One of the things I've always liked about your channel is your ability to show side by side comparisons of different types of implements doing the same job. Thanks! 🤠
The big difference in cut quality is all about blade tip speed. I have a bush hog brand 8' with two gearboxes and the blades rotate a lot faster than a seven foot single spindle. It does a great job on grass but will miss a lot in something like goldenrod unless you keep the blades very close to the ground.
When I am mowing with a single spindle mower I always turn and go in the opposite direction on the next pass. I also overlap about the width of the closest tire. This takes longer but you get a much cleaner job.
Really interesting comparison Tim! I used to do that for living and it's hard to do well. Like you said, it is hard to compare on hydrostatic tractors as they lead you to the cut speed they like (and they're never the same!) Anyway, I think the results you're seeing can be traced back to several factors: spindle placement and inch/cut. The single spindle is pretty much forced to be centered behind the tractor. The TW26 is running CCW placing the 'forward sweep' portion of the blade directly behind the right tire track.... it is REALLY HARD for a mower to lift/cut tall grass that was mashed forward by the tire with a blade that is travelling forward. The TS10 has smaller, counter-rotating blades allowing the designer some control to try and place the 'back sweep' of the blades in-line with the tire track. I thought the TW26 did a great job cutting the tire track... cut quality will fall off significantly as the blades dull though. One of the biggest differences between the two mowers can be traced to the specifications. Both mowers are 'impact' cutters... they need tip speed to work. The multi-spindle has a big advantage: the smaller blade diameter means they have to run higher spindle rpm's to achieve the same tip speed. Using Rhino's published tip speed and assuming a 4 mph ground speed: TW26 = 2.66 in/cut; TS10 = 1.8 in/cut. The bigger mower gets more 'whacks' at the grass as it passes! Great job!
It would be interesting to know how much the two rear blades overlap the cut of the front middle blade. Do the over lapping areas line up with the tire tracks so that those areas get cut twice? On my single spindle mower it seems one side cuts cleaner than the other and I think it has to do with which way the blade turns in relation the the grass that has been push over by the tractor tires. It appears the blade coming from the front and into the grass that is pushed over or is it coming from the back and not picking the grass back up makes a difference.
I was just going to comment that, the tires lay the grass forward, if the 2 outside spindles have the blade tips running the opposite way so it's pushing the grass back up that would prevent the one side from not getting stood back up, that would also explain why the grass gravitates towards the middle
Excellent comparison Tim and Christy. I’ve noticed in the videos that the flex wing seemed to do a better job, so it was good to see the actual performance. You explained it well. Actually been using my old MX6 this week as well. Blessings!
Great videos Tim and Christy, We've owned a 5' Rhino for over 10 years and it's been a blessing for maintaining our pine plantation. We cut 3" diameter sweet gum trees as well as mow Bahia grass, sedge, switchgrass and deer food plot fields. Speed, angle and blade sharpening are the main factors in the quality of our results. Naturally the three blade will produce a better finish lawn cut given the tractor tires will be narrower then the cutter deck width. As you said the vacuum created does a better job lifting the target to meet the blade. Glad to see you feature a Rhino product. Love that implement. By the way, thank you for the video of greasing the front drive axle of the 1025r lawn tractor. The JD engineer who designed the skid plate on mine, a 2017, aught to have to grease a few universals. I have to to use an extended Lock N Lube connected to a needle adaptor. Not fun. God Bless and be well.
Very good video Tim. I use a 6ft mower behind a small tractor too. One thing I see is maybe a difference between a carry type mower versus the drawbar mower. I have noticed the mower will go up and down with the tractor going over hills and dips where the drawbar mower stays relatively flat as it is being pulled. Maybe some differences in the cut there. What do you think?
You are correct. I have a 6ft 3 pt Woods, and I have noticed when the tractor dips into a little hollow it seems to scalp, but if the tractor goes over something it creates a raised cut, as the mower is lifted. I have an old David Brown 990 58ish HP and am having a bit of trouble getting it set up just right. I am thinking a pull type would be a better over all choice, but with that comes other aspects of set up.
Thank you for another great video. I've recently discovered your channel and love it. As for the cut quality, between the flex wing and the single, Your flex wing will contour to the ground better allowing the blades to cut the grass at the given height, not taller where it may be more flexible due to uneven ground. Also, the three spindles should have not only an interlocking overlap but the blade direction should be opposite of each other across the mower. This lifts and cuts into the direction of travel from the trailing edge of the adjoining blade, thus making a cleaner cut on things that may be pushed down or cut on the trailing swing of the blade. As an aside note, I believe Land pride makes a 7 foot dual spindle mower that may fit in this category. It would have the roughly the same spindle sizes as the flex wing, but it won't hang to the rear of the tractor as far as a single rotor causing ballasting issues as a larger single spindle. Also it is offset about a foot to the right, thus it is even with the left side of the tractor wheels but sticks out over a foot on the right. This might be an interesting compromise as it would allow mowing ditches with the the left of the tractor and not allow the mower to gouge, but has a bit more reach for getting next to or under things with the exposed offset on the right. Thank you again, Todd C
The drone shots were excellent! Might have been nice to see the undsides of the mower afterwards to see if there was any damage from the rock/post damage. There are some nice speedometer apps for cell phones, FYI.
Tim I’ve used a JD 4700 gear drive tractor with a MX8 cutter for years. I find it works great because it has a constant speed while mowing. If it’s not cutting all the grass I found I was going to fast and dropped down one gear. I bought a 33R power reverser in February with a MX5 cutter and it does a great job. I just cut a small field that had grass that hadn’t been cut all summer. The grass was 18” to 3’ tall and by going slower (low range in 2nd gear) it did a great job. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Great video Tim, both mowers have their advantage for sure and it’s nice that you pointed them out! Time is valuable and that flexwing sure was faster and provided a nice finish 🤠. Take care
Tim nd Christi, thanks for the video. There's something refreshing about watching a rotary cutter do its cutting action in open field. Yep Tim, I too like a cut field that has little-to-no pop-ups. It's just cleaner looking. Enjoyed a full-watch. Have a fine upcoming week. 👍🏽🙂
I bought the TS10 because of your reviews from a few videos. I’ve only used it once to mow corn stalks and it worked great. Can’t wait till early spring so I can mow my standing food plots off. I have about 10 acres of them to mow which is why I went with the flex wing. I still have an MX5 Deere rotary cutter for small stuff and harder to get to areas but I can see me falling in love with the TS10. My tractor is the 4066R, and love it as well. Thanks for your videos and your willingness to share the Word with us.
