Converting manual sickle mower to hydraulic lift and position unit

[Boeing]

Guys, for years I've fought a losing battle trying to mow the sides of my 3/4 mile drive what with tall weeds, briars and encroaching tree branches. My arms and shirts torn up by briars....grrr.
I looked at sickle mowers years ago but there are many saplings and even young trees established along this drive and a sickle mower riding the ground won't handle that. I envision broken teeth or jammed units.
I recently saw an ad for a "boom hedge cutter" that looked interesting; expensive and tall to try to get into my shop/garage.
Soooo, I thought how about that sickle mower and ADDING a hydraulic lift so I could raise it as I approached saplings and blockages. First, my Kubota has no rear hydraulics but as I recall there are 1 or 2 capped off hyd lines behind the FEL hydraulic controls....maybe they can be extended to the rear. I found a single lever hyd control on-line AND I see many hydraulic cylinders available to raise/lower the cutter. The geometry is beyond me so a machine shop would have to be involved.
Have any of you guys done this or have suggestions to move me in the right direction?
Thanks

 

[Sportsman762]

A sickle is not the best for woody material, You will need a sickle that is pitman-less to allow the sickle to run at an angle. Mowers with pitman arms have a very limited range on what they can run for an angle.

You could put a hydraulic cylinder on the mower to lift it, however it would not let it float.The best solution will probably be a cable setup that allows the sickle to float up and the hydraulic cylinder will pull on the cable. Also most 3pt sickles go over center and fold back on themselves. You will most likely want to prevent this from happening as you will have to get off the tractor to unfold it.

The geometry is beyond me so a machine shop would have to be involved.

If this is the case it would be more economical to buy a unit that is setup to do what you want. You will have a lot in cost having some one else do the fabrication.
Some examples of units that might work for you.

FH-CHJ Sickle Brush Mower | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service:

Got ditches to mow, hedges to trim? Brush overgrowing your driveway? Shrub that needs to be controlled? Our sickle hedge cutter is a perfect solution for maintaining hedges, ditches, and shrubs along side roadways and fields.

betstco.com

Skid Steer 72" Wolverine Sickle Bar Mower Hydraulic Skid Steer Attachment Bobcat | eBay

72" Wolverine Sickle Bar Mower. It doesn't matter if it is a CAT, Bobcat, New Holland, John Deere, Case, Kubota, Caterpillar, ASV, Wacker Neuson, Volvo, or any other make. Mini Skid Steers. Skid Steer.

www.ebay.com

Searching on craigslist and facebook marketplace for "skidsteer sickle" will normally also yield results.

First, my Kubota has no rear hydraulics but as I recall there are 1 or 2 capped off hyd lines behind the FEL hydraulic controls....maybe they can be extended to the rear.

Adding more hydraulic remotes is not this simple sadly. You have three options.
1.) Add a diverter valve to either the lift, or curl function of the loader and once you flip the switch it will change the flow from that function to the new hydraulic remotes
2.) add an OEM kubota rear remote
3.) add a valve with a power beyond sleeve before the loader valve and feed the loader valve from the new valve. This requires a strong knowledge of the hydraulic system. The valve you have in a photo does not have power beyond and will not work.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do!

 

[Boeing]

A sickle is not the best for woody material, You will need a sickle that is pitman-less to allow the sickle to run at an angle. Mowers with pitman arms have a very limited range on what they can run for an angle.

You could put a hydraulic cylinder on the mower to lift it, however it would not let it float.The best solution will probably be a cable setup that allows the sickle to float up and the hydraulic cylinder will pull on the cable. Also most 3pt sickles go over center and fold back on themselves. You will most likely want to prevent this from happening as you will have to get off the tractor to unfold it.


If this is the case it would be more economical to buy a unit that is setup to do what you want. You will have a lot in cost having some one else do the fabrication.
Some examples of units that might work for you.

FH-CHJ Sickle Brush Mower | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service:

Got ditches to mow, hedges to trim? Brush overgrowing your driveway? Shrub that needs to be controlled? Our sickle hedge cutter is a perfect solution for maintaining hedges, ditches, and shrubs along side roadways and fields.

betstco.com

Skid Steer 72" Wolverine Sickle Bar Mower Hydraulic Skid Steer Attachment Bobcat | eBay

72" Wolverine Sickle Bar Mower. It doesn't matter if it is a CAT, Bobcat, New Holland, John Deere, Case, Kubota, Caterpillar, ASV, Wacker Neuson, Volvo, or any other make. Mini Skid Steers. Skid Steer.

www.ebay.com

Searching on craigslist and facebook marketplace for "skidsteer sickle" will normally also yield results.

Adding more hydraulic remotes is not this simple sadly. You have three options.
1.) Add a diverter valve to either the lift, or curl function of the loader and once you flip the switch it will change the flow from that function to the new hydraulic remotes
2.) add an OEM kubota rear remote
3.) add a valve with a power beyond sleeve before the loader valve and feed the loader valve from the new valve. This requires a strong knowledge of the hydraulic system. The valve you have in a photo does not have power beyond and will not work.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do!

Sportsman, thank you so very much.
Will a "Skidsteer" unit attach/work on a 3pt tractor?

I'll check with Kubota and see about a rear hydraulics kit.
Thanks again

 

[Sportsman762]

So I provided you some bad information for your application. I am guessing your L3010 has a pinned on bucket that is not a skidsteer quick attach. If so then the idea of a skidsteer sickle will not work since it sounds like your fabrication skills are limited.

