# Stub Guards



## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

I've been running a NH 1465 haybine with standard guards. I keep toying with the idea of getting stub guards, but evey time I do I look at the price and don't. A day ago I cut a 5 ac field with a good part of it down, OG / Timothy and clover. The field is thick was around leaving around 4" of stubble. The ground and hay was a bit wet ( go figure ). I was only able to cut around 3.5 mph. My question is: Would stub guards make I notacable difference? 
The sickle is sharp and adjusted correctly. I replace damaged or bent blades on a regular bases, if need be. I don't have to many rocks but do have a lot of tree line and the ocational fox hole. 
I know the simple answer is to get a discbine. Right now that's not in the budget.

Thanks in advance for any and all comments and advice.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I run a NH 1465 haybine also. I bought it practically new last fall and it had standard guards, I absolutely could not get it to mow I would go about ten feet and the guards would be plugged up. I said now I know why everyone says get a discbine but being that the haybine was in such good condition I said I would try the stub guards. Went into first cut this year knowing that it was not going to mow and boy what a surprise I got. The hay was extremely thick, lodged badly, and most of the time soaking wet and I mowed just fine, never plugged or attempted to plug one time. As far as how fast you can go the tractor I'm using doesn't have a working tach but I'm guessing I'm going around 3.5 mph, I think field conditions will determine the ground speed more than anything. The last field I cut was sopping wet and laying completely flat and I did have to slow down a bit to get it cut. It seems like the reel is the limiting factor of the capacity now instead of the cutter bar, It starts to slip if I try to go much faster. We have a lot of rocks here and I have not broke a knife yet so I wouldn't worry about that too much if you leaving a 4 inch stubble, just keep a few extra knives and a ratchet in the toolbox just in case. I am completely pleased with the stub guards I just have to figure out the reel now.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

FarmerCline said:


> It seems like the reel is the limiting factor of the capacity now instead of the cutter bar, It starts to slip if I try to go much faster. I am completely pleased with the stub guards I just have to figure out the reel now.


I have not looked into a 1465 but if it is like many of the older NH haybines , the reel is belt driven. If it is belt driven and your reel is slipping your belt probably needs tightening....which is not hard to do. Check your belt for slack....operators manual tells you the proper slack distance......If your belt slips very much, it will cause hay to wrap on your rollers.

Regards, Mike


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

It may be your guards are worn out too. They get rounded over on the anvil or whatever the blunt scissor side is called that the sickle cuts against. Neighbour has worn out stub guards on their 489 and it doesn't cut the best.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

I replaced the fingers with stub guards on a 477 "back in the day". It was definitely an improvement! Still couldn't mow as fast as a discbine, but way better than the full finger guards!
HTH, Dave


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Vol said:


> I have not looked into a 1465 but if it is like many of the older NH haybines , the reel is belt driven. If it is belt driven and your reel is slipping your belt probably needs tightening....which is not hard to do. Check your belt for slack....operators manual tells you the proper slack distance......If your belt slips very much, it will cause hay to wrap on your rollers.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Installing a new belt can sometimes make all the difference as well. If it looks shiny on the sides of it then it's glazed, if it's glazed you can tighten it to the point of snapping and it can still slip.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

When you use stub guards, it is imperative that they are adjusted properly to the knife and or sections. The sections have to have something to cut against. If not adjusted properly, then it will plug and just pushed right over your hay. Sometimes you have to use a little heat to get them bent just right. Mike


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> When you use stub guards, it is imperative that they are adjusted properly to the knife and or sections. The sections have to have something to cut against. If not adjusted properly, then it will plug and just pushed right over your hay. Sometimes you have to use a little heat to get them bent just right. Mike


I was reading about that in the manual, it seems stubs are a bit harder to set and adjust.


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## bensbales (Jul 18, 2011)

When i was a kid i worked for a hay farmer that had two haybines one was a hesston pt10 and the other was a nh 489. The hesston would mow at a faster ground speed than the Nh and since i was always stuck with the slower mower, i finally read the book and there was an adjustment for increasing the reel speed. That made a big differance on how fast u could mow,then i could almost keep up with the boss!


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

bensbales said:


> When i was a kid i worked for a hay farmer that had two haybines one was a hesston pt10 and the other was a nh 489. The hesston would mow at a faster ground speed than the Nh and since i was always stuck with the slower mower, i finally read the book and there was an adjustment for increasing the reel speed. That made a big differance on how fast u could mow,then i could almost keep up with the boss!


