Pushing the Flail Mower to the Limit

We had to clear some heavy brush so we can install our barn lot fencing. That meant pushing the flail mower to the limit to clear a path around the field edges. The tractor actually bogged down a couple of times on trees in the two to three inch diameter range. The mower held up just fine which means I underestimated what it's capable of. I'd highly recommend this unit for farm use!
Be sure to give us a Like and Subscribe if you enjoyed the video!
Equipment
Tractor: Kioti CK3510SE
Flail Mower: IronCraft FMH-160
www.ironcraftusa.com/fmh-seri...
Pallet Fork Grapple: Titan w/ 36 inch forks
www.palletforks.com/skid-stee...
‪@ironcraftusa‬ ‪@TitanAttachments‬ ‪@LSE_TRACTOR‬

[@HowardTibsTheThird]

You do not mess around with that flail mower!! Great video and beautiful property!

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Thanks 👍

[@blackhawk7r221]

You definitely need a hydraulic top link to change angles. Just a lift and lower isn’t enough when clearing brush.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

I’d love to have one for sure. It’d make boxblade work much easier too. Unfortunately they’re a bit pricey and I don’t have enough connections on the tractor to accommodate one.

[@fireman032180]

We have the same flail mower and love it. Have you experimented with the slotted top link hole on the mower? I havent figured out why it would be used

[@fourpasturesfarm]

I haven’t. Seems like it could be useful for uneven terrain?

[@deanrapp9087]

Just did about 20 acres of this myself. Had a couple of cousins helping that made it a lot easier. Very similar to your job. I probably averaged gaining about 30 feet of field back all the way around my creek bottoms.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Nice! It adds up quickly for sure

[@jbob1274]

I just found you on this video. I subscribed, and looking forward to more mulcher videos.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Nice! Thanks so much! We’ve got some coming up soon.

[@stephentucker3837]

Awesome video. Keep it up

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Thanks so much!!

[@brettadams417]

Seems like you could have done a pole saw review on this one as well

[@fourpasturesfarm]

100%, if I only had a pole saw. 😫

[@jeffsmith7840]

Surprised how well those pallet fork grapples work. I just got a 2610 with a grapple. My dealer couldn’t get a flail mower though 🤦‍♂️

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Its super useful for me! Check out our pallet fork grapple video from 3 weeks ago where I talk about why I chose this attachment. I had to wait for my flail for about 6 weeks back in 2021 but I was able to get it through my Kioti dealer. And congrats on joining the Kioti nation!!

[@mariannehiltunen953]

Great video. Looks like the ck3510 has enough Pto power for the job👍

[@fourpasturesfarm]

It Boggs down a little every now and then. It still gets the job done though!

[@bud1412]

A pole saw would really speed things up, and be safer than climbing up on a pallet with a chainsaw. Good video always enjoy good clean ups.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Funny you should say that. I finally broke down and bought one yesterday!

[@mikej9200]

You need to get a Stihl Kombi system . Chainsaw pole saw combo.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Definitely need something better than what I’ve got. I’d be happy with a weed eater and a limb cutting attachment!

[@IDConstitutionalist]

Yours definitely sounds like it could use more power. I run mine in a 75hp tractor and it sounds like yours when it's bogged down.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Extra hps require extra $ at the time of purchase. If I could just figure out how to farm money trees….

[@Morgan2XL]

Be careful backing up into saplings the back angle iron tension above the roller holds the roller in - it is actually quite delecate. The angle brackets off the bearing plates will fatigue and break off leaving the tension bar flapping in the breeze then the roller bearing block can loosen or the mount plates can bend and the roller will drop out check for every hour of operation.

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Good advice. Noted! I worry that the bolts holding the roller mounting brackets to the mower housing will break. Some of them actually came loose at some point and had to be cranked down tight again.

[@Morgan2XL]

@@fourpasturesfarm yes I had 3 of the 4 roller bearing mount bolts shake loose. They are lock tited or permexed in place now but hammer breakage or hammer bolt spacer bushing loss can set the entire implemnt up for a bolt shedding vibration. The bolts spacers and hammers are a once per shift consumable if you hit rocks or wood over 4" I ended up buying complete sets bearing bolts bearing mount plates knives and knife spacers after about 8 hours testing on a different brand supplied by DLE a Walmart affiliate.

