Horse Drawn Sickle Bar Mowing, Part 2: Second Attempt

[@Haflingergirl95]

Began searching for videos of this type of tractor after finding a McCormick Deering brand sickle bar buried almost completely in the woods behind a cabin in central Maine. Great to see history brought back to life!

[@dianaholvik2554]

Another great video. Thanks. I'm learning a lot. And I love your horses. I'm 70 and back in the day, when I was a child we lived on a large farm/ranch. Dad didn't mow with horses, but he used a big thoroughbred-cross stock horse (17 hands high) for riding all over the 1000 acre ranch working sheep and black angus cattle. Very hilly steep terrain in places. I remember a lot of those times.

[@dozerboy67]

It’s so nice to see people outside of the Amish community using green, environmentally conscious means of homesteading. It’s about time for us to go back to the horse and buggy, and all of the old ways. It makes me smile, thanks! 👍

[@ADifferentWay]

We agree! Although it’s certainly nice to be able to get places quickly, driving a good horse somewhere causes you to slow down, think and reflect as you sit there, and brings things back into perspective. People need more moments of peace like that!

[@dozerboy67]

@@ADifferentWay that's for sure! People are in such a rush these days, people don't even have a moment to say good morning, how are you? Most people work their whole lives saying that they're working so they can enjoy life, but become trapped in the struggle of keeping up with the Joneses and never realize that we really don't need that much to be happy. Living simply is the best way, I think.

[@petegraham1458]

My Grandfather mowed with a sickle bar mower with his favorite Percheron team . My father kept the horses and even though we had other mechanized ways let my Gramps show me how it was done! I loved riding on that mower with him! I still remember the sound and the vibration! Later as I got older and he was gone, I ran a haybine , rake and Tedder to make hay but never forgot those days of sitting on his lap behind that team! I just had my 69th birthday, so very much appreciate your channel!

[@ADifferentWay]

Thank you for the kind words. It is certainly a privilege and blessing to sit behind a good team. Although we will miss this team greatly, we are looking forward to the next chapter, as we start a new team!

[@edwardwatson6289]

Just discovered this video. Around 1950 I cut a lot of grass with one of these. In England we called them finger bars. The swath board on the end of the bar should trail on the ground to clear away the grass so that on the next cut the inside of the bar does not get clogged up with already cut grass. This would improve the performance. Also on the swath board towards the top edge, we had a round bar half in diameter, about 30 in long sloped inwards and slightly up. This turned the long grass down to leave a clear swathe and some dry ground to turn the damp hay over and speed drying. Happy memories.

[@ADifferentWay]

Very interesting! Thanks for the tips!

[@jamesmckay9966]

She knows more about horses than we all think.

[@dennismason7596]

What you are doing is an art form in and of its self. Time and patience. You'll get there.

[@adamvanostrand2664]

Awesome to see the horse-drawn sickle bar resurrected and back in service

[@williamchristopher1560]

I always usta sharpen my sickle bar every year by hand. Finally a year ago, I took my sickle to a pro in Tulsa, and was VERY pleased with its operation when I got it back and started mowing with it.

[@franciscoayala1062]

Well let me just tell you, don’t worry about the negative comments, the majority of us are very happy for you and for ourselves, because this what you all are doing is something bigger something special. We we were much more with the vision as you and many others. BE PROUD, BE HAPPY AND KEEP BELIEVING YOUR WAY IS AWESOME. Thank you and your beautiful family for sharing your way of life. It’s hard but it’s reworded. 🤗🤗🤗😊😊😊

[@dawidvandyk296]

Keep the history a live !!! Thanks for your videos and the music. NICE !!!!!

[@stephensaasen8589]

This is so great to see one of these working again! I grew up in Washington State. My dad farmed wheat & barley back in the 1980's and '90's. I would ride around in the back country and run across one of those at an old abandoned farm every once in awhile. What a treat!

[@jamesmckay9966]

Great video. The crazy wheel is called a Truckk which saves rhe horses necks more than any one realizes. I know from experience in the year 1944. Extremly rough hay ground.

