David Bradley Sickle Bar Mower

[Fawteen]

I may be getting this mower (negotiations on-going...).

It's a D-B, or at least that's what it says on the drive casting cover.

It's ground driven and I suspect it was originally horse drawn given the lack of a tractor-style hitch. The rubber tires confuse me some, but that may have been a retrofit for later use with a tractor. Seems to be complete after a cursory inspection.

Where should I look for a model number? Is it likely to be suitable for (recreational) use with a tractor. If it was indeed horse drawn I'm guessing I'd need to keep the ground speed pretty low?

Any input appreciated.

 

[Leroy]

50+ years since we had ours. Only ever saw 2 others. They came from factory
with both a tractor toung and horse toung and horse has the seat with it.
You put the toung on it , We never put the horse toung on ours. standard 5
lug 16 inch wheels when you got it. Avaible with 5 or 6 foot bars, we had
the 5 foot. And rubber was standard on all. You could get bolt on steel as
an option About 1948? when Dad bought ours. Traded a Ferguson mower on it.
Traded it off in 1960. I had bought a john Deere No 2 6 foot horse drawn
mower in about 1958 and it would mow rings around the D B

 

[Leroy]

Yes ground speed what a horse would walk at. And that is a Ford car wheel on
the left side in the picture.

 

[Loosehandle]

Check the availability of cutter bar parts,
Id hold out for something like a JD #5

 

[Fawteen]

It would be a freebie, just waiting for permission to go get it.

Don't really need a mower, just something to mess with.

 

[Fawteen]

Well, turns out it's not going to be a problem as the owner decided to keep it.

Probably just as well.