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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$

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ShepFL

09-25-2005 21:45:26

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Been looking for one to do some cutting on fields that are overgrown after summer gardens are finished and prior to fall plowing. Hate running my rotary cutter thru the field 2 times. Thinking I could knock it down with the sickle bar and come back a week later with the rotary mower (6').

Every sickle bar mower I see is $500 or better and most need to be reworked. Work is not the issue but paying for busted junk is. Are these things in that high of demand thus the price?

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Earl Ehlers

10-04-2005 19:29:48

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Sickle Bar Mowers - $$ value in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Came into a #5 Case sickle mower the other day. Don't need another yard orniment. Looks to be in very good condition. Minus the seat, pitment stick and tongue but the workings all look good. Need to know what a fair asking price would be. Location is north west Oklahoma, about 90 miles NW of OK City. Don't have pictures yet but it is possible in a few days.

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pbutler

09-28-2005 14:15:55

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

I have done just what you are talking about, I had some 6ft+ tall buttonweeds and horseweeds in a couple waterways on land I just took over. Didn't want to put the bushhog through it-besides horseweed seeds kept clogging ratiator and I would have to go back to shop ever 1/2 hr and blow it out.

The sickle worked well-but I keep it in really good shape-is a John Deere pull type-think I paid about $750 for it and put about $200 in new belt and sickle, but if you have ever experienced the frustration of a dull sickle or misadjusted mower believe me you will understand why you need to keep them in top shape.

What I found out was that the sickle cut so short that after sitting a couple days and letting the stuff matt down the bushog didn't really do that much-can't get it that low. You may be better off just mowing, waiting a couple dry days to let it get crispy, and then disking it.

Don't know your area but good fire burn may be warranted?

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Tim(nj)

09-26-2005 20:39:06

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Shep, I don"t imagine you"d have any flail choppers in your area, the kind for green-chopping grass etc. to put in a wagon for cows. This used to be a dairy area, and there were bunches of them sitting around to be had cheap, because the auger trough was rusted out or the fan was bad or the spout was rusted out/broken off, but the flail cutter part still worked. Guys that wanted to knock down cover crops would grab them, then disconnect the fan drive, take off the spout, remove the rear door and torch out what was left of the auger and trough. They got the offset of a sickle mower, but shredding action like a rotary. A flail machine also leaves the shreddings evenly spread across its working width. There are a lot more knives to maintain, though, and they do like their HP.

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KEH

09-26-2005 16:22:42

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Shep, I think you said that you lived in the Panhandle. We went down through Dothan, AL on the way to I-10 to visit daughter in Mobile, just before Katrina. (We were in Mobile for the previous hurricane, got there 4 hours before the mandatory evacuation) Do sickle mowers bring that much at the Dothan auction? I agree with you, they bring too much here in the Southeast(I'm in SC). I think part of the problem here for the high prices is that the mountain farmers like them for the small steep fields and run the price up.

KEH

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RayP(MI)

09-26-2005 16:08:09

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Sickle bar won"t do a good job in downed, thick, grass. Does this match what you"re looking at? You"ll spend most of your time removing the grass and resetting the mower.

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buckva

09-26-2005 16:02:08

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Aw shucks Shep just eliminate the second pass all together. While lookin for a sickle find one with a conditioner hitch and hook the hog on back and cut with both sickle and hog in one pass.

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tim[in]

09-26-2005 15:01:50

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

also a sickle mower usually uses less fuel to operate. if you go to a consignment auction, then a machine will go cheaper than at a "retirement auction.

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Brown Dirt Cowboy

09-26-2005 11:51:15

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

ShepFL I need to put in my 2cents worth here. Seems to me that the grass and weeds would cut better with the rotary mower than the sickle mower, the reasoning being that the weeds would cut better standing than laying on the groung thus possibly plugging up the rotary mower. And yes in my area a GOOD sickle mower is going to cost you $$$.

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Dave H (MI)

09-26-2005 10:12:03

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Must be geography. I got into it with a guy last year who thought his JD #5 sickle bar was worth hundreds. When I told him I had bought two inside of a year for $35 and $60 and both were working he all but called me a liar. He was up Montana or Wyoming I think. Maybe they are just high in your area too.