I like seeing the comparisons you do between whatever. I don't think I'll ever have a flex wing mower but I do see the benefits of them. Thanks for taking the time to show us these mowers in action.
Tim, when i was buying my mower i was told a single spindle mower has two cutting surfaces. The three spindle mower has has 6 cutting surfaces so the quality of the cut is better. Price was the big factor in the end for me.
Great cinematic quality in this video!! Love the new camera angles and drone usage! As always your comparisons are bar none. Keep up the great work!! I would like to see a flail mower and the boom mower with the ventrac.
Great video. I don't know why, but brush hogging with my 1023E and Frontier RC2048 is one of my favorite tractor activities. Its just so satisfying! Keep up the great, informative content.
Tim, one thing that old farmer's taught me about a single spindle brush hog was to keep the left side Of mow to the cut side and right into the uncut side... it works to keep stubble from coming back up... with the blades going counterclockwise that helps pull up the stubble on the left side where the tire push it down from the pass before...
Used to mow the right away is for DOT up and down the turnpike with a 15 foot batwing. I was dragging it behind a Ford F 5000 tractor and I change my blades twice a week. Mowing in second gear only. Otherwise a supervisor would come by and go. Hey, look behind you. You left a win row. Cool video
Wonder if the flex wing blades being further back from the tractor and more lift has something to do with the better cut. I would sure love to have one for my Farmall 45 , I really enjoy your all’s videos. Thanks for all you do.
Something else to think about, a 3pt mounted mower works better in rough terrain, the mower can be raised higher to clear obstacles, or if you get in a muddy spot, you can raise it up, where a pull type mower is dead weight and can sink in the mud causing the tractor pulling it to get stuck. Both are still nice mowers though and this was a neat comparison!
I’ve had 6’ and 8’ bush hog single spindles but this 10’ JD with 3 spindles cuts better than either of the other ones. I’m very happy with it. The only thing is it’s a pull behind and the other 2 were 3 point hookups. But I’ve learned how to back the 10’ and it works very well. Thanks for a great video 👍👍👍❤️
I have a very old 3 spindle tilleston pull behind. I got stuck in mud one too many times, so I thought and thought and took the plunge. I cut off the pull assembly and large back tired. Made it into a 3 point lift with small pivot wheels in the back. Cost almost nothing and absolutely works great.
Awesome video Tim! These videos are so helpful to learn operating techniques, making purchase choices and to see the capability of these tractors. I love seeing the 2038R vs the LX3310 too. thank you for your channel
Thanks for your encouraging comment! We’re trying to be a bit more subtle with the LX vs 2038r comparison. However, if folks are watching closely, this episode should have been a BIG one! The 2038r handles this mower nicely. The LX…well…not so much.
I know that smaller cutting decks for lawn care use computer simulation to design the grass movement and flow after being cut and while clippings swirl inside deck for optimum design. This could be a topic for TTWT the engineering going into tractor design.
My BX23s is mated with a 48" Landpride mower. (You can see it on my ''Blade Sharpening Mentor' video.) It does just as you described for your single spindle mower when the blades are sharp. When they are dull, it leaves a lot more stubble and tends to eject unchopped piles of trimmings. It doesn't cut cleanly to the outside edges of the deck either. I have to overlap cuts by at least 4". Otherwise it lays the grass down and it won't pop up on the next pass unless you reverse travel direction on each cut. That might be an interesting comparison too. What happens if you spiral cut a field vs alternate strip cut it? When a field is cut by continuously traveling in the same direction (spiraling in from the outer perimeter) I always see spring up, at the laps. When cut with reverse direction on each pass there is much less of it. A question for you. Did both sets of blades have the same lift configuration at the tips? Or were they flat blades? (Flat blades are made for brush clearing. Lift blades are made for meadow/pasture mowing.)
Agreed. Seeing the grass come up in the tire tracks after you’ve cut it bothers me too. I also don’t know if it bothers the customers. I would assume it bothers some, but not all. If they call you back, I guess it didn’t bother them that much, if it did. 😉
what rmp are you running these mowers at? it seems low by sound. i have two options i mow with a 5205 jd and a 2 wheel 2040 with a 8 ft brush hog. considering a new mower as ours has quite a bit of issues. the bat wing should be a nice idea. thoughts on a 10 ft model for those models?
Three shorter blades combined to make a 10 foot mower will always cut better than one blade on a six foot mower. For me the problem is price besides that fact that my old Kubota L3130 doesn't have the power to handle a flex wing mower. Thanks for the comparison. Good video.
Thanks for taking the time to compare & go over some of the plus/minus points on the two types of mower. I'm a little shocked the compact tractor that you're using is big enough horse power wise to efficiently run a 10' mower. Thanks for sharing. Take care.
I have a single and overlap a bit more than you do. That way my left front tire is not laying down uncut grass. Thank you so much for doing these comparisons. An irony that I have is a few before you got the 5075e, my dealer cajoled me into climbing in one. Oh my is that nice. The 3 & 4 cabs are the same size and I just don’t fit. And I don’t have enough work to justify a 5 and it just looks like a sweet ride.
Mowing with either has its positive and negative uses. Overall I like the flex wing mower over the six foot mower. Again I think use is what would determine which is better for the job. Keep the videos coming. Also my hats off to video process. Well do with the movement and close ups. JOb well done.
