Oh heck yeah! @Tractor Tim has done a whole lot with those Maschio mowers in his videos, they look really good. I'd love one at some point, just have to come up with the four grand. I'd particularly like an offset, but even more cash. Sooooome day!

 

I have a z-turn for the yard and a hog for the field. I'm hoping I can replace them both with the flail. Then I will sell the z turn and the hog.

 

Save even more! Go with Woodmax - purchased this 62” for $3K. Their 54” is around $2.7K. Have the hammer blades and it is awesome! The metal crate became my next work table too!

Flail Mowers for Sale | FM-62 Flail Mower | Flail Mower 62" | Finish mower - WoodMaxx

WoodMaxx? offers various sizes of PTO flail mower attachments (54",62",78",88",96") Catagory-1 and Catagory-2 starting at ($1,949.00) Engineered in the USA. Free shipping in the USA & Canada. Call 855-966-3629 or visit woodmaxx.com for details

woodmaxx.com

 

Kinda gun shy about mail order equipment. Prefer a local dealer for warranty, service, parts, etc.

 

The Maschio is a nice mower for sure. After using it you'll have no use for the hog.
However, I'm not sure how the hammers do on grass, but may do fine. Y blades may leave an unpleasant looking rough cut for a lawn.

If you can find an older 917 ford flail they can use a stamped steel scoop blade made for finish cut for grass. Looks similar to a hammer blade. Much lighter though.

I've used my 62" 917 to cut my lawn when in a hurry, but requires a bit more trimming after for the trees I can't get under or around.

My lawn after flail mowing with fresh blades. As good as my x320.

 

Be aware that some of the Maschio's are made in China ...if that is important to you,

 

I've

The Maschio is a nice mower for sure. After using it you'll have no use for the hog.
However, I'm not sure how the hammers do on grass, but may do fine. Y blades may leave an unpleasant looking rough cut for a lawn.

If you can find an older 917 ford flail they can use a stamped steel scoop blade made for finish cut for grass. Looks similar to a hammer blade. Much lighter though.
View attachment 966688
I've used my 62" 917 to cut my lawn when in a hurry, but requires a bit more trimming after for the trees I can't get under or around.

My lawn after flail mowing with fresh blades. As good as my x320.
View attachment 966689

View attachment 966690

a

The Maschio is a nice mower for sure. After using it you'll have no use for the hog.
However, I'm not sure how the hammers do on grass, but may do fine. Y blades may leave an unpleasant looking rough cut for a lawn.

If you can find an older 917 ford flail they can use a stamped steel scoop blade made for finish cut for grass. Looks similar to a hammer blade. Much lighter though.
View attachment 966688
I've used my 62" 917 to cut my lawn when in a hurry, but requires a bit more trimming after for the trees I can't get under or around.

My lawn after flail mowing with fresh blades. As good as my x320.
View attachment 966689

View attachment 966690

I've actually used the hog to mow the lawn. Looks ok if you sharpen the blades. Only problem is it doesn't cut very close and leaves ruts and scalps.

 

I pulled the trigger. Called the dealer and told them to order the Birba. Should be here in less than 2 weeks.

 

Heck yeah! Looking forward to seeing how it works out when you get it.

 

I love my Maschio Birba. I have the hammer blades. With the right adjustment using the top link, it doesn't do bad on yard type grass and stripes fairly well too with the roller following the ground. Be sure to lift when turning. I cracked the welds where it mates to the JD quick hitch. Maschio sent new brackets - no questions asked after I sent a couple of pictures. I also added sleeves between the brackets at the attachment point. These notes will make more sense once you have yours. I am very pleased!

 

I have a quick hitch for my brush hog and thought about using it for the flail, but so far have not. As I mentioned, the quick hitch adds four inches and 70 lbs and we have a lot of trees and shrubs, so extra length removes maneuverability. Think I'll just sell the hitch with the hog.
The bush hog has sleeves between the brackets too.

 

Just got my Maschio Birba 155. See new thread Maschio Birba 155 review.

 

Just got my Maschio Birba 155. See new thread Maschio Birba 155 review.

I know you're going to like it. That's what I was going to get before Frontier came out with theirs (which is made by Maschio). My son works at AgPro as well. So I got a little discount. Now go tear up some $hit (not on the mower) & post some photos of the Carnage!

 

Now I just got the Del Morino, not the Maschio, but my question probably applies, too: do you guys have issues with scalping when the terrain turns downhill or when leveling out after going uphill?
As the zero-turn was in the shop, I used the flail to mow the lawn. Turned out pretty good, except for the aforementioned scalping. I rather thought that the mowing height would be constant.

I've adjusted the roller so that the mower is level for my desired cut height, which is about 2-3 inches.

The flail will mostly be used in higher brush, with a higher cut and where I don't care so much about the scalping, but I'm still curious if I need to adjust the flail differently.
The roller is on extensions a bit behind the mower. I tried it without the extensions and had to extend the top link all the way not to mow at "-1 inches" height. That tipped the mower back significantly, so I thought the extensions were the way to go.

Thanks!

 

I was mowing a pretty steep hill & had to do a lot of adjusting not to scalp. Although what I was mowing was a bunch of junk that appearance wasn't a concern. But I could see where it could scalp if mowing a lawn with a steep hill. Like I said, I was taking out saplings & small trees. And the other times I've been Bush Hogging in a field that didn't have to have the finished lawn look. I'm waiting on my hydraulic rear top Link to arrive. I think that's going to help a lot.

 

I'm cutting a bit higher (4-5") as I'm mowing thick heavy weeds/grass. Yes, In rough areas it will scalp. a change in elevation. Yes it could/can.

 

Yes, I looked at the geometry of the mower on the hitch again and it seems inevitable. Higher cut when the terrain starts to go uphill, lower cut when leveling out again.
Can't think of a way to prevent that.

But as you said, if you're mowing brush at 4+ inches, probably not even noticeable. On a 2" lawn, for sure.

 

I mean, that's why a finish mower has the four wheels, and floats on the 3-point. You'd need a similar setup for the flail to make it cut cleanly, I think - it's not really made for lawn care.

 

You're probably dead on with that. Of course, there's no reason not to build a flail with front wheels in addition to the roller, but then it likely wouldn't perform as well in thick brush, what it's really made for.

 

I'm currently evaluating if I can retrofit the manual side-shift with a hydraulic one. I still have one of the dual SCV's free...

 

Yeah, I'm seeing where the offset capability would definitely be an asset, even if it was only manual like the Del Morino funny top. Some day, I may look into whether I can modify the Birba to do that.

 

The nice thing about Deere taking on the Maschio line via Frontier, is as long as we can figure out what models in Maschio's line cross over to what models in the Deere/Frontier line, parts availability should be much better with the Deere dealer network supporting the product now.

 

That's what I'm hoping for, I just ordered a Giraffa M 180SE should be in next week

 

Maschio offers a front wheel kit. I've seen it. You may have to email them direct if your dealer hasn't heard of it but the do maike and looks heavy.