Hesston 1120 mower

[arl242]

I purchased a Hesston 1120 this summer and have noticed it doesn't mow the best other than in a low gear. Someone mentioned to check my drawbar height on the tractor along with the sickle. I know my drawbar is about 3/4" high for what the manual calls for. Since it is high would it make that much of a difference in a higher gear? When in the higher gear it looks like the grass was just ran over and stripped (especially in the alfalfa). Any help is appreciated as the low gear I have to run in takes about an acre/hr.

 

[whis]

what kind of shape are the sickle blades in?

 

[rankrank1]

Well I own a Hesston 1120 and easily cut at 4.3 mph with one tractor (could go even faster but I do not). On another tractor sometimes 4.3 mph but lots of 3.5 mph due to the tractors very limited hp.

Are you running the PTO speed somewhere close to 540 rpm?
Sickle knife sections in good shape?
Ledger plates on the guards in good shape?
Hold downs in good shape?
Is the sickle in register?

 

[arl242]

The blades are in descent to good shape. I will check over the sickle and make sure everything is in line and nothing is loose. I assume the sickle is in register, if not would it even cut smooth in low gear? I'm pretty new to repairing machinery myself, what are you referring to as the ledger plate?

 

[rankrank1]

The ledger is the part of the guard that makes the other half of the cut with the sickle knife - they work together as a tandem just like scissors. The ledger was replaceable on antique sickle mowers but is all made into the guard on most modern sickles so you have to replace the entire guard. If the perpendicular edge of the guard is all rounded over instead of a more squared off edge then the guard is likely shot. (Look at a new guard and compare)

As for assuming register: This is easy to check and outlined in an owners manual. Basically the knife needs to move rightward and leftward an exact amount so a full cut is attained as it moves across one guard to the other. A full cut is attained in both directions when the knife register is set properly. When register is set poorly; your mower is now at 50% capacity even if all other parts are brand new. Even less than 50% capacity with all worn parts. Check this it is free to do and easy to adjust.

What kind of knifes on the sickle? (Smooth, top serrated, bottom serrated?). I will assume your guard ledgers are the smooth type as most of them are of this vintage. The Hesston manual only recommends top serrated knives.

Hold downs?

There is an art to setting up a sickle properly. Even when set up perfectly sickles do best after the dew is off the crop. Regardless you would be well served to purchase the operators manual for an 1120. All adjustments are outlined in there.

 

[arl242]

Thank you for the help. If the sickle is out of register could that be why the mower doesn't cut the crop on the outside edge?