DAPNET Forums Archive › Forums › Equipment Category › Equipment › Swath Boards
- This topic has 15 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 7 months ago by
Rivendell Farm.
- AuthorPosts
- April 19, 2011 at 10:50 pm #42403
J-L
ParticipantAnother thing I’ve been wondering is where to get my hands on swath boards for #9’s? I have a #4 JD as well and would like to get metal grass boards for all these mowers. Anyone know a source for them?
April 20, 2011 at 1:46 am #65404mitchmaine
Participanthi j-l, those metal swarthboards used to be available at all tractor supply and dealerships. haven’t had to look for one in a long time cause they last pretty well. i remember they did not come with a spring bolt. you probably know that the amish as a rule don’t use them. they put 3-4 pea guards on the pitman end of the bar and they chop through the lodged hay pretty good. i tried it and it seemed to work well but went back to the grassboard. must have been all the alfalfa hay they make not drying well balled up at the end of the swath.
mitch
April 27, 2011 at 11:38 pm #65408Rivendell Farm
ParticipantI bought one of those steel grass boards some years ago from the local Amish welding shop that rebuilds mowers. They’re probably available from places that sell parts for horsedrawn mowers. I found you don’t need them on second cutting if you have the three stub guards on the inner end of the bar, but in first cutting I needed a grass board to make a visible path to follow the next time around. This is especially true if the hay is lodged, since the cut alfalfa or clover looks almost the same as the uncut. Bob
April 28, 2011 at 3:05 am #65394ParticipantThanks guys. I’ve looked on line at a few places with no luck. Our local parts house isn’t worth a crap unless it’s for something new (and actually not worth a damn for that either). I’m going to give a call to Norm Macknair and see if they can get them.
April 28, 2011 at 10:15 am #65399Does’ Leap
ParticipantIs there an advantage to a metal grass board? Why not make it out of wood? I made my last one out of 5/4 yellow birch and it is stout.
George
April 28, 2011 at 12:18 pm #65398Marshall
ParticipantI bought one several years ago from Macknairs. I would imagine he still has them.
April 28, 2011 at 12:20 pm #65395ParticipantI’m sure a wood one is fine. Not much around here but Lodgepole pine though.
April 28, 2011 at 2:55 pm #65400near horse
ParticipantHi Wes,
I think I got one from MackNair’s or Balster’s – can get them complete with the metal “edging”, spring etc or just the board alone. Also – remember the grass stick that really does most of the “tipping” of the grass to leave you a path for the next pass. You can make one of those pretty easily.
April 28, 2011 at 4:25 pm #65396ParticipantThanks Geoff.
My problem is that there isn’t enough left of any of the swathboards to make a pattern. The steel ones I use with my New Holland tractor mowers worked just fine and lasted forever. Wish I had one of them back. If I keep an eye out there might be one on a derelict mower.
April 29, 2011 at 2:37 pm #65402Y 4 Ranch
ParticipantWes,
I’ll trade ya! Got one, just need to get together to swap. A NH and a wood pattern.
MikeMay 2, 2011 at 7:58 pm #65403Lingodog13
ParticipantJ-L, the one on my old #7 was complete enough for a pattern. Will it work for you? Let me know and I’ll throw it in the next time I’m heading your way.
May 2, 2011 at 8:42 pm #65405LostFarmer
ParticipantI am in the same boat. I need a board for my 9 and JD#4. I think I could make one from some hard wood if I could find a pattern. Have some 3/4″ teak that I picked up from a job that would work great and last forever. Any patterns available on line?
May 2, 2011 at 9:27 pm #65401Participant@LostFarmer 26762 wrote:
I am in the same boat. I need a board for my 9 and JD#4. I think I could make one from some hard wood if I could find a pattern. Have some 3/4″ teak that I picked up from a job that would work great and last forever. Any patterns available on line?
Hey Lost,
I don’t have a pattern but I just got a JD #4 manual. Would be glad to send it your way if you want to copy it – just send it back when you’re done. Let me know if you want it.
BTW – are you part of the Intermountain Draft Horse Association?
May 3, 2011 at 9:00 pm #65397ParticipantWell, I did find a couple old metal swathboards right after I posted this. One is on an old JD trail mower (#9 I think) and looks like it’ll work. The other one is on an old bar assembly that I found in an old shed on the ranch. I think I can get them to work.
On top of that the Lost Farmer found a website that has a nice one made of sheet steel and round spring steel for $36. Looks like a very good outfit from what I saw and is similar to one I used on an old New Holland 450 tractor mower. The one on the New Holland was an after market job and not their standard one. This is a dead ringer for that old one and it worked great for me.
The name of the company is Woodward Crossing Country Basics for anyone wanting to look at their stuff. They’re located in PA.May 3, 2011 at 9:08 pm #65406ParticipantThis is the site J-L was talking about.
Thanks for the offer Geoff, I have the owners manual and a parts manual for the #4. I figure if it comes down to it I can make one from the picture. I also ordered one of those new after market ones. This mower already will have new style guards as well as other modern parts so authentic is not a big issue. I want this pig to work when it is done.
LF
- AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.