Looking over my MF32 sickle bar mower for a bit more refreshing. Got a set of machine matched belts which drive the pitman pulley.
The current belts are warn, glazed and one is looser than the other. The up side last summer with these old belts was if I severely plugged the cutter bar, the belts would slip. Maybe that's good vs snapping the pitman?
My question is - what is the typical cause of the wooden pitman arm breaking? Pinching a rock or a piece of debris, like a piece of steel between the knife sections and the guard or a big slug of grass?
Is there ever a time when tooling along in thick hay that the pitman bar just snaps?
Am I asking for trouble replacing the belts?
I've got a spare pitman, so the original should never break - right.... LOL!
Thanks!
Bill
The current belts are warn, glazed and one is looser than the other. The up side last summer with these old belts was if I severely plugged the cutter bar, the belts would slip. Maybe that's good vs snapping the pitman?
My question is - what is the typical cause of the wooden pitman arm breaking? Pinching a rock or a piece of debris, like a piece of steel between the knife sections and the guard or a big slug of grass?
Is there ever a time when tooling along in thick hay that the pitman bar just snaps?
Am I asking for trouble replacing the belts?
I've got a spare pitman, so the original should never break - right.... LOL!
Thanks!
Bill