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What was the best and worst sickle mowers you had?

Worst was a belly mower for an AC model B.
The pitman crank pulley was horribly overweighted - we drilled out a lot of cast iron.

Intermediate was a Detroit Harvester mid-mounted on a JD 40U for mowing roadsides, Put me through college.
Best is the JD 350 I mounted on a JD 40W. Breakaway action works well - nice for mowing fencerows.
 
Worst was probably the one for our 8N- it was a 5 point mounting, and those 2 underneath were a bugger to get on (and off).
Best was an MF Dyna-balance, because there was no pittman arm to break. And it was my favorite, because it was the one I traded in on a 4 disc Taarup in about 1974, so I never had to deal with those miserable sickle mowers again.
 
I agree on the JD 350 as one of the best. 7 or 9 foot bar. Good breakaway setup and you could trim trees along the drive with it.
 
Hard to say my jd 5 or 11? The 5 is still here but i like the simplicity of backing up pin in drawbar hook pto n hoses .but backing up more challenging.
Worse pos bar mower ihc 25 v.the ihc way to set up lead was a joke,bestbtake the big drag bar off n put in press and bend tad foreward then screw it back into proper time.
 
Best are the New Holland 456 trailer mowers I use now,very smooth running,cuts great and exceptionally good cornering.The Allis Chalmers 82T Twin Wheel drive trailing mower is a close 2nd to the NH it cuts very good and has an axle like the NH so it corners good too.I don't care for any pitman mower never going to run as smooth or cut as good as the belt driven ones.
 
International I think it was 100 under belly mount mower was a charm, could raise it all the way up. Could mow hay and road banks, belt driven and had break away when you snagged something. Had it on Super MTA diesel back in the 70's, and tractor had power steering with remotes up at light bar. Wish I had that combo still.
 
My first was a 25V McCormick. It was bad because it was incomplete and totally worn out and I was a 17 tear old inexperienced operator. For a good operator, those old IHC mowers were as good as any pitman mower. The best was a Massey Harris Ferguson model 35 Dyna-Balance that I rebuilt. The only thing bad was it was terrible job to hook up the "Wishbone" beneath the fenders under the axel
 
Had Two John Deere No.8 and with advice of James Howell and Leroy made the one I have now the best one I ever used . There?s no way these sickle mowers could have been as problematic as people have experienced in the modern day or all the stock would have been extinct years ago
[video play=false:654c4848f0]https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvvideos/cvvideo30409.mov[/video:654c4848f0]
 
Triticale is pretty easy to cut but the thick wiry grass isn?t

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[video play=false:654c4848f0]https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvvideos/cvvideo30418.mov[/video:654c4848f0]
 
My best AND worst is the same one, the MF41 Dynabalance two of which I've mowed hay well over twenty years. Best because it was smooth as silk when working and worst when they finally wore out, thanks to agco discontinuing most wear parts- what a group of clowns :-(
 
Worst: a worn out Case T-10. It had been a good mower when it was newer.
Best: A brand new MF #41 Dyna-Balance 3 pt hitch mower that replaced the T-10.

I suspect they are get bad when they are worn out.
 
Best was probably New Holland something don?t remember. Worst was a John Deere something. Most used were Kosch both trail mowers and mounted.
Easiest mowing I ever did was in Triticale that made over 4 tons per acre. Toughest was a wet meadow that hadn?t been cut in years. I spent as much time backing up as I did going forward. Lots of mouse nests and when they are wet you can?t mow through them.
 
The worse was my Grand father's worn out Dearborn mower. I hated mounting that darn thing. Then if the grass was not dead dry and thin it would do everything but mow.

Favorite would be a NH 451 that I rebuilt the drive head for a neighbor. We split ownership after I fixed it. It does mow pretty darn good in grass. The trouble is we do not have much grass hay here. The thick alfalfas and clovers are so thick these days that most sickle bar mowers will not mow them very well. Then where have a lot of strips you have too many points rows and you plug when cutting them.
 

Only used 2 sickle mowers my hole life.
Dads JD #5 that I thought was the best until I bought my NH 451, still have the 451 but mostly used for trimming now days.
 
Worst was a New Idea pull type. Gear box and lift mechanism money pit. And it would not mow steep ground as it would slide off the hill. Best is an Int 1300 It just works.
 
Kosch, heard of them but never was able to even find a picture of one let alone an actuall mower. Were they just sold in the western states?
 
Worst international mounted on a super C Middle MF 41 because of parts and someone welded one of the bearings. Best NH 451 still have it works grreat.
 
A John Deere 50 or 250 side mount is a very good unit, we keep one on a 3020 all the time for trimming road banks and such.

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Worst mower I ever had was an IH 1300. It would mow about 3 acres and break the knife head. Replaced every part on it and it would STILL break the knives. Wound up selling it for junk iron. I replaced it with a NH 451, and it was a fine mower once I got used to it. But I have to say the best mower I ever had was (and still is) a McCormick Deering #6. Many years ago, I went and got it off the neighbor's pond bank. Brought it home, freed it up, put a new pitman arm and sections on it. Mowed with it for many years, at first with a team and then later with the tractors. Finally broke the pitman arm this year while clipping pasture, and haven't gotten around to making another one. I won't gripe too much though, it's lasted all these years!

Mac
 
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