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First make sure the knife is in register. That is when the sections stop in the middle of the guards at the end of each stroke. If the knife has to change direction between the guards it can push the crop slightly before cutting it. This adjustment should be covered in your manual. Next check to make sure the cutter bar is flat with the ground. The knife should not lift or press down the stems as they are cut. The bar should also be square with the tractor when mowing. If the outer sole is too far ahead or behind the inner sole, the stems have to be pushed sideways before the knife makes its cut. Any time the hay is moved before the knife cuts it you have problems. This adjustment is also covered in your manual. If your crop is laying primarily one way due to prevailing winds, do not cut in that direction if at all possible. I have coastal bermudagrass and breezes out of the south. Performance of my sickle is much better if I cut sideways or against the way the grass lays. Cutting with the lay of the grass merely makes the hay dance around on top of the bar until enough of it builds up and falls forward. The uncut grass is pushed forward and the sickle just rides over the top of it. Double check the cutting edge on your guards. The guards are half of your cutting (shearing) action. If they are rounded at all it is like using a pair of scissors with one side dull. Lastly, don't use a sickle on wet crops. Dew and moisture from a rain will keep a sickle from working well. The crop won't fall back over the bar easily if it is wet.
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