I'm looking at buying a flail mower that I can pull with my ATV. Wondering what other people's experiences have been, what to avoid, and what type of flails work best. I will mostly use it to do TnM, rough camping area mowing and trail maintenance but may run it through some decent brush on occasion. Thanks for your thoughts.
ATV flail mower
- Thread starter Skeeter
- Start date
MRBB
5 year old buck +
never really seen anyone use or know of anyone making them, most go to a brush hog type mower, they seem to be more common to find and many have a long time track record of known issue's or ??
One thing to keep in mind is when your using a ATV to two things like this, your going to be really taxing your atv's motor, all the more so in hot weather
as most atv's are not truly made to be driven very slow pulling heavy implement for long periods of time, and your also going to be running to gas motor's
I know its been said before, but a good older tractor with a real brush hog many time can be a way better deal, a GOOD brush hog for a ATV will 3-4 grand these days
I have personally bought and sold MANY older tractors for $ 1500-2000 m, and picked up used brush hogs for 500-1500 bucks?
DON't know how much land you plan to mow, but I'd seriously look at tractors if your doing more than an acre!
as long term planning can save you a lot of money, if your planning to own and maintain food plots in the future!
One thing to keep in mind is when your using a ATV to two things like this, your going to be really taxing your atv's motor, all the more so in hot weather
as most atv's are not truly made to be driven very slow pulling heavy implement for long periods of time, and your also going to be running to gas motor's
I know its been said before, but a good older tractor with a real brush hog many time can be a way better deal, a GOOD brush hog for a ATV will 3-4 grand these days
I have personally bought and sold MANY older tractors for $ 1500-2000 m, and picked up used brush hogs for 500-1500 bucks?
DON't know how much land you plan to mow, but I'd seriously look at tractors if your doing more than an acre!
as long term planning can save you a lot of money, if your planning to own and maintain food plots in the future!
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
I could be mistaken, but I am not sure anybody makes a Flail Mower or a Brush Hog for an ATV that runs off the ATV's drivetrain? There's no PTO. No 3 point hitch. There are, however, a few companies that make dedicated pull behind brush hog type mowers and flail mowers that have their own engines. Paddock is one such mower.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I've been eyeballing the Rammy ATV flail mower. It's about the most expensive mower you can buy as far as mowers go at $5500 shipped with delivery, extra belts, teeth, and the side shift kit. I also think it's probably the best value in mowers out there. But you gotta know how to get the most out of it. You could fill a $100,000 pole shed with $50,000 in food plot implements if you wanted to. I don't have the money to buy a whole extra shed and fill it with a lawn mower, drill, tractor, tiller, sprayer, rotary cutter, crimper, cone spreader, etc, etc, etc.
So I'm gonna go the route of the Rammy flail and slide it under my game cleaning table when I'm not using it. The plan is for it to obsolete all of those implements, including the extra pole building to store all that stuff. If Rammy finds out what that machine is worth, they might price is at $200,000.
It might work. It might blow up in my face. We'll see.
So I'm gonna go the route of the Rammy flail and slide it under my game cleaning table when I'm not using it. The plan is for it to obsolete all of those implements, including the extra pole building to store all that stuff. If Rammy finds out what that machine is worth, they might price is at $200,000.
It might work. It might blow up in my face. We'll see.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
I don;'t see this thing doping anything special to justify the price of it
a tow behind standard brush hog type pull behind will do the same work, and they even have them in finishing mower set ups if that is more what one wants
and at a price almost half what this costs
plus, all the added weight on the front end of the atv will have a lot more wear and tear on the atv!
and don't forget again, that's not mowing a big pass, so its going to be very item consuming to mow an acre, all the more so if its thick or with heavy material needed to be mowed~!
if one lived in a AG area, odds are they could also hire a local framer with equipment that can come and mow for you too, for a a fee, which might be worth ti to some, over having to STORE equipment!
or one can even rent things over having to store them
and NO one needs to spend 100K on a shed or 50k on equipment to make food plots, that's a rather larger exaggeration IMO
an ATV brush hog can be placed on a pallet and covered with a tarp! NO shed needed if you clean it often it will last a long time this way!, they will even last a long time just sitting on the ground, preferably gravel or something that sheds water!
