Acquired sickle bar mower, how does it work??

[dsebens]

I am trying to fix up this sickle bar mower. It is an IH one. I have no operators manual and am not sure how to set it up. I would be willing to buy the appropriate manual for it but want to make sure this will work for me.

I have a few questions, I am using this on my Ford 3000 cat 1.

It really puts some side strain on the assembly, am I just supposed to really crank on the 3 point arm adjustment to level it?

I need to change the hydraulic quick connect on the ram so I haven't tested it yet. Does it lift the bar?

The sickle teeth are worn and are riveted on, do you grind the rivets and replace with bolts?

Bonus round question, I have dual acting remotes on this tractor can I use this single acting cylinder by just hooking it up to one?

Also sorry for the bad angle on the whole unit, I can get a better picture tomorrow if needed.

 

[SVcummins]

That?s a nice mower . As far as the sections it?s
easier to pull the whole knife out open the vise just
enough for the sections to fit loosely take a big
hammer and you can knock the sections off then
take a pin punch and knock the rest of the rivet out
of the knife back stick new rivets in and with the
head on the bottom and Peen em there what the
ball pien on a ball pien hammer is for . Some
people don?t like actually hate rivets and I agree on
a mower conditioner with a reel over the knife but
on a sickle bar more they are easy and you don?t
need different hold downs to clear the bolts

 

[SVcummins]

Yes level it . And yes you can convert a double
acting cylinder to a one way by taking the hose of
the side that lowers the mower and put a half inch
pipe with a hole drilled through it in place of the
hose

 

[dsebens]

(quoted from post at 23:01:48 03/16/20) Yes level it . And yes you can convert a double
acting cylinder to a one way by taking the hose of
the side that lowers the mower and put a half inch
pipe with a hole drilled through it in place of the
hose

Thanks, but my situation is opposite. The cylinder is single acting and I have a double acting remote. I just want to make sure that it will work without causing stress on the unused remote

 

[SVcummins]

Looks like the hose is just broke off . The hose
that?s there will push the rod to lower the sickle and
you need to pull or retract the rod to raise it .

 

[SVcummins]

On second look it?s right the way it is . And no you
won?t hurt anything

 

[dsebens]

I ll double check but I m 90% sure it just has a cast boss for if it was dual acting but there is only a small hole there

 

[sammydwm]

Thanks, but my situation is opposite. The cylinder is single acting and I have a double acting remote. I just want to make sure that it will work without causing stress on the unused remote

heck with your owners manual. On my NH I have to turn a bolt on the valve stack to use one of the remotes as single acting.

 

[vapet]

That is an IH 120 balanced head mower, designed to be mounted solid to drawbar of various IH tractors or the fast hitch drawbar. You should make up a 3 point frame to mount the mower, the hitch pins are to close together which accounts for the arm adjustment problem. Google ih 120 mower, you will find images of what I'm saying. IH balanced head mowers are great machines.

 

[dsebens]

(quoted from post at 04:37:10 03/17/20) That is an IH 120 balanced head mower, designed to be mounted solid to drawbar of various IH tractors or the fast hitch drawbar. You should make up a 3 point frame to mount the mower, the hitch pins are to close together which accounts for the arm adjustment problem. Google ih 120 mower, you will find images of what I'm saying. IH balanced head mowers are great machines.

Thanks for the info. I have a 3 point draw bar I could bolt on it that is wider mounting than what it is now. I suspect that would help but will it be enough? I've noticed that it is lifting the left arm up with negative pressure. If the draw bar is offset and the arms widened do you think that would help?

2 more questions,
What is the purpose of the hydraulic ram? Will it raise it or just adjust it? Also the mount that the chrome ram bolts to pivots, is that as intended or does it need tightened down?

What is the big spring and pivot stuff on the bottom side, also there is a flat bar coming up at about a 65* angle near where it mounts to the tractor, what is this?

Thanks guys!

 

[vapet]

Ram raises and lowers cutter bar.
Spring and pivots underneath are the safety trip.
Bar-hyd. hose support?
You really should get an operators manual, goes into detail how to setup and operate mower.
Messicks.com has online parts book for 120 mower which will help somewhat.

 

[dsebens]

I was having a hard time finding one with a google search. I will check messicks website. There is so many things on this, a manual would help for sure.

 

[vapet]

Usually I can find original manuals on ebay.

 

[300guy]

I have one just like that except it is a two point mount. Rouse Rakes out of Burwell, NE. have all the parts you need for it. They are the manufacturer of the heads for this type of mower. They can overhaul the head at a reasonable price since they have all the tools and parts to do it the right way. I had my done there. They have the entire knife assembly when I bought mine for under a $100. That included a new head on the knife for attaching the sickle to the mower. I could not buy the sections and replace them for that. They may also tell you to contact Webb Sickle Service in Grand Island, NE for some of the parts as they have parts cheaper than Rouse can sell them for. I bought all new guards from Webb for my mower a year ago at a very decent price.

 

[dsebens]

I found a website that sells digital copies of manuals and bought one from there for $15. I now have some reading material to look over.

So just in case it doesnt state it in the manual can someone clarify if that single acting ram mount by the tailwheel is supposed to pivot or if it is loose?

 

[Rick Remmert]

I have an F-28 that goes on a 300 Utility. I made it fit on a fast hitch Super C. I got all the manuals for it from Binder Books.

 

[SVcummins]

It looks like that end of the cylinder would have to
stay put in order for the cylinder to do anything?

 

[dsebens]

I ll have to hook it up and see. The assembly instructions in the operators manual references a bushing so I will just try it and then see if I can tighten it.

 

[Russ from MN]

It looks to me like the cylinder is hooked up right to lift it.

 

[Dave O'Brien]

Based on what I'm seeing, I'd suggest that you use the tractor 3-pt. as a drawbar and add a set of sway bars that run from the top link to both of the lift arms out at the pins. Set the drawbar at standard drawbar height of 14" once you have the mower carriage set level. The cylinder on the mower will raise and lower the cutter arm. Depending on your tractor hydraulics, You might prefer to put a double-acting cylinder on the mower. This would make it easier to mow along ditches and banks. If you haven't found a manual yet, I suggest Binder Books. Good luck with it.

 

[dsebens]

I was wondering about sway. I was planning on tightening the chains as much as possible since I don t see where I would hook sway bars to. So you are saying run them up to the top 3 point and mount there?

 

[Dave O'Brien]

Tightening the sway chains would be fine for lateral motion.