Sickle bar mower

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I have a need for one and have never used one. I am a little worried that if I buy a used one, I'm asking for trouble, however I don't want to pony up for a new one. Are they pretty straight forward to repair and maintain?

 

[Tigerepair]

I have a need for one and have never used one. I am a little worried that if I buy a used one, I'm asking for trouble, however I don't want to pony up for a new one. Are they pretty straight forward to repair and maintain?

How handy are you? Can you take carbs apart? Ever fix a hedge trimmer? Ever build any engines? Ever rebuild a cylinder head?

 

[s219]

I gave up on buying one a few years ago. New was too expensive, used were too beat and did not look reliable (and still expensive). For the minimal use I'd get out of it I had a hard time justifying the hassle of purchasing. Would still love to have one for ditch mowing though!

If I remember right, there are some older Ford or New Holland ones that still have good parts availability. All the new ones tend to be foreign (European) brands.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

How handy are you? Can you take carbs apart? Ever fix a hedge trimmer? Ever build any engines? Ever rebuild a cylinder head?

I'm not a certified master mechanic, but I did spend a night in a Holiday Inn.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Dad always bought used ones. Not too bad to work on.

 

[52wej]

Old IH, NH and Ford sickle mowers can be found at reasonable prices if you are willing to do some work. I just sharpened our 60 year old IH mower and used it to trim around the edges of hayfields and under a long stretch of fencing. The older single action sickle mowers were tough machines and while they are much slower than the new style double action mowers, they are sufficiently heavy to cut banks and small brush and briars. They are not hard to maintain, but it can take time to sharpen them and replace guards and mower sections. However if I had a lot of hay to cut I would get a different style machine. W. Jones

 

[rkaufmann]

What 52 said. Sickles are still available at farm auctions at reasonable prices. You can still get parts for most of the name brand implements. If I was going to buy one today for sure get one that has belt drive instead of the old style Pitman units.
Rick

 

[John0829]

What 52 said. Sickles are still available at farm auctions at reasonable prices. You can still get parts for most of the name brand implements. If I was going to buy one today for sure get one that has belt drive instead of the old style Pitman units.
Rick

If you want to use it for mowing banks, anything other than flat, then must get a belt drive. Most all the used ones I have taken note of lately are going for around $450.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

You want a New Holland 451, but you don't know that yet... lol

It will cut in any position, including the position you see it in here,

and it's reliable!

SR

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Thats what dad currenly has, 451

 

[/pine]

FWIW...Not sure about other brands but some parts for Massey Ferguson bars (like the 41) are not available...improvisation is required...

 

[Thomas]

Keep extra hand file hammer wrenches etc. in your tool box and stick make objects also be twice as careful when cutting around old fence line.
Check out equipment auction ask some folks for there thoughts.

 

[LMhawk59]

Talking about a sickle bar mower main points to check
Is the sickle bar straight not twisted how badly are the sickles broken bent is the ball worn where the pitman arm attaches the long slot that the sickle bar slides into is smooth you should be able to move the bar back an forth by hand

 

[LMhawk59]

Knowing about sickle bar mowers has any one ever converted one to hydrilic drive using a hydrulic motor

 

[ovrszd]

I guess you could convert one. Just not sure why.

Sickle mowers are high maintenance. Especially when used to trim roadbanks, fencerows, pond banks, etc. Constantly cutting thru debris.

If you logistically have a need for one they are worth the effort. If it's just a novelty, you'll get over it real quick.

I gave $150 for my Ford belt drive. I use it once or twice a year.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Couple of years ago, I found a JD #9W. It needed a few new guards and sections. It cut OK. After replacing all the sections, it cut just fine. Also found a #9, same as the 9W, just not offset as much. Last spring I replaced all the guards and sections on one cutter bar, it cuts MUCH better. Now I've got a complete spare cutting bar/knife and pitman assembly. Sickle bar mowers are a chore to initially set-up and adjust, but after that, the maintenance is fairly easy.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, you want a belt driven one. I looked into it years ago. Shop carefully. One popular unit was called the family something, because apparently it took the whole family to put it on. Not something I would be interested in. I finally bought a hydraulic one, but it's more for trimming than haying or field cutting.