F.R. Ransomes Finger bar Mower

DanielGibbons

Hi guys! Was lucky enough to get a barn find of one of these!

It's in good nick, I'm gonna paint it up and stuff, but it's not seized.

Does anyone know how to work these machines? Seems awful complex for just an old topper :P

The arm in IMAG0168 is confusing me,
along with the solid, curved metal in IMAG0169AND IMAG0170.

Also, why is there a top link attached to it? Would an ordinary one not do? See IMAG0171

Thanks for any feedback guys

zetecescort

looking at the photos the toplink looks to be connected to the heavy duty spring, for what I've no idea but I'd leave well enough alone once you can adjust it to fit your tractor.

had a quick google and found this.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/216941-ford-501-sickle-mower-help.html

looks similar to your setup

DanielGibbons

zetecescort wrote: »

looking at the photos the toplink looks to be connected to the heavy duty spring, for what I've no idea but I'd leave well enough alone once you can adjust it to fit your tractor.

had a quick google and found this.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/216941-ford-501-sickle-mower-help.html

looks similar to your setup

Thanks for your reply.

Ok that explains what to do with that arm.. On closer inspection there is indeed a chain attached to it. Don't have a small tractor to attach to so I can investigate further - will have to borrow grandads 135

Still have no idea why the top link is on a spring :P

nashmach

Toplink is probably on a spring in case it hits a stone.

Username John

Did you get a blade with it? (I dont think there is one in it in the pics)

Also - get a piece of flat tin, maybe 4 ft x 9 inches, and bend it into a cover and put it on over the teeth... If you fall in the shed, up fall against it you'll know about it... :eek:

DanielGibbons

nashmach wrote: »

Toplink is probably on a spring in case it hits a stone.

Hadn't considered that. There's a nut on the back to adjust the length, I suppose more than likely to adjust for different tractors, could be wrong though.

Username John wrote: »

Did you get a blade with it? (I dont think there is one in it in the pics)

Also - get a piece of flat tin, maybe 4 ft x 9 inches, and bend it into a cover and put it on over the teeth... If you fall in the shed, up fall against it you'll know about it... :eek:

Yeah, the blade is there. In good enough nick, gone dull though. Quick lick of the grinder will take care of that :P

All the parts seem to be there. PTO cover and belt guards are all there too, although not photo'd.

Ouch!! Yeah good idea.. I'd be like a pincushion :P

pakalasa

We've a fingerbar mower, only using it yesterday. I think it's a Pierce. I had to laugh at the rope holding up the cutting bar. We've one aswell.
Good point about covering the 'cutting fingers' with a bent sheet of metal. We did that aswell. Also, when you are pulling up the cutting bar up to the vertical position, watch the fingers. The cutting blade will fall down and take them off. Happened to many a guy in the old days, as I was well warned when I was younger.
As for the curved bit of metal on your mower, our mower has a release mechanism that allows the mower to swing back, if it hits something solid, big stone etc. Maybe it's a part of something similar. Hard to tell from the photos.

hoseman

before you lift up the cutting bar,make sure you tie the drive rod with a rope that way when you lift it will stop the blade falling.The drive rod in our pierce one was wood so that would break before the blade.you have to remember these were working before health and safety and shear bolts came on the scene.put burnt oil on the blade before you work.

pakalasa

Ya, forgot to mention tying up the timber connecting rod. The blade will still fall a little but not as much if you tie it. Take care.

valtraman

the big spring is to limit the weight of the mower on the skid when woking so it will follow the ground smoothly , the chain is not original and from the pictures I cant even see what it has been put there for , as for that round bar arm with the clamp gismo on it, it clamps to the left linkage arm it lifts the very outside of the cutter bar when you lift at the headlands in work the outside of the bar can droop down to follow undulations in the field ,I always found that clamp gismo a pain to get in the right place and not slide along the lift arm ,the one in tractorbynet has a better looking clamp ,hope this is understandable

valtraman

forgot to say curved metal is the breakback device slide stopper

Figerty

I have one of those that I use every year. The spring is to maintain ground pressure on the skid as someone said.

