More New Holland451

[grandpa Love]

Got it unfolded and it appears someone got in to a tree or fence! It's bent, broke, poorly repaired , and cracked again. Advice on a fix? Cut, weld, heat and beat?!

Still a deal....

 

[ohiojim]

find a good welder, looks to be fixable

 

[grandpa Love]

I know a guy.......

 

[paul]

As you probably know, the sickle should be leading forward a bit at the end, cuts crappy with it trailing. So when it gets fixed, make it lean to the front a tad.

Paul

 

[jon f mn]

That looks hacked together, do you have another to see how it should be?

 

[grandpa Love]

Jon, I do. A good 9 footer. But still a 451. This one took a whack!! Still...more than $100 in parts. Hopefully I can get it fixed, always feel better with a backup

 

[grandpa Love]

Yes sir, but when you say that it's really bent!

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I'd cut some of the crap out of there where it's broken. Then I would go to work heating and straightening the two arms. They have to line up, to be square and centered with one another. I did one similar, but not as bad. One of the fine thread capscrews which holds the rear arm on was broken off flush, and had to be extracted. If I'm remembering correctly, I straightened the removable arm first, bolted it back on, then straightened the front arm until I had it plumb with the rear arm. I think I used a shaft which fit the front hole, to center it with the rear arm. Then weld up the break, while checking that it doesn't move.

 

[old]

If I had it up here I could repair that pretty much in my sleep. Grind the old bad weld out and then weld it back up and if there is room add a fish plate. Be sure to make sure the break away is working as it should since that is what causes things like that

 

[Bob]

The cracked area is the least of your problem, the whole "yoke assembly" (NH calls is a "pushbar") is bent all to &%$$.

<img src = "https://i.imgur.com/gQzLe2a.jpg">

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Yep

 

[grandpa Love]

So there is hope!!?

 

[grandpa Love]

Which part? Yoke assembly? Push bar? Not sure what that is. Thanks

 

[ss55]

I would cycle the wobble box drive by hand to make sure it works, then hook it to a PTO to test it at slow speed then PTO speed before spending a lot of time or money fixing the yoke.

 

[Dean]

The NH 451 is a very good sickle bar mower but that one is in very bad condition.

I would think very hard before putting any money into it.

Dean

 

[Traditional Farmer]

You need to replace the part with the Yoke on it,if the drive assembly is in good shape it'd be well worth putting another yoke on it.I have a couple those mowers for parts,I'll look to see how much of a job it is to take it off.

 

[HuskerLyn]

How much hay are you planning to put up to need a backup? With the arm not traveling in a forward position it?ll take a lot to get it right and keep it right. Square baling round bales doesn?t require much of a cutter. But in the end, it?s only money.....

 

[Janicholson]

Clamp the crack shut with serious force (it might take heat to get it together. Then while it is where it belongs, use an angla grinder to notch out the gap 3/8 inch wide almost all the way through (leave 1/8") not ground out. Weld the gap in 15 passes (7018 would be my choice if it is cast steel, Nirod if cast iron (not likely) On every pass. chissel and hammer out all slag leaving dents in the weld to curb stress build up. Grind if needed to keep slag pockets out. Hammering is as important as welding. After the weld cools to the touch, remove the clamping device. Jim

 

[SVcummins]

I?ve fixed a lot of things most people would have sent to the scrap heap . Hopefully traditional farmer can set you up with some parts . Everyone pretty much told me I was an idiot for fixing my no.8 John Deere but it works like a dream for what I use it for a new sickle mower is over 7000.00$ So I didn?t think spending some money on one was that bad of deal .

 

[JK-NY]

Take a good look at the yoke shaped part where you have the cracked area where red parts meet yellow in your second picture. The yoke is bent way back and I agree it needs to be replaced for the cutterbar to have proper alignment. As mentioned you may want to check the mower over and decide if it is worth fixing, if there is any other issues it may be better as a parts machine. If TF can help you out with the yoke maybe worth fixing. The mower is still worth what you have invested for parts.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Still won't work the whole piece is bent.

