Author	[Modern View]
krautlady 09-23-2012 15:41:15 174.124.81.126 Report to Moderator	I was wondering what the difference is between a standard flail mower and a corn stalk chopper? Is it that they are the same thing called different names? I'm looking to mow down about 20 acres of hayground and pasture. The hay I do not intend to harvest. I have a Ford 4000 and wonder what kind of flail mower would be a good fit for that tractor. Any input would be much appreciated [Reply]   [No Email]
Dick2 09-24-2012 03:12:07 174.19.205.113 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:41:15   If you are going to rent that land for hay next year, it probably would be best to just use a regular sickle mower to cut the vegetation and then rake it and dispose of it somehow so the renter doesn't end up with a bunch of dead stalks in the hay next year. [Reply]  [No Email]
Harold H 09-23-2012 17:35:46 12.23.230.67 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:41:15   Flail moewes co0me in all types, from closely spaced fine blades for lawn cutting, to extremely heavy duty model for clearing row's and tree limbs. A flail mower of medium size can be used to cut stalks. A genuwine stalk cutter is uasally a mower with two sets of rotating blades, bushhog type, and stationary blades mounted between the top and bottom blades. A regular bushhog type cutter can also be used. It just depends on the end result you want. Harold H [Reply]  [No Email]
Leroy 09-24-2012 06:27:08 69.88.205.38 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to Harold H, 09-23-2012 17:35:46   A stalk cutter does NOT have bushhog type blades, they are all the flail type blade. A mower would be closer spaced flails for a fine cut while the stock chopper would be further apart for more of a corse chop and they would be designed for use on dead material that will bust up easier. Also the flail mower will likely be a 3 point mounted and if it has wheels they will be in back of the unit so they do not run down standing crop where the stock chopper will most likely be a drag type with the wheels on the outer ends where they would run between the rows and there is supposed to be nothing there to run down. Also for cultivated ground where the stock chopper would be used there were different length flails for on top of the cultivator ridges or longer for between the ridges. The early stock choppers the flails ran across the row instead of with the row like the newer ones do and that is the same as the flail mower or the direct cut flail forage harvestor and they were avaible with the different length flails for stock chopping in cultivated ground. [Reply]  [No Email]
TomH in Pa 09-23-2012 17:19:17 67.235.10.94 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:41:15   What I call a flail mower has many small knives that look almost like rototiller blades except they're free to swing (flail). What I call a stalk chopper is like a brush hog except it has two sets of blades, one over the other about six inches apart. But other people might use those terms for something different. Old stemmy grass is always hard to chop up no matter what. [Reply]  [No Email]
Engineut2 09-24-2012 16:47:22 173.88.51.117 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to TomH in Pa, 09-23-2012 17:19:17   A "Stalk Cutter" will usually have "Sheeps-Foot" type blades..for shredding ..not really for cutting anything like grasses.. [Reply]  [No Email]
Retired Farmer 09-23-2012 17:15:31 207.200.116.9 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:41:15   Have you ever sharpened the blades on the bushhog? They don't cut too good if they are not sharp. [Reply]  [No Email]
old 09-23-2012 15:45:23 209.86.226.11 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:41:15   If your just going to cut it down and not bale it I would use a brush hog and a 6 footer maybe 7 footer would be a good match for a 4000 [Reply]  [No Email]
krautlady 09-23-2012 15:59:56 174.124.81.126 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to old, 09-23-2012 15:45:23   Thanks for the idea, Old. We have a brush hog, but it takes a long time to cut stuff down and doesn't do a great job. Next year, my neighbor will put the hay up, but I'll need to get the stemmy stuff down in the mean time. I'll be needing a flail also for mowing down cover crops for soil building. I appreciate any insight I can get. Thanks [Reply]  [No Email]
Ken Macfarlane 09-23-2012 18:22:14 184.151.114.164 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:59:56   I know what you mean. I mowed something like 22 acres of a field this summer with a 5 ft bushhog. Even better the field had been plowed and sodded over 5 years ago. No rolling. Took forever. [Reply]  [No Email]
old 09-23-2012 16:14:03 209.86.226.11 Report to Moderator	Re: Flail Mower vs. Stalk Chopper in reply to krautlady, 09-23-2012 15:59:56   I have 4 types of mowers my self. I have a brush hog a flail mower a sickle mower and a haybine and for what your doing I would stick with a brush hog. Maybe sharpen the blades some but that would be it. If you tried a flail mower you could only go with about a 6 footer and it would take just as long if not longer then with the brush hog [Reply]  [No Email]