Flail Mower Unboxing, Setup and First Use // Del Morino Funny Top 158

[@ProjectWildwood]

If you have any questions about the Del Morino Funny Top 158 or flail mowers in general, comment below!

[@mountainMAN3225]

Thanks for the quick response I think I might go after one of those things if memory serves correct mine has like 32 PTO horsepower so yeah I think this thing will do just fine

[@ProjectWildwood]

Happy to help. If you have the budget for it right now, good works is having a 10% off right now

[@itsaRiot]

Do you think a JD 1025r would run that exact mower?

[@ProjectWildwood]

Good works says 12-36hp but I don’t know how that applies to the different sizes they sell. Call up Courtney at Goodworks Tractors and he will let you know.

[@natebutler3413]

How far does it reach put beyond your tire?

[@fivefansproductions]

Thanks for the great video. Got mine delivered yesterday from GWT. I have it assembled, greased, oiled and hooked up to my old Ford 2000 diesel. I'll be ready to work once the rain stops.

[@robertharper3866]

Just found your excellent video, it’s been a huge help to me since I bought my Funny Top 158 pre-used with no manual or help to set up. Now mine works way better after following your set up advice. I was cutting way too low before and machine was struggling through long, lush grass. Even snapped some belts. Never again. Thanks. Rob in Yorkshire, UK

[@ritterjon]

💥 I know you’ll be very happy with that flail mower! They cut so nicely. Great video! *Keep on tractoring!*

[@ZOT369]

Watched this last year and finally ordered one. Thanks for going over setup and gear oil weight. I will be ready for next season. No more wrestling with the Billy Goat. Thx Again

[@StonnieDennis]

Great video. Thank you!

[@LongBinh70]

Thanks for the unboxing video. I bought the DelMarino Centurian Super 158 from GWT I think in early June. It's the fully articulated model with hydraulic offset and rotation. I needed the advanced features for mowing a pond bank and both sides of a stream through my property, as well as trimming under low-hanging branches on the perimeter of fields that I can't reach with the bush hog. So mine arrived with no steel shipping frame, and several broken boards on the extended pallet. It made hooking up to the 3-pt hitch difficult. The most difficult problem was a lack of owner's manual, so I was shooting in the dark. One of the guys at GWT sent me a digital copy, but a printed copy would have been better. I got the cast iron gearbox, and another problem was clear : there was no fill/drain/level holes! There is what looks like a vent bolt on the top surface, so I just removed it and put a little over a quart of 90w synthetic gear oil and hoped for the best. Mine has skid shoes on either side of the drum, with three bolt holes for height adjustment front and rear. Because of uneven ground I opted for the highest setting. So first time out was quite a learning curve. Especially with the mower extended out, attention had to be split between what the mower is doing and where the tractor is going. With the three axis to control, plus steering wheel, my arms were flying everywhere! This model has a line of swinging plates (approx. 4"x6" each) along the front of the mower to block flying rocks. I was parked, showing my neighbor how much the mower articulates, several of the plates got jammed in the hydraulic arms that swing it out, and the axle that holds the plates bent! Not a great design. And swung completely out, only about 2/3rds of the mower extends beyond the side of the tractor. I had expected more. So I think you did good with the fixed model. Good luck with it.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Thanks for the great comment! Driving and mowing takes enough of my attention as it is. I can’t imagine trying to articulate at the same time…plus I’ve been waiting 16 months for my remote kit on the Massey.

[@davidduke3435]

Thank you for your video. I just ordered the 72" Funny top from Good Works Tractor today and looking forward to using it.

[@countryside450]

Good job for your first time hooking the pto. There is some 3points quick attach and pto quick couplers if you have extra spare bucks , that can ease the process. Good job and best of luck for your chanel .

[@mikepici5553]

I would highly recommend either lucas red and tacky or lucas marine grade your implements will thank you and you'll extend your grease intervals

[@jakedane9495]

Hi Brian, an excellent and timely video. I received my Funny Top from GWT a couple months ago. It remains in its plastic wrap since it arrived a lot earlier than anticipated when ordered. Just last night I reread the manual in preparation for putting it into service next week and was lucky to come across your video today. Having you run through the setup is a big help and will get me cutting a lot quicker. The manual, while sufficient, is not broadly detailed. Congrats on your move to Washington, btw -we live on the west side of the state in the San Juan islands.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Thanks Jake! Glad to hear that the video was helpful. I’m hoping to do a follow up this week showing some cutting details and how it’s holding up. Washington is a whole different animal to California and having this much property is so much fun and a lot of work all at the same time!

