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john deere no. 5 sickle mower

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Gary Hilkemann

05-18-2006 07:58:20

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i am going to start using an old no. 5 john deere sickle bar mower my dad had. it has been years (25) since i have been around this thing and my father has passed away and i'm looking for any tips anyone can offer me. i took the sickle out and had it sharpened, replaced the pitman stick as it was broken, changed the gear oil and greased everything. i heard that guys in my area have had trouble with these things because of goffer mounds last year and one guy told me to angle the sickle up and it would cut better. what speed does one normally run these, and what about windy days? seems to me you can only go one way if it's windy out of the hay will fall forward and not back. so agian, any help or advice anyone can give me is appreciated.
thanks
Gary

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Bob in NH

05-25-2006 14:34:12

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-18-2006 07:58:20

Another key with any sickle bar is to keep the rock guards pointed. Is especially a problem here in NH where we farm rocks. If the tip gets burred or bent, grass (especially any dead or wet stuff or old leaves) will build up on the guard, create a ball or jam, and the next thing you know the entire cutterbar is balled up and not cutting.

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Gary Hilkemann

05-19-2006 05:54:56

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-18-2006 07:58:20

thanks guys for all the replys. i did what you all said and took it out abit last night. it actually seemed to work pretty good with the exception of the end of the bar, the hay seems to want to hang on and not move off the bar. i looked around and could not find any manuals. my mom siad she had no idea where they would be so guess i need to look harder.
anyway, the grasss i am cutting is pretty fine, and after i stopped a couple times one of my uncles stopped by. he looked at the bar and thinks i need to change one of the hold down brackets as he felt the sickle was not holding all the way down on the end and that was my trouble with it, so gonna get one today and try it tonight.

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Leroy

05-20-2006 19:12:39

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-19-2006 05:54:56

You need that double section on the last spot of the bar to control that plugging and in a lot of conditions with like a John Deere A or B you would run in 4th gear and possibly at 1/2 pto speed. With the Oliver 3pt mower we had on a 2N Ford we mowed in road gear

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55 50

05-18-2006 20:50:28

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-18-2006 07:58:20

Since the mower is in the family, is there an Operator's Manual and Parts Catalog available? Both are very useful to have around. Condition of the guard ledger plates is important for good cutting. Key parts are still available from Deere but be prepared to dig deep in the wallet or checkbook! Some farm stores have after market parts too.

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Dave H (MI)

05-18-2006 10:40:46

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-18-2006 07:58:20

I have at least two of these mowers around here that are complete. I cut hay with them every year with the only down side being the hay is not conditioned. The manual will tell you everything you need to know. I will warn you to pay special heed to the greasing schedule. Particularly that zirc located where the pitman attaches to the gearbox. It is a TWO HOUR lube interval on that one and you better listen. I give that one a hit every time I get down off the tractor.

Ground speed will vary with condition, but I cut with a Farmall SMTA in second gear. You will have trouble if there is dew down in the hay. If the bar keeps breaking away and it is early in the day, suspect that as your trouble. Wait a couple of hours and try again. I like the angle adjusted so that the guards are up a bit. Two flat and I find it binds up too much. Never had a problem with wind, the forward motion of the bar keeps the hay falling right.

Frankly, my biggest issue with these is breakdowns. Usually start the season with one big one and generally that is it. Pitmans break or something falls off. Go over it with a wrench and re-check periodically. Expect the worst so you are not disappointed. They really are nice old mowers and do a good job. Hope this helps and be safe..... which reminds me KEEP YOUR FINGERS CLEAR OF THE KNIFE WHEN YOU RAISE THE BAR!
It will slip down and catch you.

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RustyFarmall

05-18-2006 12:53:01

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Dave H (MI), 05-18-2006 10:40:46

DaveH, very good advice, especially about keeping your fingers clear when lifting the bar. I might also add that if you do forget to grease that zirc on the pitman, it will soon disintegrate, and when that happens, don't try to pick up the pieces with your bare hands. Those pieces will be red hot.

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Dave H (MI)

05-18-2006 13:33:43

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to RustyFarmall, 05-18-2006 12:53:01

You got that right! I don't know how hot it actually gets but the oil I squirted on it to cool it down vaporized. That-un's a parts mower now and you just can't have too many of those.

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RustyFarmall

05-18-2006 08:18:44

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Re: john deere no. 5 sickle mower in reply to Gary Hilkemann, 05-18-2006 07:58:20

The John Deere #5 was and still is probably one of the best sickle bar mowers ever made. I grew up using one of those mounted on an H Farmall. If you don't already have an owners manual you should get one, they are not too hard to find, I see them on eBay from time to time, and a JD dealer might even be able to get one for you.
The bar is adjustable, you can point the guards up to help skim over gopher mounds, etc., or you can angle them down for closer cutting. You also need a certain amount of "lead" on the cutter bar, in other words, the far end of the bar needs to be slightly ahead of the inner end. I don't know the specs on that, but the manual should tell you.

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