Sickle mower HP requirements...

[Talenel]

My brother seems to want to use my B2601 this summer haying.

Pulling the rake and maybe some sickle mower work.

He has a 7' 3 point, a JD 9' and a couple double 7's.

I think my PTO Hp is rated at 19.5 and I think the 7 and 9 are doable but my brother thinks the double 7's are doable, and I think it will be too much for it.

is there any standard for HP per foot for a sickle mower like there is for disking and plowing etc?

 

[D2Cat]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

You MAY have enough HP, but you won't have enough weight even for a 7' er if you're hanging it off the tractor with no wheels supporting it. For a sickle mower to work effectively you need to go 4-5 mph for the grass to not clog.

Use it to pull the rake!

Here's a link that may help. http://www.befco.com/products/hayequipment/sicklebar.html But is is a double action mower.

 

[Talenel]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

Only the 7' is 3 point, the 9' and the double 7 are towed. He can always leave the loader/bucket on for the 3 point, but if it will pull the 9' fine no need.

Speed on a HST isn't a problem as long as it cuts at speed. I think the top speed in high is 12.9 and med is 8? don't remember what low is but since it is a HST it doesn't matter I could be at PTO speed and crawl along in high if I was inclined to.

The rake is always a good option for a small tractor.

I don't mind working my machines even beating on them a bit but I don't think I want him trying to run the double 7.

 

[SDT]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

My brother seems to want to use my B2601 this summer haying.

Pulling the rake and maybe some sickle mower work.

He has a 7' 3 point, a JD 9' and a couple double 7's.

I think my PTO Hp is rated at 19.5 and I think the 7 and 9 are doable but my brother thinks the double 7's are doable, and I think it will be too much for it.

is there any standard for HP per foot for a sickle mower like there is for disking and plowing etc?

I doubt that a 2601 will operate any of those implements at acceptable speed.

SDT

 

[troverman]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

The B2601 is a great machine, but it is not cut out to do the type of work you are describing. Too light and not enough power. I don't think it would run even the smallest 7-foot sickle mower. You'd need to be moving at 2mph or less. It might pull the hay rake, but even that might weigh too much.

You can use a B2601 for haying, but you need specific, small hobby farm type haying equipment to make it work.

 

[D2Cat]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

I had a friend come by one day when I was haying. He had a 4 wheeler, like a Honda 450. He hooked the New Holland 256 rake to the back and raked the field for me. He was just goofing off and wanted to try it. It worked fine. Doesn't take much to pull a rake.

 

[troverman]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

I had a friend come by one day when I was haying. He had a 4 wheeler, like a Honda 450. He hooked the New Holland 256 rake to the back and raked the field for me. He was just goofing off and wanted to try it. It worked fine. Doesn't take much to pull a rake.

Depends upon how much the rake weighs and the type of terrain you need to pull it on. A Toyota Tundra pulled the space shuttle, too.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

What I do for a living, well what I do for pin money...lol

If it's a roper side delivery ground driven rake (roll-a-bar), your unit will handle it, no problem. If it's a rotary rake (like I use, I use a Miller-Pro), no way. You don't have sufficient pto power to run a rotary.

On sickle bar mowers, maybe a single bar but nothing else.

Square baler, no way, again, not enough pto power and not enough tractive weight, a square baler weighs substantially more than your tractor does and requires more pto power than you have.

Round baler, no way. Minimum pto on even a small 4x4 round baler is 50.

Sickle bar mowers are generally a pita anyway. I started out with one and quickly moved up to a mower conditioner and then up to a disc bine.

You can try anything but I don't believe the results you get will be what you expect.

 

[D2Cat]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

Depends upon how much the rake weighs and the type of terrain you need to pull it on. A Toyota Tundra pulled the space shuttle, too.

I listed the model of the rake. My location is also listed. Isn't that enough information for an intelligent person to come to a logical conclusion? Maybe the altitude is also necessary to list so loss of HP can also be calculated.

 

[troverman]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

I listed the model of the rake. My location is also listed. Isn't that enough information for an intelligent person to come to a logical conclusion? Maybe the altitude is also necessary to list so loss of HP can also be calculated.

I guess all we can conclude is that I'm not intelligent...

Actually, when I referred to how heavy it was, I was talking about the original poster's rake, not your buddy's. And his terrain, too. Frankly, the name of a town, city, or state doesn't tell me if a particular field is steep or flat, muddy or dry, etc. Once again, I guess an 'intelligent' person can discern these things just from seeing a city.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

I listed the model of the rake. My location is also listed. Isn't that enough information for an intelligent person to come to a logical conclusion? Maybe the altitude is also necessary to list so loss of HP can also be calculated.