[@darrengarlough5121]

Have you been happy so far with your flail?would you of did anything different?

[@ProjectWildwood]

Hey thanks for watching. The main thing I had an issue with was the last property owner had some random electric fence wire hidden in the grass. Man that was a mess to untangle, so walk your property for odd debris if you can.

[@kaybrown5637]

I just bought the Funny Top and can't find the SAE 140 EP oil for it.

[@ProjectWildwood]

I used straight 90. Did you reach out to any local tractor dealers?

[@kaybrown5637]

@@ProjectWildwood I contacted my local Kubota dealer who acted as a 3rd party of a Del Morino dealer. Still waiting for my Kubota dealer to call me back. The manual says to only use SAE 140 EP

[@ProjectWildwood]

What model did you get?

[@kaybrown5637]

@@ProjectWildwood Funny Top 158 C

[@Strat.1]

Can this be used for a finish mower? Like for the yard as well as for bush hogging?

[@ProjectWildwood]

If you mean cutting a traditional lawn, I would say no. If it’s “wild grass” that you don’t want a manicured cut on, You may have more success with the Y blades instead of hammer blades. Personally my tractor is much too large to drive in a finished yard.

[@number40Fan]

Looks like a nice unit. Don't forget to lube the PTO shaft! I saw a grease zerk on the top side next to the belts too. I'm sure you've seen that one by now. One thing to be cautious about is PTO shaft length. Make sure it won't bind when the implement is moved through its range which would shove the PTO back into the tractor and cause serious damage.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Great tip! Thanks for contributing

[@puropadre]

I just bought a Del Morino Funny Super 132 with hammer blades and I love it! I need to replace a few hammer blades, however, and was shocked at the cost. Have you found a good source for blades at a reasonable cost? Thanks!

[@ProjectWildwood]

Goodworks has been the only dealer I have worked with for Del Morino

[@nedreynolds1059]

I hope you put enough greese in the cutterhead bearings. The grease doesn't go directly into the bearings but needs to fill the cavity around them before the bearing fills. I ruined mine in no time. The belts need more tension then I would have guessed. If they slip very much they fail quickly.

[@ProjectWildwood]

I have greased it about 4 times. I try for each time I run it. I give it a good 5-8 pumps each application.

[@mattf4980]

What made you choose Del Morino over other brands, please?

[@ProjectWildwood]

Price and accessibility mostly. Also higher quality over other foreign brands.

[@Noah_E]

Nice set up, but a question for the engineer would be why on Earth would you use an allen key when a 1/2" square would be more convenient and are more common for ag and construction settings.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Good question! This is my first step into ag equipment so I am not familiar with what is standard. Maybe because it’s Italian built? Who knows.

[@mitchteal4031]

You may want to show in you next video the belt tensioner and belt replacement process. It's another area that the Del Morino engineering staff need to address.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually sold the tractor and mower because we moved.

[@lance7973]

Really nice mower and tractor setup, Brian. Thanks for sharing. I just got a Land Pride flail mower. It works well, but has no offset. I was a bit too hasty getting mine. Also, what’s the name of that spout you have for your diesel can? I can’t find one on the webnets.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Thanks! How do you like your land pride? The gas can is a No-Spill a.co/d/eds1QBO

[@lance7973]

@@ProjectWildwood, thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. The Land Pride mower is pretty nice. Heavy duty, made in Italy, but no offset. I’m new to tractor ownership, so I’m learning as I go along. I got a Yanmar YM359, which I’m really diggin’.

[@ProjectWildwood]

I’ve heard good things about the Yanmar. No local dealers here so I couldn’t check them out when I purchased.

[@jimmccullough1051]

Looking at this same attachment. Why did you choose hammers over knives?

[@ProjectWildwood]

It was based on the mix of grass and brush that I had. If you have heavy brush then go with hammers, if you have grass and soft weeds, go with Y blades.

