[AT] On Topic: Reintroduction letter

[Mike]

One of the reasons that I have half a dozen Cubs is that changing
implements on the Cub is not something you want to do often. The sickle
bar mower takes me a good couple of hours to mount (others who are more
skilled than I am probably do it in less). And it takes almost as long
to remove it. And while it is mounted, the tractor can't be used for
anything else except pulling a wagon. Also, you are pretty much limited
to about a 20° range of up and down cutting angle. That's fine for
cutting grass/weeds in a field or alongside the road, but you can't do
steep ditch banks or brush on the side. For those applications, I use an
IH 100 "balanced head" mower with a hydraulic lift for the bar. I can
cut from true vertical to about -30°, using my Farmall 340.

<http://public.fotki.com/mikesloane/farmall_340/farmall-340-with-ih.html>

Note that the sickle bar mower is probably one of the most dangerous
tractor implements there is. If I need to clear the knives, I shut down
the engine and drop the bar on to blocks. And even then, I keep my
fingers away from the sections (knives) and guards. It will chop a
finger off without even missing a beat. That is why most road
departments got rid of their sickle bar mowers a long time ago.

Mike

On 6/7/2013 5:43 PM, Joe Hazewinkel wrote:
> I have a NOS sickle bar mower for my 48 cub, it came with almost
> every attachment and the only thing that has ever been used is the
> grader blade, and underbelly blade.  Everything else sits in the
> barn.  I'd like to try it out someday so I could compare notes, but
> for now it looks like it will be awhile.
>
> I hear they are handy little tractors, at this rate I'll never
> know...
>
> Enjoy, Joe
>