Crabby this morning?...lol

Like the old saying goes.. You can do anything with anything but the results may not be good....

Haying with me is about getting it done and done quickly. Consequently, I want to run the implements with tractors that are more than capable to run them efficiently and in the shortest amount of time. With me, there is always that 'rain event' on the horizon.

 

[BAP]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

What you can do with any size equipment and your tractor depends on wether you are a Flatlander or not, and wether you have the smarts to run it. Some people can take the smallest, worst piece of equipment and perform a work of art, and some can take the biggest or best piece of equipment and perform a job that even a dog could do better. Obviously, using an implement that is oversized for your tractor can lead to damage or even be dangerous.

 

[bucktail]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

We had a 9' new Holland trailer type sickle mower that we pulled with a 26hp Farmall H. It wasn't at all lacking for power; live PTO would have been nice a time or 2. I think that the light tractor with the short wheelbase might get pushed around a bit. If you have gopher mounds or other roughness you'll wish you had something with a longer wheelbase, especially if you're doing more than a few acres.

 

[SDT]

Re: Sicle mower HP requirements...

The B2601 is a great machine, but it is not cut out to do the type of work you are describing. Too light and not enough power. I don't think it would run even the smallest 7-foot sickle mower. You'd need to be moving at 2mph or less. It might pull the hay rake, but even that might weigh too much.

You can use a B2601 for haying, but you need specific, small hobby farm type haying equipment to make it work.

Bingo, Trover, and sickle bar mowers do not work at 2 MPH.

SDT

 

[Talenel]

I'm not sure what to think about some of these responses.

I doubt pulling a towed sickle more will slow me down much it weights half of what the tractor does and has round wheels and all... PTO hp might be a problem, but if he keeps out of the wet grass it should be fine.

Rake would just be a wheel rake, I used to rake with my Honda 200ES, so I doubt the little B2601 will have much problem with it....

 

[SDT]

I'm not sure what to think about some of these responses.

I doubt pulling a towed sickle more will slow me down much it weights half of what the tractor does and has round wheels and all... PTO hp might be a problem, but if he keeps out of the wet grass it should be fine.

Rake would just be a wheel rake, I used to rake with my Honda 200ES, so I doubt the little B2601 will have much problem with it....

Have you ever operated a sickle bar mower?

Unlike rotary mowers, sickle bar mowers rely upon ground speed to cause the crop (note: sickle bar mowers will not function well in short, wet, dense, etc., crop), to fall behind the bar. Ground speed is essential.

The 2601 has both insufficient power and insufficient weight to properly operate the aforementioned implements.

You doubt?

Have at it and post back next year.

SDT

 

[Talenel]

Again a speed reference... why would anyone try to cut with a sickle standing still...?

And a weight reference again...How exactly much does a tractor have to weigh before I can pull a 6-900# effectively trailered equipment?

Oh and I can't pull a wheel rake.. that's just BSC

Another person even mentioned bailers, where else was that mentioned?

 

[bcp]

What HP per foot of sickle bar does a Farmall Cub or John Deere Model LA have to run their side-mount mowers?

Bruce

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'd say weight is more important and both weigh substantially more plus both are mid mount not rear mount. No matter how you cut it though, a sickle bar mower is a poor war to cut forage and always has been.

The issue is, the stems need to be crimped (crushed) after cutting so they release the juice inside. Why the mower conditioner was invented. It combined the simplicity of the sickle bar mower with the stem crushing feature and with the mower conditioner, the conditioning rolls pull the crop over the sickle, eliminating the speed issue.

I own one, a 12 foot JD Mo-Co with an SCH double cut sickle bar. Nice machine, very simple and efficient. Not a disc mower but light years better than just a sickle mower.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Again a speed reference... why would anyone try to cut with a sickle standing still...?

And a weight reference again...How exactly much does a tractor have to weigh before I can pull a 6-900# effectively trailered equipment?

Oh and I can't pull a wheel rake.. that's just BSC

Another person even mentioned bailers, where else was that mentioned?

I did and it's 'balers' not bailers. Unless you are Amish, the end game is you bale the hay.

I believe no matter what you attempt to do, you are in for quite a learning experience and possible tearing up your little tractor.

Have at it. I'm done with your fairy tale.