Author	[Modern View]
Brandon Uecker 09-22-2012 15:55:01 63.155.87.13 Report to Moderator	So i need to replace the all the sickles on my sickle mower and they are the original ones and they are riveted on and i was wondering if there was a way that i could bolt them on instead of rivets because it would make it so much handier. [Reply]   [No Email]
Don-Wi 09-24-2012 18:12:08 75.249.2.216 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   We switched our NI 290 over to bolts (when ever one breaks atleast) when we bought our Hesston 1014+2. We bought it needing sickle work so we bought a complete rebuild from Webb's, bolted, and we haven't looked back. Haven't had any problems with the bolts, and they're much quicker to replace than rivets. Didn't have to change a thing when we started using bolts either. To do rivets, I ussually need a second set of hands to manipulate the bar while pounding the rivets. With the bolts you install them with the tool to seat them all the way and go on bolting the sections on. I can swedge a rivet with the best of them, but give me bolts anyday. Dad has the rivet tool too, but it's to combersome and it's quicker if you have a good helper to do it by hand with a good rivet setting punch. Donovan from Wisconsin [Reply]  [No Email]
Bret4207 09-24-2012 16:44:31 64.19.90.196 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   I never saw one of those Johnson tools before, but that would be okay to have in a commercial shop. For the average farmer, that's a lot of frogging around and quite and investment for what a vice a hammer and punch and some bolts or a rivet header will do. To each their own I guess. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-24-2012 14:06:04 137.89.181.34 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   Well i got thesickle bar off now all i need to do is get the old sickles off and put on the new onesand I think im gonna stick with rivets. [Reply]  [No Email]
Bret4207 09-23-2012 16:48:43 64.19.90.196 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to George Marsh, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   Quoting Removed, click Modern View to see I'm very glad I could help. I expected someone to try and say it wouldn't work or they'd be loose, but mine last as long as any other bolts or rivets. With the bolts the shank has those ridges on them and as long as the ridge catches both the knife and bar it should be the same either way it sits. [Reply]  [No Email]
Bret4207 09-23-2012 04:50:50 64.19.90.196 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   You don't always have to replace the hold downs with the high ones. Just put the bolt in from the top instead of the bottom. I've been doing it this way for years and it works for me. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brian G. NY 09-23-2012 08:38:11 72.10.203.95 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Bret4207, 09-23-2012 04:50:50   Brett, when I switched over to bolts, I did replace the holddowns with the high arch ones and I still had to grind a little off the nuts on some of them at the knifeheas end. I never thought about turning the bolts upside down which sounds like a great idea and I'm quite sure there is plenty of room on the bottom side for the nuts to clear. Learned something new today which makes it a banner day. Thanks!! [Reply]  [No Email]
James Howell 09-23-2012 04:41:32 75.224.232.219 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   One of our JD 350 sickle mowers has sections that are attached with nuts and screws. You will need to use the high arch knife hold down clips to clear the nuts attaching the sections. Hope this helps. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-23-2012 06:43:16 209.193.83.62 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to James Howell, 09-23-2012 04:41:32   Thanks for the pictures they will really help me.....also thats a really nice sickle mower you have. [Reply]  [No Email]
James Howell 09-23-2012 14:52:31 75.224.232.219 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-23-2012 06:43:16   Thanks for the compliment on the mower. It was a little rough when we bought it. Use it as a back-up mower in an emergency. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-22-2012 19:42:29 63.155.87.13 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   I pull my sickle mower behind a 1942 Ford 9n and it goes way fast even in first gear which causes it to clog but part of my reason is that im missing a sickle. [Reply]  [No Email]
showcrop 09-22-2012 18:31:05 75.67.231.80 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   When I had a sickle mower I looked into the bolts but saw that I needed to replace all the hold downs also. I always carried the tool in the field so that I could change sections in the field without pulling the knife. [Reply]  [No Email]
Traditional Farmer 09-22-2012 17:53:53 67.233.70.253 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   You might want to check with Webb's sickle service in Nebraska they have sickles for about anything good prices and the sickles are better than the originals [Reply]  [No Email]
GordoSD 09-22-2012 17:39:23 64.33.250.162 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   You can buy the entire bar with all new serrated sctions bolted on it for little more than buying all new sections and bolts and doing all that work. Shop at your nearest REAL farm store. [Reply]  [No Email]
Tom in TN 09-22-2012 17:29:32 166.248.65.104 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   Brandon, I have a Ford 501 sickle bar mower. On the 501, if you use bolts to mount the section knives, you have to replace the hold-down guides with high-arch guides to accommodate the nuts on the end of the bolts. I have replaced all of the rivets on one of my bars, except the last couple of inboard section knives they are riveted on. The last couple of hold-down guides on the inboard end of the bar are special guides that are not easily replacable with high-arch guides, that's why I still use rivets on the last couple of section knives. I have never had a bolt loosen or break, but I've had some rivets loosen and/or break. I wouldn't consider going back to rivets. At least, that's my experience. YMMV. Tom in TN [Reply]  [No Email]
