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sickle bar question

21K views 222 replies 15 participants last post by  r82230 
#1 ·
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Power shouldn't be a problem but the need for hydraulics might be. Does a 200 have hydraulics?
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
MDP,

Should work just fine, even if you have to manual fold cutter bar (which ours did), just watch your fingers.

Larry

Now that I think more about it, it was a Oliver sickle bar mower, that had a manual (rope pull) raising system. :huh: We did not use long, when back to a three point hitch setup verses a trailer type sickle bar mower.
 
#8 ·
The second link mentions nothing about hydraulics
MDP

Second link appears to be a 'belly' or mid-mount mower (sickle blade sticks out between front and rear tire, when mounted on tractor). Or a funny looking three point hitch. First one mentions cylinder. :(

Almost any mower you are going to find/look at will provably need hydraulics, might want to consider adding if you don't already have to one of the tractors. I am thinking down the road, you might upgrade to an old NH469 or equivalent, that you would have to cut maybe in 1st gear with heavy hay, but would also need a hydraulic cylinder hook up.

The Oliver that we had, I don't ever remember seeing many sold later in life, so they maybe as scarce as hen's teeth. You had to pull a rope that when around the pto, that would lift the cutter bar, as soon as you let off the rope cutter bar would return to the ground. Steering with one hand (no power steering on the Farmall H) and pulling the rope with the other, wasn't conducive it seems, we only had that setup maybe 1-2 years. A positive, was we could hook/run the conditioner right behind the mower (condition one round behind the cutter bar), but it was a PIA, trying to back up.

Larry
 
#9 ·
I'm thinking the second link is just a 3 point hitch mower flipped upside down. The mower on that second link would not need hydraulics I have one of those mowers. If you need help maybe you should send a picture of your tractor especially the rear. Most old 200 Farmall tractors would not have a 3 point hitch unless it was converted at a later date and that is rare so most likely your tractor has two point, or no lift hitch at all. If it does not have three point you would have to determine what type of hitch it has. The common unit would be a fast hitch mower for that tractor or maybe an old semi Mount that bolts to The Swinging drawbar hanger.
 
#11 ·
If the tractor has 2 point quick hitch, it has hydraulics....right? I haven't seen too many 200s, but I think if it was equipped with a quick hitch it also had a remote (or maybe two, one of them being mid-mount remote under the fuel tank. Pony, if you will take a photo of the rear and/or take a pic of the steering wheel area especially the right side.

I don't think the BNs had hyd and I'm too lazy to look on tracordata

73, Mark
 
#16 ·
Any info on what type of bar would work best with this setup would be great. My price range is $500-$800 if that helps.
MDP,

Here is a MoCo that your tractor could run, lighter hay, heavy might have to run slow.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/10644871/new-holland-467

If you are stuck on price/budget, here is a sickle bar, less than maybe 200 miles from you, that is a two point hook up (a little engineering on your part, if it hooked to a John Deere, it will hook to an IH, IMHO), that could very possibly work and is in what appears to be great shape. If it was a three point, I would bet the price would be a lot higher.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/9334135/new-holland-27

Larry
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well your tractors are 60 plus years old which there is nothing wrong with using stuff that old (I do too), but when you farm with stuff that old you need to pick a sickle that will easily work on either tractor. If one tractor breaks down you have a back-up tractor to use. Hay is time sensitive as you have already learned.

Your200 has hydraulics the B likely does not, but who cares I would not want hydraulics on a plain ole sickle anyway.

1) My first choice would be the McCormick/Deering/International models that bolt to the u-shaped drawbar on any of the vintage Farmall tractors. No hydraulics needed. Easily and quickly change around to either of your tractors. Easily recongniziable by the center caster wheel. All the easy user benefits of a mounted mower. Parts are still available and these can be bought dirt cheap (often times less than $200). Go 7' size

2) My 2nd choice would be any of the John Deere models that bolt to the tractor and also have the center pivot caster wheel (note: these need to be the bolt up kind not the rockshaft mount kind like pictured in one of your inquiries). Original JD manuals even showed how to bolt the JD mower to the vintage u-shaped Farmall drawbars. You may have to make a couple of the adaptor plates to bolt to Farmall as the odds of finding the JD mower with plates you needed are long but these are rather easy to fab up. These can be bought rather cheap but being JD your will pay a litt more than the similar IH mower. Parts are out there. Go 7' size. Again all the benefits of mounted mower.

3) New Idea 30A, 30B, 25? tow type sickles. Easy to hook to tractor as they are pull type and no hydraulics are needed so it is as simple as dropping in a pin. Only downside is this mower is tow type which some feel are harder to mow with. Can be bought dirt cheap (often less than $250) and parts are available.

4) New Holland 452. Gold standard of sickle bar cutter bar but packaged in a tow type unit. You will pay a premium for one of these on name yet have a less than handy tow type model as again most do not like tow type sickles.

Maybe) That NH 27 posted in the previous post might be worth looking into, but I am not personally familiar with that particular model. I never new NH made one similar to the design of the mounted MCCormick-IH type or mounted JD type with caster wheel. If it is compatible with your tractors though that is likely a very good mower and in Michigan to boot. All the benefits of the mounted mower.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
A 2 pt style mower is only compatible with the fast hitch on the Farmall 200. Will not work on the B at all.

That NH 27 I believe simply bolts to the u-shaped drawbar with 2 or 3 bolts and would work on either tractor simililar in design to the MCormick-IH or JD models I also mentioned in previous thread although you will have to research the model numbers yourself but models something like (21V, 23V 25V ring a bell for the IH and #5 for the JD and even a select few of the 350 were bolt on kind). The single caster wheel carries some of the weight but not all just like the IH or JD models. It is a mounted mower which most prefer to mow with, but these caster mounted models only attach with 2 or 3 bolts so the relatively quick to put on and take off the tractor. Some of the really old mounted mowers (especially the side tractor mounts) were more tiresome to put on and take off the tractor.

That said, I have never seen a NH 27 up close but it is likely a better mower than the IH or JD if it will work and $650 is not unreasonable if it is in decent shape. I know the IH or the JD models with a caster wheel will work and can be bought cheaper in the $200 (IH) to $400 range (JD) again the JD will need to be the bolt on kind not the rock shaft mount kind or the later 3 pt hitch kind.

..
 
#21 ·
Why is the NH 27 so cheap compared to other NH bars? I'm guessing because it's older? Is it a decent bar? Parts available? I want to make sure it's a decent piece of equipment. If I'm better off getting something twice as expensive I might.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
Most people want 3 point mount these days so the NH 450 and NH 451 and to a lesser extent the Massey Furgeson Dynabalance sell for a premium due to that. These models are also sought more so for mowing creek banks, ditch banks, cause they can mow at any bar angle. Not relevant to mowing hay at all but makes em worth more as they are more than a 1 trick pony.

Personally I want make sure that claimed NH 27 is indeed a New Holland as to me I would have guessed McCormick International model 27V which may be sorta what you need anyway.

I have only ever seen McCormick-IH and JD mowers with that caster wheel myself....but I am far from a sickle expert. I do own a New Idea model 30A pull type sickle but have not used it.
 
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