John Deere model 1 sickle bar mower

[DSMHONEYYARD]

I have a John Deere model 1 sickle bar mower, that I got from my grandfather. I am looking for manuals and any information on it. I know that it was originally horse drawn, but by the time I got it, the drawbar had been shortened.

I have already started replacing warn out cutters and ledger plates. Cleaned up 50 + years of dirt and oil/greece, and brush painted it.

I have a anvil that was designed for riveting the cutters to the bar and ledger plates to the rock guards. I found that the cutters, ledger plates and Pittman arm are still readily available.

I will post pictures of it later, need to move it out of the over grown yard, and my tractor is in the barn for repair.

 

[Richard G.]

I have only seen one of those on a farm in PA.

 

[David from Kansas]

Good luck with your restoration. Lots of those old horse drawn parts carried over to the tractor drawn models;
i.e., the No. 5. I have some used parts for JD sickle mowers if you get to the point where you are having no
luck, let me know.

 

[Leroy]

The No. 1 was the small size mower with shorter cutter bar. think possibly a
1 horse model. The No.2 was the bigger version and would have been a 2 horse
model and had a 6 foot cutter bar. Fact is the No. 2 Mower was the first
piece of machinery I ever bought. Think it was about 1959. And all cutting
parts are same as lots newer mowers.

 

[Denny K]

Hi Dave, would you have any extra of the z7327h spring release as shown in the center of your picture of the pitman parts?

 

[David from Kansas]

Ive got extra parts for both ends of the pitman. I will have to go look to be sure. Do you mean the flat spring that is used to hold the socket ends open, or the round spring that puts pressure against the fork that holds the sockets tight? Have a book, will have to look up your part number but I'm sure I have both. My email is open if you want to contact me directly.

 

[David from Kansas]

Denny, I have the very piece that is pictured. Would you give $5 plus shipping?

 

[Roadking608]

I have a John Deere #2 sickle mower and have been searching for a pitman arm for years with no luck. The one off my McCormick #9 is too big for it. Would a pitman off a #5 fit a #2??

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

 

[DanielW]

The Deere #2 is a horse-drawn mower? If I remember right, they had an unusually long bar, and not the same length as any of the later mounted mowers (like the #5, 8, 9, etc.). But there's nothing too crazy about them. If you have the bearing and ball clamp you can just make the wood to suit. Even if you don't have the bearing/clamp, I suspect those parts are probably interchangeable with a lot of pitman mowers (including #5), you'd just have to make a new wood the right length. Just make sure the bearing has the right I.D. You could even use a clamp/bearing-end from a McCormick/IH if the bearing is the right I.D.

When making the wood, just make sure the length is correct to have the knife registered in the bar correctly. There's always some provision to adjust the register by shifting the bar in/out on its mounting bolts a bit, but it would be easier to make it the right length so you don't have to adjust it later. Lots of folks ignore the knife register and get it incorrect with their homemade pitman woods. It will cut terrible and plug a lot if it's not registered correctly.