flail/green chopper

[johnwayne360]

Had a bearcat flail chopper, bought it for 100 bucks 10 years ago. Slip clutch went out, so I thought Id go find another one. Cant find one for under $750..I should have kept the other one...Anyone hindsight is 20/20..Im wondering if there is a better place to look for one. Seems they arent popping up on auctions like they used to..
 

[NY 986]

I see a few on bbalert but nothing close to the price you desire. Flail choppers were used mostly by small dairies here in NY and they have all but disappeared. It will most likely take some time to find one and maybe not before next chopping season unfortunately. New Holland still makes them but I am sure it will be close to 20K new. Some guys who have the means just bite the bullet and get a new one. Things like flail choppers come up on E-Bay, too. It will require an expansive search to find one close to home for the money you want to spend and in the end you may have to drive further than you want.
 

[johnwayne360]

I figured as much. I dont need it for over 20 acres a year, so im trying to get by cheap as possible.
 

[tomstractorsandtoys1]

A huge number of New Holland and John Deere flail choppers have been exported to Mexico.Also the green chop itself is very juicy causing many choppers to rust up.And as stated they were used by smaller dairies and there are not many of those left and the ones that are left do not buy much new equipment anymore.
 

[Don-Wi]

We got a Gehl 72 that needed some parts and work for $200 from my neighbor 2 years ago. We had a 72 that had it's own issues, so I took the 2 and made 1 good unit out of them, and scrapped the rest. I had to replace the spout, blower band, auger pan, and drive belts. All of which were in decent shape from ours. I kept a few parts like the extra auger, gear box, PTO shaft, toungue, and let the rest go. Wasn't anything worth while anyway.

Hard to find a good deal anymore

Donovan from Wisconsin
 

[Longmeadow farm]

The comments below are "right-on". I use a flail to provide green chop to my grass fed beef cattle, when/if the pastures get short because of dry conditions. So some years it is seldom/never used. However, the last two flails I bought I found in the back of a dairy farmer's machinery shed and convinced them to sell it to me. I too couldn't locate one for sale going the normal route ..i. e, want ads, craigslist, tractor house (that was close enough to get it). Some times it's just luck, but I would ask around... my John Deere machinery dealer was most helpful ... the others not so much..wanted to sell me new. Note..in this neck of the woods I doubt you could get a servicable/repairable flail for 500 bucks.
 

[NY 986]

Around here IF you could find anything close to decent in John Deere or New Holland it will be quite a bit more than 500 dollars. There were a number of IH flail choppers around years ago and those today if one could be found may very well price out in the 5-6-700 dollar range.
I had a chance to drive some roads this year I had not been down for twenty years or more and nearly all the older small dairy equipment is gone as is the operator.
 

[johnwayne360]

Thats exactly what i want it for. Im probably going to run out of hay mid april, was hoping to find something to get by until the pasture comes on enough to support the cows.
 

[johnwayne360]

Don..which part of wi? I see a couple gehls on northern wi craigslist. Too far for me..but if you need more parts..Im near dubuque ia.
 

[INCase]

can you get the slip clutch replaced??

you could do the same with a small chopper with a direct cut header... of course those headers may be harder to find than another flail unit.
 

[johnwayne360]

unfortunately, i junked it, thinking i could just go find another one at an auction somewhere...not my brightest day..
 

[Don-Wi]

We're a 1/2 hour south of green bay. Not really any parts we need any more. I'm still thinking about putting in the 3 knives from the parts chopper to give it 6 knives. might see about a new shear bar from the dealer though.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 

[NY 986]

Just checked the JD website and the 972 is still offered at around 14,500 dollars.