DOUBLE THE PRICE, IS IT WORTH IT? FLAIL MOWER VS BRUSH HOG 🚜

If you have to clear a field, which is the better choice: the brush hog or the flail mower for your tractor? And is there a difference between a brush hog, a bush hog, a rotary cutter? We'll cover all that and more today, and get you set up to make an informed decision when it comes time to buy your field clearing attachment.

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This video is for entertainment purposes only. Good Works Tractors (Good Works Lawn & Power, LLC) cannot be held responsible for content found in any video. Always reference your owners manuals, use extreme caution, and proceed at your own risk.

[GoodWorksTractors]

WHAT SAY YOU? BRUSH HOG OR FLAIL MOWER? LEAVE YOUR COMMENT BELOW! WE SELL AND SHIP TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS RIGHT TO YOUR HOUSE! CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW ON THE BRUSH HOGS AND FLAIL MOWERS AND SEE WHAT ELSE WE HAVE TO FIT YOUR TRACTOR! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE VIDEO!

[giovannic]

I do commercial brush cutting and I own both. I have a brand new BH417 Bush Hog that is rated for 4". I have never used it because I bought a Sovema 8ft wide Offset Flail mower with 4 lb hammers not Y blades. It cuts like a monster through up to 4 inch brush then cuts a grass really nice. I put hundreds of hours on on these types of machines. I started my business with Rotary Bush hogs but after using flail mowers they are more efficient. They can cut lower because it handle uneven ground better because the ground doesn't have to be as flat to get low. The discharge of debris ie(thick grass) gets distributed more evenly and not clumpy pile of grass. My machine can off set 7 of the 8 ft width which allows to cut closer to tree lines without touching your tractor and your not mowing over run over grass from your tractor. My customers are very happy with me going to flail mower. Also because I can cut lower it longer between cuts. Instead of cutting 3-4 times a year I cut 2-3 times. It lets me charge a little more and have more customers.. So for me I'm all

[arthenry]

Exactly what I want!! Facts and observations!! I do not want a sales pitch. Tell me what you saw!! What you felt!! That way I can decide what is or is not important to ME!! Very well done, thank you..

[scottyb]

I've owned 2 brush hogs and 2 flail mowers over 20 yrs. I think it both have their strengths. A flail mower will give a cleaner smoother cut. A brush hog will excel if you are cutting brush or woody growth where the flail gives a better pasture or open field cut. Love your videos -keep it up

[jasonklabunde]

You should turn that field into alfalfa or grass hay for horses and put a little extra cash In the pocket.

[alexandergentile]

In my experience, I’ve owned both and at first I loved the flail mower for the finish cut it was leaving, until it came to sharpening the Y blades, there’s was way too much time wasted I sold it and bought a finishing mower!!! And when I needed to knock down rough fields the brush hog was the way to go! But that’s my opinion and experience

[ddertdog]

I've used both, each (like others have said) have their pros and cons. Rotary does a good job of rough cutting or first time through. Flail does a good job at making a clean cut if you go the correct speed and let it cut properly (going to fast will leave a rough cut look)
I also use a sickle mower. I've found that for an area where I don't want to cut it often, I use the sickle mower. I let the grass/weeds grow and then cut them with the sickle, which lays the cut grass/weeds flat over the stubble. I've found that it takes a lot longer for the grass/weeds to grow back. (went from cutting weekly/bi-weekly to three times a summer). Same area was cut with rotary or flail mower and everything grew back fast for a weekly/bi-weekly cut requirement
knowing your land and your requirements (wants/needs) is the biggest thing when deciding what to get. I'd recommend renting/borrowing each if possible and trying it for the area you want cut

[giangiorg]

Greetings from Greece! Here we call the flail mower "destroyer". After the trimming of oil trees and through the summer, my olive grove is full of cutoff branches (some over 2cm thick) end tall - messy vegetation. Only one pass with it and is clean and flat like a carpet...

[Canopus]

I managed a vineyard for eight years. I used a "brush hog" for three years. We always had problems with the prunings. The brush hog just mowed off the parts sticking up. Our local tractor dealer me and asked if I wanted to try a fail mower with hammers. I tried it and bought it. the drum turned counter clock wise and the hammers pick up the prunings and mulched them. Never went back to the brush hog.

[neiltsubota]

Your the FIRST one that put the "price" as a factor in your video. Thank You.

