Sickle section removal

Lay the blade on a anvil or heavy vise with the section vertical, bar solid against vise or anvil horizontal. Take a hammer and drive-shear the section off of bar. Wear eye protection. Done a bazillion over the years, no problem. HTH Tracy

To answer you question on the THICK drive section. I drill them MOST of the way thru with smaller drill bit.
Then knock them out.



Edited by Macon Rounds - 14 Feb 2024 at 7:54am

I have a lever type sickle rivet tool that makes it a breeze to remove sections and re-rivet them. Yes you have to remove the knife from the machine, however the ease in which it works after that makes it a much better system than even the bolt on sections which can come loose along with the plus that your hands don't have to work in a confined space around the guards and sickle sections. I always carried a spare knife and could swap knives quicker than most could get the wrenches out to unbolt a section. I haven't used it in awhile since not haying any more and it buried in the barn or I go get a picture.

Edited by PaulB - 14 Feb 2024 at 3:14pm

I changed over to the bolt from the rivets.. They give you a handful of LONG ONES to go on the first couple by the drive... I cut a LOT of TRASH and sticks/ small trees... Break 2-3 per season.. Bolts make it easy to switch them out as needed. .... Grinder works good for rivet removal.

Edited by steve(ill) - 13 Feb 2024 at 7:46pm

I always did it the way Tracy said. Never had a problem.
Out in the field I put the blade on the front weights of the tractor using same technique. Used a broke section corner to drive spent rivets out.

Edited by dp7000 - 13 Feb 2024 at 8:16pm

I’ve done it both ways, coal chisel and a 4 1/2” grinder. Chisel causes less damage but if your careful and patient the grinder does a good job. I switched to bolts also, easy and quick to change the sections. Also, no damage.

Bench vise closed nearly tight. Hit the sections. Two people works best.

We got a brand new F2 in 1981 i think. I was running it and something knocked a section loose on the cutter bar. It had rivited sections. We didnt have any real tools back then so we would use a chisel to cut the heads off rivets. I put a pair of vise grips on the chisel. When I hit the chisel something said poof and the entire widshield of a brand new F2 was in the header. The whole thing. Needless to say my Dad was not impressed. None impressed

We carried a short section of RR track with out mowing lay it down set the spine of the sickle on the edge of the track points down and strike the section hard from the back the sevtion will shear the rivets right off. Poke the remaining part out with a pin punch.put the section back in put new rivets in lay on flat top of track and set with a rivet set and hammer only takes a couple minutes and your done. In the shop we used the big vice dont tighten on section need another person to hold the other end up

Yup but i think gramps had a red one

Would you guys use one of those Johnson sickle servicers on the teeth that are sandwiched between the bar and the drive bracket?

The Johnson tool I used was red also. I can remember the spot we worked on 2, 18 foot Gleaner combine knifes. But other details not so much, other than out in the field and not much shade on a hot day. We would have used a chisel to cut the heads or maybe left those section alone under the drive plate. As way before battery tools and generators being handy. But I also did a pair of knifes for my double knife New Holland swather.