sickle mower

ohiojim · Jan 10, 2012

i have a new holland model 450 belt drive mower that is bent where the bar rests on the nub when folded up,...not bad, tip is up maybe 5 inches when in mowing position but keep the knifes up off the ledger plates,..my question is should i heat it to straighten or will that weaken the bar ?????

Ken-Pa · Jan 10, 2012

You asked : should I heat it to straighten it ? Well in my opinion , in order to get it straightened properly , you almost have to heat it. Using a rose bud heating tip on your torch works best to heat an area & keep it hot enough to work . Lay it across some solid blocks , heat then pound with a smaller size sledge until straight or level . Then let it cool naturally . I think throwing water on it would change the metal strength some.I saw my Dad straighten his sickle bar once in this manner & it worked quite well .I hope this helps . Others may have different views on it but this is mine .God bless, Ken

jCarroll · Jan 10, 2012

50 years ago we straightened our bent bar using a press - no heat - no problem.

Just put a little "backwards bend" in it to relieve the memory of the kink.

sickle mower

ohiojim

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Ken-Pa

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jCarroll

Well-known Member

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