Type of wood for pitman arm

[Fitter Roger]

Hey Guys,

I use the snot out of a New Idea 30a sickle mower. I make my own pitman arms out of some oak from an old corn crib. Well I think the wood is getting to old and the arm will explode before the clutch will slip. So I"m going to wonder down to the Amish sawmill and get a new blank sawed for pitman arms. So what type of wood should I order?
 

[The Flying Belgian]

I always used Hickory.
 

[2x4]

seems like we used Ash
 

[Richard Hare]

Both ash and hickory are good. They both have some spring to them.
 

[DiyDave]

Hickory and ash are excellent, but rot quickly, if left out in the weather. White oak and cherry last longer, in the weather.
 

[RayP(MI)]

A pitman is like a fuse on a electrical service - the weak link... Break before something expensive.
 

[miner09]

We always used red oak or post oak years ago when the sickle mower was all we had to cut hay with.
 

[Leroy]

If you ever break a pitman you have other big problems that you need to take care of. Ran pitman mowers for years and never broke one. It sounds like all your cutter bar parts are bad and take to much power to operate so the reason someone overtightened that slip clutch. If you repair and set up that mower corectly you will never break anouther pitman stick. Breaking sticks is not normal in a properly set up mower unless it is left to rot away in weather for years.
 

[Farmallb]

I have used oak in making mine, BUT I ALWAYS take out the sickle and put n edge on it, slide it back in, and check to make sure the tops of the guards are all but touching the top of the sickle bar. I put the blue lock tight on the threads of the bolts, and use lock washers also. You do alla that you wont have trouble.

What are you cutting. Im cutting pararie grass.
 

[2x4]

reminds me of a slow-thinking guy that got a genius idea; since wood pitman arms were always breaking on him, he made one of steel! wrecked the mower.
 

[Old Iowa]

They originally came with Ash wood used. It rots quickly if left out. If you use oak white oak is a finer grain then red oak. Red oak is a fine structural lumber but not the best for what you are doing unless you find a piece with the grain running completely straight down the length. What red oak usually does is split along the grain. IF the grain is not straight it just shears off at an angle.
 

[Ken Macfarlane]

Similar application but not a pitman, repairing paddles and oars that where not ash my dad used to put a single layer of fiberglass cloth over the repair so the shaft would still flex but be similar strength an ash one.
 

[Texasmark1]

Neat thing about Hickory is that you can go the box store and buy axe handles made of Hickory and adapt them to the occasion. Surely cheaper, stronger, and longer lasting that other alternatives. As I recall, that is what the OEM had for a pitman arm in the first place.

Mark