Def enjoyed the comparison, and love the bat wing cut but that cut is a $12-$15k mower vs $3-$4k and I think is worth the money but entry level I'd do a single spindle until I got the extra $$ or work for the 10'. Great video, keep em coming
I have worked in the summer of of 2000 for a landscape contractor doing vacant fields with an old MF255 amd a Woods 6 ft mower;the hp were there but i had to put the tires on one side out of the grass to avoid flatten it!After one week i said to the boss:''Were gonna have to sharpen the blades each 2 days or they wont cut1'' he said ''good idea!'' so i did sharpen them every 2 days!
In the late 90’s or 2000’s a John Deere dealership that I believe was in Cottage Grove Minnesota started making a rear left side offset wing mower for the JD compact tractors using mostly JD parts. I believe it was a 72” cut. It was a 3pt mount and driven by the rear pto. When not used it folded upwards. One lawn service in town had one on what I think was a JD 850 or 950 running it while also running a 60” or 72” belley mower. I watched it mow a local business lawn once and it mowed a lot of grass fairly fast. JD eventually told the dealer to stop making them.
I have a Bad Boy 6' brush cutter and the only stuff it leaves behind is sweet gum tree stalks when mowing 2-3' tall field. When mowing just grass up to a foot tall it is pretty consistent in not leaving any standing grass. Usually when I hit a really thick spot it may not cut completely where the tires are. I have no ballast or weights on my tractor, 2638 Mahindra.
I noticed the center blade seems to be leaving more tall shoots than the two outboard blades. Any thoughts on why? I am guessing that the two ouboard blades are able to float on the terrain, while the center is set more by the operator/tractor.
Very good comparison indeed! Curious what (if any) difference in spindle speed between the two mowers with same pto rpm. BTW maybe climb up that tower and mount a transmitter antenna to start your own TTWT broadcasting network!!
hey tim. i think where the tractor wheel passes, the mid blade and the side blade both cut the grass in 2 different direction and that is why you get that clean cut. just a thought.
Tim, if you've done it before, i've missed it, but what about beveling the cutting edge? Or is the real issue a lack of upward vacuum to pull the pushed over grass up? If the latter, would removing the entry guards/chains help, or not enough to notice an impact?
Do blades on flex mower all turn in same direction, I notice right side strip more prevalent on single spindle. Does this have to do with direction of rotation of blades?
You said you tip the front down. I was taught to have the front raised higher than the back there by cutting at two hights and easing some strain on the equipment while getting a better result
Another variable to consider is the distance between the tractor tires and the spindle centers/blade tips. Perhaps the three spindle mower's greater distance is allowing the compressed grass to spring up more before the blades hit than with the single blade mower. It might be interesting to see some footage comparing the two from that perspective... though the control and measurement of the comparison would probably be tricky to work out! Maybe get someone with a high speed camera involved?
My flex wing does a better job than my 3 point too, just can't get in tight spots with it. I use a light bar and GPS for monitoring ground speed and overlap.
So I got roasted on a facebook group asking about running a flex wing behind a 1025r to mow short grass like a finish mower. 10' batwing "finish mower" I would love to see how it does behind the 1025r, or if it will even run it. I have my reservations, but I also wouldn't be surprised if your mowing at least once a week and only cutting 2-4" that it would work
Tongue is too heavy for a 1025r. There really is not a safe way to connect it. Believe me, I have thought a lot about it, especially with our turbo Johnny X 1025r!
Tim as I told you the last time you had your batwing hooked to the Kubota I mowed interstate highways for several years in Indiana. The Bush Hog batwings I used on the highways and on the farm was 15 foot and they do lift the grass. You can also buy lift blades for them and you will be able to tell they are lift blades by the amount of flair they have on the back side of the blades. All blades will have some flair but you will notice it more on the lift blades. Bush Hog will tell you they cause a vacumn that helps lift the grass. To answer a question from the comments that I have been reading the side blades overlap the center blades very little and as the blades wear down and round off at the most they might overlap 1/8 of a inch. Hope to meet you some time at the Farm Equipment Auction in Monrovia Tim. I couldn't make it to the farm progress show in Decatur because I am a grain farmer and I have been getting things ready to go to start harvesting corn around the third week in September.
Do the blades all turn the same direction on the flexwing mower? Ive been eyeing a duel spindle for my 73hp machine. Currently I have a 6ft which is too small physically, (deck inside the tire width). I mowe very rocky areas & have to lift a lot. The tow behind wouldnt work too good in my application unfortunately. Would love to see a duel 8ft in action..
Tim have you done a comparison between these mowers and a flail mower? I know I’ve seen a flail mower on the channel before. But I don’t recall a comparison
If you’re going to continue to maintain this property yourself, I’d suggest putting one of those loaders to good use and removing those large rocks once and for all. Or maybe you like them waiting there each time for more practical testing.
I've found that if your having issues with weeds standing back up then you need to go slower. Going slower means they have a better chance standing up & getting cut. I'd rather go slower & get a good cut the first time than go fast & have to make multiple cuts.
Fantastic. Like you I don't like seeing winrows or tire tracks. I would love to see a wooded area with the flex wing. Just to see if there is something other than maneuverability that would be a con.
It always amazes me why people with large mower decks don't keep the blades sharp. I finish mow with a tiny little John Deere 320 with a 24 hp. Kawasaki & a 3 blade deck. (not the same or even close I know). I have 3 sets of blades & change them often so that I always have a sharp clean cut. It takes so much LESS hp. to mow thick grass with sharp blades & gives a great cut. Always balance my blades with an Anderson balancer so that the deck is very smooth when engaged. Love your content & presentation. God Bless.
Rotary Brush mower blades are not designed to run sharp. If kept sharp, they will soon be destroyed by rocks and trees. Blunt blades work better overall
What are your thoughts on the single pedal for forward/ reverse on the Kubota, vs the 2 separate pedals on the Deere, now that you've had the Kubota for awhile? I've got a Vermeer trencher with the single pedal, and compared to the 1026R I hate the single pedal.
I think Kubota is starting to realize the short comings Of their treadle pedal. They have made a welcome change on the Grand L series. Hopefully they will do it on more models.
