JD #9 sickle bar swath board question

[sjbrunk0]

I'm restoring a JD #9 mower and the swath board is broken off, from what's left it looks like somebody had made one out of plywood.

Yesterday I cut a board to approximately what I figured it should look like, but when I went to mount it onto the mower I was puzzled...

There's just one bolt and a spring to hold it onto the mower. What keeps it from pivoting down on that bolt and dragging along the ground?

If anyone knows how this is supposed to work or has a picture of a functional one I'd sure appreciate it.

 

[beenthere]

There was a cast bracket that the board fit into. Maybe that is missing?

Here are a couple pics showing the No. 9 mower, then the outer shoe on the sickle bar where the grass board fits on with the single bolt and the bolt with the spring (that spring keeps the grass board nestled inside the outer shoe but allows it to pop out rather than be broken off). Then a pic of the grass board with the metal piece at the tip. Also shows the stick attached to the grass board.
Hope this helps. Go to jdparts and find the parts info.

 

[flusher]

I'm restoring a JD #9 mower and the swath board is broken off, from what's left it looks like somebody had made one out of plywood.

Yesterday I cut a board to approximately what I figured it should look like, but when I went to mount it onto the mower I was puzzled...

There's just one bolt and a spring to hold it onto the mower. What keeps it from pivoting down on that bolt and dragging along the ground?

If anyone knows how this is supposed to work or has a picture of a functional one I'd sure appreciate it.

Well, I don't have a JD #9 mower, but I have rigged swath boards for several of my sicklebars.

My old Allis Chalmers 80T trail mower has a swath board like the one your described. I cut it out of a board and attached it with a bolt, nut, washers and spring. The grass stick is missing from this photo.




Here's another variation--the mid mount mower from my 1951 Farmall Super A. The outer shoe forms a kind of swath board and carries several grass sticks. The Super A was used by Caltrans for mowing highway ditches. I haven't gotten around to rebuilding the cutter bar yet. ONe of these years.



Finally, here's my old Massey Ferguson 31 mower. I added a pair of grass sticks to the outer shoe and rearranged the grass stick on the inboard shoe in an effort to reduce the amount of clogging this mower experiences. Sorta works, but the cut is still not that good despite rebuilding that cutter bar three times so far.



Old sicklebars are a PITA. I'm switching to a drum mower next season.

 

[sjbrunk0]

There was a cast bracket that the board fit into. Maybe that is missing?

Here are a couple pics showing the No. 9 mower, then the outer shoe on the sickle bar where the grass board fits on with the single bolt and the bolt with the spring (that spring keeps the grass board nestled inside the outer shoe but allows it to pop out rather than be broken off). Then a pic of the grass board with the metal piece at the tip. Also shows the stick attached to the grass board.
Hope this helps. Go to jdparts and find the parts info.

Hmm... maybe the swath board is supposed to drag along the ground? I think I have all of the parts that are shown in the picture.

 

[sjbrunk0]

Well, I don't have a JD #9 mower, but I have rigged swath boards for several of my sicklebars.

My old Allis Chalmers 80T trail mower has a swath board like the one your described. I cut it out of a board and attached it with a bolt, nut, washers and spring. The grass stick is missing from this photo.


View attachment 215463View attachment 215464

Here's another variation--the mid mount mower from my 1951 Farmall Super A. The outer shoe forms a kind of swath board and carries several grass sticks. The Super A was used by Caltrans for mowing highway ditches. I haven't gotten around to rebuilding the cutter bar yet. ONe of these years.

View attachment 215465View attachment 215466

Finally, here's my old Massey Ferguson 31 mower. I added a pair of grass sticks to the outer shoe and rearranged the grass stick on the inboard shoe in an effort to reduce the amount of clogging this mower experiences. Sorta works, but the cut is still not that good despite rebuilding that cutter bar three times so far.

View attachment 215467View attachment 215468View attachment 215469

Old sicklebars are a PITA. I'm switching to a drum mower next season.

beenthere,
Thank you for sending those pictures, it helps! I previously thought the swath board was supposed to be held above the ground by that bolt and spring, but looking at your pictures am now thinking maybe it just drags along on the ground?

 

[beenthere]

Yes, it drags on the ground. Spring loaded to pop around obstacles.

 

[flusher]

beenthere,
Thank you for sending those pictures, it helps! I previously thought the swath board was supposed to be held above the ground by that bolt and spring, but looking at your pictures am now thinking maybe it just drags along on the ground?

Yep, the swather board slides along the ground. The hay sticks attach to the swather board and sort of windrow the cuttings so they don't clog the inboard end of the cutter bar on the next pass.

 

[sjbrunk0]

Thank you both, you guys are great.

 

[sjbrunk0]

Hey, wanted to let you know I made my swath board... and it works like a champ! Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[flusher]

Hey, wanted to let you know I made my swath board... and it works like a champ! Thanks for the help, guys!

Super.