• The breakaway bar is the curved bit in case you hit a rock. The spring in mine went a long time ago so it was welded in a hurry one year.
• The con rod on the blade to drive wheel is likely to break. On some machines they were metal, but it's better for the machine if the timber rod breaks than the clasp on the blade.
• The clasp on the blade comes in two halves,, keep it grease or it will wear. I have re welded the ball on mine are filed it back to smooth and spherical.
• There is a bracket to go on the arm. These can bolted on or a hook. The position of this sets the height of the blade when you raise the lift arms. If you were to go topping this becomes important.
• The blade runs on the bed, under the guides there should be shims that can be taken out to adjust for wear.
• Spare the grinder on the blade and use a file where possible.

Did the Skate board come with it?

Bizzum

It's 25 or 30 years since I've used a fingerbar. I used several of them betimes the MF60 being by far the best.
You want somewhere nice and handy to get going, not too much revs, and everything lined up right or you do harm woeful quick. Some of them used be a bitch at breaking the Pitman (thats what we called the wooded drive rod. I dunno if its the right name or not!)
Like Valtraman said above they had a breakaway for when you hit an immovable object, or the ground, and took a good swing to get em back in place.
I used up gallons of burnt oil along the sections, in my time. A few spare sections are handy too, and rivets, for running repair.

DanielGibbons

pakalasa wrote: »

We've a fingerbar mower, only using it yesterday. I think it's a Pierce. I had to laugh at the rope holding up the cutting bar. We've one aswell.
Good point about covering the 'cutting fingers' with a bent sheet of metal. We did that aswell. Also, when you are pulling up the cutting bar up to the vertical position, watch the fingers. The cutting blade will fall down and take them off. Happened to many a guy in the old days, as I was well warned when I was younger.
As for the curved bit of metal on your mower, our mower has a release mechanism that allows the mower to swing back, if it hits something solid, big stone etc. Maybe it's a part of something similar. Hard to tell from the photos.

hoseman wrote: »

before you lift up the cutting bar,make sure you tie the drive rod with a rope that way when you lift it will stop the blade falling.The drive rod in our pierce one was wood so that would break before the blade.you have to remember these were working before health and safety and shear bolts came on the scene.put burnt oil on the blade before you work.

Don't worry, I'm very careful with it. All the farmers in the family have me well versed on the dangers of it :P

valtraman wrote: »

the big spring is to limit the weight of the mower on the skid when woking so it will follow the ground smoothly , the chain is not original and from the pictures I cant even see what it has been put there for , as for that round bar arm with the clamp gismo on it, it clamps to the left linkage arm it lifts the very outside of the cutter bar when you lift at the headlands in work the outside of the bar can droop down to follow undulations in the field ,I always found that clamp gismo a pain to get in the right place and not slide along the lift arm ,the one in tractorbynet has a better looking clamp ,hope this is understandable

Cheers for that. I'll try to get better photos up soon. What do you mean by the skid?

valtraman wrote: »

forgot to say curved metal is the breakback device slide stopper

Figerty wrote: »

I have one of those that I use every year. The spring is to maintain ground pressure on the skid as someone said.

• The breakaway bar is the curved bit in case you hit a rock. The spring in mine went a long time ago so it was welded in a hurry one year.
• The con rod on the blade to drive wheel is likely to break. On some machines they were metal, but it's better for the machine if the timber rod breaks than the clasp on the blade.
• The clasp on the blade comes in two halves,, keep it grease or it will wear. I have re welded the ball on mine are filed it back to smooth and spherical.
• There is a bracket to go on the arm. These can bolted on or a hook. The position of this sets the height of the blade when you raise the lift arms. If you were to go topping this becomes important.
• The blade runs on the bed, under the guides there should be shims that can be taken out to adjust for wear.
• Spare the grinder on the blade and use a file where possible.

