Sears 842.260002 User manual

r--\' ,
#
"
I Sears I
,
.-
f
owners
,-
manual
-
r
tI -~
l·
I
l
r
i
r
~ .
MODEL NO
842.26002
. ,
.SICKLE BAR MOWE'R~~--
ATTACHMENT'
CAUTION:
Read Rules for
Safe 'Operation
~ C and Instructions
Carefully
• Set-up
• Operation
• Maintenance
• Repair Parts
S\~ars, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, Ill. 60684 U.S.A..',
and Simp sons SearsLimited, Torqnto

BY THINKING - BEFORE ACTING
AND
BY READING YOUR OPERATORS MANUAL
Most accidents, whether they occur in industry, on the farm, at home, or on the righway
are caused by the failure of some individual to follow simple and fundamental safety rules
or precautions. For this reason most accidents can be prevented by recognizing the real
cause and doing something about it before the accident occurs.
Regardless of the care used in the design and construction of any type of equipment, there
are many conditions that can not be completely safe guarded against without interfering
with reasonable accessibility and efficient operation.
A CAREFUL OPERATOR IS THE BEST INSURANCE AGAINST AN ACCIDENT.
THE COMPLETE OBSERVANCE OF ONE SIMPLE RULE WOULD PREVENT MANY
THOUSAND SERIOUS INJURIES EACH YEAR. THAT RULE IS:
NEVER ATTEMPTTO CLEAN, OIL, OR ADJUST A MACHINE WHILE IT IS IN
MOTIONI
A CAUTION A
STOP MACHINE TO ADJUST AND OIL.
;--j(EEP ALL SHIELDS IN PLACE.
• IF UNIT BECOMES CLOGGED, SHUT OFF
ENGINE BEFORE CLEANING.
• KEEP HANDS, FEET AND CLOTHING
AWAY FROM POWER-DRIVEN PARTS.
A CAUTION A
1.KEEP ALL SHIELDS IN PLACE.
2. DISEN&l6E ALL POWER AND SHUT OFF EN61NE
BEFORE SERVICIN6 OR UNCL0661N6 MACHINE.
3. WHEN HINDLlN6 CUnERBAR KEEP HANDS AND
FEEl AWAY FROM CUllIN6 ED6ES TO nolO INJURY.
4. KEEP HANDS, FEEl IND CLOTHIN6 AWlY FROM
POWER DRIVEN PARTS.

SAFETY RULES
ATIENTION BECOME
ALERT YOUR SAFETY IS
INVOLVED
This symbol is used to call your attention to safety precautions that should be
followed by the operator to avoidaccidents.When you see this symbol- Heed
ItsWarning.
Many hours of lost time andmuch suffering is caused
bythe failure to practicesimple safetyrules.
IT IS TOO LATE TO REMEMBERWHAT SHOULD
HAVEBEEN DONE AFTER THE ACCIDENT HAS
HAPPENED.
Readand become familiar with theowners manual for
yourtractor and mower before operati ngthemower.
Donot allow anyone to usethemower unlessthey have
been instructed inhowto operate it safely.
Never attempt to adjust,repair or service the mower
whilethetractorengine is running.
Be surethe sickle knives and drive belts have stopped
after shutting off engine before attempting to adjust,
repair or service the mower.
Always stay clear of thedrivebelts, pulleys and sickle
knives when the tractor engine is running.
Alwaysdisengage power to the mower and stop the
engine before leaving the operators position.
Do not wear loose fitting clothing that may beblown
into moving parts.
A
CAUTION:The sickle knives and belts
maycontinue to move severalseconds
after the clutch has been disengaged or
the engine shut off.
Mark clearly,or removefrom any area to be mowed
any objectswhich might be caught in or be struck by
the sicklebar.
Tractor and mower should alwaysbe stoppedand in-
spected for damage after strikingaforeign objeCt and
the damageshould be repaired before restarting and'~,
operating the equipment.
When leaving tractor and mower unattended,always
disengage PTO clutch, shift into neutral,set parking
brake,stop engine and removekey.Install knife
guard over sickle.
Always be especially careful when working around,
raising or lowering cutter bar to or from transport
position.The sickle knife cutting edges are very
sharp andcan cause injury.
REMEMBER THAT SAFE OPERATION
ACCIDENT.
A SAFETY PRECAUTIONS A
CAUTION: ALWAYS disengage tractor and/or sickle
bar attachment clutch,stop tractor en-
gine and set tractor parking brake be-
fore dismounting from tractor.
CAUTION:KEEP HANDSandfeet away from the sickle.
CAUTION: DO NOT allow anyoneto walk alongside,
in frontof,or behind the machineduring
operation.
CAUTION: The machine should not be lubricated or
any adjustment made while it is RUNNING.
CAUTION: AVOIDexcessive speed.

