Sickle bar cutter hangs from FEL

[Creamer]

My NH 455 mower runs 1600 strokes/min. I am surprised your haybine double sickle system only runs half of that? I have never worked with a haybine but I would think they would want to run it a lot faster. IH sickle bar mowers run about 1900 strokes/min. I have seen Rowse advertise 2000 strokes/min using IH heads.

 

[Coyote machine]

I have the Samuri Sickle bar which attaches to most FEL buckets with the included 'universal' bracket supplied with the mower. I'm looking into rigging it to fit a QA plate to allow it to go closer to the ground, similar to what it sounds like you're doing Sodo, with the rig you have. Here's a link to the thread I started before purchasing it,(when I had concerns about how many GPMs it could handle, and if I might need to add restrictive valving before the sickle's motor.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ot-sickle-bar.html?highlight=Samuri+sicklebar

You will find specs for GPM and flow, etc. in this thread. Please note, I did NOT add anything to the rig from the factory, and it runs fine, at slow ground speed, (NO blurred cutter blade movement), as suggested by the manufacturer at their web site: cutthat.com

I hope this helps you figure out what you need; and I can say that a reasonable ground speed and fairly low RPMs seems to work well to cut pond side grasses and edges of fields, etc. Small sapplings may take more RPMs and an almost complete stop of ground speed to allow the bar to cut through, depending on how hard the wood is, etc.

There are few good and reasonably priced alternatives to get this type of mowing done, unless one wants to use a pole with chainsaw attached; and I've done that, it's too hard work to do large areas IMHO.:confused3:

 

[Sodo]

I have the Samuri Sickle bar which attaches to most FEL buckets,,,,,,

Thanks CM, that was a very useful thread, touching on many aspects of hydraulics and lots of discussion how a sickle cuts. I was not aware that the Samurai FEL sickle bar existed. I thought Steve was referring to a small 4wd vehicle.

There are few good and reasonably priced alternatives to get this type of mowing done, unless one wants to use a pole with chainsaw attached; and I've done that, it's too hard work to do large areas IMHO.

I have a polesaw chainsaw attachment for my Echo, IMHO it's too hard work to do small areas. It's in as-new condition because it takes 10x the effort and outputs only 5% of what the a skil-saw equipped brush cutter does. The skil-saw setup gets heavy usage because it's lightweight & fast, cuts great up to 2" and cuts 4" faster than getting out the polesaw. Anybody who thinks they need a polesaw for trails maintenance actually needs a skilsaw. Unless you like to vibrate little branches until you tire of it then the polesaw excels because you get your fill quick. Polesaw turns out to be more tiring than bending over with a chainsaw. Both are hard on your back but the polesaw will give you arms like Popeye.

My sickle will cut directly under the FEL plus a foot on each side and doesn't have to produce "acres-per-hour". Just a cut the grass & weeds a couple times per year, mow the road center, and some landscape type cutting, smaller meadow areas. And I'd like it to attach easily.

 

[BukitCase]

" I was not aware that the Samurai FEL sickle bar existed. I thought Steve was referring to a small 4wd vehicle."

Wouldn't mind having THAT Samurai too, if it was wrecked but still drivable (Read "cheap" :thumbsup - I keep looking at the JD Gators, but for what they want for one I'll continue to "get my exersize"

Could be worse; I woke up last month and found out I was 70 and still breathing :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I've been working on one of my many "lazy man projects", involves the brush bucket and brush forks I built and the "wheel-less Samurai" - got the flow divider/control plumbed in with QD's on a bulkhead on front bucket, I'll get some more pix and start a new thread on it (hopefully in the next week,) - I want this thang DONE so bad I've even limited my penchant for "shiny things" somewhat

Now, back to our regular programming... Steve

 

[Sodo]

This is a little more than I need. Found this searching "Samurai Mower". I'd like to find a wrecked Samurai and strip it to be a UTV (and the kids could drive around in the woods).

I woke up last month and found out I was 70 and still breathing.

One project on my list is dirtbiking with unborn grandkids. Gotta get these grandkids from the right Dads though, which is perhaps the biggest hurdle. I'm on the "70 is the new 55" program - at least thats how I'm trying to steer things (health). Right now I think I'm about 40 until I do something strenuous for a half a day (like brush cutting) then it's nap time.

If I can get this 6 foot sickle on the FEL, some of my cutting tasks will be very easy. Except I could buy a riding mower for $500 that will do most of what the Sickle's job is. But the "project" is half of the motivation, I want to do some hydraulics.

 

[BukitCase]

Gotta go finish the last couple bits of my "brain children", but here's a few teasers so far - The hydraulics are mostly temporary in order to "git-r-done" so I can use the stuff to whack back my hedges (neighbors - not as bad as SA's, but close) - then if I get the new shop enclosed before winter I'll re-do most of what's in the pix using hard tubing, except where it HAS to flex.