Did the Skate board come with it?

Cheers for that, very informative. Grand, I'll get a file to it, but that'll be the last job :P

As for the skateboard, I was using that and a trolley jack to move it around the shed

Bizzum wrote: »

It's 25 or 30 years since I've used a fingerbar. I used several of them betimes the MF60 being by far the best.
You want somewhere nice and handy to get going, not too much revs, and everything lined up right or you do harm woeful quick. Some of them used be a bitch at breaking the Pitman (thats what we called the wooded drive rod. I dunno if its the right name or not!)
Like Valtraman said above they had a breakaway for when you hit an immovable object, or the ground, and took a good swing to get em back in place.
I used up gallons of burnt oil along the sections, in my time. A few spare sections are handy too, and rivets, for running repair.

How do you mean the best? This one belonged to my granduncle, I won't be using it for much work. Would just love to get it running and cleaned up

Yeah its a timber bar in this too. From what I gather, they eat through these :P


Thanks for all the responses guys - I'll get her on the tractor next week and see how she behaves

Bizzum

DanielGibbons wrote: »

How do you mean the best?

I mean the Ferguson 60 was the fingerbar mower that kept going and going and going when others would calve. It was way better than any other I used around that time.

I've no doubt you'll get her running, and do a bit of toppimg. The skids are the part of the topper/fingerbar that run along the ground, there is an inside one and and an outside one, they can usually be adjusted to give a varying topping height (along with adjusting the toplink).

Figerty

They don't break the bars too often... just when you are in a hurry! If it breaks then keep the old one and get a new one made from Ash or Hickory. Ash preferably. You will need to get the length and hole centres in the right place.

Don't forget to grease it. Low second or Low top on a MF35 is about its ground speed. High First is a too fast on the ground for any decent crop. Keep the revs high enough for the blade to keep ahead of the forward movement of the tractor.

The skid is the part that pivots on to the ground and slides along the ground. The ball and Clasp on the blade is enclosed in this.

One other thing, run the machine (blade) through a good few yards of hay or rushes before you sharpen. It will clean off the rust and dirt and let you see the flaws.

You will also need spare sections and 1/4 inch rivets, nut 6mm will do fine.

DanielGibbons

Bizzum wrote: »

I mean the Ferguson 60 was the fingerbar mower that kept going and going and going when others would calve. It was way better than any other I used around that time.

I've no doubt you'll get her running, and do a bit of toppimg. The skids are the part of the topper/fingerbar that run along the ground, there is an inside one and and an outside one, they can usually be adjusted to give a varying topping height (along with adjusting the toplink).

Ah ok. Just trying to get a feel for what made them good and bad :P

Ohh yes, I know the part your talking about now. That makes a lot more sense

Figerty wrote: »

They don't break the bars too often... just when you are in a hurry! If it breaks then keep the old one and get a new one made from Ash or Hickory. Ash preferably. You will need to get the length and hole centres in the right place.

Don't forget to grease it. Low second or Low top on a MF35 is about its ground speed. High First is a too fast on the ground for any decent crop. Keep the revs high enough for the blade to keep ahead of the forward movement of the tractor.

The skid is the part that pivots on to the ground and slides along the ground. The ball and Clasp on the blade is enclosed in this.

One other thing, run the machine (blade) through a good few yards of hay or rushes before you sharpen. It will clean off the rust and dirt and let you see the flaws.

You will also need spare sections and 1/4 inch rivets, nut 6mm will do fine.

Ok thank you. I'm looking forward to getting it running

Were these used to cut crop back in the day? Or was it just a topper?

iverjohnston

We had a new Holland one of these , you should remove the cutter bar to sharpen,ideally, and only use a good quality flat file. I would keep the grinder away from it. Wear the heaviest leather gloves you possess when sharpening, easier to buy a new glove than get a finger stitched back together!

