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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

One Last Sick Bar Question

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Bill

10-08-2003 13:19:46




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Sorry for my novice questions & I really appreciate your answers!

I gather from reading here that the biggest difference between a belt driven and a pitman driven sickle bar is that the belt driven is more forgiving (as far as not having a pitman bar to break), has less vibration and can accomidate larger angles of cut.

But I also have read that vibration on the sickle bar is important to move the cut hay off the bar, which I gather is inherient to the pitman bar cutters and could be a problem with belt driven?

Having said that, it would seem to me that one can save a few $$ by using a pitman sickle bar mower if you can live with the afore mentioned advantages/disagvantages vs a belt driven sickle bar cutter.

Any comments would be most welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

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Jim

10-10-2003 09:20:14




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 Re: One Last Sick Bar Question in reply to Bill, 10-08-2003 13:19:46  
You can buy a dozen pitman style mowers at most auctions cheaper than one good modern belt driven design.
Last week I saw 5 old mowers sell at auction for $5.00 each. So at least at this sale, you could have all the parts and mowers you would ever need for the price of a couple of dinners.
Resale is not an issue if you simply plan to use what you buy and never "trade up". You can get any old mower to pay for itself in one use.

I have both styles, they both cut hay, I have no more problem with one than the other.

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Sid

10-08-2003 20:22:22




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 Re: One Last Sick Bar Question in reply to Bill, 10-08-2003 13:19:46  
It has been some time since I have used a mower with a pitman. But as I remember timing if the sickle and a sharp sickle were very important as with any mower. We had little problems with breaking pitman rods or arms as we called them and I do not remember any severe vibration with it. It was an Allis mower on a C Allis and a #5 on a WD Allis. I presently use a twin wheel drive Allis mower and really like it. I personelly do not see much advantage to vibration as has been mentioned here since the forward movement of the machine runs out frome underneath the cur material. Sometimes mowing too slow can cause as much problems as mowing too fast. I have had problems with both types of mowers when the crop being cut is leaning foward and has a tendency to fall foward in the uncut crop or a tailwind will blow the crop foward faster than I can drive to keep ahead of it. I personelly like the twin wheel over the pitman type but certainely would not refuse to use a pitman type in good condition. Also a lot of mower I have seen the pitman is driven by a belt.

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John in IN

10-08-2003 17:43:24




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 Re: One Last Sick Bar Question in reply to Bill, 10-08-2003 13:19:46  
Belt driven sells for more and also re-sale for more. Something to think about.



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Jim.UT

10-08-2003 14:12:48




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 Re: One Last Sick Bar Question in reply to Bill, 10-08-2003 13:19:46  
I have only used a pitman sickle. I've never been offered a belt sickle to try. I'm OK with the pitman mower mainly because I don't know any different. I broke a pitman the first year I used it and again the second year. Then I wised up and bought two sticks so I would have a spare on hand. Haven't broken one since (3 years). Maybe it's due to my having learned not to run over things I shouldn't run over and how not to run the end of the sickle into the fence. But I'm sure it's because of the spare stick on the shelf!

Also, at the end of the season I remove the pitman and store it indoors so it doesn't weather excessively. The mower I have has worked well for me, but I don't have a need to mow ditchbanks, etc, so the angle issue doesn't come up. I'm sure a belt sickle would have some nice features that I just don't know I'm missing. But since the mower was free to begin with, I can't complain.

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