[AT] Sickle Mower Question

[Len Rugen]

They are "sections", the plates are probably hold downs, the parts that 
stay on "guards".  I think what you are calling the bar is the sickle.  
What "we" cal the bar is the whole assembly. 

I'm not familiar with that model number, but there should be a way to 
disconnect the sickle at the driven end.  With the bar flat on fairly 
clear ground, the sickle should slide out toward the driven end.  Watch 
your fingers, use large screw driver or punch for pushing and prying.  
You want to have the same number of fingers when your are done.

You can cut rivets with a cold chisel pretty easily and a angle grinder 
would probably work.  If you have the sickle out, the way we do it is to 
put the section to be removed between your vise jaws, you want the 
sickle bar to be on one vise jaw (the rear one).  Then just hit the 
section with a hammer, that shears off the rivets nicely.  Don't hit 
it's neighbors.

Riveting isn't that bad.  You really need a ball peen hammer, just start 
tapping, not hitting that hard, and make your rivet look like a squished 
cookie. 

There are certain words you need to know to work on a mower, but even 
city slickers know them. 

These were designed to mow when on the ground, ditch mowing won't be 
pretty, but it works.  You probably don't need to run it at 540, we tend 
to idle along at about half speed ditch mowing.  If you hit a rock, 
bottle or steel parts, fewer parts break at slower speed.  Be very 
careful, you can bend the bar mowing ditches easier than you'd think.