# Ford 501 Sickle Bar Mower On A Newer Tractor?



## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

Hey guys. I found a really good deal on a perfectly functional Ford 501 with three extra complete blades, but understand they don't work on the newer style tractors 3-point. Is there a retrofit for this, or a known easy fix for someone good with a welder?

Any help would be great!

Thanks,

Chris


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## timberjackrob (Feb 16, 2015)

We had a ford mower years ago seems like it had some sort of clamp deal that clamped on the lift arms is that what you are talking about? I don't really know of a retro fit but pretty much anything is possible with a torch and a welder.


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

Yup, that's the problem. The armature is cast iron, so it would have to be a whole new design for the rod and all. I'm a pretty decent fabricator, and know I can do it, but was just wondering if anyone here has done it, or knows of a cheap retrofit part already made.

Thanks,

Chris


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

We used to have a 501 mower we ran on the 6600 Ford after the old 8N Jubilee was getting awful tired for hay work... I just left the stupid clamp off and let the end of the cutterbar lay on the ground... worked fine...

Course, if you're picking up over stuff a lot, that's sort of a pain, so if we'd have kept using it that way, I'd probably have fabricated something else...

The 501 has a "stabilizer" that swings up from the frame to the lift arm on the right side (IIRC) and the left side had a clamp-on drag-link thing that worked a crank to the suspension spring to the lift the cutterbar...

I simply removed the "stabilizer" and used the tractor's own side-arm stabilizers to keep the mower centered behind the tractor. I sort of had it in mind to build an angle-iron clamp-on thing to go over the other lift arm, with a piece sticking out of it for the drag link to bolt to. That way it would still lift the cutterbar.

Never got around to it though because our old 501 was about worn out, it ate too many pitman sticks running on a bigger tractor, and we moved up to a new Zweeger's drum mower anyway, which made it a moot point...

I think they MIGHT have had some kind of adapter that was sold at some point, but where you'd find one nowadays... good luck! Maybe TISCO or something might have something like that, but I think just fabbing your own is probably your best bet...

Later! OL JR


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

Thanks Luke!

Yeah, I plan on just fabbing up a bracket for it. It'll be nice to get that bar up above windrows, rocks and whatnot. The field I'll be haying is new to me, and hasn't been worked in probably five years or so. It'll probably be pretty rough going at first! Ha ha

I just got it home. It works great, but could use some cleaning, sharpened blades, and some paint. It'll be a fun winter restore project!


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Next question-- got a ready supply of pitman sticks?? LOL You'll need them!

The old NAA's and 8N's and Golden Jubilee's were hard enough on them... but being a smaller tractor with a smaller engine they'd "give" more than a big tractor will, and "run out of steam" faster in heavy cutting so as to not overtax the mower... a higher HP tractor will just 'walk off' with that mower and work it to death if you're not careful... They also kinda kept the speed down into the slower ranges where these old pitman machines are happiest-- Remember they only cut at like (*IIRC from memory) something like 600-800 strokes a minute... wobble box machines like the IH's and NH's would run up to about 1100 strokes a minute on the knife speed-- which means it's cutting a LOT more strokes at a given ground speed than these old pitman machines which couldn't run at those speeds without the stick flying apart... that means a smaller 'bite' for a each stroke for a given ground speed (since its taking more 'bites') than the lower strokes/minute speed of the pitman machines... so you have to slow down the ground speed to compensate...(which is why the pitmanless mowers became so much more popular and replaced them).

Another trick the old man taught me... I was running the old 501 on the 6600 Ford and breaking a lot of sticks... He came out and looked at it and said, "What'd you do to it"? "Nothing", I said, "just greased it and made some routine adjustments-- tightened the belt up-- it was really loose..." "WHY do you think I loosened it up?? So the belt would slip before it busted the stick!" Doesn't completely eliminate busted pitman sticks, but it cuts it down by about 50% or more, especially running on a bigger tractor... it's a fine balance between the belt being loose enough to reduce stick breakage and so loose the mower stalls anytime you hit a gopher mound or thick bunch of grass...

Anyway, some things to watch out for... best of luck! OL JR 

PS... lookin at yer pics reminded me of something else... (nice looking old 501 BTW). I just ditched the stupid flat strap toplinks with the drag links to the counterbalance spring (the thing in the big stinger sticking out the back to the top link of the 3 point). While it was probably a handy thing to have on an 8N, 9N, or whatever, going to a bigger tractor probably will mean the geometry is all off anyway... it was designed to "counterbalance" the weight of the mower on the three point by pulling DOWN on the top link with a big spring, which was taking the weight of the mower... when I ran ours on the 6600, I just set the position control so the inner shoe was just touching the ground and called it good... worked fine.