[@jonburt4556]

Thanks for the detailed tutorial! I have the same model and set it up using your video as a guide without issue. Do you have issues with debris flinging towards the operator when you mow? I find that if I angle the top link to raise the blades numerous small rocks and twigs shoot out towards me. However, if I angle the top link to lower the blades it scalps the grass.

[@ProjectWildwood]

I did have some issues with flinging but it was mostly small rocks. I did consider attaching a thick rubber flap

[@tbmach]

Grease the gray 4-bolt flange bearing on the cross shaft left side. Didnt see you grease the pto shaft either(5 points) The roller behind looks to have some sort of adjustment also.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Thanks for the heads up! Thankfully it only took a couple pumps of grease so my fingers are crossed that it was well greased from the factory.

[@jamesberg3106]

Are you happy with it? I’m in the Palouse

[@ProjectWildwood]

So far so good! The only thing it struggles with is tall straw that can wrap around the barrel when it’s cut

[@delmorinosrl]

@@ProjectWildwood Thank you for your excellent video and content! We appreciate it. To solve this last trouble, we advise our customers to lengthen the tractor's 3-point hitch so to increase the cutting height. For any other information we remain at your disposal, kind regards.

[@PeeWeeHenson]

WHAT 'S THE VEGETATION THAT YOU'RE MOWING?

[@ProjectWildwood]

Honestly no idea. It’s a wide mix of very dense weeds and grass.

[@randykrall7728]

How much does it cost, and what's the difference between this and a Bush hog?

[@ProjectWildwood]

$3200-3800. Flail mower is shorter and easier to maneuver, you’ll have less flying debris and it’s a bit smoother to operate. www.goodworkstractors.com/product/offset-flail-mower/

[@mountainMAN3225]

What horsepower is your Massey i’ve got a 4105 deer running running a 6 foot bush hog and based on how wide your Rear end looks I’m thinking the offset might work I have been looking into flail mowers for a while and this model has kind of made my ears perk up because most of the ones that are adjustable or hydraulic and my tractor has power be on for Abaco but does not have a rear remote for Hydraulic operated equipment

[@ProjectWildwood]

35hp with 26 PTO hp. I have gone through some pretty thick brush without any bogging down. I try not to mow uphill as much as I can. I go downhill or laterally. Unless you are doing a lot of roadside work, the hydraulic offset won’t get touched much, if at all. Added expense without much gain.

[@kaybrown5637]

Wait until you have belts burn up. Can't remove them, can't install new ones. Happened to me after 8 hrs. I may have to take mine back for a refund.

[@ProjectWildwood]

Why haven’t you been able to remove them and replace them?

[@kaybrown5637]

@@ProjectWildwood I was finally able to slide the outer belt off using a tire iron and lots of force. Took me half an hour though. Couldn't get the inner belt off by hand so I used bolt cutters. Can't get new belts on because there's no tensioner pulleys, just 2 stationary pulleys that have no give. There's no way to get the new pulleys on, so I've been sending emails and text messages to Del Morino in Italy and a dealer in NY state who checked on what place in my home state of Michigan would service my flail mower. I never realized what a pain in the butt this would be to get customer service and repair for this flail mower, and I've only put 8-10 hours on it. I bought it to use on my 1994 Kubota compact tractor, and my local Kubota dealer is the third party who sold it to me. The dealer he bought it from only does sales, not service. So, I have to take my tractor with the flail mower attached to my local Kubota dealer Monday and see if one of his service guys can figure it out. And if not, I may have to call around to see who can fix it. This seems to be an issue with these flail mowers from the blogs I've been reading online lately. No one knows how to take off or put on the belts because it's not in any owners manual.

[@ProjectWildwood]

That’s a drag ☹️ Maybe Courtney at Good Works could give you some pointers or people to call. My funny top has a threaded tensioner. What model do you have?

[@kaybrown5637]

@@ProjectWildwood I have the 158 with the thread tensioner too. All it does is put a little tension on the belt to keep it from slipping. I took the tensioner off today according to directions, but it doesn't affect my ability or in this case inability to take off or put on the belts. The belts are still too tight to take off and put on.

[@ProjectWildwood]

@@kaybrown5637 I’ll have to give this a closer look on mine before it becomes a problem. Maybe buy belts that are sized up so the tensioner acts as it should? Thanks for the tip!