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Why the Flail Mower is the Right Choice for Professional Maintenance

Why I Believe In Flail Mowers

In 1971 Elmer Mott of Mott Corporation penned an essay titled ‘Why I Believe in Flail Mowers’. 

Not much has changed in the fifty years since the article was originally published.  Today’s post is an adaption of Mr. Mott’s original “blog” written so many years ago.

As commercial grade flail mowers continue to become more affordable it is important to remember how these widely used tractor implements became so common in the first place. 

Commercial turf continues to be an ever growing billion dollar industry.  Professionals continue to rely on Flail Mowers to maintain greenbelt areas of shopping centers and strip malls, airport turf, golf courses, factory and HQ lawns, city median strips, national and county public parks, highway and utility rights-of-way, athletic fields, and more.

Depending on how often an area is mowed a variety of vegetation tends to grow.  Ranging from smooth, clean and level to rough, trashy, banked, or all of the above.  Under maintained properties often develop think weeds and brush when neglected for extended periods of time.

It’s for the reasons mentioned above that Flail Mowers are regularly the first choice when combatting a variety of ever changing conditions, and quickly the landscape is returned to a condition that appears to the unsuspecting eye as though there was never any growth at all.  

In order to successfully meet the conditions of the job there are a number of factors to consider.  The width of the mowing area, maneuverability of the mower and flail shaft, and ability to mow around corners, curves, slopes, and bends are attributes of various flail mower models though not specific to a particular brand or type.  In addition, tractor HP will mainly determine the size of mower to accommodate.  This ranges from subcompact to mid-size tractors and extends to industrial sized mowers.

Mower type has a direct correlation to performance and effectiveness in addition to terrain.  Fine grass, field grass, brushy growth, tough weeds with consideration to length are important to understand.  Beyond vegetation, the terrain will also dictate mower requirements to ensure the desired outcome based on factors such as roughness, ground precipitation, and slope.

The term flail refers to a specialized mower type designed to rotate along a horizontal shaft at moderate to high-speeds.  Attached to the shaft are a number of free swinging “flails”, also known as knives, cutters, blades, chains, or beaters.  The flails rotate on a vertical plane around the shaft, hanging straight out when cutting due to the force and momentum of the rotational speed.

Flail Mower Blades Available
Flail Mower Blades Available

The type of flails used will have a direct effect on performance, which includes not only the desired outcome, but factors such as cutting ability and power required to operate effectively.  The most commonly used “knife” type flail is often considered to be the best, requiring less tractor HP due to a lower weight and overall better cutting results than other flail types. 

When discussing Flail Mowers it’s important to consider rotary type mowers as well.  In fact, the flail mower is sometimes even referred to as a “vertical rotary”.  Both mower types cut with an impact action instead of a shearing action (think reel or cutter bar mower). 

Planning a Golf Course
Planning a Golf Course

The weight of the blade and impact velocity largely determines the impact force inflicted upon the object in question, whether grass, rock, tree stump, or anything else coming in contact with the blade.  Because of this, the flail mower is a safer choice for mowing, with weight and therefore less force coming in contact with foreign objects and potentially expelling outward towards bystanders or the operator.

Because the flails rotate in a vertical fashion, debris is far less likely to be ejected horizontally, reducing the risk for objects to be flung onto the roadway or structure.  The roller would immediately stop and deflect any wayward items with the cutter housing acting as a shield to provide further protection should any discharge manage to make it high enough to clear the roller.

In summary, the relatively light weight of the free swinging flail, vertical plane of operation, guard qualities of the roller and added shielding of the cutter housing all contribute to making the flail mower the safest to operate of all impact action mowers.

The basic design of the flail mower gives cause to the flail mower’s superiority over a wide swath of mower types available for purchase.  The low weight and mass of the knives combined with the vertical force motion results in a lower power requirement and optimal output.  The free swinging flail design minimizes potential for damage when a variety of objects are encountered, while still providing efficacy to process vegetation of all types suitable for fine lawn grass, field grass, weeds and light brush. 

Control of the cut height is very accurate even when working through uneven terrain, a function of adjustable roller and ability to follow the ground contour closely.  As such, there is no adjustment necessary on the knives themselves (nor can they be adjusted).  This helps minimize maintenance requirements and makes for easy exchange when it comes time to replace the flails due to age or wear.

By virtue of the flail mower design there is no need to completely encase the cutter for safety purposes.  This allows the full width of the mower to reach the grass without flattening and cut in an upright position.

1971 Flail Mower
1971 Flail Mower
Shred Your Prunings Faster
Shred Your Prunings Faster

Due to the open full span intake and discharge the flail mower is suited to process higher volumes of vegetation than other mowers.  This feature is especially relevant when operating in wet conditions, where clogging and cleaning would often be a concern.  The open “pass through” nature of the flail mower design provides for a certain self-cleaning aspect, where processed dry and wet debris are effectively discharged through the rear.

And finally, mowing speed.  Because of the mower’s ability to process high volumes of material effectively, it’s not uncommon for mowing speeds to exceed 10 mph.  When it comes to clearing large swaths of land this can mean hours of time saved throughout the course of a day.

Although the flail mower may not be the best choice for every job, there’s no doubt that it is the most versatile.  If the goal is to have the “swiss army knife” of mowers, the flail mower is the king.

Italian Trulli

Victory Tractor Implements is proud to offer a wide range of products including flail mowers, wood chippers, rotary tillers, and backhoes, all designed to be connected directly to your tractor’s PTO for maximum efficiency and performance. In addition, we also offer winter equipment such as snow plows and snow blowers, designed for use with skid steers.

We source all of our equipment directly from the manufacturer and pass the savings on to our customers.  As always, the team is standing by to answer any questions to assist with your decision.  Victory support can be reached directly at (562) 534-8182 or sales@etractorimplements.com

Proud supporters of the FFA

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Darrell D Haun
1 year ago

Great article! I just bought an old Mott 18A hammer knife mower at an estate sale. In my 70 years I had never seen one of these. I am impressed with its versatility and ease of operation. After completely disassembling it and getting it running, I ordered some documents about it from eBay to help me figure out all its uses. While I don’t think I’ll use it on my fine tall fescue yard, I will use it on my land with pasture grass, weeds, ivy, etc. saving my JD belly mower the pain. It’ll make ease of ditch mowing also. Super light weight and easy to push/pull. I can’t believe someone isn’t making a modern homeowner version of this kind of machine?

