Adding Hydraulics to Sickle Mower

[CCWKen]

We always enjoy spending other peoples money so my entry is a boom mower.

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

We always enjoy spending other peoples money so my entry is a boom mower.

View attachment 490126

LOL! I tell you what, if you can talk my wife into buying the boom mower for me for Christmas, I'll buy the tractor that can handle it for HER!
GRR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

With the NH 451, according to the specs, the blade can angle down 70 degrees from horizontal.
GRR

I've used my 451 straight up, it will run just fine over center too.

As for down, I have steep banks on my ponds, and I've not seen anyplace my 451 won't run just fine, no matter how steep the banks are!

As for keeping a sickle running, for mowing around ponds, you will only have to grease the mower once a year, and that's it to "keep it running"...

Best part is, it will run deep under water, to cut off what ever cat tails that are growing there...

SR

 

[ovrszd]

Nice post Rob. Nice pic. My Ford 515 mower doesn't want to hang off a steep drop. The spring mechanism that lifts the bar when the mower is raised prevents it from drooping at a steep angle.

Post a pic of your New Holland hanging off a steep decline. Thanks!!!

 

[Texasmark]

The string trimmer has to be pretty much on the same slope as the tow vehicle. My slopes are about 30 degrees worst case. I measured them because my tow vehicle engine specs are 30 degree max tilt to keep the oil (at normal levels) pumping. The string trimmer covers only about 18". Obviously the sickle a lot more......my experience was some times it covers too much.....like I had thought about cutting it in half so that it could only cut about 4' at a time....but that was more fantasy than reality considering what it'd take......but in reality it would have been much more workable around obstructions......so based upon that, my thoughts would be to look for the shortest, not the longest and the shortest would have fewer parts to maintain.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I have a deere 350, it has been good, but I consider it a beast to attach and detach. I wish I could find and afford a deere 450 or equivalent. These have the wheeled caddy that are so much easier to connect AND they have hydraulic lift.

 

[powerscol]

I have an IH 1300 with the Rose Rakes hydraulic lift kit. They still make parts for the IH 1300 as they use the exact same design in their new units. However by the time you buy used and rebuild/modify you could probably buy new with the hydraulic unit apart of it. Some of the European double acting sickle mowers like those made by Enrossi are pretty good for what you want to do. The other choice if you want folks to spend you money is an offsetting swing arm flail mower. Read the flail mower thread for information there.

Hope this helps

 

[skatingtoolman]

I put a hyd cylinder on my old IH 7' sickle mower to raise the bar to it's upright position. Handy as heck for going thru gates etc. That bar is heavy for an old guy and dangerous to get fingers close to those knives.

Do you have a picture of your conversion?