[AT] Sickle Mower Question

[Cecil Bearden]

There is a tool made for pushing out the old rivet and installing a new 
one with the sickle in the cutterbar, it uses a screw to punch and to 
peen the head.  If you shear off the rivet head first it works better. 
I have bent sickles by driving the sections out between vise jaws.  An 
air hammer works great for cutting the rivet heads off, and a rivet 
peening punch for the air hammer works even better.  If you remove the 
sickle from the cutterbar and take a small angle grinder to the cutting 
edges of the gaurds you can sharpen the gaurds much like sharpening 
scissors.  Think scissors when you are sharpening your sickle and you 
will do it right. A sharp sickle can really cut at the proper ground 
speed.  We usually run about 1/3 throttle and match ground speed to keep 
from pushing the cutterbar through without cutting.  When operating 
right, it will sound much like a sewing machine....

Cecil in OKla

Dick Day wrote:
> I have a New Holland 9' pull-behind mower (don't remember the model#).
> 
> I have already replaced one tooth that was missing.  I just punched the rivets out and bolted the new tooth in. Then I realized that the plates that apply downward pressure on the bar did not sit high enough to allow the nuts to clear. My friendly NH dealer explained that I needed a newer plate that allowed for the added height of the nuts, so I put that on and it works great.   However, I see that a number of other teeth are broken. 
> 
> The PO I bought it from also included a box of new replacement teeth as well as a brand new full bar of teeth (can you tell I am a city slicker?, feel free to correct my descriptions).
> 
> If I continue replacing individual teeth, I will also need to keep replacing those plates.  The dealer said that hardly anyone uses rivets anymore and talked me out of using rivets.  He is right, the bolts are so much easier.
> 
> Should I replace the entire bar, or just replace the broken teeth and keep buying the new style plates?
> 
> How hard is it to replace the bar?
> 
> What is the best way to get the old rivets out, a grinder?
> 
> I only use it to mow my ditches.  I put the tranny in low and use 2nd gear and keep it rev'd at 540.  Anyone care to share any tips for using the mower?  It works great but does seem to push down some areas rather than cutting it, possibly the teeth are dull.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Dick
> 
> Dick Day
> 
> DDSS, Inc.
> Software For County Government
> 83712 552nd Avenue
> Norfolk, NE  68701
> 
> 402-379-1606
> http://dickdaysoftware.com/default.aspx
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