08/23/2026
I’d never hooked up a PTO shaft. I’d never connected tractor hydraulics. And I’d definitely never assembled a flail mower.
So naturally, what should have been a 2 hour job turned into 4 days of research and unknowns after putting this project off for nearly an entire month.
We post these videos to YouTube as well if you prefer to watch a longer video like this on a TV. Same on YouTube.
In this video, I assemble and install a Farmry flail mower on our John Deere 4052R from the perspective of someone who is VERY new to tractors and heavy equipment. This isn't a sponsored video, and it definitely isn't an expert showing you how easy everything is. It's a city guy who recently moved to an acreage figuring it out as he goes.
Some things went surprisingly well. Other things were pretty humbling and made it painfully obvious how much I still have to learn.
Once I finally had everything assembled, the 3pt hitch figured out and the hydraulics working, I put the Farmry to work mowing our ditch, trails and around the pond. That also gave me a chance to form some real opinions about this relatively inexpensive Chinese implement — what impressed me, what didn't, and whether I think it was worth buying.
And then I ran over a hidden hose with the mower!
For a few minutes, I thought I had created a much bigger problem than I actually had. Fortunately, the Farmry handled the encounter better than I did.
If you're an experienced tractor owner, you'll probably see several things in this video that make you shake your head. That's okay — we're learning, and helpful advice is always welcome.
And if you're another new acreage owner staring at a PTO shaft or hydraulic hoses wondering what you've gotten yourself into... you're definitely not alone.
