She aughtta cut like a new scissors now

Saturday I pulled the NI 290 out to rebuild the sickle guards a little bit.

The sickle itself hasn't been in too long and only needed a few sections replaced, but most of the guards were rounded off instead of square cornered. Always worked good in alfalfa, but lately I've been picking up more grass and it's always had fits in really fine grass.

I ordered all new guards, wear plates, and hold down clips for it from Webb's sickle service earlier this week.









It had a mixmatch of guards on it as fleet farm no longer stocks the "proper" ones for this machine. We found JD guards were close enough (only difference we could tell was slightly shorter) so we had probably 1/2 of them swapped out to JD guards over the years.

Now it's got all brand new guards, wear plates, and hold down clips that are adjusted up snug. I replaced 5 sections that were either busted from my last cutting last year, or worn funny or damaged.

I looked at the spare sickle we have for it, but it needs to be completly rebuilt with new sections (they're not bad, but a few are bent one way of the other and others are just worn) so I'll back burner that one for now. 34 sections plus the 1 1/2 at the end are needed for it, plus 70 new bolts which we're running low on.

Only other things I found were a failing bearing on the reel, and the slip clutch material on the reel sprocket is breaking up. We've got a spare from our parts machine (Ford 535) somewhere in the shed...

Donovan from Wisconsin

Nothing like getting something accomplished. Especially when it needs done, or more problems result!

Nothing like cutting hay with a rebuilt sickle on the nower, especially if you let them go a little too long....like a new machine!

It'll make a huge difference. I've always replaced everything on mine every two years.

We have found that the timing on the sickle is very important. A 16th of an inch is night and day. Three different units had a different timing. From ON center to 1/4" each side of guard.

It'll be like the hay is tipping over before it even hits
the sickle.

Amen to that! My uncle rebuilt every couple of years, and my dad and his neighbor that baled together just replaced guards/teeth that broke. Night and day indeed. Made worse by the fact that we bailed bahaia (sp) and he bailed costal bermuda. He could mow as fast with his old NH cycle mower as dad could with the Kuhn rotary we eventually upgraded to.

For the last 8 years or so it's been our machine for rough and unknown areas. It always cut alfalfa fine but in fine grass it left a little to be desired. last year I started cutting and baling for the horsey types and the haybine struggled unless the grass was very mature so I figured $300+ now was well worth the investment. Next thing I gotta do is rebuild the spare jackshaft for it and buy the proper double banded drive belts for it so I can put all that in there.

Next year I may pull the reel out as I found a few minor issues when I was replacing the bearing today.

Overall, for a 40-50 year old machine, it's not in to bad of shape. I find it amusing, this spring we picked up a new idea rake of the same vintage, and we also have a new idea crimper of that era as well. Just happens to be the deals we found.

Donovan from Wisconsin