Flail mower vs. rotary mower

[gutsnthegrass]

I have a couple acres that gets pretty overgrown this time of year.  I am looking to get a tractor and wondering if any of you guys have any info on what might be a better choice for this situation.  it is mostly heavy tall grass, but some areas has blackberries as well.

Thanks

[BD1]

I love my Landpride rotary mower for behind the tractor. It destroys black berries and still make my files look like a finish mower did it. I leave it on all the time and it kind of works as a counter balance too. Check out some YouTube videos. Side note...I but a heavier duty one...it really rips stuff up.

[nwwanderer]

Have used both, big and little.  The rotary is less maintenance and usally a better look with one pass

[Bucks2Ducks]

Flail mowers are much more maintenance, but do a better job on grass. Use to use them both commercially. That being said you would be just fine with a rotary.... If you want to keep it looking like a yard get a finish mower, brush hog is more for a couple passes in the summer.

[KFhunter]

For tall grass and some blackberries it sounds like a rotary mower,  faster and less HP requirement giving you a bigger swath.  They're more common and cheaper. 

The flail would shine if you wanted to mulch brush, it'll chop it up finer.   If you said you wanted to do more blackberries than grass, then I'd suggest a flail.





edit - what Bucks2Ducks said, if you got those blackberries dealt with you could keep it nicer with a finish mower.   

[huntingfool7]

Flail does a nicer job and it doesn't hang out so far off the back.  Easier to maneuver in tighter places with a much smaller turn radius.  When cutting tall grass you'll get a finer chop

[Magnum_Willys]

My finish mower tended to pull long grass and dandelions down as it went over them then blade air would hold them down leaving dandelion stems uncut.   Cut out 2.5 “ of front deck so blade hit them and that fixed problem.