Flails for hedge cutting with mini digger

[Gunners]

Hi all,
Anybody have any experience running a flail on a mini digger? Met a guy yesterday who's looking to have all the hedges on his 100 acres cut back, they haven't been done for 3 years so are long but not too bad. Am I mad thinking I could do it with the 2.8t mini? At £35/hr which is the going rate round here it could stand to make the right money and I've got a couple of smaller jobs on the horizon where a flail wouldn't go amiss. I've been told you cant track and flail at the same time with a little digger, fair enough but surely you can do it in sections as the flail is much more manoeuvrable than a tractor mounted one so could cut in one pass? And the JCB 8026 has got 10L/min more flow than the Kubotas so she might just do it?
Otherwise I'll have to hire something as the old David Brown and Bomford mower combo just wont "cut" it for this client - it'l have to look right to win the work.

 

[Smiffy]

Hi all,
Anybody have any experience running a flail on a mini digger? Met a guy yesterday who's looking to have all the hedges on his 100 acres cut back, they haven't been done for 3 years so are long but not too bad. Am I mad thinking I could do it with the 2.8t mini? At £35/hr which is the going rate round here it could stand to make the right money and I've got a couple of smaller jobs on the horizon where a flail wouldn't go amiss. I've been told you cant track and flail at the same time with a little digger, fair enough but surely you can do it in sections as the flail is much more manoeuvrable than a tractor mounted one so could cut in one pass? And the JCB 8026 has got 10L/min more flow than the Kubotas so she might just do it?
Otherwise I'll have to hire something as the old David Brown and Bomford mower combo just wont "cut" it for this client - it'l have to look right to win the work.

Hywell evans had some proper mulchers with fixed hammers if you are removing a lot and the cut diameter quoted is far higher than any other one on the market

Haven't used one though but a friend has one on order so will let u know when i see it in action

 

[Monkeybusiness]

I can’t imagine you’ll get a mini digger to do anything like as efficient a job as a big tractor mounted flail unfortunately. But I’d like to be proven wrong!

 

[Gunners]

I can’t imagine you’ll get a mini digger to do anything like as efficient a job as a big tractor mounted flail unfortunately. But I’d like to be proven wrong!

I agree but the tractor and flail I have are very old and not in great service. The job is more a very large private garden rather than farm and so the ground is quite sensitive. I expect the mini to take longer but they would be paying by the hour so within reason that's not such an issue as long as the quality is right. Just trying to make use of what I have really rather than hire/ sub it out.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

I agree but the tractor and flail I have are very old and not in great service. The job is more a very large private garden rather than farm and so the ground is quite sensitive. I expect the mini to take longer but they would be paying by the hour so within reason that's not such an issue as long as the quality is right. Just trying to make use of what I have really rather than hire/ sub it out.

Totally understand where you are coming from but isn’t the customer likely to query the rate if you charge the same per hour as someone else who can do the work in half the time? I know I would...

 

[diggerjones]

Could you hire one or have it on demo and see how you go.
I'm all for using what you've got

 

[Gunners]

Totally understand where you are coming from but isn’t the customer likely to query the rate if you charge the same per hour as someone else who can do the work in half the time? I know I would...

If that's the difference in using an excavator vs tractor mounted then you're right, its not going to work and I don't want to look a fool doing it.
Which is kinda why I asked the question in the first place - just how much slower is it? Because its certainly less damaging to the ground and should be able to produce a good standard plus get right in the corners, around poles and trees etc.

 

[CPS]

I Have a flail for my 3 tonner and it will track and flail at the same time. It needs to be going really slow to track though or it steals the oil from the flail. I have cut some pretty over grown stuff with it to.
You will need every bit of that £35 ph to, its slow going and the tractor will do it at least twice as fast. That said, you have a machine there and it will do it so why not.

 

[fred]

this is a tractor job for sure. Just think of the mess your tracks will make as they crawl at a snails pace.

work out the cost at £35p/h then sub it out to a tractor driver for £25p/h

 

[jd6820]

If that's the difference in using an excavator vs tractor mounted then you're right, its not going to work and I don't want to look a fool doing it.
Which is kinda why I asked the question in the first place - just how much slower is it? Because its certainly less damaging to the ground and should be able to produce a good standard plus get right in the corners, around poles and trees etc.

I would say a tractor and flail as others have suggested is the answer really. I can't see how you could gain the output bearing in mind the tractor hedge cutters have a 40 or more horsepower head and can cut 4/5ft per pass. A mini digger and flail combo could never compete unless working in confined spaces and hence charging a premium for this type of work. But for 100 acres of hedges that seems a no brainer for tractor mounted equpiment, there are chaps out there with turf type tires so I'd imagine damage might even be less than that caused by a track machine? Just my opinion and the option I would consider when faced with 100 acre to cover.

 

[CPS]

I have only just seen that it's 100 acres you need to do. Then yes you would be mad for thinking about it I did less than 10 last year cos it was too wet for a tractor....... This year there is a tractor doing it
That said if you wanted to try it I have a flail and I'm sure we could sort something out.

 

[Gunners]

I did less than 10 last year cos it was too wet for a tractor....... This year there is a tractor doing it

Ok so I'm still mad and having looked at the job today there's not as much as I thought to cut. A lot of it is easy going but plenty of trees in the way and steep slopes/ cross falls to deal with so I'm still thinking I have a chance on this. Also got some potential future work where one would be used and not enough for a tractor so keen to make it work. How long did the 10 acres take you Aiden? Or even that hedge in the picture, that's a lot more overgrown than what I need to cut.

 

[CPS]

Ok so I'm still mad and having looked at the job today there's not as much as I thought to cut. A lot of it is easy going but plenty of trees in the way and steep slopes/ cross falls to deal with so I'm still thinking I have a chance on this. Also got some potential future work where one would be used and not enough for a tractor so keen to make it work. How long did the 10 acres take you Aiden? Or even that hedge in the picture, that's a lot more overgrown than what I need to cut.

Hi Ollie
the hedge in the pictures prob took about 2 hours front and back. The 10 acres took about 2 Saturdays but its hard to judge as i didn't really start to early etc. A fair bit of that was on the road too, (small country road) so moving for cars etc was a pain in the ass. And yes a tractor would have been faster on the roadsides...... but i was already started and didnt have a tractor.
There's no denying that a tractor will be faster, but if its awkward then the digger will defo be a good bet.