Sickle Bar Sickle bar Mowers

[Charlie175]

Are they going by the wayside? I don't see them mentioned much anymore.

Much more maintenance involved for sure.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

A company by the name of ROWSE sells what is essentially the old New Holland 451. Not cheap but a time tested design.

New Holland no longer offers a sickle bar. Single action bars are just about a thing of the past. A few foriegn manufacturers offer double action cutters.

The disc mower has taken away the market base for sickle bars. Good used sickle bar mowers are climbing in value at a suprising rate. Just a few years ago, a decent used New Holland 450 or early model 451 would be lucky to fetch $300 at an auction. I've been seeing them sell for well over $1000 lately. Still a "need", but not enough so that the majors are willing to tool up for building new ones.

 

[radman1]

The disc mower has taken away the market base for sickle bars. Good used sickle bar mowers are climbing in value at a suprising rate. Just a few years ago, a decent used New Holland 450 or early model 451 would be lucky to fetch $300 at an auction. I've been seeing them sell for well over $1000 lately. Still a "need", but not enough so that the majors are willing to tool up for building new ones.

Your correct. The prices for a good, used sickle mower keep going up. The tough part is finding a real nice used one. I have a NH with 9' bar which is in excellent shape. Used it many years ago when we had alfalfa. Now it just sits inside on a pallet rack. Paint still looks nearly new. Still nice for mowing roadsides, as the sickle will hang over the ditch with the tractor on the road.

 

[deere755]

I could use one in a few places around here but I am not wanting to pay the premium for one. My BIL just bought some land and in the barn was a AC snap coupler hitch belt drive 7 ft sickle mower along with a 2 row planter and cultivator all AC snap coupler hitchs. He has told me to come and get them but I am only interested in the sickle mower if I can convert it over to a 3ph set up.

 

[Charlie175]

My father has a late 60's Allis sickle that has been put away and he uses a NH 9' sickle now for weed cutting. He likes it over the bush hog because he can scoot under the fence some to cut...plus it's 3' wider.

 

[deere755]

My father has a late 60's Allis sickle that has been put away and he uses a NH 9' sickle now for weed cutting. He likes it over the bush hog because he can scoot under the fence some to cut...plus it's 3' wider.

That is where I could really use one is along the fence and in a couple of spots along the ditch that is too steep to drive on plus I could mow some hay with it instead of paying some one to mow it.

 

[Ice Man]

I have a newbie question(s)....

I am assuming these mowers can cut somewhat above level to the ground. (?)

Can a sickle mowers cut below level? If the can, how many degrees about?

I would like one to cut my ditch and I would like to tip and up and down with the terrain of the ditch if possible.

Thanks. Dave

 

[JRobyn]

I found an old one for my Gravely and spiffed it all up. Haven't gotten a chance to use it much yet. Need to make some skids for each end, but haven't figured out a good way to fabricate and attach.

 

[radman1]

I have a newbie question(s)....

I am assuming these mowers can cut somewhat above level to the ground. (?)

Can a sickle mowers cut below level? If the can, how many degrees about?

I would like one to cut my ditch and I would like to tip and up and down with the terrain of the ditch if possible.

Thanks. Dave

They are designed with the sickle bar laying flat on the ground with the cut about 1.5-2" above the ground. To mow a ditch, we raised the mower up slightly and held the bar up 6-8".

 

[flusher]

Are they going by the wayside? I don't see them mentioned much anymore.

Much more maintenance involved for sure.

I assume you mean sicklebars that attach to the 3-point or that are configured as belly mounted mowers.

There are other types of sicklebars (haybines, swathers)and trailer mowers like my Allis Chalmers 80T.

As FWJ mentions, "naked" sicklebars are not being manufactured much anymore. You see a lot of these on eBay for $300-800.

 

[Charlie175]

I've never seen a newer pull behind like yours, only horse or early tractor pulled types. On the farm there is still sitting one that runs off of the wheel action. I assume it was horse drawn.

All the others are 3 point that I have seen. A old style hay rake is there to, resembles a large yard rake that trips up when you get the amount of hay in it.

I know every time dad uses the sickle for any length of time he takes the bar out to replace or sharpen the knives.

The farmer up the road has a Allis B12 with a belly mount sickle, 4' model. I always thought that was a neat tool. He won't part with it though.

 

[flusher]

I've never seen a newer pull behind like yours, only horse or early tractor pulled types. On the farm there is still sitting one that runs off of the wheel action. I assume it was horse drawn.

All the others are 3 point that I have seen. A old style hay rake is there to, resembles a large yard rake that trips up when you get the amount of hay in it.

I know every time dad uses the sickle for any length of time he takes the bar out to replace or sharpen the knives.

The farmer up the road has a Allis B12 with a belly mount sickle, 4' model. I always thought that was a neat tool. He won't part with it though.

That Allis Chalmers 80T dates from the 1950s, possibly earlier. John Deere and New Idea, among others, made similar trailer-type sicklebar mowers way back then. County maintenance folks used them for mowing ditches along the roads.

 

[js5020]

I found an old one for my Gravely and spiffed it all up. Haven't gotten a chance to use it much yet. Need to make some skids for each end, but haven't figured out a good way to fabricate and attach.

Take a look over at oldgravelys.net,, the parts manual shows a pretty decent picture. Nice looking mower,,, a 4 or 5' ? don't see to many of them most are 42".

 

[Farmwithjunk]

If you're interested in NEW, here's the best chance there is to get the same technology as the proven winner, the New Holland 451.


Single Bar Hay Mower,Rowse Hydraulic Rakes Company, Burwell, Nebraska.

 

[BTI]

In our area a good used NH 451, not a perfect one, just a good working used one, will bring $1500 easily.

BTI

 

[Darren]

A double action sickle bar with the hydraulic cylinder will cut at angles below horizontal for ditches and at any angle you need to cut a bank above grade. FWIW, as long as you don't try cutting metal T posts, Beyond the daily greasing when in use, maintenance isn't a big issue.

 

[Joe1shoe]

I own a Rowse 3Pt Sickle. I mostly cut banks and around ponds with it. I'm amayzed what it cuts. Briars, sapplings, about any medium to soft wood that will fit in the cutter slot. Just take your time and keep it out of the rocks.

 

[Solo]

I found an old one for my Gravely and spiffed it all up. Haven't gotten a chance to use it much yet. Need to make some skids for each end, but haven't figured out a good way to fabricate and attach.

Nice 5' mower. I don't want to detract from this thread, so I posted some pics of my mower skids in the two wheel forum.

Solo

 

[Mike120]

I actually prefer a sickle mower, I think they give a cleaner cut. I use an old NH 456 trailed mower that is very reliable. Yes, I can go a little faster with a disc mower, but in small fields you don't gain that much time. Because of the reduced HP requirements, I can also mow with the sickle using E-pto and use less fuel as well. If I ever have to replace it, I'd get a Rowse.

 

[Van Wen]

I also like sickle bars. I work an orchard and when the the trees are heavily laden, branches touching the ground, it just slips along barely jiggling the fruit. A disk mower wouldn't "cut it" (pun intended) in that application.