Tooth replacement on sickle mower blade

Tom A

I knew this was going to be hard to describe. The sickle tooth falls thru the partly-closed vice, but the bar rests on the vice jaw. That way, the bar can't go anywhere, it is held up by the vice jaw but the tooth is just hanging thru with nothing but air beneath. When you rap on the back of the tooth, the bar remains stationary because of the vice jaw and the tooth wants to move down in reaction to the hammer blow...something has to 'give' and it is the rivets that are going thru the tooth and the bar; they shear right off.

Don't know if that's any clearer. If not, I'll try to do a sketch...can't do a picture 'cuz I don't want to take my sicklebar apart today!

Tom A

If you open the jaws of a vise a little wider than the teeth are thick, you can put the whole bar assembly in the vice horizontally so that a broken tooth slides through but the holding bar doesn't cuz it catches on the vice. While it is supported like that, you can rap the tooth with a hammer and it will sheer the old rivet right off. You can take off a bunch of broken teeth in a hurry that way, one at a time.

Second thing--I've been replacing my rivets with bolts as the teeth break. Some mowers *might* need new blade hold-downs for a little extra clearance, but not all. The newer mowers are using the bolts, and you can get them at parts places...they have self-locking aluminum nuts and knurled insides so you can tighten them down even though they don't protrude very far. Slightly more expensive than rivets but lots easier.

take care,
Tom

With it in the machine, you'll want a good solid backing to set the section you're working with on. You'll also likely want to grind the heads off the rivets before punching them out. Less likelyhood of boogering something up with a mis-directed hit that way.

If you have the sickle out of the bar, the fast way to remove the individual sections is to open a vise just wide enough to allow the section to slip through, leaving the bar they mount to resting on one jaw. A sharp smack to the back (flat part) of the section will shear the rivets off, and you're done.

I spent $50 on a tool to do all this, used it for about 15 minutes, got fed up with it and went backt to doing it with a punch and a ballpein hammer.

When setting the new rivets, the idea is to peen them over with several relatively light strokes to work the metal gradually, not to squash them with one mighty whack. You'll get a better set, and the section will be tighter that way.

I have a couple of tools that I've picked up @ auctions that will allow you to put individual sections into the sickle while its still in the bar. Only those folks who live in hay country know what they are & how to use 'em, so you can usually get 'em for a song. (I think I paid $1.00 for one & $0.50 for the other one.) They work good, if ya know how to use them.

F14 is right about the other kind of "machines" that are supposed to be faster, better, etc. for replacing sections. Ballpein hammer is best. BTW, I grew up on a farm w/180A of alfalfa hay ground, & I cut it ALL at least 3 times a year (sometimes we'd even get a 4th, depending on moisture) starting when I was in the 6th grade. I've replaced a LOT of sections. Completely wore out one mower & was workin on the second one when I went away to college. Lots of summers all I did was cut hay, eli corn &/or milo, cut hay, cut grain & then cut more hay. Worked @it every day from the time school was out until it started again. (My $0.02 worth. jal-SD)

I have a couple of tools that I've picked up @ auctions that will allow you to put individual sections into the sickle while its still in the bar. Only those folks who live in hay country know what they are & how to use 'em, so you can usually get 'em for a song. (I think I paid $1.00 for one & $0.50 for the other one.) They work good, if ya know how to use them.

F14 is right about the other kind of "machines" that are supposed to be faster, better, etc. for replacing sections. Ballpein hammer is best. BTW, I grew up on a farm w/180A of alfalfa hay ground, & I cut it ALL at least 3 times a year (sometimes we'd even get a 4th, depending on moisture) starting when I was in the 6th grade. I've replaced a LOT of sections. Completely wore out one mower & was workin on the second one when I went away to college. Lots of summers all I did was cut hay, eli corn &/or milo, cut hay, cut grain & then cut more hay. Worked @it every day from the time school was out until it started again. (My $0.02 worth. jal-SD)