Enjoyed the comparison as always well done. I also like the fact that you talked about how brush hugs do not do a very good job. Thinking What could I have done to make this better.
Tim, I agree with you on all of this, there is simply no comparison between the two. But again, the price point is tough to overcome. What we do with our single spindle rotary cutters is run the front about an inch higher than the rear, I know, I've gotten some push back from saying that. But it really improves the cut quality of the single spindle cutters to a very noticeable degree. You should break away from the "traditional" setup and give it a try at least once. It cuts better, and mulches the material much better, though it does require HP to run them like that. And that stemmy stuff is hard with any mower, even my flail will leave some of that stuff, not as much as my rotary cutter, but leaves some nonetheless.
Suggestion, buy some little flags like they use for power lines underground etc, and mark stumps or rocks so you don't hit them or for reference when you later come back to remove them. As for the cut stuff, what I do is a week after cutting long stuff like what you have here, I come in an do it again to mulch it down better.. Takes extra time and fuel but the only other real option is to buy a rake and bailer to get it out of there otherwise. BTW, finally upgraded from the 1023e to the 2032r.. what a difference. Especially with my stump grinder and grapple.
I think you should make a video comparing knives VS hammer blades, I have hammers on my flail and even on grass I can't say I'm disappointed. It ought to be interesting
You sure convince me on a lot of things brother Tim. If I can get a tractor one day I will look into the flex wing mower. I like that cut. Have you tried the Tractors with the cruise control? I wonder how much that would help the operator at times like this?
Very interesting, ever consider using a sickle bar in conjunction with either mower. I saw this over in Europe. The sickle bar was mounted on the front of the tractor.
Had a 10', twin spindle drawbar towed mower for many years. It was not a flex wing design which I found did some scalping of uneven ground in sloped areas. It would send gravel flying in every direction when bottomed out. Can you say, "INCOMING!" (with your head down to the steering wheel and legs pointed straight out). However, it did an excellent job over my 60 acres of mowing for 30+ years. With 10' of cut and just two spindles, the blades were very long and HEAVY at near 1" of thickness.
Do you run in float with the flex wing. I have one side that cuts lower out at the edge and I can see the cylinder moving to cause it. So I tightened it just a smidge with the hydraulics and now getting a more even cut. I just purchased the TS 12 and Love it. No it is not as good of cut as the X- Mark because it is not suppose to be but It takes a lot less time. But it is a lot better than the single spindle. The single spindle was not designed to cut smoothly either. Great video as usual.
We have a 6' Landpride single blade. It cuts much the same as your Rhino, not clean in the tire area. I helped our neighbour with the purchase and setup of a 2 year old 4' Landpride for her 1025r. I sharpened it and expected a reasonable but not great cut, similar to our 6' on the 2440. To my surprise the 4' left things looking like a golf course. The cut was perfect. But oh so slow , out there bouncing around for 2 days to mow 6 acres.
you make a great case for the flex wing. I bought a 6 foot mower for my 60 Hp tractor and a have regretted not spending the extra $$ on a flex wing every time. But I might spend the $$ on an offset flail mower instead as that gives me a flexibility that I could really use.
Tim how does the 2 spindle 8' mowers mow? I have set up and sold them when i worked at the newholland dealer but never mowed with them.I am getting my new tractor this week and was thinking of retiring my 6'single spindle was looking at a new 7' but the double 8' may be nice any thoughts ,thanx .
Hi Tim enjoyed meeting you and seeing your family at the Farm Progress Show. I liked talking to you about your flail mower and the wear on your blades. I will be purchasing a flail mower but still looking for a dealer near me for Maschio(near Danville IL). Thanks for your insight and keep on making great videos.
One of the things I've always liked about your channel is your ability to show side by side comparisons of different types of implements doing the same job. Thanks! 🤠
I agree
Comparing the cut quality in a field like that is just like hair cuts - what's the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut ? About 3 days.
Here I am three days later. 😂
Batwing is also 3 times the cost…just rent them
Uh because nobody rents them.
Would like to see the offset flail go through it think that would do a great job
Came here to make this comment.
I was thinking the same thing
@@djf2 was thinking about a bigger flail mower
Would like to see the flail mower as well.
Me too.....
The big difference in cut quality is all about blade tip speed. I have a bush hog brand 8' with two gearboxes and the blades rotate a lot faster than a seven foot single spindle. It does a great job on grass but will miss a lot in something like goldenrod unless you keep the blades very close to the ground.
When I am mowing with a single spindle mower I always turn and go in the opposite direction on the next pass. I also overlap about the width of the closest tire. This takes longer but you get a much cleaner job.
I sure wish I could afford a flex wing like that, that’s a really slick mower!!
Myyttgj
@@controlsplus ???
I bought the TS10 last year really should’ve got the 12’ but it is a nice mower though.
What tractor are you using to pull it?
@@TractorTimewithTim Mahindra 6110C
Really interesting comparison Tim! I used to do that for living and it's hard to do well. Like you said, it is hard to compare on hydrostatic tractors as they lead you to the cut speed they like (and they're never the same!) Anyway, I think the results you're seeing can be traced back to several factors: spindle placement and inch/cut.
The single spindle is pretty much forced to be centered behind the tractor. The TW26 is running CCW placing the 'forward sweep' portion of the blade directly behind the right tire track.... it is REALLY HARD for a mower to lift/cut tall grass that was mashed forward by the tire with a blade that is travelling forward. The TS10 has smaller, counter-rotating blades allowing the designer some control to try and place the 'back sweep' of the blades in-line with the tire track. I thought the TW26 did a great job cutting the tire track... cut quality will fall off significantly as the blades dull though.
One of the biggest differences between the two mowers can be traced to the specifications. Both mowers are 'impact' cutters... they need tip speed to work. The multi-spindle has a big advantage: the smaller blade diameter means they have to run higher spindle rpm's to achieve the same tip speed. Using Rhino's published tip speed and assuming a 4 mph ground speed: TW26 = 2.66 in/cut; TS10 = 1.8 in/cut. The bigger mower gets more 'whacks' at the grass as it passes! Great job!
