Sickle Mower advice needed

eod4647

Member
Good Morning, I have a gas Oliver 880 with athree point. Looking to get a sickle mower to use with it and looking for some advice. I've seen a couple listed for sale here in ND that I'm interested in. One is an International 120semi-mounted with a 7 foot sickle. The other is a John Deere 39 three pointed with a 9 foot bar. Which would be a better fit for the tractor? I know that both styles will be a bit of apain to hook up compared to a trailer type mower, but I kind of like the ease of maneuvering with them. Use for the moment is just cuttingthe tall pasture grass (and weed) down, in the near future I hope to get a rake and some sort of baler. But for now the grass is growing faster than the horses can eat... Thanks for your experience and opinions.

Chris
 
Whatever brand you buy be sure you can get replacement parts. These machines are getting older maybe 30 years.

Talk with some guys that have used cycle mowers verse the new type disc mowers (I do not know the correct terminology that they are called)

But from years of experience an old worn cycle mower and hay baler can cause you a lot of trouble.

You can get by with and old disc, plow, cultivator or even hay rake.

But you want to buy the best hay cutter, baler and corn picker you can afford.

Maybe a smaller round baler might be a better choice, easier to move the bales.

New Holland and John Deere always had a good reputation in farm equipment, but condition is everything.

Worn out is worn out, no matter the brand!!!!!!
 
I would go with the John Deere 39. Both mowers are pretty good but I like the full 3 point mount. I have both a 38 semi mounted and a 39 3 point mounted and I prefer running the 39. Both of them seem to take about the same time to put on once they are mounted.
 
If you really want to mow hay with it don't get one with a pitman rod.I've used a variety of sickle mowers but the one I like the best by far is my New Holland 456 trailer type it cuts great and corners easily with its offset wheels it'd be a good set up with your 880.Also New Holland has parts for it no problem
 
I have been trying to rebuild an old IH 220 and have 2 suggestions. Park it in the shade because it will break often and the closer to your shop the better.

This one will soon become "yard art".
 
I have never had or seen a balanced head work, used lots of bar mowers with pitman with absoulte no problem, don't see what could be advantage og a balanced head except mowing down a ditch bank or clipping tree limbs along side a field. What you will get is a very heavy lift to raise any 9' bar to transport so unless you are very strong you may not be able to do it. 7' was all either Dad or me could lift. We had an Oliver 3 point 7' pitman bar unit but the way it was made you could trim those trees with it but the way it was designed it was equivilent to a 9' bar and it took both Dad and me to lift that bar to transport position. And I think a semi mount will follow the ground better than a mounted. Also a 9' may not go in your storage shed where a 7' would. For a 9' you need at least a 11' probably a 12' door to get it in to store. And most rakes were designed for a 7' swath and some will not work good trying to split a swath.
 
I have a IH 120 semi mount balanced head 7ft bar. It works great, but I did put new ledger plates on the guards and new sections. Jim
 

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