IF you can make it work, fine-- might work a *tiny* bit better, especially on really rolling/rough ground, but if it doesn't work, IMHO use the regular turnbuckle top link and call it good, and level the cutterbar correctly. Later!


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

Two causes far pitman failure, condition of the cutter bar and cutting at an angle the pitman can not compensate for. You mentioned sharpening the knives. That is the last thing you want to do. Each time you sharpen the sections you are shortening the effective stroke of the knife. If you want the mower to run at optimal efficiency then start with new sections. If the guard ledger plates are worn replace them also. There is a ledger plate on the inner shoe and the outer shoe also. Check the ball on the knife head for wear. Check the straps that latch to the knife head for wear. Any thing that will cause slap in the knife will lead to pitman failure. The knife head is shimmed to keep the vertical play to a minimum. There are wear plates under the hold down clips. If there is a shoulder worn on them then replace them. The guards and the hold down clips are adjustable with a big hammer. If there is a gap between the guard ledger plate knife section take the hammer and hit the guard to bend it up. Like wise if there is a guard holding the knife up, hit the guard on the top side to bend it down. The guards are quite malleable. The hold down clips are also adjustable this way if there is too much gap, hit the front lip of the clip like you are driving straight back. If the clip is too tight the hit the top and it will bend back up. Keep clearance to a minimum but you should still be able to move the knife back and forth easily by hand. If the outer shoe ledger plate does not align with the section then you can had thin shims at the front or back of the shoe at the mounting bolts. Cut some thin shims about 1/4" wide to install if needed. This will tip the shoe up or down depending on where you place them.

As for the attachment to the tractor. If possible use the center link and spring. The spring has an adjustment bolt out the back. You adjust this for carrying the mower at the proper height. The stabilizer/tie rod bracket needs to be used. The link not only raises the cutter bar but also supplies

floatation to the cutter bar via the horizontal spring. It looks like the threaded rod sticking out the left side is bent down. Straighten the rod and adjust so the inner cutter bar can be raised without too much effort. While I am somewhat familiar with the mower they were more popular in my fathers time. They always put the largest drive pulley on the mowers to get the most strokes per minute for better cutting. They also removed the tin shield over the horizontal spring I assume the shield would cause the spring to bind.

Get an operators manual and follow the proper setup of the mower.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

CDennyRun said:


> Thanks Luke!
> 
> Yeah, I plan on just fabbing up a bracket for it. It'll be nice to get that bar up above windrows, rocks and whatnot. The field I'll be haying is new to me, and hasn't been worked in probably five years or so. It'll probably be pretty rough going at first! Ha ha
> 
> I just got it home. It works great, but could use some cleaning, sharpened blades, and some paint. It'll be a fun winter restore project!


JR and Mike10 pretty much covered it....Just a point about the field. I ran a sickle for years (NH 456) and still think a sickle gives a nicer cut and lays the grass down more even. The only time I had problems was on a new field that hadn't been cut in years. You should either try to get someone to cut it with a disc/drum mower the first time, or go REAL slow. The loose belt trick will save pitmans but you'll likely be on and off that tractor a lot with the plugging.

One other point....for the sickle, get your parts from Sickle Service ( http://www.sickleservice.com/) they're decent folks with decent products. The Chinese junk from TSC doesn't last.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

The 501 was the first sickle mower I ever used....it taught me how to say bad words.

Regards, Mike

Here is some info from Sweet Equipment;

*Q-How much trouble is attaching a 501 ford to tractor 3 point hitch?*

*A-Here are attachment instructions from Ehow.com*

*1--"Put on your work gloves. Check the frame size for your mower. It will either be a 56-inch frame mower or a 76-inch frame mower. When you have determined the frame size, adjust the tractor's rear wheels to the mower's frame size. For 56-inch frames, adjust the rear tractor wheels to 56-inch centers or less. The same rule applies for 76-inch frames.*

*2--Back the tractor into a position where you can align its left lower link to the mower's lift link pin. Attach these two parts together and secure the connection with the tractor linchpin.*

*3--Roll the tractor and adjust the leveling crank until the tractor's right lower link can be attached to the right link pin on the mower. Use the tractor lynch pin to secure the connection.*

*4--Attach the upper link from the mower to the lower hole in the tractor rocker arm by using the link pin.*

*5--Start the tractor. Using the hydraulic control lever, lift the mower frame assembly slightly and move the mower to the left to allow attachment of the left stabilizer. Place the stabilizer guide under the tractor's left lift link. Position the clamp over the link and tighten the nut firmly.*