SEARS SICKLE BAR MOWER
MODEL 842.26002
Your Sears Sickle Bar Mowerhas been designed speci-
fically for your tractor with all controls convenient to
the operator,its rugged construction assures YQU long
lifeand highest performance.The mower cuts an ef-
fective48" swath.
Keepthis manual available for ready reference. It has
been carefully prepared to instruct you in operating,
maintainingand lubricating your Sears Sickle Bar
Mower.Emphasis has been placed on safetyand oper-
ator protection. However,careless and negligent
operation can stillresult in serious injury to persons
and property.It is very important that each operator
fully understands the contents of this manual for safe,
.dependable operation and to prolong the life ofthe
equipment.
OPERATING TRACTORS WITH GEAR TYPE
TRANSMISSIONS
Best cutting results will be obtained by operating trac-
tor at 314to full engine speed.
The tractor should beequipped with a wheel weight
on the left rear wheel of the tractor.These can
be obtained from your Sears store
Performance of the sickle knife depends on the follow-
ing points, all of which are important: (1) sharpness
of sickle knife;(2) wear plate adjustment; (3) straight-
ness of knife bar; (4) hold-down clip clearance; (5)
speedof sickle knife.
When mowing in extremely rough areas,tractor
~hould beoperated in 1st Gear(Low Range).D~pend-
Ing on ground and grassconditions. In other areas,
2nd Gea~(Low Range) or 1st Gear (High Range) will
usually give you the best results. When cutting brush
larger than 1/2"diameter,it may be necessary to
stop tractor movementwhen sickle bar makescontact
and allow the sickle knife tocut through the brush
material.It is not recommended to attempt to cut
through material exceedingan inch in diameter.
Thesickle barmower can be transported from one
location to another bv raising the unitand locking it
Into position as illustrated on page 11Fig.15
Always install knife guard on mower bar when trans-
porting.Fig.15
Always operate at careful speeds in transporting and
avoid making sudden orsharp turns with the mower
in raised position .
Cutting Width Mows48" Swath
LJrive Belt Uriven from tractor P.T.O.
Clutch Manual
Suspension Free-Floating, Spring Suspended
Mounting Swivel, Vibration-Dampening
Cutting Speed 900-11 00 Strokes per Minute
Stroke FuIl3 "Width
Shear Knives High Carbon Steel
Guards Non-clogging
Vertical Adjustment 45° below to 45°above
horizontal
Transport Position Pin-Locked forTransport
........................................Automatic Spring-Loaded
"Swing Back"device protects against
damage from solid objects
Construction AII Steel, with Anti-Friction bear-
ings
Table of Contents
SAFETY'••••.••••.• 0 ••••••••• $ •••••••••••• III•• • • • • • • •• 2-3
SET UP ••••.•.•••••••••.•.••.•..••••. 0 ••••••••••••••• 5-9
OPERATION••••••••••••..•..•••.••• ea. • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 10 -15
MAINTENANC E ••••••.• •••• '•••••••••••• 0• • • • •• • • • • •• • • • 16
OPERATING MOWER ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 10
V-BELTS ••••••.•.•••••••••••••••••.•••••.••••••••••••• 12-13
SICKLEKNIFE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••: • • • • • ••• 14
TRANSPORTINGMOWER. • • • • ••• • •• • • • • • • ••• • • • ••• • ••••••• 11
ADJUSTMENTS ••••••• \.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 12..14
SERVICE TIPS It ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 • GO. 15
PARTS LISTING •••••••••••••••••.••.•.•••••••••...••.••••17-23

-c
Your Sears Sickle Bar attachment and all necessary
parts andhardware are packed in one carton. Unpack
the cartoncarefully to insure thatallparts are pre-
sent.
A. Basic Mower Assembly
B.Main Frame
C. Carrier
D. GearboxAssembly
E.Pivot Pipe
F. Drawbar Hitch
G.Long V-belt
H.Short V-belt
With some tools you already own plus a few inexpen-
sive items that can be purchases at your Searsstore,
set-up and maintenance can be accomplished quickly
and accurately.
1.9/16"openend wrench (2).
2.3/4"open end wrench (2).
3. Grease Gun
4.Oil Can
SET UP
-F
B
/
1. Before beginningassembly ofthe sicklebar attach-
ment, remove any other attachments on the tractor.
2. Remove right-hand grill side by removing bolts
(P) shown in Fig. 2 .Keep grill side and bolts sothey
may bereplaced when sickle bar mower is removed.

