Allis Chalmers sickle bar mower
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=208908
Printed Date: 25 Jan 2026 at 10:37am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Allis Chalmers sickle bar mower
Posted By: Jefffafa
Subject: Allis Chalmers sickle bar mower
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2025 at 6:00pm
| Hi. I have an allis Chalmers 80R3 sickle bar mower. I was wondering if 10w 30 or 40 oil would be good to use in the gearbox? |
Replies:
Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2025 at 7:32pm
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I would use 90w in it. Tracy. ------------- No greater gift than healthy grandkids! |
Posted By: jvin248
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2025 at 8:12pm
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. 80/90W Gear oil. Tractor supply carries it in two and five gallon containers. Auto parts stores have it in quarts. . |
Posted By: Jefffafa
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2025 at 12:31am
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Ok thank you đź‘Ť |
Posted By: Gary Burnett
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2025 at 5:17am
| If it leaks some go with some or all John Deere corn head grease. |
Posted By: nella(Pa)
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2025 at 6:39am
| All good suggestions |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2025 at 11:58am
| A couple of things on those Twin-Wheel drive mowers: #1. Keep the sickle head bolt TIGHT. This bolt must be a grade 8 quality. #2. Make sure the serrations in the bushing this bolt clamps thru are CLEAN when assembling. #3. Keep the cross-arm snug against the bushing. Any looseness in any of these parts leads to quick destruction of said parts. |
Posted By: Jefffafa
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2025 at 2:32am
| Ok thank you. I'm just a dabbler with tractor stuff. I have a Kubota L3400 compact tractor with a few attachments, and a neighboring farm had the sickle bar mower, which has been sitting outside for maybe ten years not being used, so they said to try it out. So I'm trying to get it back in running condition hoping to buy it. I'm trying to get all the adjustments as close to what I think they should be, to fit my tractor. (they didn't have an owners manual since they bought it on consignment). On a short trial run, I thought it mowed half decent...Does anyone know what it may be worth? |
Posted By: Kenny L.
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2025 at 2:44am
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I just bought one last summer that need work for 300 |
Posted By: Tim NH
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2025 at 9:37am
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Several years ago I asked the same question on here. One member recommended, straight 30 weight non detergent oil. That oil has worked well in the mower. ------------- 1950 WD 1959 D14 1955 WD45 1976 7000 B 207 |
Posted By: Clay
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2025 at 10:29am
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I still use 30 wt. in my 80R mowers. From the lubrication chart on page 4 of the 80R manual: Drive housing capacity, 1 qt. SAE No. 20 or 30. Do not let oil level get below or do not fill above drive shaft. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2025 at 1:19pm
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dont mix gear lube and engine oil... Use one or the other.. Always flush if you change... Years ago i had a mechanic top off a dozer final drive with 15W40 in a 80-90 wt gear case.. Turned it into a black goo after a couple weeks. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2025 at 6:49am
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[QUOTE=DrAllis]A couple of things on those Twin-Wheel drive mowers: #1. Keep the sickle head bolt TIGHT. This bolt must be a grade 8 quality. #2. Make sure the serrations in the bushing this bolt clamps thru are CLEAN when assembling. #3. Keep the cross-arm snug against the bushing. Any looseness in any of these parts leads to quick destruction of said parts.[/QUOTE To add to this, a drop of red loctite on the threads doesn't hurt. Only way I could get mine to stay tight.
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Posted By: kevin LA-CA
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2025 at 9:44am
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I was mowing with dads 82s. Had to remove the sickle to replace some sections and had a few questions regarding reattaching. Only the head end has serrations? The bushing appears smooth on both ends. The threads in the head end are partially stripped. Is a helicoil strong enough for repair? How tight is tight for the cross bar ? I am afraid of cracking the casting. This one runs quiet. 
