Sickle Bar JD 5085M Frontier 3107 Issue

[Nube]

I need to hook up my JD 5085M with a good sickle bar mower. JD now uses Frontier for their sickle mowers. Their 3107 is their 7 foot model BUT is rated for up to 50 hp, my JD is 85. Frontier will not warrant the sickle mower on my tractor.

Do I roll the dice on the warranty & get the Frontier OR look for something else? If something else what?

I will use the mower to cut along ponds, dikes, steep mounds. And trim trees & brush on hiking trails (vertical cut)

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To the forum from Alabama. I would not roll the dice on the warranty but that is me.

 

[dusty3030]

How often you plan on using it?

How does John Deere know what you had it hooked to if it breaks?

A sickle bar on that big a tractor you are going to be running it on half throttle or less anyway.

If this is just using sparingly and not every day I wouldn't worry about it. I'd probably be looking for a good used New Holland 451 for the uses you are describing.

 

[Nube]

good points. I will use it 5-6 times per year.

Can I harm the sickle mower having too much HP even though I do not see myself moving at any considerable speed cutting the banks of ponds etc? I can understand requiring a minimum HP to run one but why a max HP?? Anyone know?

I have heard many good things about the New Holland 451. Do you know if it will work on a JD? Also it is important for me to have hydraulics to raise and lower the cutting angle (bad hip) does the 451 come so equiped?

Sorry about all thee questions but I am a new be and just don't know.

 

[jimmysisson]

Sickle bars are old school, and many were designed for smaller tractors. You could use one on an 85 hp rig, but it would seem light and fragile. For some grasses, and some ground speeds, you need higher rpms to clear cut grass away from the leading edge and actually cut the upcoming grass. I think the Frontier would work, but you'd be right to worry about it on your tractor.
Jim

 

[Nube]

If sickle bars are old school what is new school?

"I can understand requiring a minimum HP to run one but why a max HP?"

Anyone got an answer to this?

 

[Jim Timber]

If sickle bars are old school what is new school?

"I can understand requiring a minimum HP to run one but why a max HP?"

Anyone got an answer to this?

Because the PTO will never stall and anything too big will get jammed up instead of not cutting.

I'd think you could mitigate this with a slip clutch like used on post hole diggers.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Running ePTO couod help by reducing the hp available

Brett