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Philip Jones
Philip Jones
16:30 15 Jul 24
Very good service in terms of shipping. The flail mower is very rugged. Used about 10 hours so far. It looks like it... will last a long time. As good or better than name brands at 1/3 the cost.read more
G M
G M
18:11 10 Jun 24
Great company that backs up their product.
Gerald Mckenney
Gerald Mckenney
01:29 05 May 24
Arrived in less than a week, well packaged and works as advertised.
Matt Moore
Matt Moore
19:20 12 Apr 24
Just received my 64 Heavy Duty Flail mower.1. They answered the phone when I called, and answered my questions.2. ... Shipped free, with good tracking along the way.3. Arrived on the date they estimated, with very little assembly.4. Great price.They were not my first choice, but out of the three I was considering they were the only ones to answer the phone right away and walk me through some details. The whole transaction was seamless. Glad I found them. I will buy from them again.read more
Raymond Dalton
Raymond Dalton
13:52 10 Apr 24
John Heathcote
John Heathcote
01:23 07 Apr 24
Great product! Even more heavy duty than I expected. Will last for many years.
Ethan Russell
Ethan Russell
15:31 17 Dec 23
We would definitely recommend. The hydraulic snow plow, that we ordered, arrived ahead of schedule and very well... packaged. Very professional group and capable group. American know how on display.read more
Eric James
Eric James
12:50 24 Jul 23
Unit very well built shipped as quoted and crated well.I like the design with the gearbox outside of the mower as it... keeps the shaft less acute when offset.spiral shaft is a plus in regard to staying in balance broke one grease zirk Brass? all in all very happy!!read more
Bonnie Romanski
Bonnie Romanski
15:45 26 Jun 23
Well built, easily assembly.
Jeff Sweeting
Jeff Sweeting
21:38 25 Jun 23
Awesome experience! From the ordering process to the shipment, everything was as they said it would be. Setup was easy,... only had one hiccup with infeed roller direction , called them and it was taken care of in literally 10 minutes. Great product, great service, great people!! Will buy from again in a heatbeat!!Jeff Sweeting,WWA Farm & Garden ServicesAlfred , ME 04002read more
Wirenut 901
Wirenut 901
21:16 24 Jun 23
Very happy with my new Victory flail mower. I had a couple of minor fitment issues but nothing an angle grinder and a... drill couldn't fix. This mower is a beast weighing in over 1,000 lbs. Very heavy duty. I couldn't be happier especially when it was half the price of the name brands. The guys at Victory picked up the phone every time I called and were eager to answer my questions. Thanks Victory !read more
Johnny Rhew
Johnny Rhew
22:20 21 Jan 23
Adjusted the blade clearance after a few jams. No problems now. Heavy built and chips 4 inch no problem. Would probably... handle the 5 inch. Very satisfied.read more
Richard Helms
Richard Helms
20:49 17 Nov 22
The EMID-70 embankment mower arrived in a metal cage on a wood pallet. The mower and accessories arrived in good... condition.The assembly was easy and straightforward. After assembly, all bolts and connections were verified tight and the gearbox was filled with 80W90 oil and all fittings greased. Hooking up to the tractor was made easy using the two parking stands that come with the unit. Once attached to the three point hitch the hydraulic hoses were connected using the hoses and fittings supplied. Once the hydraulic system was filled and the air bleed out it was time to work. The mower was ran for about 10 hours in all positions from 90 degrees up to 30 degrees down with no problems. After mowing the field the mower was used to trim the limbs that were encroching on the field.Suggestions for the shipping cage are add a middle bar between the upper and lower part of the cage and use locking bolts on the assembly as a few were loose or missing. The mower and accessories had shifted and fallen out and came on a wood pallet added bt the freight company.read more
James Allred
James Allred
10:52 19 Sep 22
Product came in very quickly. For the price I expected much less quality. Instead the quality seems really good and... it does a great job in grass or brush. Very happy with it.read more
d k
d k
11:28 17 Sep 22
I bought an EMSD-56 Embankment Flail Mower Standard Duty. I pre-ordered it in February. This had to be one of the most... difficult years ever as China still had a zero covid policy. As soon as the mower was set to ship the port of Shanghai closed for over 2 months so delivery could not be made as agreed. I was offered a refund or an additional discount at that time. I opted for the additional discount. It took a while but finally the mower made it's way to me and it works fine. What I can say is that the team at this business is totally fair and extremely trustworthy. I would use them again for another implement.read more
Tom Mayes
Tom Mayes
17:40 10 Sep 22
Purchase of Flail mower was simple, arrived in good condition and assembly was straight forward. The only issue was it... was set up for Cat 2 rather than Cat 1 but that was handled quickly with a new set of pins which were mailed to me and arrived within 3 days. Mower has been used only once to mow about 2 acres and worked wellread more
Ryan Talsma
Ryan Talsma
11:25 31 Jul 22
Just bought the emid-64. No assembly instructions included but got it done. I have used it for about 2 hours now. Very... nice unit, cuts great, heavy duty with grease fittings on all moving points. Smooth operation and comes with flow control so no jerky operation. Great so far... I did find that on the website has a full manual including assembly instructions..read more
Harold Weaver
Harold Weaver
15:44 29 Jul 22
Happy with my 60” tiller. Lot of tiller for the price. Had an issue with pto shaft but they have great customer... service. Thanks again Uwe.read more
Joe Bell
Joe Bell
23:20 17 May 22
Great people to deal with. I have the 78” flail mower and I love it. It gives a clean cut and runs smoothly.
Michael Treffinger
Michael Treffinger
22:51 23 Apr 22
I purchased the BX42S wood chipper. Shipping was quick and well crated. I've used it now for over 15hrs and it works... perfectly! I cleared woods for a motorcycle track and now I use this to clean up and help loosen up the soil with the mulch it creates. Well worth it!read more
Joe Buckingham
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17:53 26 Mar 22
The BX42S wood chipper was received in early March. The unit was packaged in a heavy cage to help prevent shipping... damage. After assembly I connected unit to my tractor and started using it. It has been able to handle any branches that I put into it up to about 4 1/2 inches. I would recommend this unit to anyone that needs a wood chipper.read more
Frank Perugini
Frank Perugini
01:35 15 Nov 21
Dealing with Ryan B. of Victory Tractor Implements was a pleasure. Everything Ryan said was truthful and correct. ... Shipment was a breeze Ryan supplied me with the tracking info and I was able to see where and when I would receive my chipper. Thanks again Frankread more
Brian Adams
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17:51 30 Oct 21
I bought the 56" embankment flail mower and couldn't be more satisfied. Works like a champ. Delivery was quick and... assembly was easy. I would highly recommend this company and mower.read more
Kelly Smith
Kelly Smith
17:15 10 Oct 21
Uwe is super helpful. Great product, great price. New flail makes my place look a lot nicer as I can mow vertically... and keep the brush back and neat!read more
Ken Love
Ken Love
20:44 09 Oct 21
Prompt delivery…Awesome EMSD-56 flail mower, Awesome Support.. Since I never owned a flail mower, I had questions... regarding what turned out to be normal operational sounds, etc. I was reluctant to call, but I must say the person that answered the phone was very knowledgeable of the product and treated me with the the utmost respect and kindness.Mower works great and far exceeds expectations!!Thank You Victory Tractor for an Awesome Experience!!!read more
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16:15 13 Jun 21
Great wood chipper at a great price!My 23 Hp Massey Sub Compact handles this beautifully, up to 4".Would highly... recommend to a friend.read more
S R
S R
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My BX42S has exceeded my expectations. Hooked up to my Kubota 26hp tractor it chips 5 inch pine without any problem. 5... inch hardwood goes in my wood stove so I have not tried that. Communication with the company is excellent. Thanks Victory!read more
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I just recently purchased the MDWC1500 wood chipper from Victory Tractor for cleaning up around the overgrown fields of... our farm, arrived on time, setup was easy, very well built and rugged chipper! It has no problem chipping 3inch diameter brush. What a great investment for cleaning up around the farm! It did come with a damaged drive belt but a phone call to my local auto parts store and they had the belt in stock. For the price I highly recommend this machine to any small farm/homeownerread more
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RW REYNOLDS
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