Go BottomSickel bar mower knives and guards
 | mackrmdl
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2002-10-07 43502
I have a new Holand 451 sickel bar mower (very low hours on it) that I use for trimming along fences and cutting small areas. Works great except it plugs up sometimes. I need to replace a few bent guards, I was wondering if I should convert the knives/guards to the SCH easy Cut system by S.I. Distributing Inc?
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| MRETHICS
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 190 Star City, Indiana
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2002-10-07 43506
I don't know anything about either, the mower, or the SCH sickle.
But, if your mower has riveted on sections, and the SCI sickle has bolted on sections, I would change in a heartbeat, just for the improvemnt in sickle replacement in the field.
As far as the cutting performance, let me share with you what I have learned from many years on the farm.
Sickle bar mowers will plug.
They will plug if the fodder is too wet from dew or rain. The cut crop must be completely dry on it's exterior.
They will plug when they become dull,or damaged.
While everyone replaces sections when they become dull or damaged, most people will only replace gaurds that become damaged, and dull gaurds will hinder cutting as much as dull sections. Some gaurds have a repaceable ledger plate that is replaced cheaper than a gaurd.
Under serrated sections will work best in grassy conditions, while overserrated sections will work best in courser weeds and hay. Also, in stoney fields, the over serrated sections will be damaged on a less frequent basis.
The sickle needs to be held down tightly by the hold down clips bolted to the sickle bar. You can shime these, or some you just smack with a hammer to bend them into proper adjustment. while I do not know the spec. on your model, .015" is a rule of thumb I use. Always use a feeler gauge when setting the air gap on the sickle.
The sickle must also be held forward in the gaurds as far as possible. There are wear plates located between some of the gaurds and the sickle bar, that are slotted to accomplish this feat. Just loosen the all the gaurds with these plates undermieth them, and drive them forward with a hammer and screwdriver, starting at either end and working your way down the sickle, tightening each one as it is adjusted.
In some cases there are special sections on one or both ends of the sickle to keep the ends from plugging. If these are replaced with standard sections, problems will occure.
Proper cutterbar angle is also important. If the attitued of the bar is too high in the front, it will knock down and/or plug often. If it is loo low in the front, plugging and/or section, and gaurd damage will occur. About 3 to 5 degrees down should be the correct angle.
Sickle mowers are a high maintinence machine, and the maintinence will not wait. If things aren't right, they just won't work well at all. here could only be 50 or 60 acres on that machine, and all of the things I've mentioned could be wrong, or only one of them. It's ahrd to tell from your post.
While a replacement sickle and gaurds may make maintinance easier, it may not be the solution you are looking for.
....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2002-10-08 43538
That sounds like a real good short-course. After reading it maybe I wish I bought an old horse drawn SCM converted to tractor use a guy up the highway sold two summers ago. Maybe the guy is sorry he sold it because several weeks ago I glanced out toward the highway and saw him towing another old SBM along the highway shoulder behind his truck. He had towed it 20 miles at that time and still had five to go. He must really like tinkering with them. ....
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Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 190 Star City, Indiana
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2002-10-08 43547
I dunno Tom, What your neighbor missed about owning one, is a mystery to me. They are IMHO, out dated equipment. Even a brand new one. To much time spent on maintinance.
I've clipped many acres in my life with them, and my estimate on up time wouldn't be much higher than 50%.
Back in 1980 or '81, The USDA had a subsidy program that left 50% of our corn acres idle for one year. On the idled acres, a cover crop was to be sewn. My father chose to sew yellow sweet clover. This stuff will get as tall and rank as anything you could imagine, but it's a darned good remedy for compaction and a few other problems.
This created about 500 acres to mow with a SBM, On his farm, and the rest of our family's which he rented. Buying a rotary cutter was just too expensive for him. Espeacialy when you have a teenager around to do the mowing.
500 acres with a 7 footer, once near the end of June, and again in mid August. I was no more than done with the first clip, when it was time to start again.
While my knowledge of the workings of a sickle bar also come from flexible platforms to harvest soybeans and wheat,I know more about sickle mowers than I want too.
I don't think you could pay me to take one. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2002-10-09 43584
Mr. E: Alfalfa was the most common hay crop where my uncles were and that's what I remember sickle bars cutting. I'm not sure when rotary cutters came into the market but I don't remember anybody having them. Lot of sickle bars sitting around now and your description maybe is the reason. Perhaps my neighbour wanted a new lawn ornament and couldn't find a back dump rake. ....
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