Haven't played with that yet... But I will look into it! Thanks.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Yup and if the reel speed is set fast and you drive really slow you burn up belts like my neighbour does. Their reel will be slapping that hay like its trying to thresh it or something.



bensbales said:


> i finally read the book and there was an adjustment for increasing the reel speed. That made a big differance on how fast u could mow,then i could almost keep up with the boss!


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## N2MyWake (Jun 3, 2013)

do you guys have any pics of the difference between the normal guards and the stub guards?


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

N2MyWake said:


> do you guys have any pics of the difference between the normal guards and the stub guards?


Here is a link to a performance manual from NH. page 10 has some drawings.

http://www.boonetractor.com/subpages/parts/sicklemowerperformance.pdf


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Or you can go to www.webbsickleservice.com


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Our 1475 was clogging up @ the guards but a simple belt tighting fixed it. If it starts again I might check into the different guards even tho the best solution in my case is kill the Bahia...


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Thanks NDVA, 
Great company / web site, that took a few hours of my time!


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

I do believe I have solved my stub guard dilemma. After spending countless hours today under and behind my 1465. Un plugging due to wet and overly late first cut. Then when moving looking at the 1 MPH speed.....

The final solution:

Next year I will be mowing with a disk mower.

Any suggestions for a disk mower that can be used at 75HP PTO?


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Dill, you should be able to run a 3 meter (9'10") discbine fine with 75 ponies!
I run a 2.5 meter (8'3") NH 408 discbine with my 5610 rated at 62 ponies.
JMHO, HTH, Dave
Edit: You aren't considering a straight disc mower are you? I wouldn't even dream of trying to make hay without a conditioner!
Again, JMHO, Dave


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I also would say stick with a discbine and not a regular disc mower. This is my first year having a haybine that would mow and I truly can say if it were not for the conditioning rolls I probably couldn't have got the hay dry in a wet year like this. I really didn't think the conditioning rolls would make as big of a difference as they did...Took about a day less than the disc mower to dry. I would think in your more northern cooler climate conditioning would be a necessity. 
I had the same experience last year as you, spending more time unplugging and mowing slow as the tractor would go. I promised myself that I would buy a discbine for this year like I should have to begin with, well I had other equipment to buy so I decided to try the stub guard route and am glad I did...it's like it's not even the same machine the way it cuts. In the future if I ever get the rest of the equipment I need and have some extra $ I will probably upgrade to a discbine as I could mow one gear faster with it than the haybine but if I get much faster than that in these small field I could not stay in the seat. I guess what I am saying if your haybine is in nice shape don't give up on it yet that is unless your set on a discbine.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

DSLinc1017 said:


> I do believe I have solved my stub guard dilemma. After spending countless hours today under and behind my 1465. Un plugging due to wet and overly late first cut. Then when moving looking at the 1 MPH speed.....
> 
> The final solution:
> 
> ...


You won't regret it, I've never plugged my discbine even a few years ago doing some custom mowing for a guys first cut in August. Rank, down, slimy and nasty didn't even begin to describe it, trying to mow that with a sickle machine would certainly be one of Dante's levels of hell.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> Dill, you should be able to run a 3 meter (9'10") discbine fine with 75 ponies!I run a 2.5 meter (8'3") NH 408 discbine with my 5610 rated at 62 ponies.JMHO, HTH, DaveEdit: You aren't considering a straight disc mower are you? I wouldn't even dream of trying to make hay without a conditioner!Again, JMHO, Dave


Yes, sorry I ment discbine. With rolls, as I do some alfalfa/ OG / clover.

Most of my haybine issues this year are because of having to cut wet. As well having to cycle cut hay back through the mower because of odd shaped fields that leave triangles.

The NH 7720 looks like a great match for my ponies. Now if I can plant some money seeds, and have a chance to harvest it before it goes to seed!


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

I second that opinion farmer Cline


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## InterLake (Nov 28, 2012)

DSLinc1017, thanks for the tip about the NH Performance Tips. Lots of good stuff. I don't know about the operators manuals for newer machines, but the book for my 469 doesn't have some of that good info. Perhaps the newer machines are different, but one thing I have not seen in any book is info about the over-running clutch. On the 469, it has four spring loaded pins. Those pins break. It is good to check them periodically and to replace the springs at a less busy time. It will work with just one pin. When that last spring breaks, you are out of business. I know. I spent time replacing the springs this year when I should have been cutting. Replacing the springs is easy. Taking the machine apart to get at them is a fair-sized job. The hard part is usually pulling the bearing off the right end of the shaft from the gear box.


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