Are pitman type sicklebar mowers really that bad?

Growing up I had always used my families equipment mowing hay (1219 moco, 617NH disc mower, 450 NH sickle bar), this coming year I will be farming on my own and need some hay equipment.

I will be looking to purchase a 7' sicklebar mower for use with my '53 Ford Jubilee, mowing about 20ac. of hay. My uncle has a 455 NH pull type sicklebar mower and my family has a 450 NH, both of which I have mowed many acres with. While I would love to get a New Holland sickle mower its just not in the budget right now (around here they go for $2000 used for a decent one, and close to $1000 for one thats wore out). So, this leaves me with pitman type mowers, which can be had for very reasonable prices (maybe for a good reason, IDK.)

I have a few questions about how they will stack up with the 450 NH that I have used in the past:

1. Cutting performance. With the 450 or 455 I used to mow upwards of 6mph in good hay, and even in the tougher stuff it rarely plugged up. What can I expect with a pitman arm mower? Do they have as long of a stroke as the NH machines?

2. Lift mechanism. What do most of them use?

3. Uneven terrain. I know this is one of the downfalls of a pitman type mower as the knives get out of register when the sickle bar gets pitched up and down. How much of an angle are we talking before it really stops working properly?

4. Any other advice or recommendations? Any particular models or brands I should look for or stay away from?

Thanks for any advice.

Pitman bar mowers work, just not as fast. You need a 3ph mower for that Ford. Maybe you could find a MF 41, I think it is, which is a belt mower and is old enough so it should be cheap.

I don't see paying $2k for a sickle bar mower, I would rather put that much money toward a disc mower.

KEH

501 Ford works fine for me. Rad ditches, county ditch bank, etc. Never used a belt/wobble drive, so don't really know what the fuss is all about against stick bars.

--->Paul

i run a Ford 501 behind a '52 8N or a '62 2000...works fine for me...if youre just baling your own hay,whats tha hurry???
i could go drop 4-6 grand on a fancy mower if i had more dollars than sense...i paid $200. for the 501 2 years ago and only other money i've spent on it was for a manual from NH.

Get an MF 41 dynabalance, no pitman drive and can be bought around the $1000 mark in usable shape.

$2k would almost buy a new drum mower.

I was kind of in the same situation. I had used a NH 451 alot as a kid and bought my own last week for $750. I mowed about 15 acres with it last week and a new one couldn't have done any better.

I don't see any parts on it that couldn't be replaced fairly easy and with the price I paid I have some money to work with.

I have never had a New Holland mower but as far as cutting there should be absoulaty NO difference in the cutting ability of a pitmanless or a pitman type mower. If you could mow at 6+ MPH with the pitmanless then you could do it with a pitman mower as well, tho that is too fast for any cutter bar to operate correctly. The pitmanless the way I understand it on some you can mow down to a 45* angle into a ditch but for field mowing it makes no difference. All I ever had were pitman and I would not look at a pitmanless

$2000 for a used sickle bar mower? WOW.

We don't even have that much invested in our Hesston 1014+2 hydro-swing mower. 14' cut, and it crimps as well as cuts, unlike a sickle mower.

We paid $600 for the machine, another $650 in parts (Guards, hold downs, new sickles, etc), $60 for a new tire and another use one we had laying around, a few bearings, oil, filter, etc. Maybe a total of $1500 investment and it is a great machine.

What you're looking for would be no more than $1000 for one in fully restored condition, righ down to each nut & bolt. Even then I'd call the seller crazy.

Donovan from Wisconsin

I will keep my eye out for a MF 41, and there are several Ford 501's to choose from around here.

I know the used prices of these NH 451's sound rediculous, but if you've ever priced a new one you'll understand why (you can buy a nice disc mower for the price of a new 451).

Does anyone have any suggestion for a good pull type sicklebar mower? I really liked the 455 my uncle had and I like how easy they are to hook up, etc.

Thanks again.

I have cut many acres with a model 31 sickle bar behind an old M, as well as a 501 ford behind a little 400 ford. Just make sure your guards are tight and aligned properly and you have no loose sickle sections and you'll be good to go with a pitman stick mower. Believe it or not I kinda miss mowing hay with that old M.

I"ve mowed hundreds if not thousands of acres with a 39 john deere pitman sickle mower always ran in hi 2nd with an 856 about 8 mph, just as fast as a disc mower running in the same field. The first one cost $87.50 but the bar got bent, the last one cost $400. Lee

Today I saw a couple of Ford 515 mowers at a local dealer. I noticed they were a wobble joint type drive. How do these mowers hold up? The one thing I can see that would be nice about a pitman drive is the simplicity of it.

Guess I got a better deal then I thought?? Bought a 451 about 5 years ago for a grand, County owned, it sat, paint wasn't even worn off the knife.

Not running down any of the mowers but a Ford 501 is not a very good mower. I have used 3 or 4 of them and they are really slow and clog alot. The best pitman I've seen is a Massey Ferguson. I have got a MF belt mower that I like alot also. It will run with the NH 451. I would look at te MF mowers belt or pitman. I would not give 2 grand for any belt mower though unless perfect. Save up and get a disc mower. I did They are great

Condition of all the parts and being set up correctly and if you did not know what mower you had you could not tell any difference in the cutting of any of them as most of the cutting parts are interchangable between brands.

seen your remarks about the, i am guessing mf model 31 i just bought a massey ferguson sickle in good shape. i am trying to find out what model i have so i can learn more about it and maybe find a book on it i think it is a model 32 but unsure it has a pitman and also has a double grove pulley that drives the pitman it is a three point with 7" cut i really like the way the machine is built looks to be very strong and mechanicaly sound looks like in its day was close to the top of the line. any help from you or any one would be great thanks jess