DanielGibbons

iverjohnston wrote: »

We had a new Holland one of these , you should remove the cutter bar to sharpen,ideally, and only use a good quality flat file. I would keep the grinder away from it. Wear the heaviest leather gloves you possess when sharpening, easier to buy a new glove than get a finger stitched back together!

Yeah will do, they're handy enough to remove anyway. Haha yeah, fair enough! Thanks for that

Bizzum

DanielGibbons wrote: »

Were these used to cut crop back in the day? Or was it just a topper?

Topping but particularly mowing meadow. You need a grassboard which attaches on the outside skid to mow. Otherwise the swarth falls onto the mowing bar.

red bull

Back in the 70s I cut hay with one of those, a great mower in its day way ahead of any other fingerbar mower. They wre designed especially for Ford tractors but could be used on others. FR stands for Ford Ransome

Figerty

red bull wrote: »

Back in the 70s I cut hay with one of those, a great mower in its day way ahead of any other fingerbar mower. They wre designed especially for Ford tractors but could be used on others. FR stands for Ford Ransome

I used to cut hay with this machine every year. I still use it to cut rushes where the ground might be rocky or uneven, you travel slower and can see ahead of the machine to spot and rocks, lumps or even the odd pheasant.

I did it last year for a neighbour in soft ground that the tractor and disk mower would have sunk in.

DanielGibbons

Bizzum wrote: »

Topping but particularly mowing meadow. You need a grassboard which attaches on the outside skid to mow. Otherwise the swarth falls onto the mowing bar.

Fair enough. According to my uncle the grassboard is in one of the barns!

red bull wrote: »

Back in the 70s I cut hay with one of those, a great mower in its day way ahead of any other fingerbar mower. They wre designed especially for Ford tractors but could be used on others. FR stands for Ford Ransome

Ok thanks for that information. I found the data plate on it, surely to god it's stamped Ford Motor Company

Good loser

Between Fermoy and Mitchelstown on a raised site on motorway there is a metal, silver coloured, sculpture of three fingers of a fb mower. Nice work.

andymann

Seeing other posters having pierce finger bar mowers we still use one every year, has been used for 60 odd years still going strong. They dont make then like they used to.

DanielGibbons

Got a lend of grandad's 135 today and attached her.

Got the clamp attached to the link arm.. But I then realised the clamp was still there from grandads old fingerbar mower (dunno what make it is), so just clamped over. :P See IMAG0177.

The fecking thing doesn't seem to work though. Cutting bar is drooping down in IMAG0181 and IMAG0183.
However when I clamped on the vice grips, the bar sits even. See photos IMAG0174 and IMAG0175.

Included are other photos of the chains, one seems to be going to the levelling arm, the other to the breakaway bar.

Can't wait to get scrubbing

DanielGibbons

More photos

red bull

I think from memory you need to put the clamp on lift arm a little farther in as in closer to tractor, its trial and error till you get it right

Figerty

red bull wrote: »

I think from memory you need to put the clamp on lift arm a little farther in as in closer to tractor, its trial and error till you get it right

Spot on. the old clamp is preventing you from sliding the clamp from your mower up the arm and into a position that will allow you to pull the bar you have the vice grips on into position to set the bar level when you lift the arms to raise the bed.

There is also a fair bit of wear on the chain links that are connecting to the bed and this means the clamp will need to be closer to the tractor to compensate.

If you are handy with a welder you can build up the worn links to help solve the problem.

Make sure the top link is set properly to have the machine vertical so that the bed of the machine is set horizontal. If you don't the machine will 'pull' into the ground.

pakalasa

I see there are a lot of real farmers on this thread.
You haven't lived till you've cursed a finger-bar mower.

who the fug

iverjohnston wrote: »

We had a new Holland one of these , you should remove the cutter bar to sharpen,ideally, and only use a good quality flat file. I would keep the grinder away from it. Wear the heaviest leather gloves you possess when sharpening, easier to buy a new glove than get a finger stitched back together!