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old

09-26-2005 09:11:10

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Just guess you live in the wrong place. I know of 2 or 3 of them for around $150-200 and a couple more for arounf $300-500. Shoot I have one here I just got fixed up I'd sell for $400

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Keith-OR

09-26-2005 07:06:31

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

Shep if you were close to me, I would give you one!!...Keith

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JOHN(OR)

09-26-2005 08:47:13

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Keith-OR, 09-26-2005 07:06:31

Hey Keith I am closer to you than shep is so would you still make me a deal on a sickle bar??
Am over in Central Or let me know John
[email protected]

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ShepFL

09-26-2005 08:49:51

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to JOHN(OR), 09-26-2005 08:47:13

Only if you are an Oliver driver :)
Just kidding :) Best of luck, hope it all works out.

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BobMo

09-26-2005 05:59:36

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

I don't understand what your talking about. Why would you be concerned about running a rotary over it twice. Is it a rotary finishing mower?
500 dollars for a decent sickle bar mower is a steal.....

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ShepFL

09-26-2005 07:26:04

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to BobMo, 09-26-2005 05:59:36

Rotary mower is generic bush hog (6') behind my Oliver 550 Dsl. Given the over growth I run the hog behind the tractor once to knock down the growth. The 2nd pass is to make it more mulched for easier plowing.

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paul

09-26-2005 08:16:33

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-26-2005 07:26:04

I don't own a brush hog, but also am confused by this - a sickle mower makes good hay, but man if I had a brush hog I'd run that over 2x and sure not fuss with the sickle bar.

What would you gain by using a fussy, plugging sickle bar over the rotory?

We aren't seeing it. :)

--->Paul

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ShepFL

09-26-2005 08:47:20

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to paul, 09-26-2005 08:16:33

I was thinking sickle bar could be first pass as I could knock the high stuff down.

Just putting alot of wear and tear on my hog & tractor and was thinking sickle bar would be a cheaper alternative by not having to drive my tractor thru the crap on the 1st pass then mulching on 2nd pass.

Was not aware of the high potential for plugging the sickle bar as such I think I will stick with my brush hog.

Thanks!

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Pete/ME

09-27-2005 02:44:55

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-26-2005 08:47:20

For a more thorough cut, I make half passes (set over half the width of the previous cut) Good luck.

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Sid

09-26-2005 19:51:21

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-26-2005 08:47:20

A properly set up sickel mower is not all that prone to plugging. My Dad and I used to mow quite a bit of overgrown soil bank land years a go. we also have mowed sweet clover that was five to six foot tall and would plow it under without running a brush hog over it. However we did use disc plows instead of bottome plows. If I understand your post right you should not have much propblem with what you want to do. I see a few benifits from using a sickle mower some of them have been mentioned here already. Not running the tractor through standing weeds. Easier on tractor as the Hp requirements are not as high as on a bush hog. A sickle bar doesn't throw stuff. I know everybody has different ideas and ways to do things but I just wanted you to now that it can, and has been done.

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ShepFL

09-26-2005 07:25:49

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to BobMo, 09-26-2005 05:59:36

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mud

09-28-2005 04:49:54

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-26-2005 07:25:49

Say, I used to pull a 6' bushog with a D.B. 990 and never needed to pass through anything twice. We mowed everythng with it too. Try going slower?

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Nebraska Cowman

09-26-2005 03:58:55

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to ShepFL, 09-25-2005 21:45:26

And this is the time of year to SELL mowers, not buy them.

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Illinois Boy

09-26-2005 07:16:46

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Nebraska Cowman, 09-26-2005 03:58:55

Not sure what you mean by "rotary" mower. I save my sickle bar for hay, and bust the weeds with my bush hog.

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Joe(TX)

09-26-2005 09:33:43

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Illinois Boy, 09-26-2005 07:16:46

Bush Hog is a brand name for a rotary mower.

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Illinois Boy

09-26-2005 11:54:09

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Joe(TX), 09-26-2005 09:33:43

Joe - I see what you mean now...
I know what a "Bush Hog" rotary is... : )
What I didn't understand was did he mean a "rotary" or "finish" mower? Couldn't see why he thought a sickle mower would be better to hit the weeds with than a rotary...

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09-26-2005 14:43:09

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Illinois Boy, 09-26-2005 11:54:09

The biggest reason I use the sickle bar instead of rotary of high weeds is not plugging up radiator on tractor, I am driving on already cut weeds, let 'em dry put for a week or two, then hit 'em with rotary cutter. May sound like a dumb reason, but we all gotta have a reaon for doing what we do. :>)

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Illinois Boy

09-26-2005 09:50:58

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Re: Sickle Bar Mowers - why so derned $$ in reply to Joe(TX), 09-26-2005 09:33:43

That is true... kinda like Channel Locks...
Just used to calling it a "bush hog".

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