SET UP
ATTACHMENT OF GEARBOX ASSEMBLY
FIG.3
Slide gearbox mounting frame(A) into tractor mount-
ing channel until pins (B) reachrear of slots (C).
Be sure that clutch adjusting rod (0) is to left ofcen-
ter bar (E). Install small V-belt (H, Fig.1) onto
gearbox pulley.
:; t
.t~~-
Remove pulley guard (A) and move belt guide (B) to
top hole in guard marked "rotary mower". Hole
marked "cutterbar mower" isnotused.Place belt
from gearbox around largest pulley shieve (C).Re-
place pulley guard,being sure.that belt guide (B) is
"'over the top of V-belt.
Fig.4
INSTALLATION OF SICKLE BAR CLUTCHATTACHMENT OF CLUTCH ROD -FIG.4
BELT - FIG. 4 With the attachment clutch lever (H) in the "OUT"
or disengaged position, connect rod (J) to strap (K)
and secure with hair cotter pin.When attachmentle-
ver is engaged or in the "IN" position, thedistance
between the belt centers just above idler pulley (L)
should beapproximately 2-5/8" as shown. (See page
12 of "Operation" for belt adjustment.)
1
i
~\

J
/l; ~\I( ,j;,
~,' ,J~STAllATIONOFMAIN FRAME TO
,",t~~mACTOR FIG.5
;/<
Slide main frame undertractor and center.Insert pivot
pipe (C Fig.5) into large outside hole (0) in
main frame andlocatingpeg into small hole.
Secure with hair cotter pin through locating peg.
Fig.6
Remove locating pins from front hanger straps (A).Fig.
6. Note that left pinhas washer and spring attached.
Raiseleftside ofmain frame until tractor hanger
bracket (B) is between hanger straps (A). Insert
locating pin,addwasher to pin andsecure with hair
cotter pin.Attach main frame toright side of axle in
same mannerusing foot pedal for leverage inlifting.
Placesmall gearbox belt around jackshaft pulley (C).
SETUP
Fig.7
Slide clamp shock absorber Fig.7 IF, .Fi~.1) onto
pivot pipe(E). Remove clevis pin from drawbar hitch'
(G). Raise hit~h and slide tractor drawbar plate
between straps of drawbar hitch as shown'in Fig. 7.
Align holesin plate"and hitch and insertpin'.,,'$~ ';ure
with hair cotter pin. ,.J- ''<,;
Fig.8
INSTALLATION OF GEARBOX
'RETAINER SPRINGFIG. 8
To offset tension produced by the sickle bar clutching
belt, a retaining spring must beadded to the leftside
of the gearbox assembly. (Fig.8 )
Remove hair pin from chain and toggle (G) Fig. 8.in
upper left-hand corner of gearboxassembly, but leave
chain in hole. Re-attach end of spring to washeron
locating pin(H) and hook opposite end through last
link of chainand toggle.Add tension to sprin i:lby pul-
ling six tonine links out through hole in gearbox and
secure by placinghair' pin justabove hole ingearbox
assembly.

SET UP
Fig.9
ATTACHMENT OF BASIC MOWER TO
MAIN FRAME - FIG.9
1.. Loop long beltoverrear jackshaftpulley and under
idlerpulley (A). FIG. 9
2.Remove hair cotter pin andwasher from peg (8)
on main frame.
NOTE: For easiest installationof basicsickle, place
wood two byfour under main frame asshown in Fig. 9 .
Lift basic mower and place tube (e) over mounting
peg.(8). Put washer on peg andsecurewith hair cot-
terpin as shown in'.Fig. 10. Place jackshaft V-belt
around flywheel pulley (0). The sickle bar is nowin
the break-backposition. Lock it into operating position
by pulling sharply forward on end of sicklebar until
bolt (E) is securely innotch of latch (F).
CONNECTION OF FOOT LIFT TO BASIC
MOWER - FIG.1 i
Pull foot lever (E) torear of tractorand slip free end
of braidedwire (F) underhousing stop guard assem-
bly (removed forillustration) and loop over bolt (G).
Besurewasher is between loopand end of bolt (Fig.
11). Thedistance of thefoot pedaI from the operator
is controlled by slot in yoke of pulley (H). To adjust
foot pedal nearer tooperator, loosen nut on pulley
(H) and movetoward rearofslot.To adjust pedal
farther fr0rll.operator, movepulley tofront of slot.

Fig.12
. ,
INSTAllATION OF CARRIER ARM
Insert endof carrier ,arm(A) into square pocketat
(B). Remove safety"c1evispin (H) androtate carrier
arm shield to position shown in Figure'12.Connect
"S"hook of spring assembly (C) to fourth or fifth
link in chain (D).
To apply tension to spring assembly (e). rotateshield
180 degrees to position shown by dotted line.Insert
safety clevis pin and secure with hair cotterpin,
The inner shoe ofthe sickle should restlightly onthe
ground allowing the inner shoe to"float" more easily
over uneven terrain. For added clearance,drop addi-
tional links of chain toincrease tension on lift spring
C).
SET UP
Thetorsion spring (P) controls the weight on outer
shoe of sickle bar.Raise sickle bar and slip eyebolt
(0) over spring end as shown..
To decrease weight on outer shoe, turn inside nut'on
eyebolt (0) clockwise and lock in placewith outside'
nut. To increase weight on outer shoe, turn outSide
nutcounterclockwise andsecure in place withinside
nut.
NOTE: Foradjustment of SmallGear Box V-Belt
& Pitman Drive Belt see Page 13, Figures 19 & 20.
Keep hands and feet away from the knivesuntil the
machine has come to acomplete stop.
Always disengage the tractor attachment clutch before
dismounting from the tractor. Before servicing machine,
disengage power, shut offengine,and disconnect engine
spark plugcable(s).remove key.
Do not allow anyone to walk alongside, in frontofor
behind themachine during operation.
Before mowing, check and remove sticks, stones or
any other debris from area to be mowed. This will
prevent possible mower damage as well as eliminate
the possibility of blades picking up and throwing de-
bris.
Always drive slowly over rough ground and on hillsides.
Driveat speedsslow enough to insure your safety.
Always wear relatively tight and belted clothing when
operating tractor.Loose jackets, shirtsleeves or other
loose clothing should not be permitted because of the
danger of catching them in moving parts or controls.
Refuelyour tractor only when the engine has been shut
off and cooled down. Never smoke while filling the fuel
tank.
Beforeleaving tractor seat,always disengage mower
drive clutch and stop tractor.

OPERATION
1. Be sure mower has been properly assembled to
tractor. Set-up instructions start on page5.
2. Be suremower is properly adjusted. See set up
section.
3. Check condition of sickle sections. Keep them
sharp.
4.Besuresickle bar mower is lubricated. See "Lub-
rication" on page 16.
With tractorenginethrottle setjustabove idle, engage
.•'tractor attachment clutch lever slowly. Advance
~' throttlet0314tofull.
METHOD OF MOWING:
Before mowing a new plotofgrass, alwaysstopto
analyze theareafor best mowing procedure. Consider
also theheight of grass to be mowed,type of terrain
(level,hilly or pitted), as wellas the presence of
rocks or trash. Eachcondition will require certain
adjustments orprecautions, as outlinedin thefollowing
pages.
AA
Before servicing machine,disenga~e sickle bar
mower attachmentclutch, set parking brake, stop
engine, removekeys and disconnect engine spark
plug cable(s).
Pickup all rocks,stones and other debris you can find
before mowing in anew area. Enterthe area cautiously.
Sickle bar mower can operate from 45 degreevertical
to 45 degree below horizontal.It may be necessary to
release some tension on the torsion spring to allow
mower bar to drop to lowest angle. There should be
a1132" clearance between sickle sections and hold
down clips. Ifseveral years of dead grass have ac-
cumulated in areas being cut,particularly on hills or
slopes,itmay be necessary to cut against the slope
due todead material leaning forward, thereby not
allowing the sickle to cut cleanly.
Testpattern cutting will soon show you the most appro-
priate way to approach the task.Remember,the pro-
per settings, asharp sickle, correct forward speed,
and good general maintenance will enable you tocut
any reasonable patch ofgrass with satisfaction. Over-
looking anyone of the above points may detract from
the machine's performance. A few points are listed
below:
Exceptionally tall grass or weeds,uneven terrain,
may require you to operateyour tractor at a much
slower speed thanyou would normally use.On the
other hand,sparse weeds,etc.,may enableyou to
operate at a higher rate offorward speed than would
normally beusedunder ordinary cutting conditions.