Mowing #5 SICKLE BAR MOWER

[steveky]

Does anyone have any experience with a #5 mower. Was thinking of buying one for my B to mow with.

Thanks

 

[JerryT]

I have a 7' sickle mower that I use for cutting around the lake and the lake side of the dam (from the top). It's great for that purpose, but whenever I use it for general mowing I am not real happy with the results, even a bush hog gives a better cut. I use a finish mower for my grass and a hog for my weeds.

 

[steveky]

Thanks for the info, I'm going to look at one on Monday at a implement dealer. He says its all in intact and in great shape. I'd like to use it to cut hay with but most people tell me to buy a disc mower. I have a Kubota 32 horse and they say the disc mower will do alot better job. I was just wanting to make my B more useful rather than just sitting in the barn. I've got an old massey ferguson #3 baler I'm working on so I just may need to pull the baler with the B. My wife would have a fit if I bought a disc mower and really I'd have a hard time justifying the cost for the 4 acres of hay I'd be cutting.

 

[Alan_in_VT]

I'm a new user here but I've got some time around #5 mowers in my past. Your last post was a while ago so you have have already made your decision.

The #5 was a great mower for hay production. If your B has remote hydraulics it can (might be) set up for hydraulic lift on the cutterbar. There were a variety of attachment systems and lift options available for it over its' long life span. Not sure how parts are to get now. Knife sections and guards should be no problem and pitmans should be easy to make of you break one. Someone mentioned a sickle bar not doing a good job for them, I would suspect something to be wrong there as a sickle bar mower will cut clean as can be if they are maintained and adjusted correctly.

 

[Green_in_MI]

I have a #5 mower for my '49 B. It's easy to setup and use but you really needs lots of room for it. It takes 13-14 feet of clearance for the tractor and mower so it's at its best doing clear field mowing. It is also amazing quiet for all the moving parts it has.

The attached site has everything you wanted to know about the JD B and the sickle bar mower. This site actually inspired me to go out and get a #5 mower. John Deere B site

Another site with lots of info on old tractors and imlements
Yesterday's tractors web site

 

[steveky]

Thanks for the info guys, I know thats how my grandad cut hay was with a sickle bar mower and it seemed to work pretty good. The #5 mower sure is a lot cheaper than a disc mower and would make that old B more useful.