 

[ss55]

I'm guessing the yellow channel iron between the wobble box and the pulley was originally straight.

 

[Bob]

(quoted from post at 19:39:52 12/20/19) I'm guessing the yellow channel iron between the wobble box and the pulley was originally straight.

YEP, and I posted a photo showing that.

Wouldn't be too tough to beat the "yellow channel" at the rear straight, and not impossible to bend the opposite ("front" part) back to where it needs to be, either.

But it will take some work to make it correct/functional again.

 

[Janicholson]

I see the issue more clearly now. Abused it is. If one of the responders has one, unless it is 1000 miles away, it will be the best option. Fastenal Logistics can be really good for shipping, I found it competative and solid. Jim

 

[PJH]

You have $100 invested in this mower. If it was mine and that was the only problem, I would completely disassemble the head from the pushbar and try to press the pushbar back until the sickle bar has the proper lead. That crack is the least of your problems. After you get the lead set right, it will be a simple matter to repair the crack. If I remember right, the tip of the bar should lead the inside of the bar by three inches (my manual is out in the shop).

I wonder how those pieces got bent like that. I'll trip the bar on my 451 a couple of times each summer, but there is no reason for those pieces to bend unless the trip mechanism is somehow disabled.

 

[Oliver550Dave]

Joe's Machinery just outside Willow Street, PA has a lot of parts for NH451 mowers:
I'm not affiliated in any way except as a very satisfied customer. This link is one I saved for their 2017 catalog. Google or such to find newer catalogs. It is an Amish company in beautiful, rural Lancaster County, PA!
https://www.lancasterfarming.com/joe-s-machinery-llc-parts-catalog/pdf_445fe51c-e7c2-11e5-9484-1b797b300e94.html

 

[grandpa Love]

I have ordered parts for my other NH 451 from them. Great company!

 

[Dean]

I would expect that the PO had wired or welded the trip trigger to prevent tripping.

Seen it before.

Dean

 

[Dean]

Agreed.

I would expect that the bar needs a complete overhaul or replacement as well.

That thing has had a tough life.

Looks like a money and time pit.

Dean

 

[JOCCO]

Grandpa, I am going to give you my opinion. I dealt with 450 451 mower a lot and we had lots of issues. That head and rocker arm system is costly and can take lots of work. All parts were costly new and hard to find used. For us I got away from them and so did some other farms. Get some manuals there not to hard to work on and I hope you get better mileage than we did.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

In the overall scheme of things it doesn't cost that much to completely redo one of those mowers of course if he has 6 or 7 grand$ just lying around he can go get a new one,which he'd take a bigger hit on the way home with deprecation than he'd have in fixing this one.

 

[PJH]

Dean, the trip mechanism is front and center in the second picture, but you are right, someone might have wired it then removed the wire.

My neighbor welded the trip solid on his Ford sickle mower. The results were not good. It took a ride to the scrap yard.

 

[grandpa Love]

How does the trip work?

 

[grandpa Love]

I have the manuals for it. I have another 451. It's got a 9 ft bar on it. I bought it in pieces. Lots of parts in a 5 gallon bucket. Wobble box totally shot. Had to buy plates, knife end, bearings, cups, all kinds if nuts and bolts. Gave $100 for that mower also. It's working now......got another $175 in parts in it. Except for bent yoke on this one it's actually in better shape than the other one was.

 

[JOCCO]

Your lucky those heads and barings are very touchy. Also make sure crankshaft and balance wheel are up to snuff they are 1000 dollars plus. Also 7 ft might handle better than 9.

 

[PJH]

The trip:

In your second picture, in the lower right hand corner, you will see two grease zerks, one directly above the other. The top zerk lubes the actual trip. That little "flipper" that the top zerk lubes is spring loaded and will pop forward when a certain amount of pressure is pushing the cutter bar backward. When the "flipper" pops forward, it releases the "knee" in that linkage and allows the cutter bar to swing backward. Just like your knee works when going from a kneeling position to a standing position. It is very simple, and when you look it over good you will immediately see how it works. Your NH 451 manual will tell you how much pressure it should take to make it trip. The trip resistance is adjustable.