Will a "Skidsteer" unit attach/work on a 3pt tractor?

You might be able to find a rear sickle like the JD SB31 that only raises to 90 degrees. If a 3pt implement is how you decide to go.

https://www.deere.com/en/hay-forage/mowing/sb31-sickle-bar-mower/

 

[Boeing]

So I provided you some bad information for your application. I am guessing your L3010 has a pinned on bucket that is not a skidsteer quick attach. If so then the idea of a skidsteer sickle will not work since it sounds like your fabrication skills are limited.




You might be able to find a rear sickle like the JD SB31 that only raises to 90 degrees. If a 3pt implement is how you decide to go.

https://www.deere.com/en/hay-forage/mowing/sb31-sickle-bar-mower/

I looked at that, thank you. I'm sure that it would do the job. Unfortunately it's $5,900......I'm too old with too few years left for that investment. Also, I'm doing a drive, albeit long, and not acres of hay.
Thanks again

 

[Jrasband]

I mow the road sides ditches and banks with a New Holland 451 sickle bar and it works AMAZING! It will mow anything that will fit between the sickle blades with ease. You HAVE to maintain the sickle bar by replacing the knives when needed, and that is pretty easy to do.

Do not listen to the people that say it is not a good tool for the job they do not know what they talking about.

Also, you do not need to add hydraulic to it, you can do everything with the 3 point hitch. Just lift the 3 point when needed to go over obstacles. If you hit something that the bar will not cut the whole assembly has a built in release and the bar swings backwards. Stop immediately when this happens and you can back up till it pops back in.

If there is larger diameter stuff that is to much for the sickle bar in the mowing path you can turn left and right to go around them or go ahead of the sickle bar one time with a chainsaw. You will need to mow the bank once a year with the sickle bar to keep it maintained.

The greatest thing about the sickle bar is you can get them pretty cheap too.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have one of these. I can run it off my JD F-935, 1435, mowers with a hand fabbed mount or my JD 1070 tractor mounted to the side of the bucket. Double sickles, hydraulic powered, runs in any position.

SABRE SAMURAI CUTTER - Cutthat.com

Sabre Samurai Cutter is the Top Selling hydraulic sickle bar cutter in North America. Versatile across all equipment, skid steers, subcompact, compact tractors, excavators, and more.

www.cutthat.com

 

[walnutman]

I was interested in a sickle bar myself for around the pond but ended up installing a Laneshark. Now I know the OP isn't going to do this but I found the ability to flip the laneshark to the horizontal position it does a heck of a job clearing overhanging branches along our right of way. I then lay it back down and offset,on a downward angle to do the pond.

 

[blenderbender]

Guys, for years I've fought a losing battle trying to mow the sides of my 3/4 mile drive what with tall weeds, briars and encroaching tree branches. My arms and shirts torn up by briars....grrr.
I looked at sickle mowers years ago but there are many saplings and even young trees established along this drive and a sickle mower riding the ground won't handle that. I envision broken teeth or jammed units.
I recently saw an ad for a "boom hedge cutter" that looked interesting; expensive and tall to try to get into my shop/garage.
Soooo, I thought how about that sickle mower and ADDING a hydraulic lift so I could raise it as I approached saplings and blockages. First, my Kubota has no rear hydraulics but as I recall there are 1 or 2 capped off hyd lines behind the FEL hydraulic controls....maybe they can be extended to the rear. I found a single lever hyd control on-line AND I see many hydraulic cylinders available to raise/lower the cutter. The geometry is beyond me so a machine shop would have to be involved.
Have any of you guys done this or have suggestions to move me in the right direction?
Thanks

Just don't make the mistake I made. I bought a cheap Chinese sickle bar mower on Alibaba. It had a hydraulic lift so I thought it was a winner. I was repeatedly assured by the CS rep that it would mow at 45 deg so I could lay back trail overhang. If I were a tad smarter I would have realized that it was a Pitman style mower and it was not capable of that. I can get about 10 deg. from horizontal, any more and it sounds like it is going to clatter into a hundred pieces. My bad.

 

[Fetch_21]

From a long-time farmboy who tries to find the most efficient path - let me offer another option. Chemical control of that type of vegetation can work long-term for low cost. Any overhanging tree limbs would need to be cut initially, but can be kept back. A good spray rig & wand isn't very expensive (especially compared to cutting equipment). Using a herbicide like Crossbow (basically 2,4-D + triclopyr) is very effective on killing trees, vines, shrubs while NOT KILLING grass. Keeping the grass prevents erosion & will shade out any new overgrowth. After a year or two, you don't have to do very much with it. You can make your own Crossbow much cheaper by buying the 2,4-D & triclopyr separately and mixing yourself. We have a long dozer-cut road with a very steep uphill bank in full sun (very difficult to cut by any method). I spray a little once per year now - usually around May in TN. By the end of the year, there may be a couple of saplings starting that'll get knocked out the following spring. MUCH easier than trying to cut. The grass is unaffected by that. Spraying any limbs nearing the road also will knock back that limb & stop growth on that section while not killing the entire tree.

Bromacil is a cost-effective bare-ground herbicide where you want nothing to grow. Just be sure you have good gravel or rip-rap coverage where you use it. Otherwise, you'll have a hole.

Hope that helps.