Too wet for sickel mower?

Flewster · Jun 21, 2009

How does one know if it is too wet to mow with a sickle mower.........rained last night but today it is 90 with a strong south wind..........thought it was dry under the brome so started to mow but it kept plugging up with damp wads of dead grass.............too wet?

flying belgian · Jun 21, 2009

Greyhorse · Jun 21, 2009

If it's wet enough to make it stick to the bar then it's too wet. Sounds too wet to me.

Flewster · Jun 21, 2009

it was not sticking to the bar per say but it was wrapping around the points of the guards.........

kyhayman · Jun 22, 2009

My experience with sickle mowers was being a little too wet was like being a little pregnant. If it was any wet at all, it was too wet. Mowers, and results, may vary.

Allan in NE · Jun 22, 2009

Ever pull the head off a sickle? It's not fun.

I'd sure wait until it dries up.

Allan

showcrop · Jun 22, 2009

Is this by chance land that has not been mowed in a year or two? or has very low fertility? I have had some experience with dead, fine grass getting caught on the guards and plugging the mower, that was not related to moisture, but rather a sort of thatch of dead "wiregrass" Good fertile ground will tend to have very little "grass" down near the ground, mainly just stem.

Flewster · Jun 22, 2009

it was mowed last year but there is some wire grass in it.........I fertilized this year with 60lb of N actual and it really took off and got real thick........brome mainly but this other grass is what is killing me this year

showcrop · Jun 22, 2009

Sounds like your brome should crowd the wire grass right out so it should be a lot better next year. That's just one of many reasons to use a disc mower.

Flewster · Jun 22, 2009

Thanks guys...........what a difference a day made............ran today and not a plug up what so ever..........it was 97 today with index of 110........came home from work and went to field and went through like it was no tomorow...........3 low seems too slow but 3 high seems too fast on on D17.....

Yes I am hoping that the brome will crowd out the wire grass as I rejuvinate this field.............neglected for 20 years and I have owned three...........first two I cut and no fertilizer..........got bad quickly with golden rod coming on thick and brome thin and wire grass thicker..........so this year put on 60 lb actual N and brome took right off...........sprayed with 24D and knocked down most of weeds...........looking better.........I will put on another 60 this fall then 60 in spring...............

Anonymous-0 · Jun 22, 2009

"3rd low seems too slow but 3rd high seems too fast on a D17"

Try 2nd high, its actually faster than 3rd low. Spent many hours on a D17 and D14.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 29, 2009

I wont mow before 10 am.Learned early on not to do it.If the is a lot of old undergrowth the sickle needs to be newly sharpened.

Too wet for sickel mower?

Flewster

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flying belgian

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Greyhorse

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Flewster

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kyhayman

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Allan in NE

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showcrop

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Flewster

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showcrop

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Flewster

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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