Crazy to look at a sickle mower?

Am I crazy to consider picking up an old sickle mower for cutting hay? I've been using a NH 469 haybine for a few years now, and had a breakdown at the end of last year, just as I was getting pretty handy with it. I'm going to dig into it and see if its fixable, but if it isn't, I'm looking for a backup plan.

I've only got a couple of 4 or 5 acre hay fields and its grassy hay. It's kind of silly to invest a lot into fancy equipment for the small amount of hay I make. The only reason I do it myself instead of having somebody do it for me is that I can do it on my schedule and not wait until someone else has time. I've been in that situation before, and it was frustrating to miss good windows of opportunity because I was too small to bother with. Since I've started doing it myself, I've found it enjoyable as well. The feeling of satisfaction when putting it up and when feeding it through the winter is just different when you do it yourself.

So, if I could pick up an old sickle mower for a few hundred instead of looking for an older haybine which is probably going to cost 3 - 4 times as much, would it get the job done efficiently on small fields of grassy hay? Or, would the lack of conditioning rolls really slow down the drying process? I've also heard people complain about clogs, etc... with a sickle mower.

Any other pros and cons I should know before I seriously consider looking at this as an option? Grass is starting green up and I'm starting to think about hay.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I bale between 300 and 400 1000lb+ round bales a year,all cut with 2 New Holland 456 trailer mowers.Belt driven mowers with no pitman sticks are far better than the old pitman stick mowers.I'd only consider buying New Holland 451,456 or John Deere 350,450 mowers they are time tested and parts are available.You'll pay a little more but well worth it.

It will increase drying time if that is an issue for you. Around here it pays to get it dry fast before the weather changes.
I gave up hay years ago and just mow off my fields now. I still use my PT 10 as a simple mower, kind of the reverse of what you are talking about.

On grass the conditioning rolls do not do much good unless it is a grass like we do not have around here in Ohio. Pluging should be no more of a problem with a mower like that than what you have been using. Just have to keep everything sharp and in good condition. Biggest problem is if tall grass and wind-water makes it lay over then the bar if you are traveling same direction it is laying will slide over it. For a small acreage if that happens just mow one way and go into it from the way it is laying. The outfit you now have has a real tp pick up that down crop that the bar mower does not have. Grass around here is too small a stem for the conditioner rolls to do much good. Mowed many an acre with bar mowers starting with the old horse drawn mowers and any if kept in good shape will work ok, some just easier to handle than others. And in my 76 years I have never seen one of those balanced head mowers, all pitman and never a problen with the pitman style.

Not sure where you are located? Hay making varies a lot around the country . If you want to go to a sickle mower you could look for an old crimper , some sickle bar mowers have a pto hook up on the back to run a crimper or conditioner. The other option would be to get a decent Tedder, if you have very heavy hay . Even if using a haybine to cut with, a Tedder can really speed up drying the hay. If you are in a drier part of the country with lighter hay yields you may not need anything extra.

Years ago I swore I wouldn't have another sickle which includes sickle cutting MOCOs. Well bite my tongue, this spring I bought a Ford 538 in really nice shape for a great price. Only alternative were disc MOCOs and they were priced out of reach and that was that. Never had a Ford before (3 JDs and 2 NH) and this one seems to have the Is dotted and Ts crossed. We will soon see if I did good or puked my money on yet another useless implement!

We have a 1219 JD mower conditioner. It is almost plug proof. The reel makes all the difference. Also have a drum mower. I would rather mow with the drum mower. I would stay with what you have. The bar mower will drive you crazy with it pluging up.

I cut 40 acres a year with an old John Deere no.8 sickle mower . Those complaining are the ones who drag a 50 year old mower home and refuse to put new sections guards or ledger plates in the mower which will cost more than you paid buy the mower but if you want it to cut it needs maintenance for what I?m doing I wouldn?t even look at an old haybine

I grew up doing thousands of square using nothing but a sickle mower. It wasn t old junk. Never again, I d buy hay before using another. And to say the conditioners don t do anything with grass hay is ridiculous. Almost have to assume anyone that thinks that doesn t know what they re talking about. For a few acres it wouldn t be horrible, but I d really try to fix the haybine.

