A flail mower is a type of powered garden/agricultural equipment which is used to deal with heavier grass/scrub which a normal lawn mower could not cope with. Some smaller models are self-powered, but many are PTO driven implements, which can attach to the

three-point hitch The three-point hitch (British English: three-point linkage) is a widely used type of hitch for attaching ploughs and other implements to an agricultural or industrial tractor. The three points resemble either a triangle, or the letter A. Three-p ...

es found on the rear of most

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

s. This type of

mower A mower is a person or machine that cuts (mows) grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g. with reapers ...

is best used to provide a rough cut to long

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

and even

brambles A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus ''Rubus'', which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses (''Rosa'' species). The fruits inclu ...

in locations such as roadsides, where contact with loose debris may be possible. The flail mower gets its name from the use of

flail A flail is an agricultural tool used for threshing, the process of separating grains from their husks. It is usually made from two or more large sticks attached by a short chain; one stick is held and swung, causing the other (the swipple) to st ...

s attached to its rotating horizontal drum (also called tube, rotor, or axle). Many implement companies also refer to the flails as knives, blades or hammers. The rows of flails are usually staggered to give a continuous cut for reduced wear on the machine. The flails are attached to the drum using chain links or brackets, depending on the manufacturer. The rotating drum is parallel to the axle of the tractor. The PTO

driveshaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...

along the tractor's axis must make a right angle through the use of a gearbox in order to transfer its rotational energy to the drum. As the drum rotates, centrifugal force pushes the flails outward. Standard flails are shaped like an extruded "T" or "Y" and a chain attaches to the bottom. There are also proprietary flails with various shapes for shredding larger brush and others that leave a smooth, finish cut. If a flail strikes an immovable object, it simply bounces off. Other rotary type mowers have a tendency to grab and throw the object out of the mower deck if its small enough. This fact makes the flail mower best suited for areas where thrown objects would cause damage. Flail mowers may also be used in a more or less upright position for trimming the sides of hedges. They are often called ''hedge cutters'' (or sometimes also ''

hedge trimmer A hedge trimmer, shrub trimmer, or bush trimmerAs with the term ''scissors'', the plural terms "hedge trimmers" + c. are often used for individual trimming tools. is a gardening tool or machine used for trimming (cutting, pruning) hedges or so ...

s'') then. Especially in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

(

agroforestry Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...

) some very robust variants of flail mowers – called ''flail mulchers'', ''flail shredders'', or ''flail choppers'' – are used.

Flail mowers vs Toppers

Some might also confuse flail mowers with toppers. Flail mowers cut grass very short and fine and can handle rough uneven surfaces, where a topper is mostly used to top off growth such as weeds and long grass. The mulch is much larger in sizes and not as fine when cutting with a flail mower. The topper uses swinging blades instead of rotating blades. Flail mowers are much more versatile in use but do cost more.

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Flail mowers Agricultural machinery Habitat management equipment and methods