Sickle Mower Ford 501

Hobo,NC

Well-known Member
Location
Sanford, NC
I always wanted one of these know nuttin about them. I have a good bush cutter I could trade him. The deal I would let him do the exchange what am I getting into as far as is it repairable a EZ fix...
I can weld I know noting about what is broke. I have a lot in town its flat the city stays on my arse to keep it mowed 8" rule the only time its under the 8" rule is the day I mow it with a brush cutter... I sprayed it with round up about 30 days ago :lol: so far no letter from the city... I would think I could knock it down good with a sickle..

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/d/sickle-mower-ford-501/6656516170.html
 
Hobo,

I have a Ford 501 sickle bar mower that I use on my 1973 Ford 2000 gas tractor. You probably know that the 501 is actually a series of mowers, not just one-size-fits-all. If you were to pursue that mower, you would be very wise to insure that it will fit whatever tractor you are going to use it on. Looking at the pictures of the mower, a few things stand out. The cutter bar is very long. The 501 can come with a 6 foot, or 7 foot, or 8 foot, or 9 foot bar. Mine is a six foot bar. Personally, I wouldn't want a larger bar. I have enough trouble with clogs on my 6 foot bar. I have no idea why the previous owner welded a caster roller onto the end of the bar. Maybe that's a good thing, but I just haven't ever seen one like that. The bar is intended to ride right down on the dirt, supported by two "shoes" - one on each end of the bar. There are many adjustments that must be made to get it to cut cleanly. The ad says that an Owner's Manual is with the mower, and that is essential to set the mower up.

The pitman arm attachment to the sheave is missing. Maybe that's what the owner is talking about that some welding is needed. On my mower the pitman arm is close to and parallel with the frame of the mower. In the picture of the mower, it looks like the pitman arm is nowhere near the attachment (that's missing) on the sheave. I don't know why it is so displaced.

It is essential that you have a swath bar on the end of the cutter bar. Each successive pass through the hay MUST, allow the inboard end of the bar to run directly above the path that was cleared by the swath board on the previous pass. Otherwise, it is certain that you'll have a clog on the inboard end of the bar.

The bar is manually raised for transport. A transport bar is then inserted into the cutter bar and attached to the frame. I don't see the transport bar in the photo.

In any event, the 501 can be good mower, but it requires a lot of adjusting and manipulation to get it working properly.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Tom in TN
 

I'm not sure its worth a good cutter unless it works..

A sickle bar is a bit like black magic... ground speed To slow, it clogs as the cut material fall on top of the guards and blocks them.. to fast and it plugs.... when crop is leaning to you it cuts great, when crop is leaning away from you, you must pick up speed or it will plug.. required pto speed is important as too slow it clogs, too fast and it tears itself apart. So just using it will need a learning curve of plugging, backing and unclogging, etc..... Leveling of the cutting bar is important as it usually the top link adjustment is critical to getting to run correctly as well. with both sweeps adjusted for cutting height, the bar must run level or even tilted up a bit in front. If lots of clump/ball grass, a higher height on bar is needed... Then we get into guards and blades... Get a good grinder, good punch and even a rivet tool to help reset the rivet when you pop off a single blade. You will get good after a while at changing blades in the field. worn rock guards will not cut clean and plug more as will worn blades. every couple of years or sooner you can wear out a bar, need to change the whole thing out, along with wear pads, and sometimes all new guards... These are design to cut the crop LONG for hay and feed, so will not mulch it.. So dollar for dollar for keep a field just cut, they will usually cost much more than a rotary cutter (shredder). For cutting hay are still a very good choice. In the sugar sand areas down here they are still king over a disc cutter as a disc cutter can need a blade change twice a day. And dont require as big of a tractor as a disc cutter. Would seem most sickles are 7 footers around here, and a jubilee will run the easily hp wise, not as good though on the correct ground speed where an 8 speed will do better with the pick of speeds. as your rpm is fixed.
 
I don't know, Hobo. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

As Soxtbil says, sickle bar mowers are not forgiving. The mower must be in good condition and properly set up and the operator must be experienced.

In my area, one cannot give away an old sickle bar mower.

Dean
 
Hobo, sotxbill & others speak with experience. If you are not cutting to bale hay, I would not use a sickle bar mower. I have a 501 (and much of a spare parts 501) that I no longer use. Too bad you are not closer, if you really want one. Use bush hogs and a Ford 917A flail (for nice mower, it is the one you want). The flail is rugged enough that it can handle small brush.
 
Brush hog is great for a lot of things, but sometimes a sickle will be king.
Had some 8' tall weeds in a drowned out area, tried to hog them out- very slow going workin' the smoke out of the tractor, not to mention all the crap and bugs all in my face as it were. Put the old 501 on and now zipping along in 8th gear at 5mph with the tractor just kind of "puttering" along nice and easy. What would have taken most of a fuel tank and full day was now done on less than two gallons in less than two hours and less grunt out of the old 681-D.

mvphoto20708.jpg
 

The seller does not want to deal he told me he doubts I would like it for what I want to do... I can sell the brush cutter no problem I got it with a tractor I brought I have several...

Now on the look out for a nice flail mower :wink:

I built a boom sprayer to go on my golf cart it takes about 20 gal of water and 40 oz of round up to kill the grass on the city lot... Let them look at dead grass :lol:
 
Years ago I had a good seven foot 501 mower on my 8N. I usually started every day with a sharp sickle. There were times in good hay I could mow in third gear and wished I had a three and a half gear. That combination could mow with anyone's tractor and keep up.

Sickle bar mowers have to be sharp, tight and in good repair. They mow hay, not vacant lots.
 

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