Sickle Bar Sabre Samurai

[Coyote machine]

Most likely the orig owner damaged the jaw of the mounting clamp incorporated into the friction swivel portion. This can readily happen due to side thrust on the sickle bar ... the tapered reactive jaw will skew sideways and is difficult to fix. This is a flaw in the design that apparently they havnt fixed. Once a tapered plate is welded into this jaw it is quite robust. The problem on yours is that the clamp jaw is evidently cut off entirely.

,,, The orig configuration offers more mounting flexibility but, unfortunately, must be reinforced.
larry

Though it has been a while since you posted about the tapered jaw and design flaw of the OEM design would you mind giving some more detail to what you are referring to, and what needs to be done to correct the 'flaw'?
It would be appreciated. Several people are considering getting this unit, including me, and I want to go in eyes open to potential pitfalls.

Thanks,

CM

 

[woody]

Though it has been a while since you posted about the tapered jaw and design flaw of the OEM design would you mind giving some more detail to what you are referring to, and what needs to be done to correct the 'flaw'?
It would be appreciated. Several people are considering getting this unit, including me, and I want to go in eyes open to potential pitfalls.

Thanks,

CM

that refers back to post #12 LOUIE sheared a bolt on his. I also sheared a bolt on mine but mine does not have the oringinal mount. it is a fairly simple machine and very easy to modify.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Most likely the orig owner damaged the jaw of the mounting clamp incorporated into the friction swivel portion. This can readily happen due to side thrust on the sickle bar ... the tapered reactive jaw will skew sideways and is difficult to fix. This is a flaw in the design that apparently they havnt fixed. Once a tapered plate is welded into this jaw it is quite robust. The problem on yours is that the clamp jaw is evidently cut off entirely.

,,, The orig configuration offers more mounting flexibility but, unfortunately, must be reinforced.
larry

Though it has been a while since you posted about the tapered jaw and design flaw of the OEM design would you mind giving some more detail to what you are referring to, and what needs to be done to correct the 'flaw'?
It would be appreciated. Several people are considering getting this unit, including me, and I want to go in eyes open to potential pitfalls.

Thanks,

CM

Sure. ... If youll view the product as displayed in the brochure it shows the slotted jaw for clamping on the bucket or any flat metal up to about 7/8" thick. The bottom jaw in the picture has a plate welded to it and bolts go thru the plate to tighten against the bucket and clamp it against the top jaw. The top jaw has no plate welded into it. Its an open V if viewed from the top. Its strong enuf for the clamp forces, but if forced sideways during use the jaw will skew. Weld a piece of metal into that open V before it has a chance to skew. Youll save the frustration of reforming the distorted jaw and correcting its effects to the mount assembly.
larry

http://www.cutthat.com/pdf/SamuraiBrochure.pdf

 

[Coyote machine]

Sure. ... If youll view the product as displayed in the brochure it shows the slotted jaw for clamping on the bucket or any flat metal up to about 7/8" thick. The bottom jaw in the picture has a plate welded to it and bolts go thru the plate to tighten against the bucket and clamp it against the top jaw. The top jaw has no plate welded into it. Its an open V if viewed from the top. Its strong enuf for the clamp forces, but if forced sideways during use the jaw will skew. Weld a piece of metal into that open V before it has a chance to skew. Youll save the frustration of reforming the distorted jaw and correcting its effects to the mount assembly.
larry

http://www.cutthat.com/pdf/SamuraiBrochure.pdf

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Would reinforcing the jaw possibly put the stresses elsewhere and do more overall damage if the unit is subjected to the same sideways forces?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Would reinforcing the jaw possibly put the stresses elsewhere and do more overall damage if the unit is subjected to the same sideways forces?

It would slip sideways before bending anything. Clamping on a smooth surface does not provide enuf friction.
,,,, This weak jaw is not a "fuse" that spares other parts of the system. It is a badly designed segment of the mounting backet that suffers damage easily with the slightest accident that causes it to be loaded in a non optimal fashion. The damage endangers the integrity of the whole bracket of which the jaw is part. The whole assembly is then suddenly looser and could fall off and be hanging on the hoses. ... I would think the mfg would have fixed it by now, but it was around for a good many years before I bought mine. :confused3:

 

[Coyote machine]

So, if I'm grasping the design correctly, the underside of the bucket clamping bracket is held to the surface by a rotating screw clamp, similar to a C-clamp, with round foot at point of contact with the bucket? Or are there two clamps on the underside of the bracket?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Yes. Gr5 1/2" bolts are used for the clamp screws; 1 near the throat of the slot, the other near the tip. The end of the bolt is used directly to apply force - no round foot. The tip bolt can be tightened enuf to spring the jaw so you only use ~ 20 ft# there.

 

[woody]

now with all that said if the Sabre is used as intended and I know everyone here uses their equipment as intended, then it does a great job. I trim my drive in just over an hour and it use to take all day and I am not near as tired as I would be if I still did the old way.

 

[SPYDERLK]

We use ours on trails. Miles of them. Lots of variables.

 

[woody]

excuse me for digging up my old post but I finally got around to doing some more stuff and here it is a year later and the sabre is still going strong, refabed to mount and made it so much easier to connect I also added W.R. Long 3rd function remote, and I added a small tool box for gloves and extra pins.