The six foot one with the low board by any chance , great yoke if you have a youngfella to follow it.

nagel

Daniel, used one of them for years with a single clutch 35 does a great job with sharp blade and fingers shimmed right
I should still have the manual for it somewhere if I can root it out I can scan it for you

valtraman

the advice is correct the clamp should moved to take up the slack where the vicegrip is also I think where that chain is was originally two bars with an eye on one end and a jaw on the other so they could fold when cutterbar was lifted up that chain looks too weak .I don't remember any need for a rope to hold up the wooden pitman when folding up BUT KEEP YOUR HAND TO THE BACK OF THE KNIFEBAR FINGERS WELL AWAY FROM THOSE 50 GUILOTINES KEEP YOUR HAND TO THE BACK OF THE KNIFEBAR FINGERS WELL AWAY FROM THOSE 50 GUILOTINES
That was virtually beaten into us when young also don't put your thumbs down between the steering wheel spokes of older non power steering tractors grip the rim with thumbs out on top
phew that went on a bit hope it helps with mower, enjoy your next pint fingers and thumbs to grip it

iverjohnston

been a while now! think it was 6 foot model. Sold it to two old fellows, who passed away about 10 years ago. One thing they were good for, that your MoCo cannot match, is drive down the lane with the bar up, and clip the side of the hedge! Or could you run your butterfly mower the same way?

who the fug

iverjohnston wrote: »

been a while now! think it was 6 foot model. Sold it to two old fellows, who passed away about 10 years ago. One thing they were good for, that your MoCo cannot match, is drive down the lane with the bar up, and clip the side of the hedge! Or could you run your butterfly mower the same way?

Thinking back it was pretty versatile and robust


Use to kill alot of frogs with it.

DanielGibbons

Haven't done anything with her since.. Starting a summer job tomorrow so progress will be slower, but I need the beans :P gonna get a manual online. Found one including a parts list for £8.99

Next thing I'm thinking of is scrubbing her down. As regards priming and painting, what would ye recommend? I'm thinking Ford blue, I'll probably brush it on (neatly might I add :P) as I don't have access or facilities to spray her.

DanielGibbons

So my manual arrived in the post the other day

I've been sharpening the blade the last number of evenings, and I ran her through some rushes.. She cut like hell needless to say I'm happy out..

Now to start thinking about painting it

Any suggestions for paint/primer??

red bull

its ford blue

DanielGibbons

red bull wrote: »

its ford blue

Yeah that's what I thought. Any good primers to recommend? Or are they all fairly similar?

zetecescort

DanielGibbons wrote: »

Yeah that's what I thought. Any good primers to recommend? Or are they all fairly similar?

I'd imagine the place where you get the paint would have suitable primer to suit their paint

DanielGibbons

zetecescort wrote: »

I'd imagine the place where you get the paint would have suitable primer to suit their paint

Ok thank you.

If anyone wants a copy of the manual fire me a PM, it's actually very detailed but still clear and easy to understand.

gerardk55

Hi Daniel,

Any joy with your finger bar mower?

I recovered these two weapons from a shed at home on Monday.

Was going to lash them on donedeal but not sure whether to hold onto them or not. The ground is fairly heavy, with well established rushes, so not sure if they'll stand any other use.

The finger bar is New Holland and seems to be in very good condition. The belt turner is JF and not as healthy but the belts and tines all seem to be ok.

What's the best course of action for them?

gerardk55

DanielGibbons

gerardk55 wrote: »

Hi Daniel,

Any joy with your finger bar mower?

I recovered these two weapons from a shed at home on Monday.

Was going to lash them on donedeal but not sure whether to hold onto them or not. The ground is fairly heavy, with well established rushes, so not sure if they'll stand any other use.

The finger bar is New Holland and seems to be in very good condition. The belt turner is JF and not as healthy but the belts and tines all seem to be ok.

What's the best course of action for them?

gerardk55

Hi Gerard, sorry I haven't been online in a while!