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Agreed.
I've got unique user requirements that call for that machine. I just hope it is a quality machine.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
One thing to ponder is if your trails are wide enough and straight enough for a pull behind mower.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
if an atv can fit down the trail, I don;t see how a small pull behind brush hog won;t fit
I have used many, never had a issue
bigger concern is how level the trails are or not, how deep ruts are and or BIG rocks that stick up, or any dips or hills in them!
the front mounted mower actually might make it harder to go down tighter trails than one being towed behind!, as it is a FIXED attachment that makes ATV overall length longer, a trailer can pivot being attached to a ball
which is also a big deal when your going up and down hills and or thru ditched, where over hand of the front mounted mower will bottom out, as the approach and departure angles will be way off,
yet a trailer ball towed mower will go right thru! as they can articular more !
if anyone ever used a snow plow on an atv, and tried running down tighter tails, you will find this out , !
NO bash here just saying!
IMO, I also don;t get why more of these ATV mower makers don;'t step up and make these things with high flotation tires on them, them small skinny tires hang up on rocks ruts roots, and sink in wet soils like a boat anchor LOL
after all there designing them to be used on ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES, used mostly ALL off road?
I think there missing the boat on tires on them!
Last edited:
I looked at that but it doesn't quite fit my needs. I know that I could get by cheaper with a rotary mower of some sort but I want the more even debris distribution and cleaner finish that a flail offers. There are options out there from 13.5 hp up to around 23 hp and I'm curious if the extra power is necessary and worth the extra money.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
the extra power will be needed if you let vegetation get too tall or is wet, or pending type of vegetation(vines and thicker stuff)
as for a cleaner debris distribution, I am not so sure that will be a big deal , and if you wanted a more finished look, this is why they also sell tow behind finish mowers
how much debris will be on top will come down to how tall it is when you more, IMO< more than the difference in the mower designs
but we all like or what what we do, so no bash here!
MRBB
5 year old buck +
also, have you looked at ruff cut zero turn mowers? they might be an option too if you wanted a more finished look and you'd only be running one motor and not two, the tracked one's do extremely well off road!
not cheap but killing an atv isn't either! and they will mow a lot faster and wider paths, time is money too don't forget!
I can tell you from experience, running an ATV at 2-3 MPH for long periods of time Si FAR from fun on your thumb and racks up the hours on an atv motor
add weight to the front end of the atv, and your going to wear front end parts out faster
DON"T Know what ATV you have, but a few yrs Back there was a guy that made and sold ATV cruise controls for Honda atv's,. for being used on construction/mapping where constant speeds were needed, and allowed for the atv to NOT need you to monitor speed or use your thumb for long periods of time, as steering effort will be way increased on a front mounted unit!, that would be something I'
d look into if you go this route!
that or maybe an atv with power steering!
not cheap but killing an atv isn't either! and they will mow a lot faster and wider paths, time is money too don't forget!
I can tell you from experience, running an ATV at 2-3 MPH for long periods of time Si FAR from fun on your thumb and racks up the hours on an atv motor
add weight to the front end of the atv, and your going to wear front end parts out faster
DON"T Know what ATV you have, but a few yrs Back there was a guy that made and sold ATV cruise controls for Honda atv's,. for being used on construction/mapping where constant speeds were needed, and allowed for the atv to NOT need you to monitor speed or use your thumb for long periods of time, as steering effort will be way increased on a front mounted unit!, that would be something I'
d look into if you go this route!
that or maybe an atv with power steering!
