Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower & Clipping Wheel Attachment

Buffaloman · Apr 2, 2015

I bought a old Ford 501 sickle bar mower. I have little experience making hay so I bought a Ford Operator's Manual for Series 501 mowers off of eBay. The first page shows a Clipping wheel Attachment , Part number 149188. It says it is Bundle No. 149188. ?? It says the arm provides a cutting height range from 1 to 9". It's just what I'm looking for!

A Google search doesn't show anything like replacements parts, etc. Does anyone know about this wheel attachment? Does it work? Where can I find one? Can some tell me the dimensions of the wheel, length of the arm, or anything else ? I might be able to make one.

Thanks

flembo · Apr 3, 2015

I don't know about the clipping wheel but I am refurbishing a 7 footer I inherited, I changed from rivets to screws and nuts and I have all new rock guards to go on. We just had to put my FIL in a assisted living home so I will be learning how to maintain a 5 acre field until we decide what to do with the place.

JMOR · Apr 3, 2015

(quoted from post at 00:26:43 04/03/15) I bought a old Ford 501 sickle bar mower. I have little experience making hay so I bought a Ford Operator's Manual for Series 501 mowers off of eBay. The first page shows a Clipping wheel Attachment , Part number 149188. It says it is Bundle No. 149188. ?? It says the arm provides a cutting height range from 1 to 9". It's just what I'm looking for!

A Google search doesn't show anything like replacements parts, etc. Does anyone know about this wheel attachment? Does it work? Where can I find one? Can some tell me the dimensions of the wheel, length of the arm, or anything else ? I might be able to make one.

Thanks

earch YT archives for clipping wheel under Ford 9N,3N,8N discussion forum
http://www.partspring.com/catalog/product/view/id/221864/s/515-series-39584/

Sean in PA · Apr 3, 2015

Here's a link to the pats page for the 501 series mowers:

[u:95d50953fb]http://partstore.agriculture.newholland.com/us/parts-search.html#epc::mr54136ag4872053[/u:95d50953fb]

The part number for the entire clipping wheel assembly is 149188, which looks to be no longer available new. Most of the individual parts look to be no longer available as well. Probably need to find on in a salvage yard, or make one yourself as it doesn't look too complicated.

showcrop · Apr 3, 2015

You don't use a clipping wheel for mowing hay. Your sickle bar runs on the ground and the height is adjusted with the top link of the three point hitch. tilting it back raises the height of cut. The clipping wheel was attached when "clipping" pastures, to raise the sickle bar above the junk, stumps, rocks, etc. that would be in a pasture. Pastures had to be clipped to keep the weeds down as the cattle would eat around them, so they would grow tall. Farmers didn't usually have 3 point rotaries, so the hay mower did double duty.

DGinVT · Apr 3, 2015

I have had a 501 since the mid '70s with never any problems of any kind. From time to time over the past winters I would drive out the rivet holding the dull plate and put in new ones. Ledger plates(they came from ValuBiltParts) are less expensive than the whole guard. A very quick operation. Never even used a trailing wheel, just adjusted the drop height for a decent cut. I could mow better than the neighbors and faster

freds · Apr 3, 2015

I bought a wheel (I think from Webbs call (800) 578-1480 in Neb.) a few years ago. It fit ok but did not take grease last time I used it. Maybe the bushing rotated? I am sure you could also modify an outside shoe to raise the bar to 8 inches with a strip of steel and a welder. I only use mine to clip weeds tops on a few acres (30) so no heavy use. Webbs have a large selection of sickle bar parts.

paul · Apr 3, 2015

I've never actually seen one ever on a mower.

They no longer make the parts....

Tells me you don't really want one; don't really do any good or used by anyone......

Been using a 501 for 30 years or more, and I believe it would cause more problems than it would solve?

Maybe only would work in mature oats or wheat or other big stemmed standing crop...... I think it would be a mess in typical finer grass hay.
One of those deals you cuss at for a day, tear it off the machine and throw back in the grove to never look at again......

Paul

wellmax99 · Apr 3, 2015

does the wheel look something like this.
used to sell them at farms stores.

stevob671 · Apr 3, 2015

Grew up with 501 mower and have seen many at sales. Never seen a clipping wheel on one or in the "parts" piles. General hay cutting they will cause more problems as the hay won't fall over the bar as easily. If you're mowing over rocks and stumps then I could see it saving some bent guards.

wellmax99 · Apr 3, 2015

this one was made from my uncles.
he had a ford 501 mower, used the wheel when clipping pasture.
I had this one made using his as a pattern, I used it on my MF32 mower when clipping government set aside land, had to clip the weeds off the land.

it worked good, kept the end of the cutter bar about 10" off the ground.
had to build an extension to the shoe on the other end of the cutter bar so it ran level.

this kept the bar out of the grass and clipped the weeds, worked fine.
the wheel supported the end of the bar so it remained level and not supported by the tractor and mower.

it was much easier on my old tractor to clip the weeds with the cutter bar than to use my old rotary cutter.

Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower & Clipping Wheel Attachment

Buffaloman

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flembo

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JMOR

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Sean in PA

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showcrop

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DGinVT

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freds

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paul

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wellmax99

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stevob671

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wellmax99

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