Sickle Bar General questions about Sickle Bars

[/pine]

I am looking for something to cut the weeds etc. from the shoulders and ditch side of my gravel road...and a sickle bar type mower seems like it would be just the ticket...

...I've never operated the 3ph type (only a walk behind) and I've never seen one in operation so I'm totaly ignorant about their use...so I have several questions...

I am assuming there is not a huge power requirement and that my B1700 will be able to handle a 7' bar... (14 PTO HP) ??

Do most bars cut in the upright position? i.e., for trimming bushes and weeds etc. that brush the sides of vehicles ?

Do most bars angle below horizontal? i.e., for cutting sloping ditch banks?

If they are not all "belt driven" what are the other types?...do they not all have pitman arms?

Is there one type or another that would suit my needs better than another?

other than belts and teeth/blades what else are general maintenance issues ?

I have one prospect that I have not seen yet but is a MF 7' that they are asking $300 for...was last used 3 weeks ago...

Thanks in advance for any answers or pictures that will help educate me on their operation and use...

 

[hawkeye08]

This surprises me. I know you know how to search on this forum. There have been many threads on this.

Yes, your tractor will handle a 7 ft fine as far as power, need to be careful about the weight on some that hang way back.

Yes, some will operate vertical all the way down to below level. Others will not. If I have my terms right, the pitman arm units will only run near level (and tend to break the pitman arm when attempting to run other than level, maybe 30* up or down). I think the others are called wobble box. There are other names of course.

Here is a good thread that has some good feedback. Good luck.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/168214-sickle-advice-rookie.html

 

[/pine]

Thanks for the link...I did try searching but I should have expanded my keywords...

 

[flusher]

I am looking for something to cut the weeds etc. from the shoulders and ditch side of my gravel road...and a sickle bar type mower seems like it would be just the ticket...

...I've never operated the 3ph type (only a walk behind) and I've never seen one in operation so I'm totaly ignorant about their use...so I have several questions...

I am assuming there is not a huge power requirement and that my B1700 will be able to handle a 7' bar... (14 PTO HP) ??

Do most bars cut in the upright position? i.e., for trimming bushes and weeds etc. that brush the sides of vehicles ?

Do most bars angle below horizontal? i.e., for cutting sloping ditch banks?

If they are not all "belt driven" what are the other types?...do they not all have pitman arms?

Is there one type or another that would suit my needs better than another?

other than belts and teeth/blades what else are general maintenance issues ?

I have one prospect that I have not seen yet but is a MF 7' that they are asking $300 for...was last used 3 weeks ago...

Thanks in advance for any answers or pictures that will help educate me on their operation and use...

My 1951 Farmall Super A is about the same size as your B1700 and handles a 7-ft mid-mount sicklebar fine. Caltrans, the highway dept, used it to mow the grass in highway ditches, etc.

Belt-driven sicklebars can mow above and below horizontal. Older sicklebars driven with pitman sticks are not as versatile.

The triangular sickle sections (the movable part of the cutter) are relatively inexpensive ($1 per section--they are 3" wide so my 7-ft cutter bar takes 28 sections). The sections nowadays are generally attached with bolts and lock nuts instead of rivets. The other part of the cutter assembly, the rock guards carrying the ledger plates, are more expensive ($5-6 each).

 

[/pine]

...and handles a 7-ft mid-mount sicklebar fine...

Thanks that's interesting...I never even considered a mid mount...

I'm going to run some "wanted" ads in the local papers and see what turns up...I really don't want to spend more than about $500 for the amount of time I will be using it...I have been getting by for decades with hand held string trimmers and weed wackers...
...I don't mind buying one that would require some repairs or reconditioning...
I'm already thinking about being able to utilize my third rear remote on a raise/lower cylinder adaptation...

 

[o2batsea]

A 500 buck sickle mower is going to be a pile of rubbish. No doubt you will spend at least as much again making it usable. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and find the Golden Mower from Heaven...good luck with that.

 

[/pine]

A 500 buck sickle mower is going to be a pile of rubbish. No doubt you will spend at least as much again making it usable. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and find the Golden Mower from Heaven...good luck with that.

I already have a prospect that was cutting hay 3 weeks ago (so I doubt that it's a pile of rubbish) that is $300...

I surely do not expect to find anything in pristine condition for what I want to spend but like I always say..."seek and ye shall find"...Around here there are a lot of old farms and orchards etc.that are no longer working...I'm sure I can find a bar to suit my needs within my budget...I'm in no rush...

 

[E/S]

I really prefer mid-mount, a lot less leverage on the tractor if you hock something.

E/S

 

[steve08]

A 500 buck sickle mower is going to be a pile of rubbish. No doubt you will spend at least as much again making it usable. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and find the Golden Mower from Heaven...good luck with that.

Picked up a pretty nice JD Sickle mower the other day for $75.00

 

[Gordon Gould]

I use a 7' unit to cut along my road. They work great especially for banks and ditches.
You have to be very careful though and make sure you lift it over the big rocks, stumps and other junk hidden in the brush. But teeth and cutters are easy to replace.
You may have to travel very slow with your 17 hp on a 7' bar. Depends on how thick the roadside greenery is. I have 30 hp and have to slow way down for real thick golden rod mixed with grass. You can run it vertical but I find it a little unnerving with that thing running just behind my right shoulder, neck and head. Also there is lots of vibration when ever it is not resting on the ground.

 

[sweettractors]

I already have a prospect that was cutting hay 3 weeks ago (so I doubt that it's a pile of rubbish) that is $300...

