Mowing Sickle mower clogging

[biker4jc]

I'm really new to this whole farming thing and I'm having some "growing pains." I'm attempting to bale the alfalfa in the field out back of the farm, and my mower cuts great for a few feet and then it clogs up. I've tried adjusting the bar angle up and down, but it still clogs. I'm using an AC WD45 and the mower is a 7 foot International. It took a little modifying, but I got it to fit and the bar seems to be running square to the tractor. It seems to work fine in lighter stuff, but in the heavy stuff it's just clogged. This alfalfa hasn't been cut this year, and there's about 40 acres of it. I could really use help on this.

 

[sweettractors]

Make sure the sickle is sharp, you have good serrated ledger plates on your mower guards, double cutting section on the end of the sickle, raise your inside and outside shoe to 2-3" and then angle up the front of cutterbar a little. Be sure you have a outside grass board/swath board on the sickle. Make sure the mower does not run in hay that has already been cut(next to the tractor). Ken Sweet

 

[biker4jc]

Thanks for that advice Ken. How much space should there be between the teeth, and the ledger plates? I'll take the sickle bar out this weekend and sharpen the teeth. I'm thinking of using a 4" grinder, will this work ok?

 

[sweettractors]

Thanks for that advice Ken. How much space should there be between the teeth, and the ledger plates?

No space. (5-10 thousandths of a inch). Sickle mowers are very similar to a pair of scissors. All close tolerances. Bring down those toe clamps onto the sickle. Ken Sweet

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

I agree. the only thing to add is gotta be dry. cut in the driest part of the day.
If it were me I would get a drum mower.

 

[biker4jc]

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but are those toe clamps bendable?

 

[biker4jc]

I agree. the only thing to add is gotta be dry. cut in the driest part of the day.
If it were me I would get a drum mower.

I'm kind of stuck with the equipment I have, working with a very limited budget. I'm a custom cabinet builder, in Michigan, or ........ that translates to totally unemployed.

 

[biker4jc]

I'm heading out today to check and adjust those things, I'll keep you posted.
Thanks very much for the great information!!!!

 

[DJ54]

Dad always set a block of wood under the cutter bar, directly under the hold downs, and would tap with a decent sized ball pein hammer, to adjust them down. Don't know if this is the proper way, just the way I learned.

Since I see a lot of guys now using the sickle bar mowers, just wondering if maybe Ken would know where to find the double bevel faced grinding stones..? I still have Dad's grinder, and a couple spare stones up on a shelf. But where do others find them..??

 

[pacerron]

Perhaps your ground speed is just a little bit too slow?
You need to go fast enough that the crop lays down over the bar to the rear.
Most bars with serrated teeth are considered self sharpening and you will mess them up
more than helping them with a grinder.
Most bars also have shims to adjust the clearance for wear.
If you have just a few teeth clogging and they are always the same ones, the guards over them may be bent
and need a little smack with a block of wood and hammer.
You said you tilted the front of your bar up a bit, which is good, but if you are still getting dirt in the clogged teeth
your not high enough.
If you have some pasture or even high lawn to practice on try that for an hour before getting into the alfalfa and watch
the bar to see what is really happening. Try it at different ground speeds.