Sickle Bar New member

[catfishbaitface]

Hello all, I just found and signed up for this site. I did a little investigating and found no answers---yet. What I have is a 14 acre "hobby farm". We have a fruit orchard with everything that can be grown here in SD. Also put in a pond and am stocking some fish.

What I would like to know is if a wheel powered sickle mower would help in the thinning of the "thousand's" of young saplings that reappear every year???
The saplings are mainly ash, elm, buckthorn etc. All I have to "farm" with is an old liquid cooled Kawasaki ATV 400 Bayou. It has a poor turning radius but lots of pulling power. I would also use the mower to cut down the prairie grass which gets quite tall (3') to alleviate fire danger around the outbuildings. Any info I could glean would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to get by on the cheap, sickle mowers can be found here fairly regularly at auction. I would have to dismantle and rebuild probably. Thanks for anyone who may help!

 

[Soundguy]

14ac? I'd get a tractor.. even if a scut...

if you have bigger work, open areas, and constrained budget.. a good classic or antique can do alot of work and save some bucks..


soundguy

 

[hr3]

Try scrolling down the main page to the Gravley & Ariens section of the forem and ask some of the people that have this type of mower,, Good luck to you..

 

[CowwFace]

Hey CatFish,

When I was younger man, I had to mow hay with an old John Deer ground powered sickle mower ... I was pulling it with a tractor .. but I can recall using my full vocabulary (and even some made up words) to describe the process... I was very happy when the old man sprang for a PTO powered sickle mower...

I realize with the ATV using the PTO is not an option ... how about one of them gas motor powered brush hogs .. I think I've seen TV commercials for them?

Tractor / ATV on!

 

[catfishbaitface]

Thanks for the quick replies!!! I have been looking at other options-BCS walk behind units that can be had with a host of options-but the woman (with the purse strings) thinks we can do it cheaper. I'm an older fella myself with lots of mechanical background and thought I'd ask here first. I really appreciate all advice given me! Maybe I could just get a disc unit for the ATV??

Bruce

 

[Soundguy]

a cat 0 disc for an atv is lil more than a toy.

if you are on a budget.. get an antique tractor... compaired to new.. HP are pennies on the dollar. In many cases you can get a used for 00 series in 33-48 hp for 1800-2500$ and get some real work done. might even get a package deal and get a mower and disc with it for that price.

soundguy

 

[Mock1]

That is good advice from Soundguy. An old tractor will work much better than an ATV. I bought a SCUT, and owned a 450 ES honda as well.

 

[catfishbaitface]

Thanks!! I now can narrow my search and sound / appear to know what I'm talking about, I would like to have more options for "down the road". It's funny, I first started using the internet in 1990 and there wasn't much out here, now I don't have to waste near as much time!!!!:licking: I will post more when I can show I have the job corralled (sp?).

Thanks

 

[leonz]

Thanks for the quick replies!!! I have been looking at other options-BCS walk behind units that can be had with a host of options-but the woman (with the purse strings) thinks we can do it cheaper. I'm an older fella myself with lots of mechanical background and thought I'd ask here first. I really appreciate all advice given me! Maybe I could just get a disc unit for the ATV??

Bruce

Welcome to the forum Bruce,



For the the work you are doing the smallest
diesel powered BCS with a flailmower
attachment will do everything
and more for you and you will be able to
do a lot more with the 2 wheel tractor as well.

You can buy the mowing sulky for it and sit back
and just mow.

Visit the Earth Tools - Walk-Behind Tractors - (502) 484-3988 homepage and
you will be able to see everything the gentleman
has to offer.

He has a working farm where he uses his 2 wheel
tractor for the farms needs.


The towed motorised flail mowers from england are 2 and three times as expensive as the smallest BCS and the flail mower attachment for it.

 

[powerstroke444e]

I built this to pull with atv to mow around pond dont know how big it will cut. I also built a tree shear that goes on the front of the atv I use after we burn off the prairie grass and its to muddy to get anything else on ground. if I get a chance I get will get photo of tree shear this weekend