Question About Ford 501 Mower

Bryce Frazier

Well-known Member
Hi all, I finished the restoration of my Ford 501 sickle mower (red) and I finally got it mounted on my Ferguson TO-30 (they were bought as a package deal in the early 60's by a neighbor)

The mower has it's own kind of top link, not adjustable. It also has these two little arms that hang down from the top link, that pin to the large coil spring in the center of the mower. My question is, when this spring is actually hooked to the top link, and it is hooked to the tractor, how far extended out should the spring be??

TO give you guys an idea, the farther off the ground the mower is, the bigger the spring extends out (makes sense) however, by the time that it reaches the top, I can stick my pinky finger between between each of the coils on the spring, is that TOO far, or okay?? I can get a picture if I need to! Bryce
 
Bryce,

I have a Ford 501 sickle bar mower that I use on my Ford 2000 tractor.

It might be that the connection to a Ferguson is entirely different from the connection to my Ford, but, what you are describing seems to be exactly backwards of what I see on my tractor/mower.

With the top link attached to the attaching point on the tractor, and the two lift arms attached to the mower, when I raise my three-point hitch, the top spring that the spring links are going to be attached to is completely relaxed. In fact, if it were not completely relaxed, I would never be able to get the little hitch pin through the two spring links and the loop on the end of the spring.

I cannot visualize your situation when compared to my set-up.

Sorry,

Tom in TN
 
Something sounds terribly wrong, or I am not understanding.

The spring gets very relaxed and loose when you lift the mower up.

The spring gets some tension when you lower the mower. Not much, just lets the mower float over the ground.

If I read you right, when you lift the mower it is stretching the spring?

That is wrong, you have something hooked up wrong.

Pictures?

Paul
 
Well, I just went out and looked... You guys were right!! I am not sure why, but I mixed it up some how!!

Soooo, here are the facts!!!

When the mower is all the way up, I can JUST BARELY get the pin through the two little arms and the spring to hook the spring up to the top link.

Once I do this, and THEN lower the mower down, it will go all the way down, and then it just won't go any more, and the inner skid plate of the mower is about 1 inch off of the ground, that is on my concrete floor in the shop, because of space, I haven't been able to see what it looks like with the bar in the operation position, right now it is in the transport position.

So, with this info, does the situation sound a little better? The spring is stretched out when the mower is DOWN and completely condensed when it is UP... THANKS!!! Bryce
 
Bryce,

What you are seeing is exactly normal in both cases. With the bar up in the transport position, when you lower the lift arms, the mower will not go all the way down to contact the floor. If you take the mower outside, and lower the bar to the operate position, the unit will go much farther down. You need to make two adjustments to get the bar to be parallel to the ground for when you are mowing. The Operator's Manual will explain those two adjustments.

Secondly, the little lynch pin will just barely go through the spring links and the spring when the unit is fully raised on the 3-point hitch. In fact, I always push my mower over so that it is perfectly aligned with the tractor to enable me to put the lynch pin in. Otherwise, I can't get it in.

You're making good progress. I expect that you'll be mowing soon.

Tom in TN
 
Yep, about a month and I will be putting the Ferguson TO-30, Ford 501, John Deere 594 Rake, and a NH 68 to work!! This year I am putting up a little wild meadow grass, next year I am hoping to have 3 1/2 acres of oat hay, but you never know!!

Thanks SO SO SO much for the help!!! I was a little worried that I had something screwed up!!! :)

Keep your eye on the Tractor Talk Forum, I will HOPEFULLY be posting some pictures of my completed restoration on my Ferguson and mower sometime within the week. I am doing the body work on my hood/fenders tomorrow and Wednesday, and I should be getting my generator back soon...

Thanks again!! Bryce
 

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