FLAIL MOWER: HOW IT WORKS AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT

A flail mower is a professional machine for shredding grass, branches and various types of plant debris. It is a sturdy and reliable piece of agricultural equipment that meets the widest range of needs of farmers and landscape professionals. A flail mower is a sturdy, high-performance and user-friendly machine.

1. The difference between a flail mower and a lawn mower

Unlike a classic lawn mower with flat blades, flail mowers are totally different in terms of concept, operation and performance. The design of the flail mower allows you to cut and chop grass, brambles, young shrubs, fallen branches, reeds and brushwood without difficulty. So if you just want to cut a lawn, it’s better to use a finish mower.

By contrast, a flail mower is a machine that tackles uncultivated areas, managing to chop and shred practically everything: tall or short grass, small woody shrubs and brambles.

Finish mowers and flail mowers are entirely different in terms of concept, operation and performance.

A flail mower comprises a horizontal-axis cutting unit, to which various types of tools (Y-shaped knives or hammers) are attached. This type of design ensures an efficient cutting solution on various types of terrain and surfaces: from cutting grass to brambles, shrubs and brushwood. All without sacrificing cutting quality, even though the cutting speed is slightly slower.

Finish mowers, on the other hand, are provided with one or more vertical-axis cutting units, to which a fixed blade is usually attached. These machines are ideal for working in parks and gardens where the grass is not very tall.

The cutting speed is definitely higher than that of a flail mower.

• How a flail mower works

Flail mowers are machines connected to the motor power take-off, transferring motion to a rotor fitted with pivoting knives (Y-shaped or grass blades), which perform the actual cutting action. The type of action of the cutting mechanism makes the difference between a flail mower and other cutting machines, such as a lawn mower.

• Flail mower for a rototiller

Purchasing a flail mower for a rototiller allows us to make considerable savings if we already own the machine. If you only need to buy the flail mower attachment, the cost is very low compared to a separate machine. It may therefore be worthwhile to use a multifunctional machine, since various accessories are available for rototillers.

• Flail mower: factors to consider in making the best choice

Since these machines have fairly complex mechanisms, it is essential to choose professional quality products, without opting for solutions that, although they may initially seem less expensive, in the long term prove to be less reliable, less efficient and, in particular, not long-lasting. A flail mower is a machine sometimes subjected to considerable mechanical stress due to shrubs that are often resistant because of their thick and woody trunk, lawns invaded by fine grass, weeds and various other elements that require significant power and resistance.