Just Got My Sicklebar Mower

[jake98]

you californians seem to pay more for everything except sickel bars.., i have a side sickle for a cub if anybodys lookin, no blood or hair on it...

 

[40_acre_mule]

The two main reasons I went with "new" and also with this particular design :
1. It operates even when in the upright position. A lot of the older models won't cut when up at 90 degrees.
2. I work a lot of hours. I don't have time right now to buy an old machine and restore it. Or spend a lot of time with maintenance and babying older equipment. I don't have tons of money, but I have more money than time right now. Once I get everything cut back, it will just be maintenance cutting. I'm not cutting large tracts of hay or grass. In fact, I'll mostly be cutting heavy weeds and small branches along the sides of the pond and ditch, and along the walking trail. I anticipate using it about ten days a year for the next 50 years.

 

[rpoage]

Like these machines or not, anyone who loves machinery has got to admit they make a REAL COOL sound when running smooth.
That alone might be worth the price of admission.

 

[flusher]

Those new ones are sure nice looking.
I had no idea they were that expensive? I have an old one that was mounted on top of an old Ferguson T035. It was used to trim hedges on a golf course. Before that, it was used in a Citrus grove.



Here it's being taken off the tractor (above). I will rebuild it and get it going. I got the tractor and sickle bar for free. They were going to junk the tractor and had no idea what that giant hedge trimmer thing was.

Wow!! That's one-a goofy hunka machinery. You have my AC sicklebar beat by a mile as far as weird-looking stuff. That blade on your thingy looks a lot more fearsome than the one on mine.

Don't let it fall on your head.

However, the price sure is right.

Wonder if that's some kind of contraption (possibly homebrew) for pruning the tops of orchard trees.

 

[Rara Avis]

Wow!! That's one-a goofy hunka machinery. You have my AC sicklebar beat by a mile as far as weird-looking stuff. That blade on your thingy looks a lot more fearsome than the one on mine.

Don't let it fall on your head.

However, the price sure is right.

Wonder if that's some kind of contraption (possibly homebrew) for pruning the tops of orchard trees.

Here is a modern version...

land

 

[40_acre_mule]

Hey, I'm back from Christmas Break. I only get on the internet at work. It is so much faster.
Well, it only took about ten minutes to figure out the best ways to un-jam the teeth. The easiest way is to: 1. Shut off the PTO. 2. Reposition the bar to the opposite end of its range. 3. Restart the PTO. That seems to work about 80% of the time.
The alternate method requires taking a crowbar to the rocker arms (while the PTO is disengaged, of course). That is also pretty easy, but I have to drive back to the barn to get the crowbar.
Anyway, Ive used this thing now for about 12 hours. Still have all my fingers. I am very conscious of the 7 foot long danger area on this machine . Up close, it is very wicked looking. I can easily see it taking the legs off of chickens, dogs, and even small children. My FIL says he used one on the family farm as a kid. He remembers killing a few chickens with it.
In addition to the cutting teeth, there are several other dangers.
Anyway, so far, I am very happy with it. It has done everything I hoped it would do. I have now completely trimmed the sides of the walking path for DW. She is very happy with the results. If she's happy, I'm happy.
Taking it off the tractor proved a little more difficult than I expected, but now that I've got it figured out, it will be easier in the future.
I never think to take pictures until I'm sitting here at the computer submitting posts.
All in all, I am pleased. And I promise to be really careful.

 

[blueriver]

Congradulations on your sickle mower!

I grew up on a farm and mowed a many acre of alfalfa with a JD sickle mower, trimmed alot of fence lines, cut a many weed patches, trimmed around ponds and never complained about it once.

Today, I use a JD 39 sickle mower and love it, don't even own a brush hog ... I like looking to my right instead of behind me while I am cutting, it has been said in here that they are dangerous, hard to maintain and need alot of sharpening ... EVERYTHING we have is dangerous and needs maintaince! As for sharpening, I have two sickle bars, always keep new cutters on one, mine is easier to change out than some wish you to believe ... Enjoy your's!!

 

[ctjstr]

"She is very happy with the results. If she's happy, I'm happy."

At the end of the day...isn't that the most important aspect of what all men have to deal with in their lives? Sure is in mine. If I want to spend 5k on a toy, and I can find a way for it to make my wife happy, I'm a very happy camper.