Sickle Bar Ford 515 hydraulic lift?

   / Ford 515 hydraulic lift? #1  

jimmysisson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
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2,358
Location
W.Mass
Tractor
1993 NH 2120 (the best), 1974 MF 135 (sold, but solid), 1947 Farmall A (bought, sold, bought back, sold again), 1956 MH50 lbt (sold, in 1980, darn it)
Anyone rigged up a hydraulic cylinder to lift the bar on a Ford 515? If you come to a bush or stump higher than the 3-point will lift the bar, you shut down, get off, heave the bar up and over to transport position, move the tractor, then repeat in reverse order. That gets tedious at a busy field edge.
It needs slack to be able to ride up and down by itself much of the time, but tip the bar up for obstacles and keep it from tipping back into transport position. I shot a couple of pix but the mower is folded up and tied to a pallet still so it's probably hard to see how the mechanism works. Basically when the mower rides up, a chain to the swinging drawbar pulls down on a pivoting arm (Ford calls a bellcrank) that pulls a rod that lifts the bar. This allows the mower shoe to ride the ground and follow dips and rises. Yet, when you raise the 3-point, the mower machine itself rises and the bar tip rises faster, so it can clear an object.
Anyone done this hydraulically, or have pix of someone's?
Thanks, Jim
 

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   / Ford 515 hydraulic lift? #2  
The full range of movement of most beltdrive mowers is 70 degrees below horizontal and 90 degrees vertical. If you just want to go from horizontal to vertical, I don't think that would be a big deal to do with a hydraulic cyl, however, I dont think you will be able to take advantage of the 70 degree below horizontal movement of your mower. I also, Look forward to hearing ways to achieve this range of movement. Ken Sweet
 
 

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