[AT] Flail mowers

Bill Bruer bill_bru at bellsouth.net
Sun May 17 10:39:30 PDT 2015 

New Holland lists "stub guards" as optional equipment for my 472 haybine. 
The illustration is just a line drawing in profile but it looks like the 
stub guard is no longer than the ledger plate and there is no upward lip on 
the guard at all.

Per the manual, "stub guards can be installed in place of regular guards in 
extremely thick crops with dead or wet undergrowth, or when plugging occurs. 
Stub guards will not plug as readily in these conditions, but do require 
more maintenance".  The stub guards require a hold-down clip at each guard 
and correct adjustment between the hold-down, knife section, and ledger 
plate is more critical.  It goes on to say that regular guards should be 
used where there is no thick undergrowth.

Bill Bruer

-----Original Message----- 
From: jtchall at nc.rr.com
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2015 8:35 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers

I figured it must have been a really short guard, didn't realize it didn't
have the part that laps back over top of the blade. I think there is one of
those guards here for an IH mower, I need to ask dad. I never remember us
running anything special/odd on the cutter bar other than a triple section
on the end, that may have only been on the Deere mower we had. I would think
that style cutter bar would be less forgiving regarding adjustments of
clamps and hold downs.

John


-----Original Message----- 
From: Brian VanDragt
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2015 11:24 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Flail mowers

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
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> AT mailing list
>>>>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> AT mailing list
>>>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> AT mailing list
>>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> AT mailing list
>>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at


_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at


_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at


_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at


_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

More information about the AT mailing list