[@silverrussell1978]

It always makes you feel good to reclaim some land from the scrub brush. Which model flail mower is that?

[@fourpasturesfarm]

It’s made by a company called IronCraft. This one is the FMH 160. www.ironcraftusa.com/fmh-series-mower

[@reltcl1995]

Yes sir can you please tell me can you still use the front end loader while using the flail mower thanks Ronnie

[@fourpasturesfarm]

100%. And I often do use it to push a downed tree limb or rock out of the way while I’m mowing.

[@brettadams417]

Seems like you should suck in on the top link…would be less hard on the attachment when backing into the saplings and get a closer shave to the ground which would help it cut the saplings the first pass. Best wishes

[@fourpasturesfarm]

The problem there is that the front edge may catch on a stump from a tree that I chainsawed down which would put a lot of pressure on the three point. I’m ok with it being a bit higher.

[@brettadams417]

@@fourpasturesfarm hmmm…would think you would just raise it up a bit when passing over a stump. Certainly limited perspective from a vid vs being there. Best wishes

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Agreed. They’re a bit hard to see sometimes even sitting on the tractor. I just didn’t want to take a chance that I’d overlook one and tear something up

[@elricofarmer1561]

Okay...... You've just about got me sold on this mower. I see that they are made in Italy and imported into the United States. Have you had any issues with it at all? I have an LS 6158 that has about 50 PTO horsepower. Not sure what the horsepower of your tractor is but I want to make sure that this will not be too much for mine? How often do you have to sharpen those hammers or replace them considering the brush that you're going through? That is exactly the type of heavy brush that I plan on mowing. Does yours have a roller on the back and does it have options for wheels?

[@fourpasturesfarm]

These things are made in the good ole USA; Tennessee to be precise. I run a 35 hp so your 50 should be no problem. You may even be able to go a bit bigger than what I’ve got. I’ll throw the link down below. So far I’ve sharpened them zero times and have broken zero! I think I’ve got one a little bent but I’m not 100% sure on that yet. Haven’t had time to inspect. It’s got one long roller on the back which I haven’t found to be a problem. Don’t think there’s a wheel’d option. Maybe another manufacturer has that? Keep us posted! www.ironcraftusa.com/fmh-series-mower/

[@kevinroberts9394]

I always wanted a flail mower until I started watching u tube Everbody claims to be "pushing it to the limit" with their flail mower but i run my rotary mower over anything my tractor is capable of pushing over and sometimes stuff I cant even get all the way over then you use the possi lever. yes i do buy shear bolts a few pounds at a time but have never broke anything else just have to retorque or replace the gearbox mounting bolts a few times a year

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Flails will fail easier to some degree because they’re belt driven. Learned that the hard way when I sucked up a limb a couple years ago. I have a video way back showing belt replacement as a result. Other than that they’re pretty solid. I was taking down dimensions roughly twice what it was rated for and it held up just fine. Makes me wonder about the capability ratings…

[@MikeAmatisto]

What happens if you run over rocks with the flail mower?? How does it handle that’s ?

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Pretty much the same thing as with any other mower. It just clunks around in there until it either breaks up and/or gets spit out.

[@user-bg9si3oh9s]

Does the flail mower have the hammer blades or Y blades on it?

[@fourpasturesfarm]

Hammer blades. The don’t think Y blades would hold up to the woody stuff.

[@user-ku6ve1nn2j]

As long as engine rpm is at pto rpm 540 nothing is wrong

[@fourpasturesfarm]

That’s not entirely accurate

[@user-ku6ve1nn2j]

Explain please

[@user-ku6ve1nn2j]

Reminder 540 pto is achieved between 2200-2500 rpm depending on tractor brand.. did you run it at this engine rpm?

[@user-ku6ve1nn2j]

The fact you ended up alright means , at the right pto and engine rpm, tractors work the best

[@user-ku6ve1nn2j]

Low rpms en wide open throttle( thats what destroys tractors