I've done very little with the mower since, but the turn in the weather will prove like a good time to start scrubbing down

Nice to see other older machines. Based on what I've been told, heavy crops will be absolute hell on a mowbar. I won't be working my machine, it belonged to my granduncle so it's sentiment more than anything that has me working on it.
If you've no sentimental value on these machines I'd be inclined to just sell them and buy a topper. Great yoke to cut, don't need a big tractor to run one, and very little maintenance :P

who the fug

gerardk55 wrote: »

Hi Daniel,

Any joy with your finger bar mower?

I recovered these two weapons from a shed at home on Monday.

Was going to lash them on donedeal but not sure whether to hold onto them or not. The ground is fairly heavy, with well established rushes, so not sure if they'll stand any other use.

The finger bar is New Holland and seems to be in very good condition. The belt turner is JF and not as healthy but the belts and tines all seem to be ok.

What's the best course of action for them?

gerardk55

Have a look up in the rafters of the shed you should find the second blade for the new Holland , also can you do another picture showing the side board

gerardk55

Unfortunately the side board was well rotted as it sat right under the hole in the roof which I had the clear the shed to get to.

The uncle mentioned about a second blade too, but I didn't come across it on my travels yet unless it's hidden in another shed somewhere.

I have a buyer lined up for the mower if I can get it working, will be home this weekend and will put it on the tractor. Hopefully after 20+ years the uncle will be able to remember how it's set up.

I'll post a few pics if I can get it going.

who the fug

gerardk55 wrote: »

Unfortunately the side board was well rotted as it sat right under the hole in the roof which I had the clear the shed to get to.

The uncle mentioned about a second blade too, but I didn't come across it on my travels yet unless it's hidden in another shed somewhere.

I have a buyer lined up for the mower if I can get it working, will be home this weekend and will put it on the tractor. Hopefully after 20+ years the uncle will be able to remember how it's set up.

I'll post a few pics if I can get it going.

Not much to setting up, you can adjust the height of the blade , think the snap setting was fixed


Other than that grease her up, sharpen the blade and away you go


Bitch of a thing to follow but was reliable


Think we had the same make of side turner as well , reckon she will work after a bit of grease and waste oil , but best thing for it is stick it in a gap to block cattle

ramboraf

Interesting reading these posts.My cousin has a Ransomes Simms Jefferies mower as they are called as well,they were sold through Ford agents.He snapped the finger bar arm in 2 a few years ago and it was deemed unfixable by the local welder,so me being a mechanic who doesn't give in easily welded the 2 halfs back together for him.Think sometimes a chain needed to be used as i do with mowers like my international B23 mower behind a fergie 20 diesel to maintain the correct height as fergies only have draft not position control,you have a "rack" on the top link to let the support chain go across and hold the mower at the chosen height.

DanielGibbons

ramboraf wrote: »

Interesting reading these posts.My cousin has a Ransomes Simms Jefferies mower as they are called as well,they were sold through Ford agents.He snapped the finger bar arm in 2 a few years ago and it was deemed unfixable by the local welder,so me being a mechanic who doesn't give in easily welded the 2 halfs back together for him.Think sometimes a chain needed to be used as i do with mowers like my international B23 mower behind a fergie 20 diesel to maintain the correct height as fergies only have draft not position control,you have a "rack" on the top link to let the support chain go across and hold the mower at the chosen height.

No bother dude. No time at the moment but will scan them at the weekend

ramboraf

thank you Daniel,you're a gent,like all finger bar mower guys are .

seemore dolittle

Can anyone help with a copy of the instruction manual for a Ransomes Finger Bar Mower.
I purchased one today for my Dexta and there are still a few items I'm sure the manual would be a great help with.

jocotty

We used to cut hay with one of these every year. great machine when going well.

Did you get yours going?

Whats the best way to edge the blade (without the torture of the hand file)? Does giving it a rub of the grinder work? I do know that its very important to have good edge. Makes the machine go much better.

Jo