Thanks, it's a McCormick model 120 Balanced Head mower. It's setup to bolt to the drawbar & actually takes a bit of patience to add & remove from the tractor. It should have been named a Balancing Mower. If everything isn't set right, it will be laying in an awkward heap the next time you need it. IH did make the mower versatile enough that you could get it set up for the Fast Hitch or a three point & various setups for other makes of tractor. There is a model 100 that has no tail wheel to balance upon & could be setup for Fast Hitch, 3 point or pull type. Quite a few other brands of mowers were made with conditioner hitches, both pittman & pittmanless.
Don't let my little review, here, scare you. Clumsiness aside, it's a great mower! I have yet to find a ditch that I can't cut(safely). It'll cut fast, too. I put it on my 400 & trimmed the ditch on the long side of our rented out field. In fourth I got the job done in less than half an hour. IH made quite a few different mowers with the hay conditioner hitch, so you can find what suits you best. That includes a few of the mid-mount sickle bars, too.
The conditioner is a McCormick model 2A & is the most common to find. There are four other models, the no's 1, 2, 33 & 34. The #1 came out in '58 with chain driven rubber rollers & a ratchet lift. The hydraulic lift & the sheet metal for windrowing was optional. A belt kit came out to replace the noisy chain drive. The #2 came out in '59, has belt driven rollers & sealed bearings on the lower roller. Both of these had the jack on the back of the machine to stand them on end & take up less space. A jack was put on the hitch if the sheet metal was on the back. The 2A was built from '60 to '63 & saw greaseable bearings return to the lower rollers & the rear sheet metal & hyd. lift were standard. The 33 came out in '63 & was essentially a heavy duty version of the 2A. The 34 came out in '65 & featured a restyled lower rubber roller with a steel roller as an option. Both of these machines were out of the catalogs by '73. The combined mower-conditioners were selling like hot cakes by then.
The Balanced Head mowers are still quite popular & a good majority of parts are still availabe through CaseIH, Agco & Rowse. Prices vary widely, from $350 to $800 & for Heaven's Sake if it has yellow paint on it somewhere.... & it ain't cheap, cheap, cheap!... just leave it be. Dealerships are usually fairly high priced on the Balanced mowers, but not always.
Hay conditioners can be found anywhere from free to about $400 to $500 & in any color you like. Everybody & their uncle made some kind of hay crusher from the early '50s to the mid '70s.
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Today's Featured Article - Show Coverage: Godfrey, Illinois Country Days - by Cindy Ladage. Except for last fourth of July's Old Gold show in Springfield, Illinois, I don't remember when it was so hot. Nevertheless, the heat didn't keep vendors and visitors alike from enjoying the third annual Country Day's Event. Jane Elliott said the event was originally a one man show. "Barry Seiler, owner of Country Town Farm Supply store used to invite people up to the Johne Deere store. He would give hats and a free meal for everyone that brings a tractor." Elliott said while this
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