[@dozerboy67]

You know, after watching the video I thought of something, and remember, I don’t know nothing about mowing hay with a sycle bar. What if you put a wheel on the end of the bar to keep it an inch or so off of the ground? I worked in construction for many years, and also wrenched a bit, so I just wondered if that might help! Great video and kudos to you and your family, you are a lucky man. Having a place like that is what I dream of, as I’m sure many watching, like me, are living vicariously through you! 🙏💪👍

[@ADifferentWay]

We eventually did just that. The wheel is called a tongue truck, and it did a lot to relieve pressure on the horse’s necks.

[@dozerboy67]

@@ADifferentWay yeah, no I meant at the end of the sickle bar, so when you drop it on the ground it'll keep it up an inch or so, you see? I don't know if it will help, but it might.

[@steveporter3929]

Mine has an adjustable skid plate on the under side of the sickle bar for that very purpose . I assume they all do. John Deere made a wheel like you are describing to hold the end up higher so you could clip your pastures. Maybe other companies did as well.

[@benceszabo8595]

This video is awsome! It’s good to see that there are still people who nowadays use this old machines. I bought a Massey-Harris No 28 hay mower and I hope that maybe you are the people who can help me. :D Do you have any info about this machine? The colours, maybe an operation manual, etc? Every info would be useful for me because unfortunately I have not found anything to it looking around the whole internet yet… :/ I’m very dissapointed because of it. Or a link for a forum where I can ask my questions. :) Thank you for your answer in advance. :)

[@ADifferentWay]

I’m afraid we aren’t much help, as this was our first project. If you’re on Facebook, there are several forums there, including the “horsedrawn equipment” Page that are full of knowledgeable people. Sometimes they even offer the old manuals for sale. Hopefully you can find some insight there!

[@benceszabo8595]

@@ADifferentWay thank you for the fast answer, it’s a perfect idea.

[@matthewaamot2961]

Reach out to the Small Farmers Journal magazine in Oregon.

[@jameshanenburg9591]

Your doing great! Keep the kids away from that machine. I know a family in Sioux county Iowa who had a child loose both his arms falling in front of that mower. But as a small boy I was always fascinated by that mower! You guys are doing great.

[@williamchristopher1560]

I always have my bar tilted as far up as it will go. This helps me to hopefully skip over anything in the field that might snag the mower, like a fallen branch in tall grass. Also, cutting the grass a couple inches above the ground assures the plant will make a faster regrowth than if it is cut near flush with the ground

[@Deividas_420]

Love your videos

[@ADifferentWay]

Thanks so much for watching! And for your continued support and encouragement!

[@africadreamin]

As mentioned earlier your swath board needs to follow the ground, there should be a short spring holding the swath board against the frame so it can float. The swath board also clears a clean path for the next cut so you don't get grass building up on the inside of the cutter bar frame as you experienced at the beginning.

[@jrowe9301]

I wonder if you are saving one tree if pesticide would help.

[@ADifferentWay]

Our choice not to use pesticide is about far more than saving trees. When we purchased our farm, pesticides and herbicides had been used on it regularly for several years. The soil was completely dead due to pesticide use. You could dig down over 12 inches, and see no almost no signs of bug or worm life. Because there were no worms creating tunnels and holes in the soil, there was very little water retention. In the summer, it was like concrete and water would simply roll off the top rather than absorb into it. Our shallow well dried up regularly because the water could not penetrate down into it. Meanwhile, the water running over the top created massive erosion on our slopes. We had gullies 3 to 4 feet deep! Soil has an entire life system on its own, which in turn supports the production of grass, trees, and other vegetation. Any livestock eating that grass can only be as healthy as the soil itself. We stopped all chemical use on our soil, used organic materials to fill gullies and fertilize, used minimal tillage and tried to keep heavy equipment off to prevent compaction. We also used a subsoiler to allow water to penetrate deeper into the soil. Within just two years, the change was incredible! We had worms the size of snakes, and more bug activity than we could’ve imagined! Our well never dried up again. There were so many more changes, but it made us believers in trying to use organic and natural methods to work with the soil rather than against it.

