Betstco Flail Mower: Reviews, Common Problems, and Specs

Betstco produces and sells a variety of flail mowers. Flail mowers are landscaping and agricultural equipment. You can use them to remove grass and mulch instead of a conventional lawnmower. You can cut heavier grass and denser shrubs with a flail mower than most conventional lawnmowers. They do not have a large rotating blade; instead, they use a rotating horizontal drum with an array of attached flails or short blades.

In this article, we will be looking at Betstco standard duty flail mowers. As part of our overview of this series, we will look at the specifications of Betstco standard duty flail mowers and review them. Also identified are common problems of the Betstco flail mower.

Betstco Standard Duty Flail Mower Specifications and Review

Betstco has a range of flail mowers in their lineup. Their flail mower series include Ditch Bank, medium duty, heavy duty, premium heavy duty, and D series trail cutter. However, in this write-up, we focus on the standard duty flail mowers.

As of the time of writing this article, there are up to seven flail mowers in their standard grass flail mower series. The standard duty flail mowers have differences in their dimensions and capability, even though they generally do similar work. Here we will overview the specifications of these Betstco flail mowers side by side.

With all the models in the Betstco standard-duty series, you have the option of mulch blades in addition to grass blades. In some of the specifications presented above, there are some similarities. However, most differences are increases in dimensions or capacity from the FH-EF85 to FH-EF175.

The working width and overall width increase from the smallest standard-duty flail mower (FH-EF85) to the largest one (FH-EF175). The flail mowers with wider working widths would be more useful in areas with larger working areas as they will allow for faster coverage and improve efficiency. However, where you have small and confined working spaces, you will be best suited to the smaller model.

The larger model mowers have a higher minimum horsepower requirement, with that of the FH-EF175 being twice that of the smallest one. With the higher horsepower requirement, you should have enough power to handle tougher vegetation as a result of the increased power. A caveat, however, is that a small or mini tractor may not be capable of powering the larger flail mowers in the Betstco standard-duty series.

As the working width increases, so does the distance right from the center mount. The Distance right of the center mount refers to the distance between the mower’s center and the far-right flail. Longer distances mean wider cuts, and small distances mean narrower cuts. The wider distance right of the center mount of the larger models enables better offset mowing. The caveat to the broader distance right of the center mount is the lack of precision when cutting grass or mulch.

In terms of similarities, all models use the universal category I hitch, which should be compatible with most tractors. The 3-point connection width is identical across all models. Also, all the models have uniform gearbox ratings. The rotor diameter is also the same on all Betstco standard-duty flail mowers.

Another area where there is some similarity is in the number of belts, although it is not across all models. All the models have 2 belts, with the exception of the FH-EF155 and FH-EF175, which are the largest models. The FH-EF155 has 3 belts, and FH-EF175 has 4. The larger models have more belts due to their higher power transmission. However, more belts may increase the cost and frequency of maintaining them.

The housing thickness of the first five models is the same at 4 millimeters. In comparison, the 2 largest models have a 5-millimeter housing thickness. Durability as a result of the housing thickness is mostly consistent. The slightly thinner housing of the smallest four models may reduce their robustness for heavy-duty work compared to the two largest models.

As the working and overall width of the models increase, so does the weight of the machine. The heavier mowers should have better traction and stability than the smaller ones. They may, however, place more strain on smaller tractors.

In their standard range of flail mowers, Betstco has created flail mowers for different situations and users. The larger models, while being more powerful, might be less maneuverable and need you to combine them with more powerful tractors. If you have a smaller working area and a compact tractor, the smaller standard-duty mowers should be fine for you. Thankfully, Betstco has many options for different points. You should consider the work area, tractor power, and the type of vegetation you intend to work on before purchasing one or more. Making an informed purchase is the very essence of this review.

Common Problems of Betsco Flail Mowers

Betstco flail mowers are solid agricultural and landscaping tools. Tools, especially those of the mechanical variety, tend to have problems. So, in this section, we want to identify some of the common issues of a Betstco flail mower.

1) Blade Wear

The blades of a flail mower or any mower are their most important part. The Betstco flail mower blades receive most of the wear and tear when being operated because they are most likely to hit and grind against rocks and other debris that can damage them. A damaged or worn-out mower blade will hinder its general performance. It might be a good idea to keep extra blades so that productivity is not heavily affected by one or more damaged blades.

2) Collision Damage

Besides damaged blades, other parts of the Betstco flail mower are also susceptible to damage from rocks and other obstacles when they collide. Collision with solid objects can bend or break blades, housing, rotors, or other components.

3) Lubrication

You might be wondering how lubrication is a problem. Basically, the Betstco flail mower needs a lot of lubrication to work effectively. The Betstco flail mowers also require heavy lubrication and greasing to prevent damage. In the manual for the Betstco standard-duty flail mowers, written in bold and uppercase letters in red is an instruction to “ADD OIL BEFORE OPERATING” and “GREASE ALL FITTINGS BEFORE OPERATING.”

Lubrication and greasing are something you will need to do repeatedly, and this can be tiresome. In addition to the strenuous nature of constant lubrication, failure to adequately and frequently lubricate and grease the Betstco flail mower could lead to myriad issues, including rust and corrosion of parts and inefficient performance. Ensure you use the recommended lubricant, grease, and gearbox oil.

4) Safety Concern

Like other flail mowers, Betstco flail mowers have more moving parts than traditional mowers. If broken off, they can seriously hurt or injure you or people nearby. Flail mowers also kick up more debris and rocks than traditional lawnmowers. Ensure you use protective gear and be aware of people, obstacles, and objects around when operating the Betstco flail mower.

Conclusion

Betstco produces many different flail mowers for cutting and mulching grass and vegetation. We took a closer look at the standard duty series. There are 7 models in the series. Our review of their specifications reveals some likeness in their hitch, gearbox rating, and diameters. Most of the other specifications are increments in dimensions and capabilities from the smallest to the largest model.

The smaller models will be better for users who intend to work in smaller spaces and will be compatible with more tractors. The models on the larger end of the standard-duty series will enable faster and more efficient work in larger areas due to their wider working width, blades, and distance right of the center mount. Also, we identified common problems of the Betstco flail mowers. They include blade wear and collision damage. The other problems looked at revolve around lubrication and safety.