Sickle Bar Mower Pitman Bar Question.

Bill VA

Well-known Member
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
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I too like belts that slip so the pitman does not break. I had a NF sickle bar mower years and and the break away did not release like it should have and it broke the pivot part of the bar ad to replace it would have cost more then the mower had cost so I junked it. So what I am saying is make sure the break away release works well of you could find your self with junk if you say catch a fence post etc.
 
I have broken several. One thing that happens is that the bolts will loosen up with the shrink and swell of the wood. When they do, you will tear the bolt holes out in heavy cutting. Dull sickles do them in pretty quick.. One other thing that happens is that if you raise your cutter bar too fast, the end will flip up high and cause it to jam. I broke a brand new stick that had less than 8 hours use on it that way 2 years ago. I always keep a couple on hand and I have one put together with all the iron parts on it and carry it with me so I can change it out quick. Ironically... as long as I have it along, I have never needed it!
 
I have found the pitman stick will split from the end if you run the pto too fast or let the bolts get loose so it starts to pound back and forth. I usually put hose clamps between every bolt and when using a new stick keep snugging the bolts till they stay tight, always keep a spare.
 
I have a mower just like the one you are showing that I bought new and still in new cond.- no longer use. Broke a couple of pitmans on it crossing over rocks and not raising the mower enough to clear. The pitman has no guard underneath and is real close to the ground as it makes the strokes.
 
Broke a couple of pitmans dropping mower down in some grass or weeds that had an unseen rock or stump. as others said, the pitman runs low to the ground and is not protected from the bottom.

if you ever break a pitman, you must learn how to register the blade, some calling it timing the blade to the guards. very important if its to ever cut properly again. Registering the blade is covered in your manual.

I still have the MF #32 mower my dad bought new many years ago.
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#1 thing when running any sickle bar mower is sharp sections,get a new blade from Webbs Sickle Service it'll do wonders.And don't even think about trying to sharpen the sections.Also you have to run a speed where the mower is cutting easily,old pitman style mowers and fast ground speeds do not work together.
 
Have replaced several pitmans over the years in several mowers but never because one broke while in use. They were all in newly accuired mowers that were not taken care of and left outside and rotted. Now the end straps I have had to replace due to wear after we were using the mower but after first getting the mowers in correct operating condition when first acuired never replaced a pitman after that. And not all mowers used wood for the pitman, I have 3 here that have a steel pitman in from the factory, just the way they were designed.
 

You want the belts NO tighter than it takes to drive the mower in good heavy cutting.
You should see a few signs of the belts flipping a little (like they are not really tight).
A Wooden Pitman is easier on the cutter-Bar and Pivot, it takes some shock out of the system and you don't pull the pivot end off the Bar as often.
You should try to keep the Weather off the wooden Pitman and keep the bolts tight.
It should last for many years..properly maintained, one should last many seasons..
Ron.
 

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