bar mower

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:21 am

can anyone suggest a good make for a bar mower. and are these mowers quite trouble free?

thanks

Dandy Dave · Post by **Dandy Dave** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:06 am

What do you plan putting it on? As far as trouble free, that depends on how many rocks you hit that knock the knives off. I've seen a few nice Massy 3 point hitch units over here. Also a similer New Holland mower. Dandy Dave!

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:05 pm

i use a massy finger bar mower behind my dexta every year for hay making, they are very trouble free if set up correctly and greased and oiled as they should.
you would be better changing the sections to serrated as they do not require sharpening every 3 hours like the plain sections do.
in all respects it doesnt matter about the make as long as it is in good working order they will do the job correctly.

Regards
James

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:30 pm

plan on using it more to keep the grass down not hay making. the grass never gets over 12". will bar mowers cope fine with hills?

many thanks

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:05 am

finger mowers work on hills fine, they do a good job of keeping the grass short as they cut the grass far cleaner than any new mowers.

Regards
James

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:17 pm

how easy is it to get one working again? cant be too much to go wrong?

thanks

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:17 pm

The only thing that can lock up without use is the knife, which can be un siezed by removing all the fingers and the Keeps, it will then require re shimming with new sections fitted to the bar and the fingers checked for square ness on the sides and where the nife runs, The belts might also require replacement if they are perished.

i set mine up using a piece of cigerette packet paper under the keeps which is how it used to be done years ago, every time the knife was sharpend. the nife should run fairly free with no tight spots.

Regards
James

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:47 pm

many thanks. ive never worked on one but there is a first for everything. just waiting for one to pop up near me for sale

fenhayman · Post by **fenhayman** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:33 pm

I've used Massey 60, International B25 and Ransomes pto driven mounted cutter bar mowers. The Massey I found to be the best, there are still some around, and most spares are still available.

I've always had a problem with grass under a foot high. You need some resistance in the standing crop to get the cut grass to fall backwards over the cutter bar. If the crop is short or thin it will tend to fall forward and block the blade.
Unless you want to collect the crop I'd use a topper.

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Sat May 01, 2010 7:03 pm

i have never had a problem with my finger mower in short or thick crops,
it sounds to me as if the mower is not set correctly or you are not travelling fast enough through the crop or could be going to fast for it to clog.

regards
James

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:45 pm

is a rear mounted fergie bar mower is sutable for a dexta? its the only type of bar mower i have come across i any sort of volume (like to know i can get spares)

many thanks

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Wed May 12, 2010 8:16 pm

yes they will work fine but make sure its the later Red MF mower as these are better in build and spares are more available.
I have a red MF mower for use behind mine replaced all the sections on it last year for serrated edge from a combine as these do not require sharpening every hour like the original type.

Regards
James

Post by **Brian** » Wed May 12, 2010 9:39 pm

Having cut many acres of grass with a combine, I have found that serrated sections block and feed in certain conditions. Also a serrated section cuts in a different way to a plain section.

A serrated section uses the serrations to pierce the stem of the crop before the shearing action. When the points of the serrations wear off, the knife becomes blunt and very hard to drive although it seems to have many acres of wear left in it.

On New Holland combines I have been out many times to damaged knife drive gear boxes because farmers were reluctant to replace a serrated knife because it "looked OK". My test was to get them to lightly run their finger down the side of the section. If they could feel the teeth pluck at their finger, the section was OK. If not, bin it.

On Claas machines the problem was worse and the whole side of the cutter bar would break out.

There are also two types of serrated section, over serrated and under serrated. Some machines use alternate over and under serrated sections over the knife. Deutz are a case in point. These combines cut grass very well indeed.

The problems with plain sectioned knives is that they need sharpening on a regular basis, but in stony ground, the serrated knife will need sections changing more often. To extend the cutting life of either, adjust the bar so the fingers point slightly upward. This will help it avoid stones which cause the damage.