Apologies to Coyote Machine, my excuse is too many projects/too little time and space - hopefully you'll see something here that'll give you other ideas.

Oh, and I'm using the Prince RD112-30 flow control valve, 'cause I didn't want to restrict flow to the hoe when not using the Samurai - it has no relief built in, not sure if that was wise - it needed to have main pump flow run thru it and out the EF port to the rest of the system, with the CF (controlled flow) going to the sickle. ATM I just have a bunch of JIC adapters plugged into the bulkhead, won't know til I try a few things whether I'll need to change anything...

Feel free to ask questions about anything you see, I'll get to them probably later tonite or tomorrow. Gotta go weld some doo-hickeys onto some thing-a-ma-jigs, etc, so my newly modified brush forks will stay on the bucket and come off fast (but only if I want 'em to)...Steve

 

[Coyote machine]

BukitCase,

Somewhere in there is a Samuri Sickle Bar?!:confused2:
So what are you trying to do with it? The pics don't really convey, to me at least, what the end game is for the sickle...

BTW, I'm in process of buying a QA plate for my loader to fabricate a bracket for the Samuri so I can get it as close to the ground as possible. And I found in using the sickle bar last fall that I did not like having it attached to my FEL bucket. One it restricts my view of the bucket and sickle when trying to cut grass, weeds, etc. I want to be able to just focus on the cutter bar and where it is cutting, and not have to worry about the bucket edge possibly digging in.
If you have any ideas to share on what you might use to bracket the Samuri to the QA plate, I'm mostly ears.

I'm thinking a thick steel flat plate that the existing supplied Samuri bracket could be bolted to, without modifying it beyond what's absolutely necessary.

Any thoughts?

 

[BukitCase]

The first pic shows the sickle mounted over the outermost tine of a set of brush forks I built out of 1x3 .120 wall tubing - I'm hoping it'll let me get low enough NOT to have to pick up laurel trimmings by hand - the plan (wish?) is for the sickle to cut stuff and have it fall across the forks.

Second pic, same idea but using it in conjunction with the brush bucket I built - this is a 6' x 8' x 2'deep add-on, essentially a full-size pickup bed than can raise to just over 11 feet - I can climb the loader arms with this add-on attached, cut stuff, toss it over my shoulder, then when there's a pile I climb BACK over the pile, down the loader arms (('ve added foot-holds on the tops of the loader arms for this) - then drive to my burn pile, dump it, and repeat.

I built a set of large hooks that fit into the outer pair of 2" receiver hitches I added to the bucket - I can drive up to the brush bucket, roll the bucket down, catch two 1" diameter pins (one on each side), roll the bucket back, and it's hooked up.

Pic 3 shows the flow splitter, temporarily hooked up with a bunch of 45 and 90 degree fittings for a trial run - eventually most of that will get replaced with hard tubing. The pump used to go into the bottom of the loader valve - now that line is moved to the input of the flow control, the upper left fitting is the EF port which goes BACK into the loader valve - the top right fitting is controlled flow - right now it's going to bulkhead QD's on the loader via 3/8 hose, ultimately that hose will get replaced with 3/4" hard tubing (same weld-on mounts will fit) so I can mod the mounts for my 6' flail and run it on the front.

Pic 4 is slightly different mount location, I've added 2" receivers midships on both sides of the brush bucket. Not shown is the option of mounting the cutter across the bucket for trimming those pesky low-hanging branches that keep trying to remove my hat when using the ZTR. Again, lazy/old way is NOT to have to handle EVERYTHING 4-5 times

Pic 5 sorta shows the (still in process) quick attach method for the brush forks - when it's done, it should be well under 5 minutes to swap from forks to bucket, with or without the sickle.

This is all part of a larger "system" I've been adding to, based on multiple 2" receivers anywhere I might want to attach something - I've made up straight 2" tubes in 30', 48" and 72" pairs as well as various tees, etc, and usually I can find a way to do what I need to do with varying combo's of these "mil spec tinker toys" - Once I get the machining/welding done on the front quick attach system, it'll be even more versatile.

Fortunately my old Case can lift right at 4000 pounds with the loader, so adding a couple hundred pounds of stuff isn't a big deal for me. I can see where that'd be a problem for some of the smaller SCUTs though.

In your case, I might try to figure out a way to add a couple receiver tubes to both sides of your SSQA plate if they can be kept out of the way of normal use - you could then use those to add nearly any extensions/angles you want so you can see what you're doing better - my local steel supplier carries the REAL receiver tubing, 2.53 OD and 2.03 ID so it works with regular 2" tubing, hopefully you will be able to find a similar deal if you decide to go this route. It sure gives you a lot of options.

HTH... Steve

Almost forgot - I welded 2 short pieces of C channel together at a 90*, and welded one of those flush to 2" square tubing - fits any receiver, the factory swivel mount slides between the lips on the channel, seems like it'll work OK. The pics don't really show that much, if you want I'll pull it apart and get you a better shot...