All sudden a fuse blows question (update) and sickle bar

SleepyFarmall · Sep 26, 2023

In reference to my previous post about the NH TC30 5amp fuse blowing repeatedly:
-talked to the dealer and got no conclusive info
-looked at all wiring
-tested seat and PTO sensors
-cleaned the fuse block fuse holders

Conclusion: At first the tractor would not start at all; found the brand new 5a fuse was bad. Then ran the tractor with the brush hog over this same rough ground with 8ft tall weeds and grass all day with no problem. The only thing I feel I resolved was the cruddy fuse block.

By the way, I attempted to use my IH 25/27? sickle bar mower that I asked about some time ago. I've spent a lot of time getting it fixed and mounted to my tractor so was anxious to see it work in some lighter stuff. It was nearly useless. I did a little good under some overhanging tree limbs where there wasn't much to cut. Ultimately it split the new pitman arm I had just made out of white oak. Its going to get parked in the tree line. I'm done with it.

Thanks for all the input from the experts, Michael

Geo-TH,In · Sep 26, 2023

My nephew's like new JD gator had the same problem. I think my nephew used a pressure washer to clean his gator. Water and fuse blocks is not a good thing.

John T · Sep 26, 2023

I had a lot of experience back in the day mowing with sickle bar mowers, JD No 5, IHC, Ford,,, etc., any experienced users can tell you ALLLLLLLLLLL components and adjustments need to be correct including but not limited to: Sharp sections,,,,,,sharp ledger plates,,,,proper adjusted hold down clips and wear plates,,,,,,correct register,,,,,adequate lead,,,,, and I liked the 1 1/2 H & S end sections to reduce end clogging..... THEN came haybines yayyyyyyyyyy NEXT came Discbines EVEN BETTER like never clog up even driving over top already mowed hay yayyyyyyyyyy

If all the connections and the fuse holder were good there may have been an intermittent SHORT (may be hard to locate) in the wiring that caused the fuse to do its job and blow. Of course an intermittent OPEN would cause failure to operate but not blow a fuse. There may have been a shorting circuit in that cruddy fuse block ?????

Thanks for the feedback

John T

Loosehandle · Sep 26, 2023

My JD #5 works good but then I spent $600 updating the cutter bar.

redforlife · Sep 26, 2023

I haven't been following your stories, but I don't think I'd ever go back to a mower with a pitman stick. When belt driven drive head mowers came out that eliminated the pitman stick, it was a heck of an improvement. Unless you just want a headache in your life, no need to go back to a pitman stick mower.
Same way with mounted or semi mounted mowers (my opinion). Won't ever go back to one of those either. Pull type is much better. If you want to mow under fences, around trees, and stuff like that, maybe a mounted mower for something like that, but otherwise no. Again, just another headache to have.

Geo-TH,In · Sep 26, 2023

I know 2 people who had the front windows on their ford pickups leaked water on the fuse box. That messed up the trucks computer system.
They had to get the window leak fixed.
One guy needed a new fuse box. His window leaked to long.

Water and fuse boxes don't work well.

The best reason I keep pressure washers away from everything, tractors, mowers, lawn mule.
My car goes through the car wash once a year if it needs it or not.

olddavid · Sep 26, 2023

(quoted from post at 06:56:29 09/26/23) I haven't been following your stories, but I don't think I'd ever go back to a mower with a pitman stick. When belt driven drive head mowers came out that eliminated the pitman stick, it was a heck of an improvement. Unless you just want a headache in your life, no need to go back to a pitman stick mower.
Same way with mounted or semi mounted mowers (my opinion). Won't ever go back to one of those either. Pull type is much better. If you want to mow under fences, around trees, and stuff like that, maybe a mounted mower for something like that, but otherwise no. Again, just another headache to have.

When I was in high school and a little past that we had a pitman driven Avery drawbar mount mower on a "C" Allis. It vibrated and shook so bad it would actually vibrate the drawbar bolts loose. Dad eventually got a pull behind New Holland (I believe) pitmanless. It was a big improvement. The pull behinds are a little awkward in places but most of the time you can make the turns as good as with a tractor mounted one.

Just a note on the disc mowers that are now all the rage, the sickle bar mower (if it's in good shape) will cut closer to the ground and do a better job of cutting overall IMHO. They take longer to do it, granted.

sotxbill · Sep 26, 2023

Good comments... and I found out that I HAD to have the correct ground speed for a sycle to work correctly.