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Wed May 12, 2010 9:40 pm

i havent seen too many MF mowers only fergie ones. any tips on where to find them? do you know the bar length? would like to know if the bar is removed would it fit in the back of a landrover dicovery?

many thanks.

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Thu May 13, 2010 8:05 am

The bar length is 5Ft and they are heavy, you will need to trailor it with a discovery as it wont fit in the back.

I have been using serrated sections now for 3yrs, never had a problem with blockage, i do check them regulary for sharpness if it requires changing it gets changed since they are 50p each im not worried about changing them.
Me and my uncle said when i changed the sections over if its no good in grass it would be great in a stubble field.

fenhayman · Post by **fenhayman** » Thu May 13, 2010 10:50 am

I've never found serrated sections much good in soft stemmed grass.
When combining corn with a lot of grass in it we always used a plain knife which on early Claas and Mf combines was supplied as an extra for just that purpose.
Sharpening a plain knife is easy nowadays, just needs a light touch with an angle grinder - cordless if working away from home.

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Sun May 30, 2010 10:39 pm

i have ended up buying a bamlett bar mower. seems to work as it should. just not too sure about sharpening, how offten will the baldes need sharpening, and how do i do this? will a flat file be best?
whats the best method for mowing? fast or slow? im cutting nettles and docs mostly.

many thanks

jambug123 · Post by **jambug123** » Mon May 31, 2010 9:07 am

you will need to remove the knife for sharpening and this should be done a couple of times a day when mowing. e.g before you start at dinnertime and again if the cut of the grass looks jagged and not clean. and yes a file does work best as your not taking tomuch metal away to get the edge back, go with the angle on the section.

Regards
James

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:42 pm

i have had the mower working but not sure if the blade is/was set up correctly. should the blades shear the grass against the slot behind the fingers? should the blades run along the base of the slot?

here is the mower as it arived

Post by **Brian** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:08 pm

Blade back runs in the slot behind the fingers. Each section should run firmly but lightly across the ledger plate on each finger.

The section should not lift off the finger ledger plate. Cutting takes place between the section and the side of the ledger plate on the finger.

The knife must be sharp but so must the sides of the ledger plate. You may need to run an angle grinder or file down the side of each finger to get a sharp right angle edge.

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:25 pm

i will have to figure out what has been put together wrong then. the blades were not running against the slot just in the middle of it when i got it. ill get pictures of the blade clamps shortly.

many thanks

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:34 pm

does the blade looks too far from the slot edge and is the clamp all put together correctly?

the blade is upside down in the picture.

many thanks sorry about all the pictures but it is the best way for me to explain

Post by **Brian** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:49 pm

Your first picture. The section in the centre finger is not down tight on the ledger plate and needs to be.

Your third picture. The wear plate is worn up. They need replacing if they all look like that.

You may need some shims as well if these have been progressivly taken out as the wear plate has worn.

If you look at the finger to the right of you picture there is a rounded edge on the side of the ledger plate. If all the fingers look like that, on both sides, it needs to be sharpened to a clear right angle instead of the rounded appearance it has at the moment. This will vastly improve cutting and reduce the load on the knife drive.

On looking again, the edge on all the fingers I can see are worn so I would say they all need attention.

john.n · Post by **john.n** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:59 pm

what should the wear plate look like? just a flat plate with a lip on the end? is the idea of the plate to hold the back of the blade up to push the front down on the ledger plate? the chap i bought it off said he had replaced all the knife sections last year. not sure if he put it all back together right.

many thanks

Post by **Brian** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:18 pm

The wear plate supports the back of the knife and pushes it forwards against the front of the channel made by the fingers. The knife is therefore not allowed to move back. You adjust each plate forwards against the knife back to take out fore and aft movement in the channel.

It also supports each section as it runs against the knife back and under the overhang on the back of the finger.

When correctly adjusted, the knife should move backwards and forwards along the channel and across the fingers but not fore and aft and the sections should not be allowed to lift off the ledger plate.