[robertpayne]

A friend of mine had a flail mower that he used to clip his yard. And it always looked like a ball field or golf course very neat because it actually cut the grass from the top down instead of the side bruising the grass and tearing it

[johndoe]

May you be blessed by the youtube algorithm. You are my best channel find in a good while!

[redporschekilla]

I’ve got ‘em both, my brush hog is a walk behind for the rough cut, the flail mower works on my 1025 R like a champ and made the investment in the JD bellymower unnecessary! Hands down my flail mower work like a Charme, I mow 6 acre with my 48” during the season weekly!

[jessielozano]

Great video! You approached each unit from different prospectives, making it very informative. Thank you!

[arlisspropertyservicesllc]

The video timing is excellent; I just bought a fine cut flail mower for my Ventrac 4500 yesterday.

[stephenrhodesianridgeback]

Good comparison . 👍 I have been using the six foot flail with the heavy duty thick y blades for years now . There are many uses for a flail mower that people overlook also . You can use them as mulcher too make compost . All the bark and pieces of wood from a splitter /green spruce and cedar branches that are hard too put thru a chipper . I just throw all this debris in a area and grind everything too beautiful mulch . When the garden is finished just bring it down into mulch . Any hills tuffs of grass mounds cleans house and levels yours trails and land smooth and regenerates faster and nice . Mulching leaves in the fall also . A hydraulic top link for a flail is the way too go as you said . I would never be without a flail mower . Way more uses .

[gckshea]

I always called a rotary mower either a Brush Hog or Bush Hog, irrespective of brand. Not until I moved to Texas did I hear the term "Shredder." It made sense here when I saw a friend using his...because he was not mowing grass in a field - he was shredding saplings: mesquite, huisache, yaupon, oaks, pecan. It was like mayhem! Even those 1"-2" saplings are like hitting steel, and the stump looked like the cartoons where the rifle got plugged by the Roadrunner's finger...BOOM! So Shredder it is!

I'd love to have a flail mower, likely with hammer blades here, but in all practicality, the brush hog does just fine. Anything needing nicer cutting I use the rider or Zero Turn.

[douglaspost]

I can't say anything one way or the other about flail mowers because I've never used one. I can however relate my experiences with a rotary mower having brush bogged fields for over 20 years. You make a very good point about trailering a tractor/brush hog type of combination, the mower takes up a lot of room. I have a John Deere 4520 with a 6' Woods mower. My trailer has a 20' deck on it. I back the tractor on the trailer so the mower deck over hangs over the front of the trailer as far as the trailer winch, and that's with the bucket rolled all the way down for a shorter over all package. I suppose I could take the bucket off, but I use it to push trees out of the way that have fallen along the edges of the fields.That deck sticking way out the back does take up a lot of room if you're maneuvering in tight quarters too. Also, some fields that are more grassy than brush trends to leave small piles of cut grass, not always but often enough that its annoying. But, when I'm mowing fields, I can back the mower under trees for a sort of a trim job rather than leave a lot of grass around the tree. In my opinion it looks much better. I also use the mower deck as a counter weight if I'm picking up something heavy with the loader which I do from time to time. All that weight sticking that far out back is a great counter ballast even though my rear tires are filled. The Bush Hog I used to have weighed 960lbs. I think the Woods is about 100lbs lighter, still a lot of weight. I'd love to try a flail mower. The grass on the sides off the roads that is cut with the flail mowers usually look like lawns. If the grass is just right, my rotory looks like that too, but not usually. I had a chance to buy an old Alamo flail mower for dirt cheap one time but I thought about it too long and by the time I decided it was worth putting the money into it to make it usable, it was sold. Shucks! I like your videos. Keep up the great work.

[ronpeacock]

I remember growing up, my father was borrowing Brush Hogs from friends and finally found a sweetheart deal on a Flail (w/ Hammer heads)... After watching, that flail did a much better job, with the hammer heads, it took small trees and larger brush totally out where the brush hogs might get jammed up. They also mulch their output way better... if I had a choice, the Flail would be mine

[chrisperry]

mowed pastures mostly with brush hog, it's handy to cut bigger/thicker stuff and you can back into stuff. It left the pastures looking liked hayed...

I went to a woodmaxx 78" hyd offset ($3k new) and have both kinds of blades. It definitely leaves a more finished appearance, will chew thru weeds just fine. Can't back into/under trees. Haven't have any issues with stumps or rocks, easier to change blades on teh flail than the brush hog. No need to lift/turn it over.
The side shift hydraulic is great feature, i can mow under the fences saving a lot of time.