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Northeast, PA | Hi there everyone, I am looking to buy a 9' sickle bar mower. Please understand I do not want a batwing, I do not want a discbine, or haybine, or brushhog. So please do not try to sell me on one of those. I am looking for a solid 9' sickle bar.
I have never run a sickle bar so I do not know much about them. My question is for those of you that have run them which seems to last the longest and give the least amount of troubles? I have come up with a number of brands: New Holland, Frontier (JD), Rowse, Befco, PGF (northerntool), & Belco. Any experience, stories, the good, the bad, the ugly with any of these brands of sickle bars?
What things do I need to look for when buying one? Balanced mower head and cutter bar or a Pitmanless mower head and cutter bar? What else is there to know about these things?
TIA! Larry
http://br-equipment.com/products/Sicklebar-Mower.htm
http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/products/equipment/frontier_implements/hay_equipment/sb31_sickle_bar_mower/sb31_sickle_bar_mower.page http://www.rowserakes.com/singlebar.html http://www.befco.com/products/hayequipment/sicklebar.html http://agriculture.newholland.com/us/en/Products/Hay-and-Forage-Equipment/Sicklebar-Mowers/Pages/products_overview.aspx http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200400615_200400615 |
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| Larry, I have had sickle bar mowers for years. First a JD and then an IHC. Mine were all 7' mowers. Main thing is to make sure the sicle is sharp asnd the guards are good and the ledger plates are sharp. If any of the above named parts are worn you will have trouble. Jim J |
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Iowa | $750, maybe $1000, will buy a decent one.
Forget the sales lingo like, "balanced head" or whatever,
JD 350, IH 1000(or maybe it's IH 1100, I forget).
Lots of them around. Take someone along who knows what to look for and forget the websites and sales lingo.
Don't get an ancient one w a pitman.
I saw a very nice, tight, little-used jd 350 sell for $700. |
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NE Mo | Older IHC 's were 1100 and the later model was a 1300. Both are good. I have a 9 ' now, and have had a 7 '. There is a replaceable bronze bushing in the sickle had that should be replaced if any play is seen. Also the 1 " dia pin that goes in that bushing should be replaced if it feels like it has some wear. Neither is a big expense or problem. As someone else said, keep sharp sickle and ledger plates in it. Guard # MC 2041 Z is about $10 the last time I priced them. Unsure of the parts prices for the other brands |
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NE Mo | Older IHC 's were 1100 and the later model was a 1300. Both are good. I have a 9 ' now, and have had a 7 '. There is a replaceable bronze bushing in the sickle had that should be replaced if any play is seen. Also the 1 " dia pin that goes in that bushing should be replaced if it feels like it has some wear. Neither is a big expense or problem. As someone else said, keep sharp sickle and ledger plates in it. Guard # MC 2041 Z is about $10 the last time I priced them. Unsure of the parts prices for the other brands |
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west central Iowa | I have mowed a lot of alfalfa with both types of sickle mowers and I actully prefer an old pitman stick mower to a pitmanless. I currently use a JD 39 which is the 3 point version of a 38. If you are actully mowing hay it seems like the hay flows better with a pitman mower it seems like it bunches by the wobblebox with a pitmanless mower, if you are just mowing weeds it doesn't make much difference. And my IH pitmanless is currently out of commission with bearings out of the gearbox. I have only replaced one pitman stick in all these years and have had two different wobbleboxes go out. I prefer the double combine type guards to the single type ones with replacable ledger plates. And you plug a lot less if you put two of the stubby non clog guards on the inside end of the bar. |
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Northeast, PA | Tommy, That was my first thought too, then I went to a auction sale with a barn kept great condition JD 350 a few years back and was prepared to spend just what you said. I did not even get to bid and it was over $1500, ended up going for $2500! So I thought maybe I needed to find a new one.... |
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| You didn't mention "disc mower" in your "do not want list" but figure it would be included in that list.....so this is not a sales pitch ....just FWIW.
But if not they give a LOT LESS trouble mowing and a LOT LESS finicky to keep in top cutting condition. They are more $$$ to purchase and if need major repairs are a LOT MORE $$$$. That being said there is really no way I want to go back to a sickle!! In any difficult mowing conditions they will make you pull your hair out. |
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| Having had a NH 7', and still have a CIH 9' and a Rowse double 9 with NH heads, get something with a CIH head. The NH heads are higher maintenance and they run slower. Look for cracks on the cutter bar and if it's bent. |
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| I have a 3 pt. 9' CIH #1300 balanced head sickle for sale if your interested. E-mail is in m profile
Edited by boog 8/21/2012 00:43
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| Larry Otis - 8/20/2012 19:55
I have never run a sickle bar so I do not know much about them.
TIA! Larry
That explains why you want one. A 3pt mount disc mower makes life so much more enjoyable, other than paying for it that is. |
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Alton, Ia | The day our sickle mower left was one of the best days of my life......... |
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Purchasing a sickle bar mower...