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Posted By: Brian G. NY
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2025 at 3:39pm
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Very early crossbar bushings were plain faced. Later ones had a serated face. When I rehabbed my 82S, I used some parts from different mowers including a #7 and even that had the serated knifehead and bushing. I have never even seen a smooth faced bushing but I know there must be some out there yet. I don't think I would ever mix the two styles. I would be looking for the matching bushing but I understand the serated bushings are scarcer than hen's teeth anymore. That might account for a prior owner settling for the wrong bushing. The threads on my knifehead were almost "shot" so I welded a quality nut on the bottom of the knife head. I only had to grind off a very little of it to make it easily clear everything on the under side of the cut bar. It has worked perfectly for years. You definitely want this bolt to be tight and a Grade 8 bolt is definitely in order here. You are fortunate to have an 82S mower. It and many of the other later built "Twin-Wheel" mowers have many improvements over earlier models. One of the biggest improvements was the change from the 5/8" thick to the 3/4" thick cut bar. The housing that surrounds the gear box is also made of much heavier material. Another big improvement was the change to ball bearings rather than steel on steel on the gear box support (I call it the "hinge"). When set up correctly, the 82S is a smooth operating and durable piece of equipment.
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Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2025 at 4:54pm
| The serrated sickle head and bushing are by far a better and more durable design, but again, that bolt must be kept TIGHT. Also, a dull sickle just adds to the stress of that whole area. |
Posted By: kevin LA-CA
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2025 at 7:10pm
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For what it is worth, looks like Allis changed to the channel type head and bushing midway in the production of the new style twin wheel. The parts book lists both part number pairs (head and bushing) for plain and channel type. An inattentive reader could easily order the wrong match part. Guess that is what happened to Dad's. Looks like serrated bushing can be bought. 
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Posted By: only AC orange
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2025 at 8:35pm
| For what it's worth - I have drilled and rethreaded the knife head and bushing to 9/16" after stripping threads on original. |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2025 at 10:36pm
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Make sure to keep the head greased well as the serrated bushing rotates back in forth with the action of the sickle. Great mowers, visibility of the sickle while mowing is wonderful. No turning around to see what’s going on. Best mower AC made IMO. ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: Gary Burnett
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2025 at 6:33am
| Do yourself and the mower a big favor buy a new complete sickle assembly from Webbs Sickle Service.I have bought several dozen sickle mowers over the years and None as in Zero had sections in them I'd take to the hay field and cut hay. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2025 at 7:24am
| In the old Pitman-stick days, you had to keep the sickle very sharp or you'd break the wooden stick !! Twin-Wheel drive was tougher than a stick of wood, so it was more forgiving. And then people complain about the bolt/serrated spacer working loose !! maybe enough dull sickle time did that !! |
Posted By: Dennis J OPKs
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2025 at 8:42am
| There were smooth sickle bars and serrated sickle bars, and each had their own use/applications, but I don't remember which was used for alfalfa and the other might have been for straw. Someone please educate me. |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2025 at 3:55pm
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I have found the fine serrated sections are best for fine grass types, like a pasture field. I use the serrated Tiger teeth on our orchard grass fields, especially spring time when the stalk is tall and thick. The Tiger teeth also works well in pasture grass, that sickle stays on my 82S. Switched to the section bolt kit many years ago. Makes replacing a section quick and easy. ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2025 at 3:59pm
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Kevin, where are you able to purchase the serrated bushing? I would like to get a spare. ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: im4racin
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2025 at 6:20pm
| I run Webb 200 sections and 270 guards on my mowers. Nobody around here can keep up with me. Doesn’t matter the material. Wire grass to alfalfa I can out cut them all! |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2025 at 6:26am
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AC720Man wrote:Posted By: kevin LA-CA
Date Posted: 21 Nov 2025 at 4:53pm
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It was Alex that had it. I haven't bought one yet... Not sure how many he has, so you might want to act quick. https://awtractor.com/" rel="nofollow - https://awtractor.com/ |