Brad_Blazer
Veteran Member
Nice find. It might be easiest to make another drawbar. Since the mower is clevis all you need is a plain bar.
Sickle Bar Barn Find - Sickle Bar Mower
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Question on ledger plates - i was cleaning the rust off of the guards and even when I get the rust and grind a little on the bottom it is impossible to see where the ledger plate rivet comes through. The top side has the flathead of the rivet - am I going to have to drill each of these rivets out from the topside? Is there an easier way?
crowbar032
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Yep. I've got a NH 451, which is a 3-point version of the OP's mower that has a similar set-up on the back. About 2 years ago, I checked into getting the hitch like on the OP's. It was about $600 from the dealer, which is considerably more than I paid for the NH 404 conditioner. I decided I didn't want to hook everything together after hearing the price, so I mowed then made a second pass with the conditioner. After using the conditioner, I'm not sure how well it would have worked hooked all together anyway. The conditioner is really heavy and tended to clog in heavy clover.
crowbar032
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It may be easier to buy a new/used cutter bar. There is also a "tool" that is supposed to help remove and install rivets. The guy in the link below is on this site, and the tool is the red thing in the picture. One side installs, the other removes. Otherwise it's a lot of grinding and pounding with a hammer and chisel and punch, and you may end up doing this anyway given the age and rust.
New Sickle Repair Kit for NH 450-451,IH,Ford,New Idea,MF.Zone.2
Did some cutting today - it cut very well!
I disassembled the complete sickle bar - it was missing a few guards and things. I took all the sections off of the bar and found the bar was bent in both directions at about three different spots and had been broken and welded once and not very well. I found a new international sickle bar that fit. The head of the sickle is in pretty good shape just bent a little. So I straightened it and put on the new sickel bar with all new sections.
The guards were all rusted so i used a rotary wire brush to clean them up - they looked to be in pretty good shape. Even the ledger plates look OK. I was missing some hold downs and wear plates but I found a source. I finally got it all together today - well at least mostly I am missing two holdowns. I had to try it and it cut very well.
Tomorrow I will start adjusting it because my tractor is so low. I purchased a drawbar for the 3 pt but the back of this mower is very heavy and without a down pressure 3 pt I could not get the hitch to stay down so I chained the 3 pt arms to the drawbar. The sickle is tipped down too much and the back of the mower is too high which keeps the base shoe from riding on the ground. That is why I ran it - to see what else I have to change.
I disassembled the complete sickle bar - it was missing a few guards and things. I took all the sections off of the bar and found the bar was bent in both directions at about three different spots and had been broken and welded once and not very well. I found a new international sickle bar that fit. The head of the sickle is in pretty good shape just bent a little. So I straightened it and put on the new sickel bar with all new sections.
The guards were all rusted so i used a rotary wire brush to clean them up - they looked to be in pretty good shape. Even the ledger plates look OK. I was missing some hold downs and wear plates but I found a source. I finally got it all together today - well at least mostly I am missing two holdowns. I had to try it and it cut very well.
Tomorrow I will start adjusting it because my tractor is so low. I purchased a drawbar for the 3 pt but the back of this mower is very heavy and without a down pressure 3 pt I could not get the hitch to stay down so I chained the 3 pt arms to the drawbar. The sickle is tipped down too much and the back of the mower is too high which keeps the base shoe from riding on the ground. That is why I ran it - to see what else I have to change.
wolftree
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Creamer,
I would have a longer drawbar made at a machine shop. Take your drawbar to them and tell them how much longer you need it to be.
I would have a longer drawbar made at a machine shop. Take your drawbar to them and tell them how much longer you need it to be.
aczlan
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If you want to just fox the cutter side, I would get a 1' piece of 3/4"x2" bar stock. Punch a hole in the end, one in ~3" to go through the current pin, weld on a crosspiece to catch both sides of the the A frame and bold the crossbar to the A frame.
Here is how I see it being done:
On the other hand, if you have a TSC nearby, they sell a drawbar for $45 that might fit and would raise the hitch point on the tractor: CountyLine: Drawbar, Swinging - Tractor Supply Online Store
Aaron Z
Here is how I see it being done:
On the other hand, if you have a TSC nearby, they sell a drawbar for $45 that might fit and would raise the hitch point on the tractor: CountyLine: Drawbar, Swinging - Tractor Supply Online Store
Aaron Z
I am seriously considering having the longer drawbar made. What I have now is not real stable and is a pain to get everything set up right.
The problem with raising the drawbar is that the PTO is very close vertically to the drawbar so i do not have much real estate. I have to see how much adjustment in tilt the mower has - I think it is going to be a balancing act.
The problem with raising the drawbar is that the PTO is very close vertically to the drawbar so i do not have much real estate. I have to see how much adjustment in tilt the mower has - I think it is going to be a balancing act.
wolftree
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Creamers,
Can you design the new drawbar to drop a few inches, either by bending or welding a spacer block on the lower side with extension welded to spacer?
Can you design the new drawbar to drop a few inches, either by bending or welding a spacer block on the lower side with extension welded to spacer?