marloweg 09-22-2012 17:00:56 184.157.213.219 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   bolts work but do not hold as well because they do not expand when you tighten them. by hammering or using a rivet tool rivets expand out to fill the hole bolts are the size of the hole and when you tighten them they stretch and get smaller rivets are your best bet just buy a rivet tool [they are cheep]to remove old rivets just a hit or two on the back side of the section will shear the rivets [Reply]  [No Email]
36 coupe 09-23-2012 05:21:54 66.186.169.176 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to marloweg, 09-22-2012 17:00:56   Thats how I remove rivets.I have a good supply of rivets on hand plus the rivets make a tighter fit.See no reason to change.I do replace guard knives,See cast iron guards from china now.They will break off and punch tires. [Reply]  [No Email]
VicS 09-22-2012 16:47:54 70.195.1.10 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   I have changed a 80R Allis mower to bolts. They use the same guards as a John Deere. I bought a box of assorted section bolts with lock nuts at our local farm supply. There was enough long ones for the head. I also made it one section longer, works better and doesn't plug on the end. [Reply]  [No Email]
JRSutton 09-22-2012 16:01:25 75.130.109.233 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   Personally I find the rivets a lot easier and more secure. You can use bolts - just make sure they're short enough not to interfere with anything. A little locktite on them wouldn't be a bad idea. You didn't ask - but I'll throw it out there anyways - a lot of people don't like rivets because they don't know how to remove the old ones - just by supporting the bar, smacking the blade on edge, shearing the rivets. They pop right off with one or two sharp hits. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-22-2012 16:05:20 63.155.87.13 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to JRSutton, 09-22-2012 16:01:25   I didn't know how to pop off the rivets so thanks for telling me. But with bolts i will be able to replace them out in the field rather than taking it back to the shop and doing it there. [Reply]  [No Email]
JDseller 09-22-2012 20:53:14 208.126.196.144 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 16:05:20   Brandon The easy way to get them to pop off is to set your vise just loose on the section. then with the knife part of the section down and the knife back against the vise, basically you have it on edge. Then hit the section right above each rivet and they will shear and drop off. The ones in the head may not shear this way if you can't get the back to set against the vise. If it is not solid you can damage the sickle head. If I am in doubt I just grind them off. CAUTION!!! If you do this wrong you can break the knife back or bend it. So just be careful. I have a Johnson sickle servicer to install and remove the rivets. On short sickles I can change them twice as fast as you can with the bolts. I don't like the bolts on a sickle mower because the high arch hold downs will drag in fine grass more. I just keep an extra sickle on the tractor with me. I can replace the sickle in less that five minutes. Then when I am not mowing later I can fix the bad section. Video of Useing a Johnson sickle servicer [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-23-2012 18:28:09 63.155.68.185 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to JDseller, 09-22-2012 20:53:14   Thats a very helpful video and i was also wondering were i could get one of those Johnson tools. [Reply]  [No Email]
old 09-22-2012 17:30:22 209.86.226.19 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 16:05:20   I have switched all my machines over to the bolt on sections and have never looked back. Easy to replace a broken one in the field and back off to cutting instead of having to pull the bar off and take it back to the shop. As for getting the old section off that to is easy. Take a vise and close the jaws just to the point to hold the section in it and the bar on the top of the jaw. Hit it with a hammer and that will pop the rivets and then you take a punch to drive the last of the rivet out and then use the bolts in place of the rivets [Reply]  [No Email]
Jim in Michigan 09-22-2012 16:19:19 74.221.60.239 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 16:05:20   grind the head off the rivet and use a punch to pop them out.put in the new rivets and hammer them tight , You can buy section bolts for the sickle knives I have used them in my haybine and the work ok, I have a special lil tool for tightening the bolts to make sure they are seated all the way. I like the rivets better but they do take alil longer to take out is all. [Reply]  [No Email]
old 09-22-2012 17:27:05 209.86.226.19 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Jim in Michigan, 09-22-2012 16:19:19   That is the hard and long way to go about it. The easy way is you take a vise and lay the bar in it just tight enough to hold the bar on the jaw and then wack the section with a hammer. That pops the rivet and then the section drops off. This is as per an owners manual i have for a sickle mower [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-22-2012 16:34:32 63.155.87.13 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Jim in Michigan, 09-22-2012 16:19:19   Can i buy these rivets a Shiptons Big R or do i have to go to my local John Deere dealer and get theme there? [Reply]  [No Email]
rrlund 09-22-2012 15:58:21 207.241.137.116 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 15:55:01   I would imagine. Just use section bolts. I think the holes are the same size whether they're riveted or bolted. [Reply]  [No Email]
Brandon Uecker 09-22-2012 16:01:51 63.155.87.13 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to rrlund, 09-22-2012 15:58:21   I think they would line up too but ive seen them bolted on but i don't know if i bolted them on if it would pass through the guards or not. [Reply]  [No Email]
rrlund 09-22-2012 17:07:20 207.241.137.116 Report to Moderator	Re: Sickle Mower in reply to Brandon Uecker, 09-22-2012 16:01:51   They'll run behind the top of the guards. Just make sure you use the short ones so they'll clear the hold downs. [Reply]  [No Email]