# Sickle Bar mower adjustments



## JohnBrown (Aug 26, 2013)

I recently cut and bailed my hay field for the first time int 30 years. I've done this before but it has been some time. Everything worked real good with the exception of my old John Deere model 37 sickle bar mower. After the hay is removed the field looks ragged like it was not cut properly. I had replaced some dull sickle sections and thought it was in pretty good shape. My memory of haying is that after the hay is removed the field looks close trimmed like a crew cut. I did adjust the horizontal angle of the sickle bar (i.e. pointed the guards more up towards the sky) to try to avoid rocks, chunks and roots. I have been looking for literature about "tuning a sickle bar mower" but have not found much. I think this mower has bendable guards and that is not something I have knowledge about and hitting the guards with a big hammer does not give me a feeling of accurate adjustment.

I would appreciate any suggestions. Where can I find literature about "tuning a sickle bar mower"?

(I'm cutting good Bermuda grass. The hay field is just a few acres and a new John Deere self propelled disk mower does not fit in my budget. I am making my own hay because I think I can make better hay than I can buy. This first cutting is better than any of the hay I bought over the past eight years.)

Thanks for you help.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

No clue about a sickle bar, but wanna welcome ya to the forum.

I do know on my disc mower if the blades aren't lower in the front than the back it doesn't cut as good.

One of the 'more seasoned veterans' should be by before long with better info.


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## RafterJ (Jul 9, 2013)

Take a look at Rowse Rakes web site. Then deal with single and double bar mowers in NE. I think they have some good technical info online. I have been rebuilding some of our bar mowers and they have been very good to deal with.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The general idea is the teeth have to be very very sharp, the gap correctly adjusted between guard and knife, correct speed while driving and the angle, well it doesn't matter as much.

The older owners manuals used to have lots of good information to set them up.

If you haven't already I would use only serated sections for your knife. What a difference they make.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

You could also contact www.webbsickleservice. They are great to work with and will help you out. They also sell lots of parts for sickle bar mowers, discbines, mowers, etc and have a free catalog that they will mail you. Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Sorry John. It is now Sickleservice.com


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

JohnBrown said:


> I have been looking for literature about "tuning a sickle bar mower" but have not found much. I think this mower has bendable guards and that is not something I have knowledge about and hitting the guards with a big hammer does not give me a feeling of accurate adjustment.
> 
> I would appreciate any suggestions. Where can I find literature about "tuning a sickle bar mower"?


John-Several thoughts. I have completely rebuilt both a NH 450 and 451 7' SB. They are essentially the same machine-the 451 replaced the 450.

Regarding cutting-we always adjusted the tilt of the cutter bar a hair above level so the guards did not run into rocks but could slide over them. When your bar is correct per below, you just have to adjust your ground speed and pto speed for the thickness and height of the crop and the moisture content-is it wet or not.

The main issue is your bar or parts of your bar worn out so you can not adjust? I have used multiple JD mowers years ago but don't remember any details and I have not taken one apart. You have hold down clips, shims under the clips, guards, ledger plates in the guard, and sections in the blade. Each of these components can give you fits when trying to get a clean cut. I would check your shims first-the number of shims gives you height as I recall and some have a right angle edge to hold the barstock on the bottom of the sickle blade true. If you want the blade running level on the ledger plate, your shims have to be right. Then the hold down clips are typically worn out on older mowers. Most folks keep hitting them with a hammer trying to get every last acre out of them but at some point they are useless and need to be replaced. If replacing and you have rivets in your sections-switch over to bolt on sections-much easier and also easier to keep the sections true or straight ahead. I also agree with the comment to go with serated sections and get a graduated 3 piece end section for the end of the blade-keeps the grass from fouling the end of the cutter bar. Lastly-if you don't feel a sharp edge on the ledger plate on the guard, you are wasting your time. If they are slightly rolled over and smooth, you are basically driving around the field trying to convince the grass to cut itself. The guards can be bent vertically or horizontally-either is going to make it difficult to cut well-pitch them and get straight guards. After I rebuilt a mower, I could not believe the difference in how much better it cut.

Good luck, Rick


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## JohnBrown (Aug 26, 2013)

Thanks for the responses. It gives me confidence that if I work on it, it will improve.


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