NH 450 sickle bar mower - bent cuff bracket

[keegs]

Hi everyone,

I was mowing very high weeds (mostly burdock) on the edge of the slope that goes down to the water's edge of the pond. It hadn't been mowed in two seasons so it was pretty wild and woolly stuff. Somehow I bent the bar and head completely away from the main mower frame (the part the attaches to the TPH). The mechanism that allow the bar to swing free from the frame is working.

The mower head and bar (wobble box and cutting bar) attaches to the main mower frame with what I'll call a cuff bracket that bolts on to the lower portion of the horizontal tubing of the main frame. (New Holland painted this cuff bracket yellow and it attaches just before the mower head pulley. The end of the bracket forms a U shape which wraps around (and through) the wobble box. The ends of the U shaped part of the bracket seats inside the wobble box but as the bracket is bent now, have become detached. I was able to bend the cuff bracket almost all the way back to it's original shape.

I'm wondering if the mower is salvageable at this point.

Any thoughts or experiences are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[sweettractors]

You should be fine if you can get your pulleys in line enough to keep the belt from riding off. Ken Sweet

 

[keegs]

Thanks Ken

 

[keegs]

You should be fine if you can get your pulleys in line enough to keep the belt from riding off. Ken Sweet

I brought it to a guy nearby that repairs farm equipment. The bracket that holds the pulley at the cutter bar end was bent. A weld had broken inside the transfer mechanism (at the cutter bar end). We took the bracket off and used a hammer press to eyeball straighten it. We reattached the bracket and then I applied pressure to the cutter bar (using it as a fulcrum) while he repaired the broken weld inside the transfer mechanism. I've been using it since May and so far so good.

Is it true demand for these old sickle bar mowers is coming back?

 

[sweettractors]

I brought it to a guy nearby that repairs farm equipment. The bracket that holds the pulley at the cutter bar end was bent. A weld had broken inside the transfer mechanism (at the cutter bar end). We took the bracket off and used a hammer press to eyeball straighten it. We reattached the bracket and then I applied pressure to the cutter bar (using it as a fulcrum) while he repaired the broken weld inside the transfer mechanism. I've been using it since May and so far so good.

Is it true demand for these old sickle bar mowers is coming back?

Glad she is still holding together for you. The sickle mowers have been hot for the last several years, however, I feel like the demand has tapered off somewhat. Ken Sweet

 

[powerscol]

Demand around here is up and down. I have had several folks ask about my 9' IH 1300. Depending on the crop it is my go to cutter, AS I have added the hydraulics to it and the hydraulic top link adjustment on the fly is easy.

 

[Jstpssng]

I just started thinking about getting one, as there are places where I shouldn't or can't use the brush hog because it's too rough and/or rocky.
It also would be handy for cutting under limbs as my fruit trees start growing.

 

[powerscol]

I just started thinking about getting one, as there are places where I shouldn't or can't use the brush hog because it's too rough and/or rocky.
It also would be handy for cutting under limbs as my fruit trees start growing.

For cutting under you orchard trees consider an offsetting flail mower or ditch bank version where the head is on a swing arm. They mulch the grass as they cut.