Sickle Bar Mowers
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SPYDERLK
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Virtually anything can run a sickle bar mower. A 6' sickle bar takes about 5 HP. Now, if it has a sweep like a haybine to clear the grass off the blade you can go fast and use quite a bit more power. A 7' sickle bar haybine can use 20HP+ in thick grass.
larry
larry
Farmerford
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Power should not be a problem. I drive a John Deere 350 sickle mower with a 9 foot blade with my 24 hp Kubota B2400 HST. I think it has 18 hp at the pto, and it does not strain at all.
The problem is the offset weight, particularly with belt drive mowers because the heavy drive head (wobble head) hangs out beyond the outside of the tractor's tires. When the blade is lifted to make turns, etc. the combined offcenter weight of the cutter bar and drive head all rests on the right hand lift arm of the three point hitch. My B2400 could barely lift it, and I felt that I would greatly shorten the life of the TPH. So I built a backhoe style subframe to hold the mower, and it works pretty well.
I am not familiar with the size of your tractor. If it is about the same weight capacity, etc. as the B2400 I think a 6 foot belt drive mower will be too much for the TPH to handle comfortably. But if the mower is a pittman drive, the offset weight is much less; in that case I think a B2400 size tractor would handle it okay.
The problem is the offset weight, particularly with belt drive mowers because the heavy drive head (wobble head) hangs out beyond the outside of the tractor's tires. When the blade is lifted to make turns, etc. the combined offcenter weight of the cutter bar and drive head all rests on the right hand lift arm of the three point hitch. My B2400 could barely lift it, and I felt that I would greatly shorten the life of the TPH. So I built a backhoe style subframe to hold the mower, and it works pretty well.
I am not familiar with the size of your tractor. If it is about the same weight capacity, etc. as the B2400 I think a 6 foot belt drive mower will be too much for the TPH to handle comfortably. But if the mower is a pittman drive, the offset weight is much less; in that case I think a B2400 size tractor would handle it okay.
sweettractors
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I don't think you can run a Dearborn without doing mods on your tractor. There is no place under your right rear axle for the trip bar to mount to and if you did have, the bar is probably going to be too long to stay under the axle. They a lot of trouble to put on and take off. I have 2 of them. Ken Sweet
Thank you for replying. My JD 2320 is about the same size as your B2400, 24 HP and 18 HP at the PTO. I attached some pictures; is it a belt drive? Sorry for the pictures being so small.
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sweettractors
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Maybe something like these. Ken Sweet
Used Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower, 6 Ft. CAN SHIP CHEAP | eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Used-Massey-Fer...ultDomain_0&hash=item2310f23757#ht_1318wt_700
sweettractors
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There are not many 5 Used ft sickle mowers available. If you have 20+ hp, you should be ok with a 6 ft. Only approx 15-20 lbs heaver than a 5. We do have new 5 ft double action Superior "Micro" sickle mower for $2995. Ken Sweet
Mechanos
Veteran Member
I've been eye-balling this one. Side mount and runs off 1000rpm PTO.
Taylortractornut
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I have that same model mower i saved from a scrapper. I m about ready to make the last thing to make it work on my 3000 Yanmar. I made a cuff that fit my right hand lift arm. THat holds part of the break away and the other pard that holds the main breakaway I m about done with and a cable mound for the bar lift. Lots of cussing took place on figuring that one out followed by some pull tab therapy.
flusher
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Good, bad--how that particular sicklebar did when new is not as important as it's present condition when making a buying decision. My MF31 sicklebar (7ft) was a good sicklebar for it's time (1950s). I bought it 2 years ago for $550 at auction and put another $200 or so in new parts, including replacing the steel bar that carries the moving sickle sections (mate drilling about 60 holes 1/4" dia). Point of story--expect to spend some time and $$$$ getting old iron like that working satisfactorily. Just make sure that all the parts are there and that the cutting bar isn't bent so badly that it can't be fixed.
