3-pt. or trailer type sickle mowers

The 3 point version is the best compromise between being easy to attach and doing a decent job. Back a trailer up for any distance, or dodge obstacles and you'll see what I mean.

If somebody ever came up with a belly mount that was quick and easy to mount and dismount, the world would use nothing else.

But they all had the same problem in that it wasn't a trivial thing to mount and dismount the darn mower on the tractor. The Ford deal was set up so you could leave most of the brackets on, if I remember right, and take the bar off. But it still took time, and there was still stuff left in the way. With the Allis, which was a crank start tractor, you needed to set aside half a day to get the mower on or off.

Once they were on, you couldn't beat them for visibility, square corner maneuverability and all the rest. Both were hydraulically controlled and they both really worked nice.

A disadvantage of the pull-behind mower is the amound of turning it takes to make a corner. If your A is hard to steer (and most are) you're going to get a workout. Consider any obstacles in your field also. I'm a little persnickety about "rooster tails" left after a bad cutting job so I probably steer more than is necessary.

So...if you plan to do large acreage or custom work, get the 3-pt. balanced-head sickle. That's what the pros use. If you're just playing around (like I am), get any mower you want. Picture the machine you want to see behind that A and go for it!

Stan Theman