Cutting Hay with Ford 8N and New Idea Sickle Bar Mower

[ballyquillanboy]

this so much reminds me of my youth.I can understand what you mean about spending an afternoon cutting being so much pleasure. I never could afford my own farm but i so miss those days. Life was simple, all our neighbours had one implement for making hay, when we all worked together we had the complete set of machinery to make hay.

Thnks for posting this, keep posting,

Greetings from Ireland

[jburrows2009]

that would be a long day on the tractor cutting hay like that

[stembre]

@jburrows2009 - true, but then I only hay about 10 acres... when the sickle is working good, its actually a very pleasurable way to spend an afternoon.

[brian93ist]

why does this 8n have a draw bar most dont 

[stembre]

@brian93ist - If you're meaning a drawbar like you'd find on an old Farmall M or such, I do not have anything like that... my sickle bar had been converted to work on a 3pt hitch, which is what I was doing here. I do have a drawbar that fits on my lift arms, and I use it when pulling the baler, etc.

[brian93ist]

@stembre i under stand know i should have put that coment on the other video

[geno3000]

I spent many an hour mowing alfalfa while growing up in South Dakota. We had a Ford 8N and JD No. 9 mower. Used to dread it every summer; now I'd give anything to live on the farm again.

[stembre]

@Brian93ist - thanks - I have to vary speed based on field conditions. On that day, it was cutting really good at that speed. Some other days, I have to cut in 1st gear.

[brian93ist]

nice tractor and sickle

Looks like you are going to fast

[whspioneer89]

Looks like it's working pretty well. Looks like a decent sized field too.

[farmgirl42167]

Great Video!! I learned to drive on an 8N, Still one of the best Tractors ever made!! Thanks for Sharing!!

[stembre]

Tyler - oh, yes, you're correct - I think that's called the pitman arm, and it is made of wood (presumably so it will break before something more expensive does). I haven't broken one yet, but I understand it's not uncommon to do so.

[BillTheTractorMan]

@stembre When we get mowing our 12 acres of field we break at least 1 pitman a year, normally on the first more because they rot over the winter. LOL

[stembre]

@BillTheTractorMan - I've only broken one pitman so far... but then I'm only cutting this one field (10-11 acres) each year, and the sickle bar stays under roof when not in use.

[dirtbiker4lfe]

nice keeping the vintage tractors alive.

[stembre]

Yes, Tyler, the wooden piece sticking up out at the end is called the swarthing board - it makes the cut grass lay over so it leaves a clear patch the next time I come around (compare the edge of the cut row as I'm looking forward with the grass as it's being cut when I'm looking backward).

[tylerc1992charlo]

no im talkin about the wooden piece that runs the sickle

[tylerc1992charlo]

is that the mower with that little wooden piece on there

[Jrcaseman]

Nice video looks like it is doing a good job!