NH 38 Flail Chopper to cut hay field

chas036

Member
I am been trying to find a 3 point 6 to 8 ft flail mower to use to cut my hay fields because my rorary mower leaves uncut lines because my tires push done grass and the rotary mower fails to cut it. All the three point, good condition flail mowers I have seen at auctions have been selling for 1500 to 2500 or more. I have seen some old NH 38 flail choppers selling for 1000 or less. My question is , could I use that flail chopper to cut my fields with the same quality as 3 point flail mower would cut them?
 
Yes they cut beautiful when they’re sharp. Maybe even better quality as a chopper is designed to cut tall stuff. Furthermore, the Ford 917 , for example, the rotor turns forward, with ground travel, and throws cut grass down onto the uncut grass in heavy conditions. Then you have to re-cut the cut grass in addition to the uncut grass, and this takes a lot of power and leaves a ragged looking finish. The chopper rotor turns backwards, against ground travel, and throws everything out the back as soon as it is cut. They can be more dangerous than a regular flail mower for this reason, because they can throw objects out the front unless there is a curtain or swinging guards ; and they are a bit more cumbersome than a 3 point .

When purchasing a chopper, always make sure they can power it up so you can see it run. More often than not, the shaft is bent… it’ll shake and constantly fall apart and eventually things will start cracking. Take your time and pay for a good one.
 
I am been trying to find a 3 point 6 to 8 ft flail mower to use to cut my hay fields because my rorary mower leaves uncut lines because my tires push done grass and the rotary mower fails to cut it. All the three point, good condition flail mowers I have seen at auctions have been selling for 1500 to 2500 or more. I have seen some old NH 38 flail choppers selling for 1000 or less. My question is , could I use that flail chopper to cut my fields with the same quality as 3 point flail mower would cut them?
How much hay field are you talking about?
 
I am been trying to find a 3 point 6 to 8 ft flail mower to use to cut my hay fields because my rorary mower leaves uncut lines because my tires push done grass and the rotary mower fails to cut it. All the three point, good condition flail mowers I have seen at auctions have been selling for 1500 to 2500 or more. I have seen some old NH 38 flail choppers selling for 1000 or less. My question is , could I use that flail chopper to cut my fields with the same quality as 3 point flail mower would cut them?
How much hay field are you talking about?
 
Yes they cut beautiful when they’re sharp. Maybe even better quality as a chopper is designed to cut tall stuff. Furthermore, the Ford 917 , for example, the rotor turns forward, with ground travel, and throws cut grass down onto the uncut grass in heavy conditions. Then you have to re-cut the cut grass in addition to the uncut grass, and this takes a lot of power and leaves a ragged looking finish. The chopper rotor turns backwards, against ground travel, and throws everything out the back as soon as it is cut. They can be more dangerous than a regular flail mower for this reason, because they can throw objects out the front unless there is a curtain or swinging guards ; and they are a bit more cumbersome than a 3 point .

When purchasing a chopper, always make sure they can power it up so you can see it run. More often than not, the shaft is bent… it’ll shake and constantly fall apart and eventually things will start cracking. Take your time and pay for a good one.
with a some modification you could take the blower and chute off and let the auger windrow for you. or take the auger out too and just let it fall on the ground behind. may want to look at different brands to see which one may work the best like a Gehl verus new holland, versus Deere or IH or...... advantage of the old flail chopper is its trailer type and is offset so you're not running over crop which never really works well regardless of the type of mower.

around here someone has an old deere 16A with a bad blower and chute for $200 who knows what the rest of it is like.. there is also a NH 38 for $12500, $4500 and a Gehl for $3500 (used dealership). and some NH and Gehls for $1200-2200ish a Deere 15A for $600
 
I am been trying to find a 3 point 6 to 8 ft flail mower to use to cut my hay fields because my rorary mower leaves uncut lines because my tires push done grass and the rotary mower fails to cut it. All the three point, good condition flail mowers I have seen at auctions have been selling for 1500 to 2500 or more. I have seen some old NH 38 flail choppers selling for 1000 or less. My question is , could I use that flail chopper to cut my fields with the same quality as 3 point flail mower would cut them?
Any green chopper will work but the knives need to be in good condition. Many flail choppers do not leave the farm until the last ounce of life is squeezed out of them so any candidate needs a very thorough inspection. The NH 38 was made up until the last 10 years so parts are probably more readily available versus some other brands.
 
with a some modification you could take the blower and chute off and let the auger windrow for you. or take the auger out too and just let it fall on the ground behind. may want to look at different brands to see which one may work the best like a Gehl verus new holland, versus Deere or IH or...... advantage of the old flail chopper is its trailer type and is offset so you're not running over crop which never really works well regardless of the type of mower.

around here someone has an old deere 16A with a bad blower and chute for $200 who knows what the rest of it is like.. there is also a NH 38 for $12500, $4500 and a Gehl for $3500 (used dealership). and some NH and Gehls for $1200-2200ish a Deere 15A for $600
That is an interesting idea because I was always intrigued by the Ford hay cutter- - - a 6 foot brush hog with a tunnel to form a wind row. I’ll bet that hay dried quick.
 
Any green chopper will work but the knives need to be in good condition. Many flail choppers do not leave the farm until the last ounce of life is squeezed out of them so any candidate needs a very thorough inspection. The NH 38 was made up until the last 10 years so parts are probably more readily available versus some other brands.
Yeah but parts aren't cheap. If the OP buys some clapped out flail chopper for $1000 and then has to put $1500 worth of new blades on it because half of them are missing and the other half are worn to a nub, they'd be better off paying $2500 for a field ready flail mower.

Dad used out IH #8 flail chopper as a makeshift mower on a few occasions. Just flip the rear shield open and let the clippings fly. He used it to blast apart some badly rained-on windrows of hay that were not worth baling. Worked pretty good for that He also tried to use it to shred corn stalks until it chucked a rock at his head.
 

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