Sickle sections

[Big Muddy rancher]

I changed a bunch of sickle sections yesterday and went from Heavy chrome .top serrated to heavy chrome top serrated T-REX or 7 serrates per inch. They are alot coarser .

What do you guys and gals use?

 

[sp]

The only good use I ever found for sickles is to cut them 3/4" wide strips and weld them to the toe and heels of horseshoes so they don't fall down on ice.

Down in this country, just about everybody uses disk mowers due to moisture and wire grass.

 

[TimH]

BMR, I use SCH guards and knife sections(made in Germany.....leave me alone....if there was a similar product made in the US or Canada I would use it!!!)
HoneyBee in Frontier Sk. is the dealer for this stuff.
The guards have cutting edges top and bottom and the sections are bolt-on and self sharpening. I think they are EXCELLENT.
I cut a lot of fine native hay,including "wire-grass" and have no trouble driving 24 feet of knife through it.
The last guards I bought(couple years ago) were about $16/ea if I remember right. I think it was around $1700 for 24 feet of new knife and guards.
Anyway....thats what I use.

 

[Juan]

sp......
give us the scoop on disk mowers.I've about had it with pocket gopher mounds

 

[TimH]

Juan- "give us the scoop on disk mowers.I've about had it with pocket gopher mounds"

I don't know anything about disc mowers but I forgot to mention that the knife system that I use has 2 oval shaped holes in each section so when you do hit a molehill or "pocket-gopher" mound the dirt clears itself real quick, provided that it is semi-dry.

And to whom it may concern(Murgen)....... don't try and get me banned for promoting this cutting system, 'cuz I don't sell it!!! I just like it!!! :lol:

 

[Mike]

sp......
give us the scoop on disk mowers.I've about had it with pocket gopher mounds

Juan, They are a real pain in the butt. Got a 925 JD MOCO and a an older one. Too many moving parts but still the best thing we've found here.
Fireant mounds are what we fight, sometimes a foot tall. My next one will be a 3 pt hitch job with no crimper. Been looking at some DRUM cutters too!
Sickle bar cutters are out of the question here.

 

[sp]

Juan - Sickle mowers really limit a person in this part of the country due to moisture. There are times the grass is still wet at noon, though we don't have that problem this year.

I run 3 New Idea disc mowers and have for about 7 years and have had good luck. They don't plug up when you hit a gopher mound or dirt clod. Bought a 13' Krone last year and really like it the best. May not when I have repairs, but so far it has done well.

I highly recommend mounting them on a mower caddy and not the three point as they seem to be hard on the hydraulics. The Krone mower is so heavy we mounted it on a caddy and had to add 600 lbs of tractor weights on the off side to keep it from tipping over. It's the pits going down the road, but works good in the field.

The mowers work best keeping the blades sharp, but touching them up w/ a 4 1/2" grinder is fast and works well.

 

[HAY MAKER]

Juan - Sickle mowers really limit a person in this part of the country due to moisture. There are times the grass is still wet at noon, though we don't have that problem this year.

I run 3 New Idea disc mowers and have for about 7 years and have had good luck. They don't plug up when you hit a gopher mound or dirt clod. Bought a 13' Krone last year and really like it the best. May not when I have repairs, but so far it has done well.

I highly recommend mounting them on a mower caddy and not the three point as they seem to be hard on the hydraulics. The Krone mower is so heavy we mounted it on a caddy and had to add 600 lbs of tractor weights on the off side to keep it from tipping over. It's the pits going down the road, but works good in the field.

The mowers work best keeping the blades sharp, but touching them up w/ a 4 1/2" grinder is fast and works well.

Have you had any experience with Kuhn disc cutters SP ?

 

[alabama]

Most folks around me run Krone cutters. They like em. I was looking at a Kuhn befor I bought the off brand I am running now "Morra". Kuhn makes a good cutter. I had an "old" Vicon befor it finley wore out and I liked it a lot. The Vicon has 3 blades per spinner and cuttes better in thick hay. If I trade again I hope to go back with a 6 spinner Vicon.

 

[sp]

Hay Maker - I have never owned a Kuhn, but several around here do and seem to like them pretty well. I think JD uses their cutter bar.

The belt driven mowers work well, but are senitive to belt tension. I used to burn up a lot of belts until I took the protective cover off. Belt runs cooler and lasts longer.

The 13' Krone I run cuts real nice and is gear driven. The pto shaft has a slip clutch to protect the bar. I've been told it is pretty pricey repairing one of these. Break a tooth off one gear it takes two gears out. My biggest concern is sending it down the road w/ the kids. When standing straight up it is a little over 15' so you have to watch for tree limbs and low hanging wires.

Vicon makes a 13' disc mower on a frame similar to a mower/conditioner, but doesn't have the conditioner rollers. I was interested in one of these but the closest dealer doesn't keep many parts in stock. None of this equipment breaks down unless you are using it and I hate being down 2-3 days waiting on parts.

 

[Cal]

We've only run JD self propelled rotaries, but I would highly recommend having a pressure washer with a 200 or so gal. tank and a gas engine mounted in a pickup to wash them out twice a day before the mud in the platform gets hard. It doesn't take real long to do, and keeps them working good, as well as extends the life of the pods and blades. Make sure to get the air vents in the back of the head cleaned out as well. Tilt the head clear down so all the crap runs out on the ground while you're spraying it out.