Overhauling my Cub-22 mower

[WaMoo]

Just got back from a trip to the farm where I overhauled my Cub-22 mower with a 5' sickle bar. My references were of course GSS-1053, Mower Cutter Bars-All Models; Maintenance and Repair. I also found John Deere's (I know, I know...) The Operation, Care and Repair of Farm Machinery, Lynn Miller's Horse Drawn Mower Book, and Oregon State College Extension Bulletin 686 (1948) The Mower; How to Repair and Adjust quite helpful.

I ordered all of the cutter bar parts from Webb's Sickle Service, and am quite pleased with their quality, prices, and customer service. I ordered the pitman box connection plate from Roy's Red Iron, and can highly recommend him. He's never let me down.

After assembling all my parts, pieces, tools, etc on the work bench, I was ready to get to work.

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A before view, knife removed.

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First, I rebuilt the knives. I replaced damaged sections, or any smooth sections. I'm a fan of under-serrated, and one knife warranted the replacement of every section. I still use rivets. I guess I'm a traditionalist.

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I rebuilt two knives. Besides replacing sections, I make sure the knife backs are straight. In addition to these two knives, I have a third, brand new OEM knife still in the box.

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I replaced all of the wear plates, and replaced the hold downs with adjustable types. I've never used them, but am excited to try them out. It certainly made initial adjustments easier. I also had to replace one guard. All the ledgers were good.

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I also added a wheel to the outer shoe to lift up the cutter bar so I can mow higher. See: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85868

And finally, I replaced my pitman box connection plate. The pitman stick is home-made. Out here in the west, I used clear Douglas Fir.

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Once spring comes, I'll mount the mower on the tractor, and finish fine tuning everything, checking the lead, etc. I should be an improvement over what I started with!

[Bill Hudson]

With everything you have done, it should work like a Swiss watch (relatively speaking). Let us know about the wheel setup. I'm sure others will be interested in how it works for you.

Bill

[Bob McCarty]

Nice job on the bar. I'm curious, why do you want to cut so high that you added the wheel?

Bob

[WaMoo]

Nice job on the bar. I'm curious, why do you want to cut so high that you added the wheel?

Bob

Mainly because I want to use it for clipping pastures, but also, because my fields are primarily Smooth Bromegrass, which doesn't tolerate a close shave very well. Regrowth potential is much better when mowed (or grazed) tall. Also, being drylands farmers (20" annually), leaving more aftermath shades the soil better.

[Bill Hudson]

Nice job on the bar. I'm curious, why do you want to cut so high that you added the wheel?

Bob

Mainly because I want to use it for clipping pastures, but also, because my fields are primarily Smooth Bromegrass, which doesn't tolerate a close shave very well. Regrowth potential is much better when mowed (or grazed) tall. Also, being drylands farmers (20" annually), leaving more aftermath shades the soil better.

Ah, makes perfect sense now. When I was in Texas, those ole boys couldn't understand why we tiled fields to remove water. One fellow told me that he never saw rain until he was 20 years old.

Bill

[Jim Becker]

In west Texas, they say they got a 2-inch rainfall if afterwards you look in the dust and you can see the marks from the rain drops are 2 inches apart.

[Stanton]

Looks like you're doing a great job. I have a Cub-22 sickle mower that I'll be doing a refurb on later; will use your thread as a reference. Thanks.

[Bill Hudson]

In west Texas, they say they got a 2-inch rainfall if afterwards you look in the dust and you can see the marks from the rain drops are 2 inches apart.

Yes, Jim. He was from Loving County.

Bill

[bob in CT]

Curious to know what thickness knives you used. Webb's has an amazing selection of different knives.

I have an IH box with 17 smooth knives, three short of what is needed for a complete bar. I have no idea what thickness to order to match them, but perhaps they can help if I give them a call.

[Jim Becker]

I have an IH box with 17 smooth knives, three short of what is needed for a complete bar.

What is the part number?

[bob in CT]

Just came in with the box. MB-333. They are smooth and I believe "regular" based on the gauge info (14) on Webb's page. Any issue with using a heavier knife (12 or 11 gauge) on other sections? I won't be mixing them, of course. What would be the advantages or disadvantages? I'll be cutting some coarse stuff along with grass in some areas and it will be my first experience with a sickle bar.

[Jim Becker]

MB 333 is the standard (regular thickness) smooth section. The heavy smooth sections (I was only aware of one heavier weight) were half again as thick, part number M 333-1/2. (No kidding)

The advantage is a little less chance of them breaking. No real disadvantage other than the fact you can't mix them on the same knife. The hold down clips would need to be readjusted to change from one thickness to the other.

[WaMoo]

Curious to know what thickness knives you used. Webb's has an amazing selection of different knives.

I have an IH box with 17 smooth knives, three short of what is needed for a complete bar. I have no idea what thickness to order to match them, but perhaps they can help if I give them a call.

I never even gave thickness a thought. When I started the project, I just called Webbs, told them what mower I had, and he told me what I needed. I did mix them with some NOS sections I had, with no problem. If there were a thickness difference, I couldn't notice.

The one difference I did notice was that the serrations were more aggressive (less TPI) on the new sections vice the NOS ones. That didn't bother me though.

[bob in CT]

Thank you both! Now I just need to find a Johnson sickle servicer I can use.

[DRaymond]

This information is well presented WaMoo and informative. I plan on overhauling my sickle bar this spring so will be referencing your work. Once again this site and its contributors proves invaluable.