NH 451 mower - bar is bending too much

[drw]

I'm new to haymaking and am planning on doing some hay work this fall. I have a NH 451 9' bar mower.

I have hooked it up to the tractor per the manual's instructions and made sure that it was level and 16.5" high on all sides. The bar, however, seems to be bending down in such a way that the outer end of the bar touches the ground while the side of the bar closest to the tractor is over a foot high.

In short, the bar is bending under its weight and that makes it impossible to level the bar.

Am I missing something here, or does this mower need a new bar?

 

[dawzie]

I have a 450 7' and it bends a little, but not enough to matter. Maybe somebody has a 9' and can let you know if thats a ongoing problem with them. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

How long have you owned the mower and what kind of tractor is it?

 

[drw]

I bought the mower over the winter from a fellow in the town north of me. Other than this bar oddity, it seems to be in perfect condition.

I have a John Deere 5310 tractor as well as a Kubota L3400. I've only hooked it up to the John Deere.

The manual talks about adjusting the bar up or down and I'm going to give that a try next time I'm out there. In the meantime, if anybody has any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

 

[Opti-Mist]

Some droop is normal as the cutter bar is not an I-beam. That said, when raising the bar from the operating position, as in a turn, I would expect the outer end to raise somewhat more than the inner end. Does your manual cover any adjustment relative to this?

 

[zzvyb6]

This mower has a 2 piece cutterbar. Is the cutterbar joint broken or loose? Could be that the knife bar is the only support the cutter is getting...

 

[drw]

I really appreciate the replies so far.

I don't think the cutter bar is loose or broken. I've looked it over pretty carefully and thoroughly. It's just a real smooth bending down all the way to the end.

My manual does talk about adjusting the tilt and angle of the bar, but the amount of adjustment needed is far more dramatic than the tiny changes possible per the manual.

I'll get out there today and take some pictures of the bar and post them for ya'll to see. Pictures may help.

 

[drw]

I went out and took photos this afternoon, and here they are:

transport position:
http://atimetofarm.com/sickle/img_9342.jpg

You can see the right side resting on the ground. The left side is about 12 inches off the ground:
http://atimetofarm.com/sickle/img_9345.jpg

View of the back of the implement, so you can see how properly level it is:
http://atimetofarm.com/sickle/img_9346.jpg

A close up of the bar:
http://atimetofarm.com/sickle/img_9347.jpg

Note that you can click on the picture to zoom in and see it full size. I uploaded them full size in case you needed to see extra detail.

If anybody has any ideas, I would GREATLY appreciate them. At this point, I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Opti-Mist]

In your 3rd picture, there is a cable that has a lot of slack in it. What is the function of that cable, and what does it connect. I'm thinking that it may be involved, and that if it were more snug......? Something should be causing the wobble drive assy to rotate anti-clockwise, as viewed from the rear, when you begin raising the cutter bar which would then cause the outer end to raise more than the inner end to accomodate the natural droop of the bar.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Their is definitely something wrong with your mower! You should contact me immediately and sell it to me at scrap price! LOL I am not familiar with your mower, but I think Opti-Mist has hit the nail on the head with his reply.

 

[zzvyb6]

OK, try not to laugh, eh? In my view, the bar seems pretty straight when in the propped up position. Its when is on the lowered position that it shows the most curvature. So....

I would loosen all the hold down clips/guard bolts, set it in the transport position and apply a bending weight/force to the bar from the far end. This will apply a bit of reverse curvature to the cutter bar. Yes you are trying to bend the cutter bar in uniform increments. If you then tighten up the guard bolts, the hold down clip metal will add some structural section to the cutter bar and help reinforce it in the reduced curvature position. Bottom line is that it will be less drooped in the cutting position and more drooped in the transport position.

Howzzat, eh... ?