MF #32 Sickle Bar Mower (or pretty much any brand) question

kopeck · May 26, 2015

A few years ago a tore my #32 sickle bar mower apart to fix a handful of problems. I'm just now getting around to putting it back together.

I noticed this on the bar it's self:

As you can see the end is bent, this is where the outer grass shoe would attach. I'm assuming this is not normal but wanted to check before I tried to correct it.

Thanks,

K

Lazy WP · May 26, 2015

I would stick it in the press!! You are correct, it is supposed to be straight.

kopeck · May 26, 2015

(quoted from post at 10:43:49 05/26/15) I would stick it in the press!! You are correct, it is supposed to be straight.

That's what I had in mind. Just need an extra set of hands...that sucker is a bit heavy!

K

Bill VA · May 26, 2015

I'm 99% sure it's straight on my MF32.

Lazy WP · May 26, 2015

Careful they do break, and you sure don't want to heat it.

kopeck · May 26, 2015

Rigged a sling with my engine hoist and set it in the press and carefully bent it back.

I'm curious how they would have fouled that thing up in the first place, then again judging by the condition I bought it in I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I just spent 2 hours bending the knife back into useable condition. Webbs has new ones but the shipping is a killer. I want to make sure the darn thing works before I drop any more serious cash into it.

And to think I bought it as a "working" unit...not my best day. :wink:

K

maxwell99 · May 27, 2015

My dad brought a new #32 mower back around 1960.
I was just a young pup mowing with it one day, got into some heavy hay and the bar
kickback tripped.

I had no idea what had happened, all I knew was just how much trouble I was going to be
in for tearing up the new mower, still remember that incident to this day.

Got off, looked it over good, saw nothing broken, then saw that trip mechanism.
Thought to myself, what the heck, I am in trouble as it is, so I just tried it, backed
up and it snapped back.

When I saw it back in proper working order, am sure sweat droplets the size of horse
dumplings was rolling off me.

I still have the old mower to this day and it's still in good working order.

Hay hay hay · Jun 1, 2015

Over the years I have owned 3 used MF42 mowers. The frame was bent on every one of them, likely from hitting a tree limb with the blade straight up in the air. Some people could destroy an anvil.

kopeck · Jun 1, 2015

(quoted from post at 07:43:27 06/01/15) Over the years I have owned 3 used MF42 mowers. The frame was bent on every one of them, likely from hitting a tree limb with the blade straight up in the air. Some people could destroy an anvil.

No kidding.

This one was really abused, the bearings on the "crank shaft" were shot but they kept using it. Killed the shaft, mangled the housing. That's all fixed now.

I just spent a few hours fixing the knife back. It looks like they didn't spend a lot of time adjusting the clips or shimming the head. It was all so worn that it just bent stuff up.

I've put way to much time and money into a plain old pitman drive mower but now it's about a close to new as I can make it. with care it will do everything I need.

K

MF #32 Sickle Bar Mower (or pretty much any brand) question

kopeck

Member

Lazy WP

Well-known Member

kopeck

Member

Bill VA

Well-known Member

Lazy WP

Well-known Member

kopeck

Member

maxwell99

Well-known Member

Hay hay hay

Well-known Member

kopeck

Member

Similar threads