that the
> >>>> grass can blow out the rear or to one side.
> >>>>
> >>>> I always try to mow pastures in a pattern such that I'm cutting
> >>>> back over any windrow I leave with the next pass of the mower.  In
> >>>> other words, if my bush hog is leaving the windrow on the right
> >>>> side I work around the pasture so that the right side of the bush
> >>>> hog is always toward the uncut grass.  On the next pass I'm
> >>>> re-cutting the windrow along with the next portion of grass.  If
> >>>> you are getting a lot of windrow it's because you are cutting more
> >>>> grass than the bush hog is able to disperse, just the same as with
> >>>> your lawn mower.
> >>>>
> >>>> I've never used a flail mower but a friend of mine used to use one
> >>>> to mow his mobile home park.
> >>>> It does a fine job.  However, they are a bit more of a maintenance
> >>>> challenge than a bush hog or finish mower.  Still even with a
> >>>> flail, if the grass is too high and thick it has to go somewhere
> >>>> and
> >>>> it will pile up.   The key is to keep the pasture mowed more often.
> >>>>
> >>>> My two cents worth.
> >>>>
> >>>> Charlie
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Mike
> >>>> Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 10:11 PM
> >>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> >>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers
> >>>>
> >>>> ?? so yes on the flail or keep the hog, or go with a finish mower?
> >>>>
> >>>> Mike M
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> On 5/14/2015 8:54 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:
> >>>>> A tough finish mower used a few more times a year than I would a
> >>>>> bush hog does great in my 4 acres.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Spencer
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> On May 14, 2015, at 20:11, Mike <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I have about 5-7 acres of horse pasture that i mow, and have been
> >>>>>> using a brush hog, John Deere 513? What I don't care for is how
> >>>>>> it leaves windrows and clumps of the taller grass. I would be
> >>>>>> interested in getting some opinions on flail mowers.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks,
> >>>>>> Mike M
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
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-- 
-- 

Francis Robinson
aka "farmer"
Central Indiana USA
robinson46176 at gmail.com