It would be interesting to know how much the two rear blades overlap the cut of the front middle blade. Do the over lapping areas line up with the tire tracks so that those areas get cut twice? On my single spindle mower it seems one side cuts cleaner than the other and I think it has to do with which way the blade turns in relation the the grass that has been push over by the tractor tires. It appears the blade coming from the front and into the grass that is pushed over or is it coming from the back and not picking the grass back up makes a difference.
I was just going to comment that, the tires lay the grass forward, if the 2 outside spindles have the blade tips running the opposite way so it's pushing the grass back up that would prevent the one side from not getting stood back up, that would also explain why the grass gravitates towards the middle
I’ve noticed that one side cuts better with my frontier 60 inch rough cut. Going backwards it seems to cut better too
@@ericvortecmax but that could also mean you need to sharpen one side.
Excellent comparison Tim and Christy. I’ve noticed in the videos that the flex wing seemed to do a better job, so it was good to see the actual performance. You explained it well. Actually been using my old MX6 this week as well. Blessings!
The flex wing continues to impress💪🏻. Great video guys!
Great videos Tim and Christy, We've owned a 5' Rhino for over 10 years and it's been a blessing for maintaining our pine plantation. We cut 3" diameter sweet gum trees as well as mow Bahia grass, sedge, switchgrass and deer food plot fields. Speed, angle and blade sharpening are the main factors in the quality of our results. Naturally the three blade will produce a better finish lawn cut given the tractor tires will be narrower then the cutter deck width. As you said the vacuum created does a better job lifting the target to meet the blade.
Glad to see you feature a Rhino product. Love that implement. By the way, thank you for the video of greasing the front drive axle of the 1025r lawn tractor. The JD engineer who designed the skid plate on mine, a 2017, aught to have to grease a few universals. I have to to use an extended Lock N Lube connected to a needle adaptor. Not fun.
God Bless and be well.
Very good video Tim. I use a 6ft mower behind a small tractor too. One thing I see is maybe a difference between a carry type mower versus the drawbar mower. I have noticed the mower will go up and down with the tractor going over hills and dips where the drawbar mower stays relatively flat as it is being pulled. Maybe some differences in the cut there. What do you think?
Could be. Good observation!
You are correct.
I have a 6ft 3 pt Woods, and I have noticed when the tractor dips into a little hollow it seems to scalp, but if the tractor goes over something it creates a raised cut, as the mower is lifted.
I have an old David Brown 990 58ish HP and am having a bit of trouble getting it set up just right. I am thinking a pull type would be a better over all choice, but with that comes other aspects of set up.
Thank you for another great video. I've recently discovered your channel and love it. As for the cut quality, between the flex wing and the single, Your flex wing will contour to the ground better allowing the blades to cut the grass at the given height, not taller where it may be more flexible due to uneven ground. Also, the three spindles should have not only an interlocking overlap but the blade direction should be opposite of each other across the mower. This lifts and cuts into the direction of travel from the trailing edge of the adjoining blade, thus making a cleaner cut on things that may be pushed down or cut on the trailing swing of the blade.
As an aside note, I believe Land pride makes a 7 foot dual spindle mower that may fit in this category. It would have the roughly the same spindle sizes as the flex wing, but it won't hang to the rear of the tractor as far as a single rotor
causing ballasting issues as a larger single spindle. Also it is offset about a foot to the right, thus it is even with the left side of the tractor wheels but sticks out over a foot on the right. This might be an interesting compromise as it would allow mowing ditches with the the left of the tractor and not allow the mower to gouge, but has a bit more reach for getting next to or under things with the exposed offset on the right.
Thank you again, Todd C
The drone shots were excellent! Might have been nice to see the undsides of the mower afterwards to see if there was any damage from the rock/post damage. There are some nice speedometer apps for cell phones, FYI.
yes, I also would like to see the undersides of the various mowers as well as close ups of the mechanics of the various equipment you use.
Tim I’ve used a JD 4700 gear drive tractor with a MX8 cutter for years. I find it works great because it has a constant speed while mowing. If it’s not cutting all the grass I found I was going to fast and dropped down one gear. I bought a 33R power reverser in February with a MX5 cutter and it does a great job. I just cut a small field that had grass that hadn’t been cut all summer. The grass was 18” to 3’ tall and by going slower (low range in 2nd gear) it did a great job. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Great video Tim, both mowers have their advantage for sure and it’s nice that you pointed them out! Time is valuable and that flexwing sure was faster and provided a nice finish 🤠. Take care
I've often wondered what if they put 4 blades on a single spindle instead of 2. Just curious if that would help at all?
Tim nd Christi, thanks for the video. There's something refreshing about watching a rotary cutter do its cutting action in open field. Yep Tim, I too like a cut field that has little-to-no pop-ups. It's just cleaner looking. Enjoyed a full-watch. Have a fine upcoming week. 👍🏽🙂
Was just mowing with single spindle mower today.
I had been noticing the tire/smashed uncut grass issue as well.
Excellent video!
Thank you!
I bought the TS10 because of your reviews from a few videos. I’ve only used it once to mow corn stalks and it worked great. Can’t wait till early spring so I can mow my standing food plots off. I have about 10 acres of them to mow which is why I went with the flex wing. I still have an MX5 Deere rotary cutter for small stuff and harder to get to areas but I can see me falling in love with the TS10. My tractor is the 4066R, and love it as well. Thanks for your videos and your willingness to share the Word with us.
Congratulations! Love the TS10!
Love the videos, I'm 60 and find them very relaxing, need longer videos
Thanks! We have over 1000 episodes! That should keep you busy for awhile!
I have a 4052R running the Rhino flexwing cutter and I love it. I am able to cut my fields in half the time from my 60" cutter.
Glad to hear! I think the TS10 is a huge step forward for smaller compact tractors!
I like seeing the comparisons you do between whatever. I don't think I'll ever have a flex wing mower but I do see the benefits of them. Thanks for taking the time to show us these mowers in action.