If sickle mowers were half as bad as the people who can?t maintain or adjust one the livestock would have gone extinct long before now

It?s a miracle anybody could ever put up hay In what the hundred years before disc mowers came to market isn?t it

I've mowed hay with a JD #9W for about 6 years, so I don't have a lot of experience. I'm like the OP, small fields and didn't want to invest much. The first use, it clogged frequently. After I replaced the sections, it cut pretty good. I finally bit the bullet and replaced the sections, guards, knife and head. Talk about the difference between night and day. Bought the double stub guards, a compete knife with bolt on serrated sections and head from Webbs Cutting Components. Don't know for sure how many acres I've cut since doing the upgrade, that was 3 seasons ago and baled over 1500 squares with a 24T. My biggest issue with hay equipment has been getting to know how to operate/maintain. Manuals and parts availability have been my saving grace.

Yes. Grin. My problem is getting older/working alone. Changing either or both would make cutter bar related problems easier with which to deal....and then there are the craw-dad mounds and the fire ant mounds, especially when the grass and or soil is a little wet. Course being able to buy non-worn out equipment in the first place would surely cure a lot of problems.

Been using a Ford 501 for about twelve years. Not trying to make a living with it but it does the job. Just got to keep in mind that keeping it sharp and adjusted is everything.
Also have my fathers McCormick Deering Number 9 that has probably cut more hay than two or three haybines. And it still works. Just don?t have any mules to pull it.

I buy worn out and then put money and parts in it until it?s new again and still save money . I ended up putting 700$ into my old John Deere no.8 put the new style swather guards on it and it cuts hay only time I plugged the knife in 3 years was when I was in some really short wet stuff with a dull knife

I have a 12 foot hesston hydro swing the sickle mower is a lot more relaxing and fun

I've used a sickle mower for quite a few years. My plugging problems early on were due to a worn out cutter bar. It was bad! When I removed it & stripped it down, the slab looked like a Frito laying there on the concrete floor. Got a new one ordered up from Rowse for my IH 120 mower & have been ecstatic with it's performance since. The conditioner is almost a must in my area. Too close to the lake for decent drying weather/time. I haven't had more than a couple issues with the new bar plugging. Both times a branch from one of the hickory trees was acting like a ski, dragging under the slab. One other time I can recall was when I was mowing the ditch along the road & pulled out a hunk of bunch grass, roots & all. It hung up on the guards & left an uncut strip. Cleaned off the bar & backed up to mow down what was missed. Went slow so the knife could chew through the cut grass without plugging up.

In terms of what was spent. The mower was $275, a new belt was $58 & the brand new cutter bar assembly (everything from the inner shoe to the grass rods) was $1850 after shipping. It may sound a bit spendy, but I have a mower that should last another 50+ years.

A conditioner or crimper would be your call. That all depends on crop, weather & needed drying time.

Mike

Great looking outfit.

Thank You!

Mike

Get yourself the sickle mower , Keep fixingf the haybine ,,. always great to have a backup

Sorry I disappeared after posting. I forgot I posted here. I ended up picking up a Ford 501 sickle mower (3 point). This one had been sitting in a barn since the 1980's, but looked to be in good shape and all there. Knives were sharp and not even rusty. Plus, it was only 20 minutes away. Offered $250 and was accepted. Guy got a couple of higher offers after he accepted mine. Lubed and oiled everything. Hooked it up, and mowed down an old, weedy field. Never mowed with a simple sickle before and I had heard horror stories about plugging, etc... but I was really pleased with how it cut. Couple of shaggy strips left behind, but it was just a practice run and in the areas that were nicer grass I didn't have any problems. We'll see how the drying goes. Some people swear that grassy hay will dry faster because it lays it out in a wider windrow, and others swear that the lack of conditioners will make it really hard to get dry. We'll see what happens.

Anyway... just wanted to check back and thank everyone for the input and discussion.