# How to identify worn out guards on a sickle mower



## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

I have been searching this, but cant find a definite answer. I have an IH 1300 sickle mower, that does a good job. However I believe I have some worn out guards. They are stock IH double guards (single at shoe). The edges are rounded somewhat and no longer have the serration I see on some of the new ones. Also the cross bars show wear. I cant seem to find pictures of worn out ones to indicate when they should be replaced. Can anyone help?

I cut mostly grass, with some clover and alfalfa mixed in. If I were to just go ahead and replace them all, what guards should I go with? I think forged would be better than cast, correct?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

Keith


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

If the cutting edge is gone and rounded off, then it's time to replace. Some of the IH guards still have replaceable ledger plates, although they aren't a whole lot cheaper than buying new guards.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

A sharp knife will make up a lot of the trouble with worn guards - I used to run them till they were nearly twice the opening than new. However the square edge is what a guy needs for actual cutting to take place. With a new knife and new guards it'll be like a new machine!

Rodney


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I put New Holland guards on our 1300. They bolt right up except for the end one and I can't remember which end. We only use top serrated sections also. Nice thing about the New Holland guards, since they have no separate ledger plate, it is possible to hit the side of a worn guard with a hand grinder to restore the square shearing corner.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

These are NH guards on a CIH 1300 7' bar mower. There are an odd number of points so one NH guard needs to be cut to fill out the bar. For whatever reason, I put the odd one at the far end of the bar. The first and last ledger plates that are not part of a rock guard per se are also still used.


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## Coondle (Aug 28, 2013)

Gearclash said:


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I have a case IH 8380 mower conditioner with an odd number of points. Although it is a centre pull machine I only work it to the right of the tractor.

I have found the cut-in-half guard is more easily compromised in cutting so I put the single point on the left side, because that position is often, even usually not cutting hay so if compromised, less problem.

I have also found that mixing different brands of guard can be problematic. Some different brands have a slightly different angle such that the sickle sections will not properly contact all ledgers.

Just my $0.02 again


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

IMHO - if the guards/ledgers are rounded, they are not as effective. It is not necessarily required to toss them out and buy new ones - right away. You can take an angle grinder and basically grind the edge of the guard/ledger back to a nice square corner. Smooth guard/ledger and serrated sickle blade - down on the refurbished ledger surface = a very good cutting machine.

Here is our MF32 sickle mower with the above described grinding job.






Good luck,

Bill


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

leeave96 said:


> IMHO - if the guards/ledgers are rounded, they are not as effective. It is not necessarily required to toss them out and buy new ones - right away. You can take an angle grinder and basically grind the edge of the guard/ledger back to a nice square corner. Smooth guard/ledger and serrated sickle blade - down on the refurbished ledger surface = a very good cutting machine.
> 
> Here is our MF32 sickle mower with the above described grinding job.
> 
> ...


True, it'll work but once you grind through the surface case hardening of the edges, they'll wear a LOT faster...

Just sayin'-- BUT you're talking about guards that are already on the way out-- even getting a little more life out of them is money saved in the long run. Just don't count on them lasting a LONG time...

Later! OL J R


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## 560Dennis (Jun 1, 2015)

Excellent post by the way . I have a NI 30a and it needs new ledgers . A 040-hs if you following the manual . They are about 8.50 each new . I 'm not seeing how to get them out of the guard 50-hs4a , never done it. 
I'm seeing that this huge advantage to the stress on the machine. If you keep these sharp the machine will last and save fuel to.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

560Dennis said:


> Excellent post by the way . I have a NI 30a and it needs new ledgers . A 040-hs if you following the manual . They are about 8.50 each new . I 'm not seeing how to get them out of the guard 50-hs4a , never done it.
> I'm seeing that this huge advantage to the stress on the machine. If you keep these sharp the machine will last and save fuel to.


Every ledger plate I've ever seen is held in by a flush tapered rivet... have to drill them out I guess. Why hardly nobody doesn't replace them anymore I guess, rather than replacing the entire guard.

I think they have a little alignment "stub" or "pin" that sticks up out of the guard in the front from the bottom, that ends up flush with the top of the ledger plate as well-- but it's been a LONG time since I messed with them.

Best of luck! OL J R


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## 560Dennis (Jun 1, 2015)

luke strawwalker said:


> Every ledger plate I've ever seen is held in by a flush tapered rivet... have to drill them out I guess. Why hardly nobody doesn't replace them anymore I guess, rather than replacing the entire guard.
> 
> I think they have a little alignment "stub" or "pin" that sticks up out of the guard in the front from the bottom, that ends up flush with the top of the ledger plate as well-- but it's been a LONG time since I messed with them.
> 
> Best of luck! OL J R


Ugh, I have the worst luck with the taper pins . I think I know what flush taper pin is ,got look up to br sure , briefly looked at the guards notice most were rounded . I have had the most trouble finding the center of the hole to drill them out ,So that being said need a drill press or vertical mill and a nachi spindle drill to take them out . Or the guard will look like swissscheese with drill hunting around.
Does a rivit fixture have a drill guide ?


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

I learned years ago to use a thin pointed center punch on a rivet first before you drill to create a divot for the drill to center on.. I also have steel drill bit that self center in these divots and not wander - not sure what they are called, but the have a specially ground point on them.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

560Dennis said:


> Ugh, I have the worst luck with the taper pins . I think I know what flush taper pin is ,got look up to br sure , briefly looked at the guards notice most were rounded . I have had the most trouble finding the center of the hole to drill them out ,So that being said need a drill press or vertical mill and a nachi spindle drill to take them out . Or the guard will look like swissscheese with drill hunting around.
> Does a rivit fixture have a drill guide ?


Your guess is as good as mine. Grandpa put new ledgers on guards before I was born-- by the time I came along, we just tossed the thing and put a new guard on when they got dull.

Later! OL J R


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

Here is a guard servicing tool. I will describe the use later tonight.

















To remove the ledger plate you will need a heavy punch that is tapered to 3/16" point. A pin punch will not work for the initial hit with the hammer. You place the guard in the tool as shown. Place the punch roughly in the center of the rivet and drive the rivet down through the ledger plate. Remove the ledger plate and continue to drive the rivet down. Once the rivet is flush with the top of the guard you can use a pin punch to fininsh driving the rivet out.

Do not try and drive the rivet the opposite way because the rivet is swelled on the bottom of the guard because of the rivet being peened. Driving the rivet down pushes the swelled area out of the guard. Fairly quick and easy to remove the ledger plates and rivets.

The tool is also used to install the new rivets. You place the ledger plate into place on the gurad and install the rivet with the tapered head into the tapered hole of the ledger plate. Turn the guard upside down and put it one of the two pins which are sticking up. Most gurads have a half moon notch on the top surface of the guard which matches with the pin of the tool. Just drive the rivet down into the guard to swell the rivet in the hole and then peen over.

On later blue Ford mowers the leger plates were held in with a drive lock pin. The guard in the picture is that type. You just take a pin punch from the bottom of the guard and drive the pin out. The pin does not go all the way to the bottom of the guard, so it is easy to drive the pins out. To install the new ledger plate, just drive the new pin down into the guard. No peening or any other action necessary.


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