radara4077
Member
Been having a few setbacks with my new-to-me JD 9W sickle bar mower. I keep breaking pitmans and even a blade. Dad and I have narrowed it down to what we think is the problem. Dad sourced these new-type hold-downs that have a bolt and spring on them that adjust the down pressure they put on the sections. We think we've gotten them too tight. We put on a new pitman arm and loosened those hold-downs a bit, but now the mower is out of register.
Loosened the set screw and bolts on the "adjusting rod", but we can't get the thing to move. More accurately, we were able to move it after a lot of WD-40 and pecking about a 1/4 inch. but now it won't move either way at all. Best we can tell, the mower is out of register by over three times that.
How important is register for overall cutting action? Could it be causing stuff to break, or are we on the right track with those hold-downs?
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:
Broken blade:
Notce the "new-style" hold-down, and how it has worn a shiny spot on the old sections. Too tight?
Broken pitman arm after replacing the blade and adjusting the shims under the hold downs:
Attached to my 841S, just because:
Loosened the set screw and bolts on the "adjusting rod", but we can't get the thing to move. More accurately, we were able to move it after a lot of WD-40 and pecking about a 1/4 inch. but now it won't move either way at all. Best we can tell, the mower is out of register by over three times that.
How important is register for overall cutting action? Could it be causing stuff to break, or are we on the right track with those hold-downs?
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:
Broken blade:
Notce the "new-style" hold-down, and how it has worn a shiny spot on the old sections. Too tight?
Broken pitman arm after replacing the blade and adjusting the shims under the hold downs:
Attached to my 841S, just because: