Ford 501 pittman arm

[Jimmy Joe]

The pitman arm broke on my sickle mower, it sat outside before I got it. When I got it I soaked it with drain oil, got a few years out of it. Was wondering if I could make one out of steel instead, I have no where to store the mower except outside so a metal one would last as long as the mower. Are they made of wood so they will break to save other parts of the mower or just the way they were made? I had an old Dearborn mower with a round metal pitman, it never had any problems.

 

[tessiers]

wood pitman is the equivalent of a shear pin, I would not replace it with steel.

 

[t russell]

you can make a steel one the wood ones only break when you need to cut have and can't find a new one

 

[Jimmy Joe]

If I do make another wood one, what kind of wood should I use? I was thinking Oak or Ash maybe. Also does anyone know the dimensions the one that was on it was 1 inch by 1 1/4 inches I was wondering if I could go 1 inch by 1 and 3/4 inch or 1 inch by 2 inch. The one that was on it seemed a bit small compared to the brackets it mounted to. Just found it on cheap tractor parts 1 1/8 inch by 2inches.

 

[Soundguy]

tsc used to sell generic pittman arm blanks.

I think I'd hack up a spruce2x3 or 2x4 for one..

soundguy

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

New Holland dealers usually have parts for the 501's, but it shouldnt be too hard to make the arm

 

[Ford850]

tsc used to sell generic pittman arm blanks.

I think I'd hack up a spruce2x3 or 2x4 for one..

soundguy

Mower Pitman, Ford 501 Series - 1206366 | Tractor Supply Company

 

[Soundguy]

must be online only or at least regional... our local store unfrtunately stopepd carrying them.

soundguy

 

[Just Bill]

Hello
I would replace with the same size it had.
Use oak or ash and soak it in oil, it should last as long as the origional one.

 

[Ford850]

I have 3 stores within 30 minutes of me, and one carries no parts anymore. The other 2 carry a decent supply of parts for plows, discs, sprayers, rakes, and mowers like they used to or maybe even more these past couple years. Sometimes they surprise me.

 

[Soundguy]

mine still carries some parts.. in fact.. hard to find parts.. but some of the 'regular' stuff they stopepd carrying.. go figure..

soundguy

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I went to the sawmill and got a 4inch by 8 foot by 1 inch rough cut oak board and when I got home tonight I made four pitman arms out of it. Hope I won't ever use them all but as long as the tools were out and I know I would not use the rest of the board I made use of it. I have one soaking in drain oil, figure I will let it soak until the weekend. Total cost of material $4.00.

 

[Soundguy]

cheaper thant he ones I remember at TSc for sure!

soundguy

 

[Ford850]

This is a little late since you already made them, but if you have the choice of oak you should buy white oak. Anything from the white oak family including swamp and bur oak would be good too. These all have closed cells, resist moisture, and are as long lasting as treated lumber if used outdoors. That's what they use for whiskey barrels too.

Red oak and all the others in that family have open cells and obsorb moisture rapidly. They don't last as long as untreated pine if exposed to the weather. Soaking them in oil would help either one resist some rot, and make them more pliable too.

The satisfaction of making them yourself is hard to beat! So is $4 total.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

That is interesting about the white oak, I'm not sure what kind of oak I have, but I would lean toward the red oak variety. Just the way my luck goes.

 

[sweettractors]

We have the 501 Pitmans. If you need one call us. Ken Sweet

 

[Hobby Farmer KS]

The TSC's in Wichita all sell Wood pitmans for the 501 for about $16 (pre- drilled). I have tried steel and aluminum and they all failed due to fatigue. Wood works best on my 501. NH sells them for about $28. I don't know if they sell them on line. Walt's tractors online also sells them.

 

[sweettractors]

The TSC's in Wichita all sell Wood pitmans for the 501 for about $16 (pre- drilled). I have tried steel and aluminum and they all failed due to fatigue. Wood works best on my 501. NH sells them for about $28. I don't know if they sell them on line. Walt's tractors online also sells them.

Be careful when buying online. The is a wide and narrow mower and each require different pitmans. Ken Sweet

 

[Hobby Farmer KS]

Sweettractors is right. I bought the wrong width at TSC, they have carried both. You know when you try to fit it in the drive. My 501 use to break pitmans more frequently than it should, but my grease at the bearings of the drive need replenishing more often than I thought, so now I grease frequently and have not busted a pitman arm in a while. It was getting hot and stressing the metal which stressed the wood.:thumbsup: