|
The manual for my AC #3 says the knives should clear the ledger plates by "the thickness of a postal card". Other adjustments include: 1. Cutterbar lead...At rest, adjust so that outer end of bar "leads" mower end of bar. This is so that when under tension during mowing, the bar is square with the mower. 2. Sickle timing...Rotate the pitman drive manually, and adjust so that the travel on the teeth is centered over the guards. That is, at the far end of the stroke, they are the same distance to the right of the guards as they are to the left on the return stroke. 3. Drive tension...The AC has a belt drive that can be adjusted, others might have slip clutches or some such. The idea is that the drive is JUST tight enough to avoid slipping in thick hay, but will slip rather than break the pitman stick when it hits a rock or other large obstruction. 4. Cutterbar angle...tip the cutterbar back far enough to let the guards ride up over small obstacles. Too far back will have an adverse effect on cutting quality, so it's a compromise. There may be others on your machine, but this should get you started. BTW, I'm new to sicklebars too, and most of this information is gleaned from books and advice from other users.
| 
