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Charlie175 
Orange Level
Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Shenandoah, VA
Points: 6358
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 Topic: I'm Impressed
Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 6:57am |
Local Auction company contracted me to mow a 5 acre lot on a foreclosed piece of property here in town, paid out $350 to do it. I mounted the "B-C Mower" on the B and headed over and made 1 round and broke (It was cracked at that spot) the bar about 2' from the ball. Came home and swapped out the bar for a newer one, made sure the blades were sharp and headed back over the next day. Field was Orchard grass that had one mowing done in the spring and someone had left a lot of busted bales in the field that made for a obstacle course. I started out in 1st learning how it cut as I am used to a rear mount mower and the bar end kept getting clogged with grass as the last knife was not meeting the cutting surface. After about an acre I decided to try 2nd and whoa baby was that the right gear. She flew thru the grass and the end didn't clog as much and looping around at the row ends was fun. I had always thought how limited the tractor was with it puny hydraulics but for that setup, it was spot on. Hit the row end and snick the hydraulic lever all the way back, whip the wheel left, loop around and drop the lever at the start and the mower would just drop right into place. I swear I had a smile on the whole time and I really appreciated how farmers mowed way back when. The B and the mower is 62 years young and still performed well. Another mowing like that and the B will have paid for itself.
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Charlie
'48 B, '51 CA, '56 WD45 '61 D17, '63 D12, '65 D10 , '68 One-Ninety XTD
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Stan IL&TN
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Elvis Land
Points: 6730
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 7:22am |
Got to love those days when all the stars align just right.
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1957 WD45 dad's first AC
1968 one-seventy
1956 F40 Ferguson
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CTuckerNWIL
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: NW Illinois
Points: 22823
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 9:08am |
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I never got to mow when I was a kid. Dad and several neighbors went together haying and they had 7 foot bars while the CA belly mower was 5 foot. We also had a second job to do when mowing and that was what us kids always had to do, pulling the Allis hay conditioner. I bought a Green mower years ago and made a hitch for the 45 but it is such a pain to hook up that I haven't used it in 15 years. Kinda forgot what it was like to mow with a sickle mower until reading your post. That would be great to be able to play with AC tractors and get paid for it also. Charlie
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Charlie175
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Shenandoah, VA
Points: 6358
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 9:36am |
The rear mount sickle has the advantage at corners but for seeing what is going on the mid mount is hard to beat. I had my fun and made some money and the best part is that I got to use the B. Sure had a lot of looks from cars passing and had a few neighbors come out to the edge and watch. Now just who designed the metal back rest for the B was plain nuts.
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Charlie
'48 B, '51 CA, '56 WD45 '61 D17, '63 D12, '65 D10 , '68 One-Ninety XTD
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Gerald J.
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Hamilton Co, IA
Points: 5636
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 10:41am |
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Had you started before dawn you'd have worn a jacket out of the house and by mid morning you'd have wrapped it around the metal seat back making it softer.
Gerald J.
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Brian G. NY
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: 12194
Points: 2244
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 11:29am |
   Well, I just Bush Hogged a fairly large parcel for nothing; local fire dept's. property.
I try to do it once a year but didn't do it last year 'cause it was really wet. It was a little wet in places this year but I managed to keep the D-17 on top of the ground.
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Brian G. NY
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: 12194
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 11:31am |
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BTW, two years ago, I mowed it with the WD-45 and the 82S sickle bar mower and the year before that with the WD with the same Bush Hog before I conveerted it from trailer to 3PH.
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BrettPhillips
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Strasburg, VA
Points: 808
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 11:43am |
Charlie175:
The real fun begins when you are able to mow some tall timothy or something similar. To me, a good sickle bar mower in a filed of tall timothy is like poetry in motion. I try to mow a few acres every year with the sickle bar just to rejuvenate my soul a bit.
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CJohnS MI
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Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Location: Lapeer MI
Points: 326
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 12:36pm |
 Gerald J. wrote:
Had you started before dawn you'd have worn a jacket out of the house and by mid morning you'd have wrapped it around the metal seat back making it softer.
Gerald J.
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LOL!
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Charlie175
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Shenandoah, VA
Points: 6358
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 12:59pm |
Nice one! Bush Hogging is a better way to go for sure, one of these days I will get a Horse like that 17 and let her eat some grass. Hard enough convincing HH6 that more than 1 tractor is needed :)
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Charlie
'48 B, '51 CA, '56 WD45 '61 D17, '63 D12, '65 D10 , '68 One-Ninety XTD
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Bill Long
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Bel Air, MD
Points: 4556
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 8:06pm |
I have sickle bar mowed with a C. Know how you feel. It is just right and real fun when it all works right.
Good Luck!
Bill Long
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Rick of HopeIN
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Hope, Indiana
Points: 1324
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 8:27pm |
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We only hooked up the sickle mower a few a times a year for recutting straw stubble after combine. Flail mowers and mower/conditioners were the norm for hay by the late 60s around us.
I worked for one guy that still used a WD sickle bar ahead of the roller conditioner.
Watched his little sister run it in her bikini a few times. Can't seem to get that picture out of my mind; I guess cus it was a fine thing to see in action (the mower that is...)
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1951 B, 1937 WC, 1957 D14, -- Thanks and God Bless
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DREAM
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Joined: 06 Jan 2010
Location: Elberton,GA
Points: 1828
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Posted: 31 Aug 2010 at 9:49pm |
Brian, that is some absolutely beautiful coutry up your way! Kind of reminds me of a place above Clayton, GA, on the NC line.
Rick, I had a neighbor who's wife used to bush-hog in her bikini. Also rode her horse that way. I understand that memory. Lots of fine equipment on the move.LOL!
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Brian G. NY
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: 12194
Points: 2244
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Posted: 01 Sep 2010 at 11:44am |
This is me in late 60s or early  70s using the neighbor farmer's D-17 with an 82S mower.
I have an 82S on a WD-45 that I put all new guards and knives on a couple of years ago. I agree, when a sickle bar is in top notch shape, it is really fun mowing as long as the hay isn't "down" and there isn't a whole bunch of wild pea or such to clog it up.
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Mojo
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Points: 107
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Posted: 01 Sep 2010 at 12:35pm |
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Birds nests are a nightmare! I used a John Deere no 5 mower behind a WD and I've broken more pitman sticks then it would take to build a house. You might say I lacked patience as a kid.
mojo/Mike
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1946WP
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Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Location: mn
Points: 780
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Posted: 02 Sep 2010 at 9:20am |
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I used a b with a 7 ft rear semi mount MH mower.in heavy hay the one frt wheel would ride up off the ground, but she did the job.never lifted the mower on the corners, just cramp the wheel & hit the brake & she would come right around as nice as could be. Sometimes I wished I had another gear though. 2nd was too slow & 3rd was too fast.
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