SD51555
5 year old buck +
Yeah, that even distribution was a big deal for me too.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Flail chops the stuff up the smallest. Coarse brush hog is way behind. In the middle is rough cut traditional mowers. I have a swisher 44 inch rough cut. with a 11.5hp motor. Right now it has rod knock, but is still running. The 1 cylinder briggs motor is splash lubricated. I bought a new 13.5hp same splash lubricated version. Glutten for punishment. Probably about 15 years old, everything else is in good shape paid $500 2 years ago. Goes through dome pretty thick stuff. No cage around the 2 blades. The whole back is open and spread the discharge evenly. I modified the mower to raise up to 5 inches. Going to weld a spacer on it to get 6 inches this spring.
My honda 420 rancher with manual trans works just fine. ATV's with wet clutches will slip the clutch at very low speeds. Im pretty much living at 5mph with any food plot detail. Gives it some rpms for the pump and to make some hp. Not too much rpm where all that power slips the tires. IF your in the slip zone, or work your ATV hard, change the oil right after. That gritty clutch material beats up the engine. IF your ATV does not have liquid cooling and an oil filter, don't use it for food ploting. That tow mower is ok without a filter if your clutch is fully engaged. Polaris style snowmobile belt styled atv's can have that belt running hot. I'd think I'd only use a mower on that, a light cultipacker, or a real mild drag implement, like a drag harrow.
Chopping brush with a front mounted ATV mower aint gonna be fun.... Prickles, whacked with brushes, busted lights and grill from branches.
Tractors are much better than ATV's. However, you can make a few acres food plot with an ATV. Maintaining a clover plot would be easy. Scratching a seed bed with a light implement. Running a sprayer. Cultipacker.
I'd save alot of money and buy a tow behind mower. With the extra money in your pocket, get a tow behind cultipacker and tow behind spreader. Rack mounted spreaders get the nasty acidic fertilizer and lime on your ATV.
FYI a brand new 18HP kubota B series is 9900 bucks... You can run alot of small implements alot better with it. With a cleaned up plot, you could run a 3ft tow behind with it. IF a side by side can do it, the kubota can. They're a tuff little tractor.. IF you do buy a used tractor, please get one with a roll bar, or put one on......
My honda 420 rancher with manual trans works just fine. ATV's with wet clutches will slip the clutch at very low speeds. Im pretty much living at 5mph with any food plot detail. Gives it some rpms for the pump and to make some hp. Not too much rpm where all that power slips the tires. IF your in the slip zone, or work your ATV hard, change the oil right after. That gritty clutch material beats up the engine. IF your ATV does not have liquid cooling and an oil filter, don't use it for food ploting. That tow mower is ok without a filter if your clutch is fully engaged. Polaris style snowmobile belt styled atv's can have that belt running hot. I'd think I'd only use a mower on that, a light cultipacker, or a real mild drag implement, like a drag harrow.
Chopping brush with a front mounted ATV mower aint gonna be fun.... Prickles, whacked with brushes, busted lights and grill from branches.
Tractors are much better than ATV's. However, you can make a few acres food plot with an ATV. Maintaining a clover plot would be easy. Scratching a seed bed with a light implement. Running a sprayer. Cultipacker.
I'd save alot of money and buy a tow behind mower. With the extra money in your pocket, get a tow behind cultipacker and tow behind spreader. Rack mounted spreaders get the nasty acidic fertilizer and lime on your ATV.
FYI a brand new 18HP kubota B series is 9900 bucks... You can run alot of small implements alot better with it. With a cleaned up plot, you could run a 3ft tow behind with it. IF a side by side can do it, the kubota can. They're a tuff little tractor.. IF you do buy a used tractor, please get one with a roll bar, or put one on......
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
That Rammy unit is pretty cool.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I've got my plot chores down to a single mowing per year. That's all my ATV and mower will be involved in. I do big seeds by hand, little seeds out of a blower, and mow it all down on top.
I'd never clear brush with my own tractor/mower or ATV/mower. That'd be hell on tires. That's the kind of work I say is for 'other people's equipment.' I wouldn't bring in my own equipment until the demolition is done and cleaned up. Same goes for stump removal or blasting open new plot space. It took me a few years, but I finally got my lawn, trails, and plots all smooth. My mower will be a maintenance machine, not a demolition machine.
