Sickle Bar Mower SMS-425

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Just picked up an SMS-425 Sickle Bar mower.  It looks mostly complete, but I do think that there are some things missing.  Who is our sickle bar mower expert on here?  Looking to see how it mounts to a machine?  I know it isn't designed for C / 300 / 400 series, but wondering how the original frame mounting looks to see if it would be worth while trying to adapt it?

[wheelhorseman 3,211]

@Lane Ranger is very knowledgeable about them.

[Lane Ranger 11,005]

Karl:  This photo is of a 50 inch Wheel Horse sickle bar mower.  However the 42 and this 50  bolt up the same way under the frame of the Wheel Horse tractors.

 

On the right bottom -the U shaped piece bolts with 3/4 inch bolts on the back plate of the frame -in front of the transmission.   Where the two holed are on each side of the back plate.

 

On the left if the drive shaft and plates that run below the motor.    The bolts on each side  bolt into the fram (see  Sickle Mower Manual for placement)

 

The belt neds to be placed on the PTO /drive shaft and the two pulleys in the center box on bottom.   It has a cover that covers the pulleys.

 

In this photo the Wobble Box is NOT mounted to the  blade arm,   (see three holes  without bolts!

 

A belt goes  from center pulley seen on drive shaft (between the two plates) and rides on the two pulleys in the center box  (top and Bottom) and runs to the pulley on the wobble box!

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the wobble box  for a close up... pulley goes on right end of shaft of wobble box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Thank you Lane, so here's what I have:

 

It looks like the u bracket which bolts by the trans is missing, is this a separate part, or is it welded to the shaft?  Also missing looks like the apparatus above the outside pulley on the "wobble box" and a belt guard.  I also have that loose plate, maybe that's not part of this?  

 

 

 

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Everything turns freely and when I spin the fully which activates the blades, they move smoothly, but in one point in the rotation, it feels like it binds slightly, kind of like on a compression stroke.

[MalMac 1,331]

There's a good chance the rear mount of the sickle bar is still on the tractor the bar came off of. It's s simple part to have made. It's just a health piece of steel bent in a C shape 

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Maybe Lane can get some good pictures and I can get one made up. From the looks of it, it's pretty complete and good!

[dcrage 628]

Didn't Buckrancher mount one of these onto a 300/400/500 series tractor several years ago?

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

The more we look at this, I think it could easily mount to a 300 series, would have to remove the mid tach-a-matic, and an idler Pulley for the drive belt, I think it would work!

 

anyone interested in making me the C/U bracket I'm missing?

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,356]

Karl,

If you get exact measurements and materials you can stop up and we can do some welding

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Deal 👍🏽

[MalMac 1,331]

Will probably have to increase the size of the drive pulley on the bar, because as it sits it will run way to fast using the standard PTO pulley cone. The wobble box will come fly apart.

[Shynon 7,469]

Karl I have an SMS425 sickle mower I will try to get you some measurements tomorrow.

 

 

[Thegearhead0324 1,256]

Not that it will help any more than the pics above... but I did my own thread on my 50", there are a few pics on there. Thread is called "my sickle bar redoing". Very nice find tho keep that thing alive they don't show up much anymore.

[MalMac 1,331]

Another member here in Red Square that was self taught on the ends and outs of a Sickle Bar, that did a first class restoration is are very own "dclark". He bought a sickle bar from me and did nothing short of a miraculous job inside and out on it. I have since bought it back. I am sure he could answer any questions on Sickle Bars. Here is some pics of it on one of his tractors that he also redid. As you can tell he leaves no stone unturned or maybe I should say bolt unturned in his restorations.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Thank you for those pictures, it really shows me that rear bracket, it's just a simple piece of metal bent and a hole in the middle isn't it?  It looks to be ¼" thick though, so that's gonna be one tough piece!

[MalMac 1,331]

To say the least "It's a Chunk" definitely built to last.

[dclarke 4,034]

Karl, I have given all of my sickle bar notes to Tom "Shynon".  I'm sure he can supply you with any part numbers for bearings, seals etc. you might need. 

Edited April 23, 2017 by dclarke

[Tim 97]

I have the "u" part

i tried to convert a sickle bar mower to a attachamatic

didn't work out 

the shaft was cut short

let me know if you want it...

[Lane Ranger 11,005]

 

 

I don't have exact  measurements for the U Shaped or C shaped part that mounts in between the plate of Wheel Horse at the rear transmission end.    But my  U shaped piece bolts in with 3/4 inch bolts and rests inside the [late holes at the back.    The width of my U  or C shaped piece is 6  5/8 on outside.  The length of the tabs on each end are 2 1/2 inchs ( this is where the holes for the 3/4 inch bolts are drilled thru the U/C  shaped bar.

 

 

Karl:  The steel thickness is 1/2 inch Not 1/4 - pretty heavy duty.

 

Mal lMac: I agree about the speed of the wobble box being a concern.     The real weakness of the Wheel Horse sickle design is the  wobble box.     The way the parts come together in that box, the bearings, the oil seals and the 30 weight oil used to lubricate complicates speed and length of use  from overheating with friction.    I know on the Haban sickles used on garden tractors the  Cutting Speed can go between 900 to 1200 strokes in one minute!   Haban has a 90 degree sealed gearbox and a drive shaft with yokes underneath the tractor frame and runs blade off of a dual pulley system and jackshaft.   Thus spreading out the functions  done in the single Wheel Horse wobble box.  Haban also has a breakaway stem that pushes bar back,  can go 45 degrees below horizon cutting ( and althougt I would not try it -it can cut hedges along their side at 90 degrees up also)

 

 

 

Karl:    This is a photo of how my Haban Sickle Bar Mower is run off the PTO on a B-80 Wheel Horse.   Extra pulley on left side was added for adjusting tension of belt.

 

 

Also  I agree that Denny Clarke is the man to go to to get the best rebuild information!    He is much more patient and thorough than I am !   

 

The three plates shown in the above photo is how you adjust the tension on the two Haban sickle bar mower V belts.   The carriage bolt nuts of loosened on one side and a full sized bolt is tightened up  against a side plate  to pull the plate and V belt toward you.  Then tighten the carriage bolt nuts to proper tension.   About 1/2 to touch  much like Wheel Horse Mule Drive tention for a mower deck V belt.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Lane Ranger

[Shynon 7,469]

Let me know if you need anything else

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Shynon

[buckrancher 2,694]

Karl I have built my own

if you need help with anything

brian

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

Thank you Brian, your things are just too nice looking!

[buckrancher 2,694]

I was looking at your pictures again and I think  you can not use the u shaped mount. In the bottom pic you posted there is a silver lock collar

 Is the round part it is on a solid rod that slides out  or is it all a solid piece welded together?

if it is a solid piece I have one like it I believe it fits a gt14/1053/54 you would need to change out the hole sub arm assemby to mount it on the regular angle iron frame tractors

 

Brian

Edited April 24, 2017 by buckrancher

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,344]

The solid rod rod comes out of the tube