If you run roadside, ditch, or pipeline corridor work, you already know the awkward middle ground: grass and light brush that is too much for a tractor deck, but nowhere near thick enough to justify a full forestry mulcher. That is where an excavator-mounted flail mower earns its keep — reach into the bank, keep the operator in the cab, and leave a cut that inspectors will actually accept.
HCN’s HN36 line sits in that slot. Two factory models share the same hydraulic envelope and cut height rule, then split by carrier class and working width. The numbers below are taken from the published datasheet on the HN36 Flail Mower product page, not from marketing copy.
HN3645 vs HN3660 — pick the carrier first
Start with the excavator you already own. Fitting a wide head on a light boom looks good on paper and fails the tipping check on site.
| Model | Carrier class | Mowing width | Weight (incl. mount) | Envelope (L × W × H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HN3645 | 6–9 tonne excavator | 1,140 mm | 330 kg | 1,850 × 1,456 × 574.5 mm |
| HN3660 | 11–16 tonne excavator | 1,530 mm | 420 kg | 2,260 × 1,945 × 520 mm |
Both models list hydraulic flow at 60–80 L/min and a maximum allowable pressure of 20 MPa. Cutting height is specified at ≥50 mm, with two blades on each head. That flow band is moderate compared with many high-flow mulchers — useful if your auxiliary circuit is already busy with other tools — but you still need to confirm relief settings at working temperature, not at idle.
Flail mower, brush cutter, or tree shear?
Buyers mix these names up constantly. A short practical split:
- Flail mower (HN36) — grass, reeds, light scrub along embankments and verges. You want a finished cut height and a clean pass, not stem-by-stem reduction.
- Brush cutter — thicker saplings and dense brush where a flail starts to struggle. See HCN’s HN38 brush cutter if your stems regularly push past light scrub.
- Tree shear — standing trunks you need to fell and stage, not mow. The HN41 tree shear is the tool for that job.
Many municipal and utility fleets end up with more than one of the above. That is normal. The mistake is ordering a flail when the corridor is full of 100 mm stems, or ordering a shear when 80% of the work is grass on a 1:1 slope.
Where the HN36 actually gets used
From RFQs HCN sees most often, the HN36 shows up on:
- Highway and county roadside verge programmes
- Drainage ditch and canal bank maintenance
- Power-line and pipeline right-of-way grass / light scrub passes
- Park edges, trail shoulders, and storm-water basins where a tractor cannot track safely
- Solar-farm perimeter and array-edge vegetation that must stay below a stated height
On soft or steep ground the excavator’s reach matters more than raw horsepower. Operators can hold the head parallel to the slope without walking a tractor into the soft edge — that is half the reason contractors specify a boom-mounted flail instead of a tractor deck.
What to send in the RFQ (so you get a usable quote)
A one-line “price for flail mower?” email usually comes back with more questions. Faster path:
- Excavator make, model, and operating weight
- Auxiliary flow and pressure (measured if you have them)
- Coupler type — pin-on or quick-attach brand
- Pin-to-pin / ear width if you already know them
- Vegetation type and whether you need the 1,140 mm or 1,530 mm pass width
- Destination country (for CE docs and packing)
HCN builds brackets to OEM pin dimensions for common excavator brands. Standard configurations are typically quoted in the 7–15 working-day window; non-standard hangers take longer. Export is usually FOB Qingdao or Shanghai unless you agree otherwise.
Docs and factory context
Units ship with CE conformity files, operator manual, and QC records from HCN’s ISO 9001:2015 plant in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. If your tender checklist asks for those files up front, ask for them with the quote — do not wait until the container is booked.
HCN has manufactured engineering machinery attachments since 2008 and supplies contractors, rental fleets, and OEM / distributor programmes in 60+ countries. The HN36 is one piece of a wider forestry and landscaping line; if your site needs more than mowing, browse the full attachments catalog before locking a single SKU.
Bottom line
The HN36 is a straightforward excavator flail for verge and corridor work: two clear model sizes, published widths of 1,140 mm and 1,530 mm, and a hydraulic ask most mid-class excavators can meet. Match the head to the carrier class first, then confirm flow and coupler. Specs and drawings live on the HN36 product page; for pricing, send carrier details to HCN and expect a reply within one business day in most cases.
Need specs or export pricing? Contact HCN Attachments with your carrier model and quantity.
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