*6--Depending on the tractor type, install the clamp plate or push rod anchor assembly onto the left lower link. Install the push rod on either the clamp plate or anchor assembly.*

*7--Shift the mower assembly to the right to attach the right stabilizer. Place the stabilizer guide under the tractor's right lift link. Position the clamp over the link and tighten the nut firmly.*

*8--Raise the mower using the hydraulic control, then attach the mower lift spring to the spring links with the pins that have been provided. Lower the mower assembly and turn off the engine.*

*9--Remove the tractor power takeoff (PTO) cap and connect the splined end of the mower's drive shaft to the PTO shaft. Secure the connection with the snap coupler found on the yoke.*

*10--Rotate the leveling crank to lower the frame, ensuring that it is parallel to the ground. Use the leveling crank lock to secure the crank lever.*

*Q-What are common maintenance tips for better sickle bar operation.*

*A-Here are a few tips we use on our farm. Keep all zerk fittings lubed. Make sure you check your sections for tightness often. If loose, then tighten the rivets. Make sure your trip breakaway is functioning properly to protect the mower in case you encounter a foreign object while mowing. Check your rock guard ledger plates for excessive wear often. A wore ledger plate will make smooth cutting difficult. Keep your knife sections sharp. Use a under serrated double end section for more overlap and less clogging. Keep your hold down clamps tight against the sickle. Make sure to straighten the rock guards if they get bent our line with all the rest of the guards. Keep your swathboard on the mower and properly adjusted.*

*Q-In the event I need repair parts, where do I find them.*

*A--Your local brand dealer, Tractor Supply stores, Tisco, Webbs Sickle Service, Ebay or our customers can call us for support parts.l We keep about all wear parts in stock for all sickle bar mowers. 1-866-528-3323 Monday-Friday-8-5 Central Time.*

*Q-What is the easiest sickle mower to attach to the tractor?*

*A-In our experience, it is hard to beat the Massey Ferguson model 31, 41 and 32. My second choice would be the IH/Case/IH or International 100 or 1300 or the New Idea 522 or the Ford 505. My third Choices is divided between the Ford 501, the John Deere 350, the New Holland 450 and 451. The old Dearborn 14-15 sickle mowers are less expensive however, they require a little extra time to install on your tractor 3 point hitch.*


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

Wow, thanks everyone for your years of knowledge! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it all. I'll be referencing this page for a while. I wish I could buy ya'll a beer!



Mike120 said:


> JR and Mike10 pretty much covered it....Just a point about the field. I ran a sickle for years (NH 456) and still think a sickle gives a nicer cut and lays the grass down more even. The only time I had problems was on a new field that hadn't been cut in years. You should either try to get someone to cut it with a disc/drum mower the first time, or go REAL slow. The loose belt trick will save pitmans but you'll likely be on and off that tractor a lot with the plugging.
> 
> One other point....for the sickle, get your parts from Sickle Service ( http://www.sickleservice.com/) they're decent folks with decent products. The Chinese junk from TSC doesn't last.


In the very early spring (or as soon as it's dry enough to mow) I plan on going over the field with my brush hog and knock it down, to give the grasses a chance to come up without fighting too much. I'll probably go over it a couple times to break it down good. The field was plowed and seeded with timothy, orchard grass, and white clover about four years ago. Since then it's just been sitting, and some canary grass has moved in. It should make for decent horse hay. Once it's all knocked down, I think it should smooth out a little, and I can use the sickle mower for haying.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

If possible, you could burn it off and have the benefits of a extra clean field and the added amendments provided by burning.....would make for a beautiful "greenup" come spring.

Regard, Mike


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

Vol said:


> If possible, you could burn it off and have the benefits of a extra clean field and the added amendments provided by burning.....would make for a beautiful "greenup" come spring.
> 
> Regard, Mike


As much as that would help, and be very efficient.... I'll probably not be doing that! Ha ha ha. Great idea, but I'll probably stick with my brush hog this time around!

Chris


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

Your plan while sounding good is,I am afraid, going to cause you headaches. All that dead material is still going to be there in the field when you go through with the sickel bar and plug your guards. A better plan would be to have someone with a disc mower to cut it the first time to get rid of the dead material.


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## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

mike10 said:


> Your plan while sounding good is,I am afraid, going to cause you headaches. All that dead material is still going to be there in the field when you go through with the sickel bar and plug your guards. A better plan would be to have someone with a disc mower to cut it the first time to get rid of the dead material.


That makes sense. I can bale the bad stuff, sell it cheap as bedding and hopefully make up for some equipment cost.

Thanks!

Chris


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