Sickle Bar IH Sickle bar mower

[smilingreen]

Ken,
I thought maybe the chain would hook into the draw bar. From looking at everything on it, this made the only sense to keep the chain from getting caught in the PTO shaft. I guess I will have to shorten the chain a little. My tractor is a JD 790 (30hp) FWD with R4's on it. I am just wondering, when the sicklebar is fully extended, if I will get any side pull on the tractor. I have a #70 FEL on the tractor and can load dirt or rock in the bucket for ballast. I figure this might help. The pittman is totally gone, so I guess, if one of the guys on the other board is right, this would be a IH model C-28, which requires a 35 11/16" pittman on it. The belt, for now, appears to be ok. The blades need to be replaced, though. They are all dull.

Another question, if the 6' sickle is too long for my tractor configuration, is it possible to shorten it to 5'? I think my tractor could handle a 5'. Appriciate all your help on this one. Let me know if you have any more advice, or better yet, if someone could come up with a copy of a manual. That would be even better!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[smilingreen]

Yes, there is a "slip clutch" of sorts built into the flywheel. There is also a break away on the right hand side to let the unit pivot backwards if I hit something solid. So, if this was a "2 point" unit at one time, how would you lift the unit when going down a road?

 

[JimMc]

Many mowers like this had an arm extending up under the tractor lift arms and a clamp at the end to lock the mower to the liftarm. In addition, many utilized a cable arrangement running to the tractor drawbar which when the mower was lifted would supply lift to the cutter bar lifting it higher in relation to the mower frame. Some of the newer units use an auxilliary hydraulic cylinder for the same function.

 

[Deerlope]

Dave
The cutter bar (for road travel) had to be lifted by hand and secured like it is now.In the field you would let the bar down to the ground and when raised it will only come up as high as the 3ph does. also that chain does not hook to the draw bar.If memory serves me correct that hooks to the mower to control which way that the sickle bar guards pitch(upwards or downward). Your JD will handle that just fine with no ballast in the bucket. The sickle bar cutters can be sharpened, somewhere out there, there is a "V" type stone made just for that purpose. that sickle type cutter is still used today in bigger machinery. If I were you I would not shorten the bar just yet ,cause once you get use to it you will be wishing it was 7'. I will be near a IH dealer today and will see if I can get some more info on it. I printed one of the pics to take with me. Horse drawn mowers were 5', then came the tractor. JD had one that was 7' and went on the 2cyl tractor and was bolted on and raised by a foot pedal. We boys used to develope real good leg muscles in that left leg.

 

[art]

The other chain has to be fastened to the drawbar or something that doesn't move with the hitch.

 

[Deerlope]

Dave
I went to the IH dealer today and his first question was is that a IH or New Ideal. He said that because it was at one time a 2pt hitch that it was an IH. Also that any IH dealer could idenifie it from a casting number that might be on that big drive pulley. He also gave me 2 web sites neither are any good. sorry. Good luck.

 

[Ben_W]

It appears I have the wheeled version of your mower. One single wheel on the back. This one I used on my dad's farm and it bolted to the drawbar on a Farmall H or M. I had to modify it to work as a 2 point on my new tractor since I don't have the same drawbar setup as the M. I bought the pitman arm at Tractor Supply. They still carry them.
I have struck things and the sickle arm will break free. You may want to ensure the mechanism is loose enough to allow that to still happen. I had to adjust this one to my liking. This one also had a wheel on the far end of the sickle bar. It seemed to work better than not having one. Helps keep the end of the bar out of the dirt. You may be able to build one fairly easily.

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue"> if the 6' sickle is too long for my tractor configuration, is it possible to shorten it to 5'? </font>

I think you will be ok with the 6 ft--The wider the track width is set on the tractor, the better off you will be for left to right stability and safety, when the mower is lifted--With proper shop equipment, it is a real easy job to shorten to a 5, if needed --Ken Sweet

Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New and Refurbished Used Implements*

 

[rambler]

An IHC 2-point, or Fast Hitch, was a different design than a 3-pt. Those big bars that are cut off & have the 3pt pins on them stuck into the Fast Hitch, and it would lift the mower up carrying it on just those 2 big bars. There was no need for an upper arm - the Fast Hitch did not allow flexing or fore/aft adjustment. They typically do not lift nearly as high as a 3pt hitch, which brings me to this very important point:

Be _real_ careful when hooking that chain to your drawbar. You might have real issues about lifting the mower too high for that short swinging lever, & it will bust something.

I would not shorten the mower, it should work fine on your tractor with just the loader - probably without as well. You aren't breaking any speed records with a sickle mower, you will wish it is 7' long soon enough. The issue for you is the width of the mower frame, it was designed for a wide tractor. You will have a harder time following rounds, as you will be quite a way away from the standing hay. Easier to judge if you are fairly close.

If you get the springs & suspention & linkage and all proerly adjusted, the far end of the mower will have very little weight when you are mowing, and it will _not_ need a wheel out there. The wheel would just help plug up & drag hay. (Those outboard wheels are handy for mowing conservation meadows where you are required to leave 4-8" stubble tho.)

I'm only familar with Ford mowers & numerous combine & swather cutter blades, so I don't know IH very well. Making that rocker arm work well with a 3pt setup will be tricky. It will take trial & error to get the chain the right length - and not to tear something off. Also most IH with a Fast Hitch did _not_ have a drawbar, so I'm not sold on the idea that is where you are supposed to attach the chain, but it is probably converted to do so now. I can't really think of a place on my IH 300 that you could attach the chain?

For grass hay a smooth or bottom serated sickle blade is best. These can be sharpened, and do not plug up as bad with fine-stemmed green grass. If your sickle is truely worn out, don't forget to check the ledger plates - they round off & are dull too, and can make quite a difference. With a smooth or bottom serated blade, the ledger plates are almost always serated slightly.

--->Paul

 

[smilingreen]

Thanks guys for all the great info!! I knew I asked the right bunch of guys. Well, the sickle bar will sit another month or two along the fenceline untill it warms up here just a bit. It has been in the 20's and low 30's here for almost a week. Us folks here in TN are not used to this cooler weather. We like our winters in the 40's and 50's.
When I do start to work on it, I am going to disassemble the sickles first and get them replaced/sharpened. After that, I will tackle the pittman arm and probably, just for good measure, replace the belt. I will then grease everything, reconnect it to my tractor and see if it will cut a little grass. I have about 2 acres of broomsage grass left standing in my back pasture. That should be a good trial run to see how well it will cut. If any of you have pics, post them. I would like to see how ours compare. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif