Sickle Mower for Clipping Field????

Bill VA · Sep 18, 2016

My trusty Hesston 1110 is down at the moment and I need to get on with clipping my fields. Wanted to use the Hesston as I have it set to 5 inches height cut and toyed with the idea (with some YT advice/ideas on how clip it even higher - thx), but the Hesston is now on the winter project list.

Sooooooo.....

My next weapon is the MF32 sickle mower. My concern with it is clipping to close. I've seen posts regarding wheels that attach to the outer end of the cutter bar for clipping. Don't have one of those, not sure in the short term I could rig one.

I'm thinking just going around with the sickle mower just lifted off the ground 6 or 8 inches is good for the mower.

Or is it?

Might be out of luck on clipping the field with something other than my 5ft bush hog this year......

Tim(nj) · Sep 18, 2016

The skid shoes on both ends of the bar are adjustable on those mowers if I remember right but how much height they'd get you I don't know.

mcg · Sep 18, 2016

I use a Massey Ferguson 31. The skid shoe on the outside of the bar got damaged, so I replaced it with a wheel, about 8" diameter, to keep the end of the bar from digging in. It works fine.

old · Sep 18, 2016

I tried to send you an e-mail but not sure if it went out. If you can sned me an e-mail I can scan page form a Ford 515 sickle bar mower tha twill show you how the clipping wheel is set up and it should not be very hard to rig one up on your mower

showcrop · Sep 18, 2016

The farmer I worked for as a kid always used it as it was. You figure that the good stuff won't be very tall any way, and the weeds and stems and seed heads are what you are after and you want to cut them fairly close. The good leafy stuff is going to bend over some anyway. The hay always grew back after cutting right?
Good on you for getting to it. Clipping makes a huge difference in pasture quality.

maxwell99 · Sep 18, 2016

Bill, I have a #32 MF mower
Many years I clipped fields with it using the adjustable gauge wheel mounted to the end of the bar,

The shoe on the inside, I loosen the back attachment bolt on the slide and added a short length of flat stock which raised the height of the bar to about 8" so the bar ran level,

It worked fine for cutting weeds etc,

Where to get one of those end wheels, ??????
I just bought a good quality 8" wheel with grease zerk made me an attachment bar that would mount to the holes in the end of the bar,
Motored on!

MF#1 · Sep 18, 2016

When I try that mowing hay the blade will flop around a bit, makes it ragged. I would recommend doing what Tim(nj) said, raise both shoes and you will "probably" be in the ballpark. BTW my dad bought one of those wheels many years ago, got tired of clogging and threw it in the shed. Good luck!

MARK ROBKE · Sep 18, 2016

I just use the sickle bar as is-the cows have eaten the good grass shorter than it cuts,and,I just want to cut the iron weeds before they seed out.If it rains,the grass will grow again,and I rotational graze pasture so after the cows are done,I cut weeds while they are in another field.If the grass is too thick or mangled and the sickle bar would have difficulty,then I just use the bush hog.For end of year clipping,to me, the sickle bar is faster.Mark

farmerwithmutt · Sep 19, 2016

I always got same as hay one side benefit is the fact it spreads the manure out and that helps to

Traditional Farmer · Sep 19, 2016

If you take off the grass board or metal gizmo that flips the hay back you should be able to rig up a wheel from TSC or someplace and use the hole the grass board was bolt on with.
Good idea to take off the grass board when mowing pastures anyway.

Leroy · Sep 19, 2016

This sounds correct. Mow at same height as if mowing hay, do not try to clip at overly tall (what you are wanting) what you are needing cliped is below the height you are wanting. And the grass if clipped at correct height 2 1/2-3" will grow back faster and in better shape than if you try to cut it at the height you are wanting. We used the bar mower for that for years++++, never had anything else to even try.

jacksun65 · Sep 19, 2016

I have one of those wheels, was on my MF dynabalance. fits in place of grass board is a bout 6 inch triangle with a four inch solid wheel mounted to it.

showcrop · Sep 19, 2016

(quoted from post at 07:16:37 09/19/16) This sounds correct. Mow at same height as if mowing hay, do not try to clip at overly tall (what you are wanting) what you are needing cliped is below the height you are wanting. And the grass if clipped at correct height 2 1/2-3" will grow back faster and in better shape than if you try to cut it at the height you are wanting. We used the bar mower for that for years++++, never had anything else to even try.

Finally something Leroy and I agree on!

300guy · Sep 19, 2016

I took the inner shoe and made an extension piece to bolt to the shoe and the mower bar. I took a solid wheel and built a bracket and mounted it on the end of the bar. That way I could just lower the bar down and not have to worry about how high it was. I mowed 140 acres of CRP several years ago with it that way. If you just hold the bar up and not set it on the ground, any bumps the bar bounces up and down and causes a real rough and uneven cut.

Bill VA · Sep 21, 2016

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Sickle Mower for Clipping Field????

Bill VA

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Tim(nj)

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mcg

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old

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showcrop

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maxwell99

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MF#1

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MARK ROBKE

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farmerwithmutt

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Traditional Farmer

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Leroy

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jacksun65

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showcrop

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300guy

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Bill VA

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