I surely do not expect to find anything in pristine condition for what I want to spend but like I always say..."seek and ye shall find"...Around here there are a lot of old farms and orchards etc.that are no longer working...I'm sure I can find a bar to suit my needs within my budget...I'm in no rush...

14 HP and 6 and 7 ft 3 point hitch won't work on small framed tractors. First, 550 pounds may be a problem, second 7 ft of side draft pulling the front of the tractor to the right when mowing will be a problem.
Pitman mowers mow approx. 35 degrees above and below horizontal. Belt drive (dynabalance) mowers will mow 90 degrees vertical and 70 degrees below horizontal.
There is a new mower that you could handle and Superior (G&S) is the brand and it is a 5 ft "Micro" and mows 70 degrees below horizontal and 90 degrees vertical. Rated 15 to 30 HP. Ken Sweet

 

[/pine]

14 HP and 6 and 7 ft 3 point hitch won't work on small framed tractors. First, 550 pounds may be a problem, second 7 ft of side draft pulling the front of the tractor to the right when mowing will be a problem.

Thanks for the info...

I will try and take some pictures of what I intend to use this for...there is nothing very heavy to mow...mostly light grass and weeds...will not need more than the last 3' or so of a 7' bar in the horizontal position...in the upright position it is a lot of Joe Pye etc...nothing very dense or heavy...

 

[sweettractors]

Thanks for the info...

I will try and take some pictures of what I intend to use this for...there is nothing very heavy to mow...mostly light grass and weeds...will not need more than the last 3' or so of a 7' bar in the horizontal position...in the upright position it is a lot of Joe Pye etc...nothing very dense or heavy...

Be careful, 14 hp and 7 ft out to the right makes the left side really light on the ground. Good way to flip a tractor. I would like Ballast and the tires spread out wide and no FEL on the tractor while mowing. Ken Sweet

 

[aczlan]

14 HP and 6 and 7 ft 3 point hitch won't work on small framed tractors. First, 550 pounds may be a problem, second 7 ft of side draft pulling the front of the tractor to the right when mowing will be a problem.

I can attest to this. We have a Ford 502(?) 3pt sickle bar mower and it will push our B7500 around in heavy (hay height) grass. The L3830 handles it quite well.

Aaron Z

 

[/pine]

just for the record...my B1700 is 17 HP (14 PTO) and with the FEL and loaded rear tires it weighs about 2600#'s...

once I post some pics of what I intend to use the sickle bar on I have a feeling some opinions may change...but I appreciate all the feedback ....

Ken recommended not leaving the FEL on...but in my novice opinion I think it may be as much help as a detriment in my specific application...

it could be tomorrow afternoon before I get to post some pics...but I am anxious to see if anyone thinks it makes a difference...

 

[sweettractors]

just for the record...my B1700 is 17 HP (14 PTO) and with the FEL and loaded rear tires it weighs about 2600#'s...

once I post some pics of what I intend to use the sickle bar on I have a feeling some opinions may change...but I appreciate all the feedback ....

Ken recommended not leaving the FEL on...but in my novice opinion I think it may be as much help as a detriment in my specific application...

it could be tomorrow afternoon before I get to post some pics...but I am anxious to see if anyone thinks it makes a difference...

I worry that the FEL will take weight off the back, especially the left rear. Ken Sweet

 

[beenthere]

slash pine
Give it a whirl, and you will find out how much weight you will need to add to the left side of your B1700 to counterbalance the load. Just expect that you will likely need some to keep the front end out of the ditch you plan to mow.

But the sickle will be a handy attachment as long as the few times you need it, you won't have to go through a major hassle hooking it up. A couple hours to hook it up for 20 minutes of mowing the road might not be worth it, and yet it may just be well worth it. Should make the roadside look great, and be easier than trimming it with a weed eater.

 

[shadawick]

There are a lot of well intended "Concern," being voiced for a reason. If you've never mowed with a sickle bar or along a road bank or creek bank, there can be some nasty surprises. Around here it might be anything from a hidden rock or stump catching the bar to driving along everything fine then the right wheel drops into a ground hog hole or washed out cut under a bank or culvert. If your making too much speed and if the tractor is too light, you might end up wearing the tractor before you even know what hit you! Just so you know, everything I mentioned above, I have done and found out the hard way! Learned with a mid mount Farmall Cub, and it was a pain in the backside to mount, but one done and timed, with good sharp teeth, it was amazing what that little boy would do. Wish I still had it! Take care and pay careful attention to these well meaning, experienced, voices of wisdom!

:thumbsup:

 

[Rayrla]

I have a MF 7 foot sickle bar mower that I use to cut 3/4 mile of roadside ditches with a 33 HP Ford tractor with oversize loaded rear tires. My tractor handles this mower well but agree with the previous statement of heavy vibrations of the mower. Purchased mower in good working condition approximately ten years ago for $500. Use mower three times a year to cut ditches and have only replaced blades and greased before every use. The gravel along the road and ditchbank are very hard on the blades. Belt never changed. I cut about 100 feet of 1/2" - 3/4" brush along a ditch this year with good results. Be careful and watch where your fingers are when handling the blade!

 

[flusher]

A 500 buck sickle mower is going to be a pile of rubbish. No doubt you will spend at least as much again making it usable. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and find the Golden Mower from Heaven...good luck with that.

You got that right, brother.
I paid $550 for an MF31 sicklebar mower (7ft) at auction. Spent another $200 on parts, rebuilt it three times. And it really doesn't do a very good job in my hayfield (clogging, unmowed strips, etc). A real PITA.

I'll be getting a drum mower next season and stop wasting time on the ancient sicklebar.