Tim, when i was buying my mower i was told a single spindle mower has two cutting surfaces. The three spindle mower has has 6 cutting surfaces so the quality of the cut is better. Price was the big factor in the end for me.
Great cinematic quality in this video!! Love the new camera angles and drone usage! As always your comparisons are bar none. Keep up the great work!! I would like to see a flail mower and the boom mower with the ventrac.
I spent summers as a teenager mowing with a JD 4450 and a 18' batwing...you could cover a lot of ground.
I personally put a slight edge on my bush hog blade to keep the cut a lot more consistent.. in the tall thick stuff...👍
Great video. I don't know why, but brush hogging with my 1023E and Frontier RC2048 is one of my favorite tractor activities. Its just so satisfying! Keep up the great, informative content.
Love the channel and all the info you give us! Keep up the good work!
Tim, one thing that old farmer's taught me about a single spindle brush hog was to keep the left side Of mow to the cut side and right into the uncut side... it works to keep stubble from coming back up... with the blades going counterclockwise that helps pull up the stubble on the left side where the tire push it down from the pass before...
…and overlap enough to catch that previous track. Unfortunately, that costs a tremendous amount of cutting width.
Used to mow the right away is for DOT up and down the turnpike with a 15 foot batwing. I was dragging it behind a Ford F 5000 tractor and I change my blades twice a week. Mowing in second gear only. Otherwise a supervisor would come by and go. Hey, look behind you. You left a win row. Cool video
Wonder if the flex wing blades being further back from the tractor and more lift has something to do with the better cut. I would sure love to have one for my Farmall 45 , I really enjoy your all’s videos. Thanks for all you do.
It probably helps on the flex wing
Been binge watching tractor videos and was winding down and you upload!!!! I have time for one more!!!
Something else to think about, a 3pt mounted mower works better in rough terrain, the mower can be raised higher to clear obstacles, or if you get in a muddy spot, you can raise it up, where a pull type mower is dead weight and can sink in the mud causing the tractor pulling it to get stuck. Both are still nice mowers though and this was a neat comparison!
I’ve had 6’ and 8’ bush hog single spindles but this 10’ JD with 3 spindles cuts better than either of the other ones. I’m very happy with it. The only thing is it’s a pull behind and the other 2 were 3 point hookups. But I’ve learned how to back the 10’ and it works very well. Thanks for a great video 👍👍👍❤️
Yes, it does take some practice backing it!
I have a very old 3 spindle tilleston pull behind. I got stuck in mud one too many times, so I thought and thought and took the plunge. I cut off the pull assembly and large back tired. Made it into a 3 point lift with small pivot wheels in the back. Cost almost nothing and absolutely works great.
Awesome video Tim! These videos are so helpful to learn operating techniques, making purchase choices and to see the capability of these tractors. I love seeing the 2038R vs the LX3310 too. thank you for your channel
Thanks for your encouraging comment!
We’re trying to be a bit more subtle with the LX vs 2038r comparison. However, if folks are watching closely, this episode should have been a BIG one! The 2038r handles this mower nicely. The LX…well…not so much.
I know that smaller cutting decks for lawn care use computer simulation to design the grass movement and flow after being cut and while clippings swirl inside deck for optimum design. This could be a topic for TTWT the engineering going into tractor design.
I think he did software, not hardware. 😜
Great job with both. It's impressive that the Deere 2 series can operate that 3 blade cutter.
My BX23s is mated with a 48" Landpride mower. (You can see it on my ''Blade Sharpening Mentor' video.) It does just as you described for your single spindle mower when the blades are sharp. When they are dull, it leaves a lot more stubble and tends to eject unchopped piles of trimmings.
It doesn't cut cleanly to the outside edges of the deck either. I have to overlap cuts by at least 4". Otherwise it lays the grass down and it won't pop up on the next pass unless you reverse travel direction on each cut. That might be an interesting comparison too. What happens if you spiral cut a field vs alternate strip cut it? When a field is cut by continuously traveling in the same direction (spiraling in from the outer perimeter) I always see spring up, at the laps. When cut with reverse direction on each pass there is much less of it.
A question for you. Did both sets of blades have the same lift configuration at the tips? Or were they flat blades? (Flat blades are made for brush clearing. Lift blades are made for meadow/pasture mowing.)
Both are lift.
Agreed. Seeing the grass come up in the tire tracks after you’ve cut it bothers me too. I also don’t know if it bothers the customers. I would assume it bothers some, but not all. If they call you back, I guess it didn’t bother them that much, if it did. 😉
Great video I really like the 3 spindle cutter. What is your opinion of the TYM Tractors?
what rmp are you running these mowers at? it seems low by sound. i have two options i mow with a 5205 jd and a 2 wheel 2040 with a 8 ft brush hog. considering a new mower as ours has quite a bit of issues. the bat wing should be a nice idea. thoughts on a 10 ft model for those models?
Wide open throttle.
Good demo. Tim at 16:10 you can see from the air the difference. I often wonder this myself and just purchased a LP 3712.
Three shorter blades combined to make a 10 foot mower will always cut better than one blade on a six foot mower. For me the problem is price besides that fact that my old Kubota L3130 doesn't have the power to handle a flex wing mower. Thanks for the comparison. Good video.
Thanks for taking the time to compare & go over some of the plus/minus points on the two types of mower. I'm a little shocked the compact tractor that you're using is big enough horse power wise to efficiently run a 10' mower. Thanks for sharing. Take care.
I think the single spindle works better if you take 2/3 or 1/2 passes when the grass gets that high. Great info.Thanks.
Yea, I agree…but it would take forever to get the job done!
I have a single and overlap a bit more than you do. That way my left front tire is not laying down uncut grass. Thank you so much for doing these comparisons. An irony that I have is a few before you got the 5075e, my dealer cajoled me into climbing in one. Oh my is that nice. The 3 & 4 cabs are the same size and I just don’t fit. And I don’t have enough work to justify a 5 and it just looks like a sweet ride.
