Sickle Bar cutter bar on sickle-bar mower bent

[Pusto]

My New Holland 450 sickle bar mower has a bent cutter bar, due to driving the mower into an obstruction. It now has a crown,as you look at it from one end, with a bend in the bar about where the cutter bar rests on the travel position rest. The mower still works, but I'm not sure what risks there are using it as it is. What would anyone recommend? Thanks.

[Gordon Gould]

A picture would help you get a better answer. If it were mine I would try to straighten it out. I picture a hump about at about a third of the bar length ?

[Verticaltrx]

If you ever want it to mow really well again you'll have to straighten it. It will be hard to keep the all the knives down on the guards with a bend in it and therefore will be more prone to plugging and giving a poor cut. I would take it to a good machine shop/fabrication shop to see what they could do with it. A new bar (just the piece of metal itself) is over $1000 from New Holland.

[rbcsaver]

I'm not an expert, and you can take or leave any of my advice.
I deny any responsibility for damages, but if mine, this is what I would do.
I would lower the bar with the tip end of the mower end supported
on a wood topped (to prevent damage) cinder block(s), and then similar
inboard support to protect hydraulic mount and literally. add weights, step
on the supported bar til level. A 36" level, or greater will help you to visualize the
bevel and it's change. The damage is caused quickly, but the cure takes time and caution to counter bend.
regards,
Steve

[sweettractors]

My New Holland 450 sickle bar mower has a bent cutter bar, due to driving the mower into an obstruction. It now has a crown,as you look at it from one end, with a bend in the bar about where the cutter bar rests on the travel position rest. The mower still works, but I'm not sure what risks there are using it as it is. What would anyone recommend? Thanks.

I watched my Dad straighten out a sickle bar mower bar many times when I was a kid. He would lay one end on a piece of fireplace wood 8-10 inches in diameter maybe 2 ft long. Then he would open the door on that 1951 Chevy car and carefully the left front tire up the incline of the bar. Back up and check the progress. If it had not straightened enough, he would repeat the procedure and go a little further each time until he got it perfect. Ken Sweet

[Pusto]

Did your Dad drive the Chevy car along the length of the cutter bar? I am having trouble visualizing the details of his technique. I guess it takes quite a bit of weight to bend the bar back to its position. Did he take the machine apart and just drive over the bar itself, or did he leave the knives and all in it? Thanks for the help.

[sweettractors]

Did your Dad drive the Chevy car along the length of the cutter bar? I am having trouble visualizing the details of his technique. I guess it takes quite a bit of weight to bend the bar back to its position. Did he take the machine apart and just drive over the bar itself, or did he leave the knives and all in it? Thanks for the help.

He drove along the length of the bar. Centered up. He took the bar off the A-Frame and took the sickle out. Ken Sweet

[flusher]

My New Holland 450 sickle bar mower has a bent cutter bar, due to driving the mower into an obstruction. It now has a crown,as you look at it from one end, with a bend in the bar about where the cutter bar rests on the travel position rest. The mower still works, but I'm not sure what risks there are using it as it is. What would anyone recommend? Thanks.

The cutter bar on my MF31 sicklebar (7-ft) was bent so I had to replace it. Got a piece of steel bar stock and commenced to drill about 60 holes (about 1/4" size). It took a few hours at the drill press.



I used the old bar as a pattern, mate drilled the new bar. Drill a hole, insert a bolt, line up the next hole and drill, move the bolt to the hole just drilled, repeat until you reach the end of the bar.

I suppose I could have checked around for a replacement bar already drilled, but the cost likely would have been a shock.

Good luck.

[Pusto]

He drove along the length of the bar. Centered up. He took the bar off the A-Frame and took the sickle out. Ken Sweet

I put a heavy steel loading ramp on the bent bar at a right angle to it, and then drove my pickup axle on it. It didn't help any. I can see that driving over the whole length of it could work better. I called an auto body repair shop and they have a twenty ton press which he thinks will provide the over-bend on the bar to make sure that it gets straightened. I need to take the cutter bar out of the mower, and then remove the knife bar and the rock teeth, etc.
This begs the next question: Any thoughts on taking the cutter bar off? It looks like the four mounting bolts could have lots of torque pounds on them. Thanks for all the help.

[landdog49]

My sickle bar was bent. I stripped everything off of it and took it to a machine shop with a press. In about 30 minutes he had it straight. Cost me $60.00. Cheap, compared to a new one.
Then I replace everything on the cutter bar with new parts.
Big problem, the 9 FT sickle is not making a clean cut from the inter shoe out about 3 FT. I have taken a sledge hammer to the guards up – trying to get the knives to ride on the outermost part of the guard.
Any suggestions.