sickle bar mower question

[countrybumpkin]

The cylinder sets the angle of the sickle bar, i.e. that is what brings it vertical?

On mine? Yes the cylinder controls the entire movement of the bar from transport to below grade, not sure just how far below level it will go never have found a place that maxed it out.

 

[msmith]

I have a new holland 451 sickle mower ,and I can tell you from experience ( by accident) it will mow in any position you can put it in, even folded up in transport position. Although it is a belt drive.
I would think the a pitman arm mower would not stand the mowing you are talking about for long. Most places I have seen a pitman break is when going around the outside of a field trimming steep areas ,in comparison to the tractor.

LOL, me too. Once I figure this out, I used mine to mow road banks. Saves on weed eating.

 

[Creamer]

When I was a kid mowing with Dad's JD 37 sickle bar behind a 4020 i saw a rock and flipped the hydraulic lever to the up position without stopping. the cylinder acted so fast that lift mechanism made the end of 9' bar pop up to well over 45 degrees and just as it got to the top I heard a 'pop'. The pitman stick had broken. It was the first time that I had broken a pitman stick without actually hitting it on something. After that we turned the hydraulic speed (flow rate) down a little. Just the angle of the sickle bar broke the stick as it was cutting air. Of course they may have been a little bending that increased friction as well.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

As far as I'm concerned, NH451 is the finest sickle bar mower ever made,

It will run in any position, including the position it's in, in the pict...

SR

 

[Creamer]

As far as I'm concerned, NH451 is the finest sickle bar mower ever made,

It will run in any position, including the position it's in, in the pict...

SR

Rob,

While I have a NH 455 (same as a 451 except trailer type) and it is definitely a very good mower I would still take IH 1100/1300 if I was serious about mowing. The reasons for that are the gearbox drive is much more durable than the wobble mechanism of the NH and they get about 250 more strokes/min at PTO speed for a better and faster cutting. Still, for what I use it for, my NH 455 is absolutely great! (I also found it locally and a whole lot less cost than what I could find an IH for.)