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Sickel bar use on Big Ten


GregB

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I put my 210 sickel bar mower on the wifes Big Ten this past weekend to mow the bank across the street. When I tried to lift the bar up to the angle of the bank it threw the drive belt. It sometimes will throw the belt just running the bar horizontally. I went over the idlers and made sure they were all spining freely. Is there a way to check the alignment? Does anyone use their mower to mow banks? Is there a trick? Thanks GregB
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I wish I could help. I picked up a 210 mower last Thanksgiving, but haven't installed it on my 61 Wards yet. I think there is a limit in the angle at which the bar will mow without problems. Maybe the bank is too steep for the mower to function properly.
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quote:
Originally posted by GregB
Is there a way to check the alignment?
Just lay down on the ground and watch the belt to see how it's tracking on the pulleys. Adjust the rear chain until the belt tracks properly regardless of sickle angle. Make sure belt is correct length, and stays properly tensioned throughout. Besides using my sickle to mow at and below ground level, I use it in a verticle position for trimming hedges and low hanging branches. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/7010a.jpg[/img]
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I'll have to try that the next time it is not raining here. Its been wet constantly. I also noticed that the lift handle on the old style 210 prevents the bar from going vertical. I had tried to adjust the handle position flatter(more parallel to the bar) but the handle has a backing plate that hits a bolt on the casting. Also it would make it real difficult to lift from horizontal to vertical. Dutch, I will search for your previous post on converting this mower to a cable style lift. Thanks for the input. GregB
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Here's a photo of a 210 sickle I once owned. The handle would fold even closer to the bar than shown. Most 210s that I've owned had the arm pin replaced by a bolt, so they wouldn't fold at all. Or, the arm had been replaced by one that had been made and wouldn't fold flat. The 210 pictured would work fine in any position, including verticle, when held in place by the transport chain. Never had the belt come off in any position. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/handle-down.jpg[/img]
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Hey Dutch that tractor looks like it belongs in a science fiction movie. You may get a call from a lawyer to see if anyone has been hurt using that machine so that they can see a lawsuit in their future. Gregb: I was wondering about the tension spring on the pto? is it properly tensioned? I just hooked up a mower deck on a big ten (it has no been used in at least ten years). When I hooked up the deck the belt just kept popping off. I looked in my 725 manual (I don't have a big ten manual) and saw a tension spring and got to thinking that something was amiss and sure enough it was. I ordered the parts at Sandy Lake and hopefully this weekend I will get it going. Good luck John H
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Dutch, your right about the pin being often replaced by a bolt, I just looked at the manual for the 5th or 6th time and noticed that there is a pin shown in the breakdown for the handle. I guess that means I'll be taking the bolt out of mine. Also I notice that the 210 in the pic has a newer style drive link (heim joint ends). Why? I ask because the sickle that I purchased is missing the bushings on one end of the link and I hoping that they still can be purchased or will I have to replace the whole link?
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quote:
Originally posted by ReedS
Also I notice that the 210 in the pic has a newer style drive link (heim joint ends). Why?
I reconditioned that sickle. The OEM drive link was worn. Instead of rebushing, I upgraded to the later style heim joints.
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Thanks for the info Dutch,at least I know now that that can be done if I can't get the bushings!
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After replacing the belts with the correct length belts, Checking the pulley alignment, and moving the handle to the correct position and closer to the bar I mowed the bank across the road from my house:D. The problem is after that I went on to do the neighbors bank. Wouldn't you know that the 40 year old bar would choose then to break.:(!:(! It seperated at a rivet hole, by the looks of the break it had been joined only on one side for a time. Has any one ever made a replacement bar?? what size stock should I start with? thanks GregB
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There is someone on this site that sells replacement bars. Just can't remember his name.
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