Mowing with either has its positive and negative uses. Overall I like the flex wing mower over the six foot mower. Again I think use is what would determine which is better for the job.
Keep the videos coming.
Also my hats off to video process. Well do with the movement and close ups. JOb well done.
Def enjoyed the comparison, and love the bat wing cut but that cut is a $12-$15k mower vs $3-$4k and I think is worth the money but entry level I'd do a single spindle until I got the extra $$ or work for the 10'. Great video, keep em coming
I have worked in the summer of of 2000 for a landscape contractor doing vacant fields with an old MF255 amd a Woods 6 ft mower;the hp were there but i had to put the tires on one side out of the grass to avoid flatten it!After one week i said to the boss:''Were gonna have to sharpen the blades each 2 days or they wont cut1'' he said ''good idea!'' so i did sharpen them every 2 days!
In the late 90’s or 2000’s a John Deere dealership that I believe was in Cottage Grove Minnesota started making a rear left side offset wing mower for the JD compact tractors using mostly JD parts. I believe it was a 72” cut. It was a 3pt mount and driven by the rear pto. When not used it folded upwards. One lawn service in town had one on what I think was a JD 850 or 950 running it while also running a 60” or 72” belley mower. I watched it mow a local business lawn once and it mowed a lot of grass fairly fast. JD eventually told the dealer to stop making them.
I would love to see a comparison of a single, the flex wing, and a flail mower
Enjoyed the comparison Tim. Both are very capable.
I have a Bad Boy 6' brush cutter and the only stuff it leaves behind is sweet gum tree stalks when mowing 2-3' tall field. When mowing just grass up to a foot tall it is pretty consistent in not leaving any standing grass. Usually when I hit a really thick spot it may not cut completely where the tires are. I have no ballast or weights on my tractor, 2638 Mahindra.
I noticed the center blade seems to be leaving more tall shoots than the two outboard blades. Any thoughts on why? I am guessing that the two ouboard blades are able to float on the terrain, while the center is set more by the operator/tractor.
I use my lx3310 and 5 foot mower at 8500 feet mowing sage brush that is 3-5 feet tall. That is a real work out for a LX.
To me both are nice. I would take either. What blows my mind is that little 2038 pulling that 3 Blade Mower and having enough power to turn it.
Very good comparison indeed! Curious what (if any) difference in spindle speed between the two mowers with same pto rpm. BTW maybe climb up that tower and mount a transmitter antenna to start your own TTWT broadcasting network!!
hey tim. i think where the tractor wheel passes, the mid blade and the side blade both cut the grass in 2 different direction and that is why you get that clean cut. just a thought.
Can you demonstrate loading and unloading that tractor and flexwing from a trailer?
Tim, if you've done it before, i've missed it, but what about beveling the cutting edge? Or is the real issue a lack of upward vacuum to pull the pushed over grass up? If the latter, would removing the entry guards/chains help, or not enough to notice an impact?
Do blades on flex mower all turn in same direction, I notice right side strip more prevalent on single spindle. Does this have to do with direction of rotation of blades?
You said you tip the front down.
I was taught to have the front raised higher than the back there by cutting at two hights and easing some strain on the equipment while getting a better result
I would like to see the ventrack tough cut comparison as well against the other two, please.
Another variable to consider is the distance between the tractor tires and the spindle centers/blade tips. Perhaps the three spindle mower's greater distance is allowing the compressed grass to spring up more before the blades hit than with the single blade mower. It might be interesting to see some footage comparing the two from that perspective... though the control and measurement of the comparison would probably be tricky to work out! Maybe get someone with a high speed camera involved?
My flex wing does a better job than my 3 point too, just can't get in tight spots with it.
I use a light bar and GPS for monitoring ground speed and overlap.
So I got roasted on a facebook group asking about running a flex wing behind a 1025r to mow short grass like a finish mower. 10' batwing "finish mower" I would love to see how it does behind the 1025r, or if it will even run it. I have my reservations, but I also wouldn't be surprised if your mowing at least once a week and only cutting 2-4" that it would work
Tongue is too heavy for a 1025r. There really is not a safe way to connect it.
Believe me, I have thought a lot about it, especially with our turbo Johnny X 1025r!
Tim as I told you the last time you had your batwing hooked to the Kubota I mowed interstate highways for several years in Indiana. The Bush Hog batwings I used on the highways and on the farm was 15 foot and they do lift the grass. You can also buy lift blades for them and you will be able to tell they are lift blades by the amount of flair they have on the back side of the blades. All blades will have some flair but you will notice it more on the lift blades. Bush Hog will tell you they cause a vacumn that helps lift the grass. To answer a question from the comments that I have been reading the side blades overlap the center blades very little and as the blades wear down and round off at the most they might overlap 1/8 of a inch. Hope to meet you some time at the Farm Equipment Auction in Monrovia Tim. I couldn't make it to the farm progress show in Decatur because I am a grain farmer and I have been getting things ready to go to start harvesting corn around the third week in September.
Do the blades all turn the same direction on the flexwing mower? Ive been eyeing a duel spindle for my 73hp machine. Currently I have a 6ft which is too small physically, (deck inside the tire width). I mowe very rocky areas & have to lift a lot. The tow behind wouldnt work too good in my application unfortunately. Would love to see a duel 8ft in action..
Tim have you done a comparison between these mowers and a flail mower? I know I’ve seen a flail mower on the channel before. But I don’t recall a comparison
If you’re going to continue to maintain this property yourself, I’d suggest putting one of those loaders to good use and removing those large rocks once and for all.
Or maybe you like them waiting there each time for more practical testing.
Let's see the Flail mover versus the Flexwing!
2 things missing from this comparison; blade tip speed & blade type (lift or non-lift)
Great Video Tim I would have sharpen the blades as best as I could on both and then did the test. It's all about the Blades
This is awesome. Do u think a 10ft would work behind my 3038e ?
Slowly, but yes.
