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Sickle mowing

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Steve Treinish

06-19-2003 18:23:54




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I know this may sound stupid, but what is a good groundspeed for a older pittman armed equipped sickle mower? I am trying to cut some really thick timothy clover and plugging badly. The teeth are not in bad shape, just a little rust. I cant go 12 feet without a jam. I almost wished I hadnt downsized from my haybine and big tractor....It is an old IH if it makes a difference. I am thinking slower but surer?

Thanks, Digger

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wdTom

06-22-2003 14:33:02




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
Do you have the clips bent down enough to hold the knives down against the ledger plates in the guards? This will help to make it shear, not bend and drag the stalks into the gurads.



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Steve Treinish

06-21-2003 16:54:00




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
I think it was just plain old too heavy for the sickle. I had a coworker come out with a 9 ft. Vermeer disc mower and it bogged it down in a few spots...Whew!



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Carter and Carter Machine

06-21-2003 18:33:38




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 Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-21-2003 16:54:00  
third party image

CCM drum mowers work just like this mower

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Carter Carter Machinery

06-21-2003 04:27:35




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
It just takes skill to mow with the Ford 501 or there alike mowers. Remember these mowers were first designed for tractors in the 1930's & 1940's. None if any fertilizers were used in that time period. It is possible to update technology and still use the older tractors. CCM Drum mowers do not need exterior hydraulics and are designed for lower HP tractors like an 8N. You'll not plug a drum mower and you mow 4-5 acres an hour. You'll not have to wait until the dew is gone to start like you do on sicklebar mowers. It's good to keep the old stuff running but a person time is worth something. Update to a drum mower if you want to harvest hay.

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Roy in UK

06-21-2003 05:22:38




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 Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Carter Carter Machinery, 06-21-2003 04:27:35  
I have used all three types of mower, sickle, disc and drum. I cannot comment on your particular make of mower, as I do not believe I have seen them here in UK. You are dead right about the sickle mower been designed for the older tractors, and when crops were no where near as well fed as they are today. Myself I prefered the disc mower, I used to run an eight foot mower behind a 60hp with no problems at all, and I know guys over here sailing away with MF 135's or similar with 5 foot mowers behind them (admitted they take more power than ye olde sickle mower! )But one thing I can tell you. I do not know of any farmer over here in Britain ( there may be one or two with an odd bit of orchard to mow ) that still uses a sickle mower. As soon as Fahr, PZ, Vicon, Lely etc. started to sell rotary type mowers over here, all the sickle mowers went into the nettles! ( or were used to mow the nettles )

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Carter and Carter Machine

06-21-2003 14:50:05




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 Re: Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Roy in UK, 06-21-2003 05:22:38  
Roy,
I totally agree. In 1982 we sold 86 PZ230 discmowers and 20 PZ drum mowers. We also sold their rakes and tedders. We were #1 in North America for PZ 5 years in a row. The same for Lely, we sell about 50 disc mowers a year for Lely. The drum mower we currently sell is a copy of the PZ165 and to date this year we have sold over 120 drum mowers. The small farmers have realized that the sicklebar mowers are for trimming under fences not harvesting.

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Steve Treinish

06-21-2003 16:52:42




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Carter and Carter Machine, 06-21-2003 14:50:05  
what is a drum mower? I am OK with the disc and sickle type, is a drum mower similar to the old cutter that spum a bigger knife than a flail?



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Carter and Carter Machine

06-21-2003 18:25:14




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-21-2003 16:52:42  
The drum and disc mower cut hay in the same way.



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JMS/MN

06-20-2003 22:25:21




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
Along with what the others said about maintenance, remember that pto machines are designed to run at 540 or 1000 rpm- your mower is made for 540. Keep the rpm at rated speed, and lower the ground speed (transmission) until it cuts like it should. Even if the sickle is sharp and guards are sharp, you might have to get into first gear in heavy growth, although that is unusual. If you can't cut hay in first gear with whatever tractor you have, the problem is in the mower.

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Delbert

06-20-2003 18:02:19




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
Could try setting mower as high as posible. Buy raising inner shoe and outer shoe or lowering them which ever is the proper way to say it. This may not work either but only need to change a couple of bolts. This may get you out of the wet under growth remmeber it may take alittle more time for this to dry because of it being heavy and wet ground. I have been trying to get my bromegrass put up it is a heavy crop this year. If weather stays nice will be done this coming week. Praise the lord for the good crops.

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Paul Janke

06-20-2003 15:55:52




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
We used to mow only in first or second with our Ford 860 which had a five speed.



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WRW

06-20-2003 15:20:45




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
You might try one gear lower. If I remember correctly, I used 2nd on a Farmall C.



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ralph

06-20-2003 05:30:22




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
First off find an operators manual and adjust your mower. Do you have it in register (the section in the center of the guard at either end of the stroke) are your guards sharp? Is the lead of the cutter bar set right? Is your sickel hold downs keeping the sickel down close to the guards? Whether you use serated sections (over or under) or smooth will make little difference if sharp. The time of day and amount of due will make a difference. As to speed, you will have to adjust that to the conditions. Those old pitman IHC mowers are a good mower just a little trying on ones nervers.

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Brian G.

06-20-2003 07:07:48




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 Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to ralph, 06-20-2003 05:30:22  
Check out everything Ralph says. Keep your engine at W.O.T. so the PTO is running at rated speed. In regard to the guards being sharp, there are some (we called them "rock" guards) that don't have a separate cutting edge (ledger plate) attached to them and when they get worn won't cut worth a darn. If your guards do have replaceable "ledger plates" and they are worn out, replacements can be bought and installed. It's a bit time consuming (each has it's own rivit), but it's cheaper than buying complete new guards.

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Vern

06-19-2003 21:36:50




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 Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-19-2003 18:23:54  
For grass hay like timothy you need smooth blades on the sickle bar. The serrated blades pull the grass through the guards and cause plugs.



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Steve Treinish

06-20-2003 12:57:32




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 Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Vern, 06-19-2003 21:36:50  
Smooth blades may make a difference. The serrated blades that are on it do seem like they are pulling grass into the guards....
As for a manual and the other stuff, I have nothing. Everything seems to work OK, and the guards look newer. I have to check for the ledger plates...

Thanks for the info. We have had such a wet spring, it is the thickest tim-clover I have ever seen....



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howster the one

06-20-2003 13:26:12




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 Re: Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to Steve Treinish, 06-20-2003 12:57:32  
[quote]Thanks for the info. We have had such a wet spring, it is the thickest tim-clover I have ever seen.... [/quote]
That might be the key. Damp thick undergrowth is bad on plugging.



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Farmered

06-26-2003 03:04:16




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: sickle mowing in reply to howster the one, 06-20-2003 13:26:12  
Mouse nests and dandelions are hard to mow through also. U might think of replacing the guards with the type that don't extend beyond the tip of the section and have a hold down on every section. That solved my plugging problems. They will saw through last year's bales without plugging! Ed



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