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Help with a Ford sickle mower

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james in MO

06-04-2003 17:43:20

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I bought and fixed up an old sickle mower resontly. I believe it is a 510. It has no markings exept a faignt FORD symbol. It is 3 point hitch type with a pitman stick...
I replaced the entire bar with new and new knife sections. I also replaced all the rockguard points. The mower seems to be timed ok the sections go across the rockguards completly both ways.

...Here is the problem.... When I cut with the sickle mower, my p.t.o. at 500 rpm and my tractor in 1st gear...it cuts great for about 1 foot but, the grass does'nt fall back and away. It falls forward! And then piles up on top of the mower bar! This causes a big pile of grass on the bar witch eventually causes the mower to stop cutting evenly. The grass lays in front of the rockguards and lays the uncut grass down. Causing it to remain un-cut. Any advice from someone who knows about sickle mowers would be vary appreciated. I'm stumped.

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Tom A

06-05-2003 16:33:03

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

James:

You should buy the manual, as it has a lot of info including matching gear and ground speed to hay type. New Holland pubs sells reprints for about $14. Their number is 800-635-4913.

Tom A

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john

06-04-2003 23:45:49

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

just checking if you would be interested in purchasing an original owners manual for the Ford 501 mower

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James in MO

06-04-2003 20:35:59

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

Thanks for all the help guys!

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Eric S

06-04-2003 20:17:39

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

I too had all the same issues with my 501, clogging, jamming, grass falling the wrong way. I tried new sections, guard plates, different speeds etc. I needed some new guard plates and the NH dealer talked me into trying some NH one piece guards and I have been trouble free since. This is the third year on these guards and I have yet to find a speed too fast for the mower. It seems to cut effortlessly. I mow with a 861D in 4th gear.

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Jim.UT

06-04-2003 20:00:40

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

I agree with Chris. I just got through cutting some tall grass with my JD#9 sickle mower. I cut in 3rd gear (5 speed Ford 800) and have successfully cut in 4th gear, but that makes the corners a little hairy! Third gear makes the grass lay back real nice.

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Chris

06-04-2003 19:24:31

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

I just got finished getting my 5 john deere to cut. I think your gonna find out that if the hay is falling forward and hanging you need more ground speed to get the bar out of the way. when you speed up it will make the grass fall backward. also on the timing the sections should go center to center on the guards. Also check the lead. the end of the bar should be about 2inches forward of the heel of the bar. thanks. Chris

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Errin OH

06-04-2003 19:20:25

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Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to james in MO, 06-04-2003 17:43:20

Stumped, can't say I know a lot but from what I have seen mine do I look at two things. 1) Is the bar tight in the sickle. On my NI 30 there are these tabs that hold the cutting bar in the sickle. When they get a little loose, it allows the bar (knifes) to raise up just enough that the grass actually begins to bend over before cutting it. Its more a sideways bend though not to the front, but will cause it to plug up. To fix it I just give the tabs a wack with a hammer and that clamps the bar down. 2) Try slowing down a bit. Say run the tractor at 1100 rpms (pto ~300rpm). I recall a time I got in a hurry and I had a lot of trouble. Broke a pitman, play he!! geting it to cut, etc.....

Errin

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Carter Carter Machinery

06-04-2003 20:08:27

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Re: Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to Errin OH, 06-04-2003 19:20:25

All this can be fixed with the purchase of a drum mower and use the sickle bar mower to trim with. I believe your mower to be a Ford 501.

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Ridr says I knew Carter

06-05-2003 09:05:38

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Re: Re: Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to Carter Carter Machinery, 06-04-2003 20:08:27

LOL , ya know ,I haven't been on this board but a short while in yet I KNEW that you would say buy a drum mower. sheesh guy , he wasn't asking which was better , he was wanting help with what he had.

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Carter and Carter Machine

06-06-2003 02:09:27

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to Ridr says I knew Carter , 06-05-2003 09:05:38

I will keep on saying it. We have sold thousands of them since 1980. For the small farmer with a 45 HP tractor there is nothing out there better than a CCM Drum mower for $1,800 NEW!

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Tom A

06-07-2003 14:12:22

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Help with a Ford sickle mower in reply to Carter and Carter Machine, 06-06-2003 02:09:27

Maybe for the bigger guy...of course, I have to wonder why the big guys would be here at *Yesterday's Tractor* website anyway.

All my haying equipment together (mower, rake, crimper, and baler) cost half what that *new* mower costs. With my old stuff, I make decent hay on my little 18 acre place, good enough to feed my critters and sell some too.

That big difference in equipment price pays for a lot of gas in my old tractor, and I can fix most anything that goes wrong with this old stuff although it seems to be a lot more reliable than some of the new equipment I do have.

Since I'm not a big time guy, I guess I don't see the need for mortgaging the place to buy equipment I don't absolutely need...maybe that is a lesson the big guys can learn from us small timers.

Tom

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