I've found that if your having issues with weeds standing back up then you need to go slower. Going slower means they have a better chance standing up & getting cut. I'd rather go slower & get a good cut the first time than go fast & have to make multiple cuts.
Fantastic. Like you I don't like seeing winrows or tire tracks. I would love to see a wooded area with the flex wing. Just to see if there is something other than maneuverability that would be a con.
It always amazes me why people with large mower decks don't keep the blades sharp. I finish mow with a tiny little John Deere 320 with a 24 hp. Kawasaki & a 3 blade deck. (not the same or even close I know). I have 3 sets of blades & change them often so that I always have a sharp clean cut. It takes so much LESS hp. to mow thick grass with sharp blades & gives a great cut. Always balance my blades with an Anderson balancer so that the deck is very smooth when engaged. Love your content & presentation. God Bless.
Rotary Brush mower blades are not designed to run sharp. If kept sharp, they will soon be destroyed by rocks and trees. Blunt blades work better overall
Bush hog type mowers are more like a giant weed whacker than a mower so they don't really need super sharp blades.
What are your thoughts on the single pedal for forward/ reverse on the Kubota, vs the 2 separate pedals on the Deere, now that you've had the Kubota for awhile? I've got a Vermeer trencher with the single pedal, and compared to the 1026R I hate the single pedal.
Me too!
I think Kubota is starting to realize the short comings Of their treadle pedal. They have made a welcome change on the Grand L series. Hopefully they will do it on more models.
Thanks for the video. I was wondering if I could pull a brush hog that big.
What about a flail mower Tim
Enjoyed the comparison as always well done. I also like the fact that you talked about how brush hugs do not do a very good job. Thinking What could I have done to make this better.
Tim, I agree with you on all of this, there is simply no comparison between the two. But again, the price point is tough to overcome. What we do with our single spindle rotary cutters is run the front about an inch higher than the rear, I know, I've gotten some push back from saying that. But it really improves the cut quality of the single spindle cutters to a very noticeable degree. You should break away from the "traditional" setup and give it a try at least once. It cuts better, and mulches the material much better, though it does require HP to run them like that. And that stemmy stuff is hard with any mower, even my flail will leave some of that stuff, not as much as my rotary cutter, but leaves some nonetheless.
Suggestion, buy some little flags like they use for power lines underground etc, and mark stumps or rocks so you don't hit them or for reference when you later come back to remove them. As for the cut stuff, what I do is a week after cutting long stuff like what you have here, I come in an do it again to mulch it down better.. Takes extra time and fuel but the only other real option is to buy a rake and bailer to get it out of there otherwise. BTW, finally upgraded from the 1023e to the 2032r.. what a difference. Especially with my stump grinder and grapple.
I think you should make a video comparing knives VS hammer blades, I have hammers on my flail and even on grass I can't say I'm disappointed. It ought to be interesting
I agree.....need to see a comparison.
You sure convince me on a lot of things brother Tim. If I can get a tractor one day I will look into the flex wing mower. I like that cut. Have you tried the Tractors with the cruise control? I wonder how much that would help the operator at times like this?
Very interesting, ever consider using a sickle bar in conjunction with either mower. I saw this over in Europe. The sickle bar was mounted on the front of the tractor.
Never tried to combine them. I wonder why?
Had a 10', twin spindle drawbar towed mower for many years. It was not a flex wing design which I found did some scalping of uneven ground in sloped areas. It would send gravel flying in every direction when bottomed out. Can you say, "INCOMING!" (with your head down to the steering wheel and legs pointed straight out). However, it did an excellent job over my 60 acres of mowing for 30+ years. With 10' of cut and just two spindles, the blades were very long and HEAVY at near 1" of thickness.
Looks like a good location to test some sprayers out....
Do you run in float with the flex wing. I have one side that cuts lower out at the edge and I can see the cylinder moving to cause it. So I tightened it just a smidge with the hydraulics and now getting a more even cut. I just purchased the TS 12 and Love it. No it is not as good of cut as the X- Mark because it is not suppose to be but It takes a lot less time. But it is a lot better than the single spindle. The single spindle was not designed to cut smoothly either. Great video as usual.
Yes, I run in float.
We have a 6' Landpride single blade. It cuts much the same as your Rhino, not clean in the tire area.
I helped our neighbour with the purchase and setup of a 2 year old 4' Landpride for her 1025r. I sharpened it and expected a reasonable but not great cut, similar to our 6' on the 2440.
To my surprise the 4' left things looking like a golf course. The cut was perfect.
But oh so slow , out there bouncing around for 2 days to mow 6 acres.
you make a great case for the flex wing. I bought a 6 foot mower for my 60 Hp tractor and a have regretted not spending the extra $$ on a flex wing every time.
But I might spend the $$ on an offset flail mower instead as that gives me a flexibility that I could really use.
did the tractor have enough power when you got in the thick stuff?
Hi Tim! Just curious to see how you like the treadle pedal now that you have had more time with it? Thanks
I don’t like it. Much less handy than the dual pedals.
Hi Tim, I User a Front mower at my Kubota stv. It is so much nicer visibilitie and handling at smaler areas.
How about a video on how to adjust the single on a 3 pt hitch, and how to maintain the blades? Thanks and enjoy your Sunday. From Virginia, Cheers!
Tim how does the 2 spindle 8' mowers mow? I have set up and sold them when i worked at the newholland dealer but never mowed with them.I am getting my new tractor this week and was thinking of retiring my 6'single spindle was looking at a new 7' but the double 8' may be nice any thoughts ,thanx .
Haven’t had the opportunity to try one.
I enjoy your video. I find my multi spindle mower does a better job on the tire tracks.
Hi Tim enjoyed meeting you and seeing your family at the Farm Progress Show. I liked talking to you about your flail mower and the wear on your blades. I will be purchasing a flail mower but still looking for a dealer near me for Maschio(near Danville IL). Thanks for your insight and keep on making great videos.
Yep. Great to talk with you!
Hey Tim 🚜 I really appreciate you sharing this information on this video I really enjoyed this video 🇺🇲