[@emeryedwards1219]

The tree was elm I believe. Which is a stronger wood than ash. Once the elm get so big they die. The ash bore is bad too.

[@specterman2000]

That is a beautiful Great Pyrenees you have!

[@ADifferentWay]

Thank you! They are amazing dogs!

[@bruceshearer1719]

After thought....where did you get pole truck for the mower?

[@ADifferentWay]

Ivan Yoder over in Bloomfield IA has a shop. He’s a good guy to work with, but many Amish communities will have a resource for them.

[@jozefbartko9729]

Takto to má byť teraz jeto dobre👍👌👏👏👏

[@steverotz666]

Drop the divide board down so it runs on the ground it will divide the hay better so it's not in the way when you go around next time

[@janniemostert4688]

Great video. Just a safety hint. Never have your fingers in between the blades with the horses hitched. If they get frightened and jump you may be minus a finger 😧

[@ADifferentWay]

We agree! I know it’s tough to tell, but he is religious about NOT putting fingers in front of those blades-even when not hitched. He was just picking grass from the top of the blades, where the grass got stuck between the blade and guards. He used the little plastic pick in his hand for anything around a blade edge.

[@stephenhoover6104]

that mower was sounding good

[@ADifferentWay]

Steve, we so greatly appreciate the assistance you gave Sean! He is really enjoying this project and all that he is learning. Everything ran much more smoothly, though we still have a few tweaks to make. I can’t wait to actually make hay with this machine!

[@bilalgondal3983]

hi bro how you, where can i get horse drawn sickle bar mower old or new please, i wana import for pakistan .thanks

[@ADifferentWay]

In America, there are several companies that produce them. We can also find old ones at estate sales. I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to find them in your region.

[@brockmeeks9780]

I live close to Bloomfield Iowa. If you don’t mind me asking about how far are you from Bloomfield?

[@ADifferentWay]

We are roughly 3 hours from Bloomfield. Ivan Yoder is the nearest Pioneer dealer to us.

[@atlantaswelder]

That barn looked a lot closer when that Ash was falling 😅 Good Job

[@williamchristopher1560]

IF there called Pittman Bars where you are, then thats fine. If NOT, they might be called Pittman Rods. That is what they were called in both NE Kansas and Okla

[@sahil8023]

Can you make this available in india

[@ADifferentWay]

Sorry, I am not a dealer. There are dealers in The US and Europe, however. You could probably start by searching the Internet for horse drawn sickle bar mower.

[@br927]

I think you can tilt the bar-there may be an adjustment

[@krobson2013]

Should be a short lever that will angle the bar. Raise the tips of your guards up a tad. Check the height on your inner and outer shoes. Leave a couple inches of stubble, to let air get under you hay. It will dry faster and more evenly. I used an IHC #7.

[@kevindonnelly1104]

be careful about being close to the blade when the horses are yoked up----if they bolt

[@kirksawler1199]

Now that’s professional tree felling

[@clydo1946]

You should let the swath board ride on the ground.

[@allanlavallee7171]

You are right ..It is useless where it is. Lead on the bar is off a bit too.

[@williamchristopher1560]

AND with the bar tilted up, you dont hit slugs and plugs near so much

[@СергейКуцеба-е5у]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@allanlavallee7171]

Drop the swath board on the end of your bar. its not doing much for you. Sharpen you knife every eight hours. The lead on your bar needs adjusting forward.

[@br927]

Good job, you didn't land it on the barn!!

[@clydo1946]

Then it won't clog up with grass so much.

[@ӘсемМирякуб09]

🇰🇿👍👏😀

[@bpru9652]

Looks more like elm grain to me

[@duanebolen8359]

I have a double wheeled truck if you’re interested for sale

[@ADifferentWay]

Thanks for the offer, but we already got one and got most of the repairs made! You can check out the Part 3 video for details!