keegs
Veteran Member
I'm picking up a used NH 450 sickle bar mower in a week or so. I looked it over and it looks pretty good but I'm not all that familiar with this mower. Any tips on what to look for before I do the deed?
what to look for when evaluating a NH 450 sickle bar mower
- Thread starter keegs
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52wej
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2008
- Messages
- 268
- Location
- Central Virginia
- Tractor
- 2004 Century 2535 (3510 Branson equivalent), 2016 Kubota MX 5200
Some items
cracks in the frame
look at the condition of the actual sickle bar - is it missing sections - is the main sickle bent - are the guards straight or bet out of alignment
is there much play where the blade is connected to the main drive
is there slack in the actual oscillating drive which would indicate significant wear
Most of these mowers unless they are abused will run for years and years. Some "looseness" is to be expected. It would be good if the mower were mounted on the tractor and could be opened so you can turn the drive mechanism by hand. That will show slack and wear . W Jones.
cracks in the frame
look at the condition of the actual sickle bar - is it missing sections - is the main sickle bent - are the guards straight or bet out of alignment
is there much play where the blade is connected to the main drive
is there slack in the actual oscillating drive which would indicate significant wear
Most of these mowers unless they are abused will run for years and years. Some "looseness" is to be expected. It would be good if the mower were mounted on the tractor and could be opened so you can turn the drive mechanism by hand. That will show slack and wear . W Jones.
rbargeron
Elite Member
Fold out the bar and sight along its length - if the machine is in good condition, the knife sections will all be nearly in contact with the serrated plates and the upper guides will be close - holding the knife down, with little or no drag anywhere. With the tractor at idle, it should be possible to push the pto lever into gear without clutching - which would indicate a nice bar without bends or pinch points along its length. Running at idle, it should be nearly silent - no shaking.
We have two New Holland sickles - one is "young" and smooth as silk. The other had a hard life before we got it and has varied section clearance, several frame repairs, broken stands, and when running it shakes the tractor. Definite retirement project.
BTW the NH oscillating drive is very simple and long lasting. They did redesign the triangular plates to be thicker - the original thin ones sometimes broke at the knife drive pin. The linkage is a Chebyschev straight-line mechanism - very cool.
We have two New Holland sickles - one is "young" and smooth as silk. The other had a hard life before we got it and has varied section clearance, several frame repairs, broken stands, and when running it shakes the tractor. Definite retirement project.
BTW the NH oscillating drive is very simple and long lasting. They did redesign the triangular plates to be thicker - the original thin ones sometimes broke at the knife drive pin. The linkage is a Chebyschev straight-line mechanism - very cool.
sweettractors
Advertiser
Like all machines, they have a few areas of weakness in the initial design. Standing behind looking forward, there is a pulley on a bracket that is usually broke, bent or has a old weld repair. Behind the gearbox mount, there is a heavy U shaped bracket that the mower blade pivots on. These are prone to break or have been broken and re-welded. The 2 triangular side drive plates that drive the sickle blade that may have the holes egg shaped (where the drive bolt goes through) or may have been repaired with washers welded on the side of the egg shaped holes. To check the bearings in the gearbox, grab the drive belt and move back and forth while checking for lost motion in the drive box. If you have activity here, you will need to rebuild the bearings in the drive head. Make sure all 27 rock guards have good ledger plates on them. At $8 each + time and bolts, rock guards replacement can get expensive very quickly.Ken Sweet
Ken, rbargeron, 52wej,
I put your suggestions into a checklist and brought it with me to look at the mower again today. Everything checked out. The seller and his father (both local farmers) new the history of the mower from the time of original purchase and so offered some more background on how it was maintained. We went through the checklist together. It's in very good shape so I bought it. Thanks again.
I put your suggestions into a checklist and brought it with me to look at the mower again today. Everything checked out. The seller and his father (both local farmers) new the history of the mower from the time of original purchase and so offered some more background on how it was maintained. We went through the checklist together. It's in very good shape so I bought it. Thanks again.