Too slow and all the cuttings fell on or in front of the guards and prevented new grass from entering correctly. Too fast and you choked the bar down and locked it up...

And when the grass leans away from you, you need a bit fast vs when the grass leans towards you, to clear and keep the guards open.

BUT.. I have 3 new holland 450 series cutters and use the heck out of them.. Any 30 hp tractor is plenty but lots of gears for ground speed is a must. The ford 8 speeds are most perfect while the early 4 and 5 speeds are fair to good. These smaller 30 to 50 hp tractors are also perfect for ground driven rakes. Where the newer round balers need 85 hp to work easily and correctly.

Anyway using a sickle is mostly black magic as the operator MUST keep the ground speed correct for the conditions while the engine is set at 540 pto rpms...

Mowco's are much easier to use as long as youre careful on your turning and avoid fence posts and gates.

wore out · Sep 26, 2023

Sickle mowers can do a fine ans FAST job of cutting IF they are in good condition, sharp knife sections and ledger plates, wear plates and hold downs in good condition, and adjusted to hold knife sections CLOSE to ledger plates.

Knife ''register'' and correct cutterbar ''lead'' are important, as well.

You say you made your own pitman stick, did you verify that the knife ''register'' was correct when you were done with that?

cool hand · Sep 26, 2023

It's been probably 50 years since I used a sickle bar mower. The word register is strange to me regarding such mowers. What is that?

wore out · Sep 26, 2023

(quoted from post at 09:17:28 09/26/23) It's been probably 50 years since I used a sickle bar mower. The word register is strange to me regarding such mowers. What is that?

Some newer mowers have a little longer knife stroke the the center-to-center distance of the guard points.

On these, the tips of the knife sections will bypass the guard points by a small amount.

These are ''in register'' when the knife section points bypass the guards by the same amount at both ends of the knife stroke.

If the knife is not at least close to being ''in register'' the mower will ''tear'' the grass rather than cutting it cleanly, take extra power and likely soon break the pitman stick.

John T · Sep 26, 2023

IF they are in good condition, sharp knife sections and ledger plates, wear plates
and hold downs in good condition, and adjusted to hold knife sections

X2 great minds think alike lol

John T

Janicholson · Sep 26, 2023

If the pitman arm is made with the grain aligned with the bolts it will split. The grain should be perpendicular to the bolt axis. Our well used 27V IH simi mounted mower could mow 3/4 inch willow saplings full width of the 7 foot bar. Jim

the tractor vet · Sep 26, 2023

There was a guy south of me that made them pitman arms and he used Ash .

rustred · Sep 26, 2023

lots depends on the speed and hard pulling of that pitman arm. if thats the case they will break. just like them old horse mowers was common to break them pitmans.

rustred · Sep 26, 2023

ok , x's 3. i just thought that that was all taken care of ...meaning it was checked already. but who know's with little info as we dont know, nor know if the owner knows. there is a reason they break. nor do we know if its 5 ft, 7ft or 10ft , as i said them 5 ft horse mowers would break pitman arms. pretty sure it should be hickory also. plus u made it.

r.w.b. · Sep 27, 2023

john deere number 5 dad bought new when he came home from ww II still cuts great. but even with wear it can be adjusted proper to cut. as for pitman sticks you need cross grain and it should be hickory. the holes in the stick must be right or you got trouble.
get a sickle mower set right it will pull lots easier than a brush hog. as posted above register or timing ,proper lead is key to cutting then sharp sickle and ledger plates. .
another thing before lead and register is set pull cutter bar outer end back like it will be when cutting. then do the adjustments. id bet some of us could set that mower where it would cut

DMartin9N-2N · Sep 27, 2023

Good afternoon: In response to the general discussion, I want to mention that I have an IH sickle bar mower that was adapted to work on a Ford N-series tractor. I have used it several years ago, it cut pretty well but seemed too large for my 9N. Does it have value to folks these days? Thanks!
.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
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All sudden a fuse blows question (update) and sickle bar

SleepyFarmall

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Geo-TH,In

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John T

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Loosehandle

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redforlife

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Geo-TH,In

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olddavid

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sotxbill

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wore out

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cool hand

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wore out

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John T

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Janicholson

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the tractor vet

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rustred

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rustred

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r.w.b.

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DMartin9N-2N

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