Sickle mower doesn't cut good

After it cuts the grass, the grass just lays on top of the cutter bar. So, I have to back up to get the grass off. I�ve tried angling the bar so the guards point up, but that didn�t help. I took a closer look and some of the grass is getting stuck in the guards in front of the knife sections. It also doesn�t cut real good even if there is no grass laying on it. Most of the knife sections are not down tight against the ledger plates on the guards. Can the guards get bent down? Or, can the knife sections get bent up? Can I bend them back with a hammer or will they break if I pound on them?

The manual suggests using �cut-free guards�, has anyone ever used these? Will it cost a fortune to replace all of the guards and knife sections? Thanks.

Touch up the knife sections with a grinder. They should be sharp enough to cut you.

Make sure the cutter bar has a little bit of "lead", it should angle forward when you are not moving so it gets pushed back to perpendicular under a load.

Also, check the registration of your sickle - that the knifes are going from the center of one guard to the center of another guard during one rotation.

Sickle mowers have tough going in short young fine grass, or if there is dew on the grass. There is also a 'best speed' to travel, depending on coarseness of stems, wind, phase of the moon - try slower & sometimes faster, see if that works better.

--->Paul