Sickle bar mower question

[COAG]

I am new to the cub world and just bought a 53 with what I believe is a #22 sickle bar. I plan a restoration and would like advise on how to remove the bar so I can replace knives. I also see the end of the bar connected to the pitman has an attachment ball with plate, can those knives be replaced by removing rivets as well and if so what length of rivets should I get?

[Don McCombs]

Grind off the rivet heads with an angle grinder. Remove the remaining rivet with a punch. All knives can be removed using this technique. Rivet sizes are included in the attachment below. Find a copy of the manual at this link... http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... index.html

Here's another technique for knife removal. A slightly opened vise can substitute for the anvil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP-ZDcIek_s

Cub-22 Mower Parts.pdf

(42.54 KiB) Downloaded 449 times

[KETCHAM]

Watch your fingers on that mower...Very unforgiving....Great mower if you need one though......I use mine a lot....

[COAG]

Great information and details in the manual. Does the knife head ball that goes in between the pitman spring side arms only drops out of the bottom when the pitman is raised and side arms that hold the bar end ball are extended by the fork handle, or can the knife head ball be removed by sliding the knife bar outward?

[tst]

blade pulls out the bottom only after the pitman arm is unlatched off the ball on the bar

[COAG]

Will give it a try over the weekend! Thank you for the feedback, and will be sure to keep this forum on the front burner.

[COAG]

OK, got myself a Johnson Sickle Servicer Tool that is much faster that works great up to the Knife Head Ball section as expected. Has anyone replaced Knives under this end ball section and what would be the suggested steps as two of the three knife sections need to be replaced.

[Don McCombs]

See my previous post.

[SONNY]

I just do it the fast easy way and take the sickle out of the mower , saves time and temper's!!! LOL!!! thanks; sonny

[Matt Kirsch]

I used sickle bolts when I got to the head end. Much easier to install all the sections with bolts and torque them down evenly than trying to peen over rivets and keep everything aligned.

Tractor Supply sells a package of the longer sickle section bolts you need for this.

Bolts don't work for the rest of the sickle bar, due to the low clearance of the hold-down clips.

[COAG]

Guy's, all set by grinding heads off end section rivets and punched out. Not as difficult as I had thought, so thank you all for your support and help!

[Our Pass Thyme]

Does your knife have a regular blade or a "duplex" or the more rare "triplet' blade on the end? I am a new #22 user as of last fall and had to refurbish the cutter bar somewhat. I had tried cutting with my sickle as it came to me from the PO but it was clanky and there were two "skips" in the cutting path and the cutter kept plugging up. I found a local guy who sells the blades, duplex blades, rivets, and rock guards and bolts for less than online prices. I had several extra scrub blade assemblies, one of which had the triplet in good condition. I did not have the servicer but managed to replace rivets quite easily. The biggest problem I had was with the new rock guards being out of 'plane' with the older guards. I solved this by grinding off some material around the bolt hole on the guard where it seats on the cutter bar. I also replaced several blades and removed the triplet from the scrub assembly and put it on the end of my "new" assembly. I was amazed at the difference a little maintenance made, no skips or plugs and the clanky is gone too! I hope you have as much fun with yours as I have had with mine!

[leerenovations]

I used sickle bolts when I got to the head end. Much easier to install all the sections with bolts and torque them down evenly than trying to peen over rivets and keep everything aligned.

Tractor Supply sells a package of the longer sickle section bolts you need for this.

Bolts don't work for the rest of the sickle bar, due to the low clearance of the hold-down clips.

I second the rivet bolts and nuts. A lot less frustrating and time consuming. And the hold down clips can be changed out to high arch hold down clips and then you can use bots the entire length of the bar.

[Matt Kirsch]

True, the hold down clips can be changed but in my case that was another $50 that I didn't want to spend. A box of rivets was something like $4.

[Scrivet]

True, the hold down clips can be changed but in my case that was another $50 that I didn't want to spend. A box of rivets was something like $4.

Plus beating on $4 of rivets is a lot more therapeutic than wrenching on $50 worth of bolts.
Especially if you draw little faces of annoying individuals on them