Sickle Bar skipping hay

[Herefordcross]

OK, after letting the sickle bar sit for a while, I broke it out because haybine is broken. The darn thing keeps missing strips in the field, new cutter bar in it, brand new! Tried adjusting speed, etc. I was in thick Alflafa but, why in the world would this thing skip rows like this?? Haybine doesn't do it and it's just like the sickle bar mower.

 

[dun]

After the speed adjustment the only htingthat comes to mind is the "angle of attack". That's not the right term but seems apprpriate in my mind. If the leadingedge is too high, hay can get balled underneath and cause the uncut stuff to lay down in front of the mower.

dun

 

[MikeC]

Is the grass wet?

Is there mud in the field?

Are the guards sharp?

Are the blades pushed down tight on the guards?

 

[Horace Baker]

Could be "hairpinnig". Keeping the guard tips sharp is important with a viny crop. Having the combine reel on the haybine to pick up the crop adds a lot of forgiveness that you don't get with the plain sickle bar.