How to make a new tire for your Jari sickle bar mower

[Shran]

I have a fascination with these walk behind sickle bar mowers - I've used an ancient Master Sickle one from the 40's for a long time but recently traded my way into a Jari Monarch. My dad has about 5 acres of tall grass to cut and that will make quick work of it but unfortunately after getting it running, it threw a tire. These are a really specialized piece, there is a cog gear on each side that drives the tires by way of teeth cut into the rubber so without a tire, the self propel doesn't work. Of course this machine is fairly old and Jari went out of business in 2018 so there are NO parts anywhere.

What to do....................... I first thought about trying to find a piece of conveyor belting or something like that but it occurred to me that maybe I could cut off just the beads of another tire and then put them both on the wheel. A measurement revealed that a 14" tire was too small, 15" was too big, but a 14.5" mobile home tire MIGHT work. So I obtained one and spent several hours trimming the inside of the bead with a utility knife so that it fit very snug on the wheel. I also had to split the wheel - it is spot welded together - and I had to cut the center sleeve with a sawzall. I put the two tire beads on the wheel halves and bolted it back together, then trimmed the rubber to a similar OD as the other wheel.

It looks a little funny and no longer has teeth but the self propel cog really bites into the rubber and it drives itself just fine. I thought about cutting teeth with a tire groover but I'm gonna leave it alone for now. Hope this helps someone else, tech info on these things is hard to find.

 

[pentode]

I really respect people who FIX things. Kudos.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Have you tried it in wet grass? I'll bet that is where cogs on the wheel will help.

 

[Shran]

I really respect people who FIX things. Kudos.

Thanks, it was either fix it or it was basically scrap.

Have you tried it in wet grass? I'll bet that is where cogs on the wheel will help.

I have not and I bet you're right. Now that I know this works I might try making another set of tires with teeth cut into them. I bet the other tire will need to be replaced sooner than later anyway.

My other one has smooth rubber wheels, I actually like that one better because the wheels are much closer together so it'll turn on a dime. Have not run that one in wet grass either.

 

[pentode]

Thanks, it was either fix it or it was basically scrap.



I have not and I bet you're right. Now that I know this works I might try making another set of tires with teeth cut into them. I bet the other tire will need to be replaced sooner than later anyway.

My other one has smooth rubber wheels, I actually like that one better because the wheels are much closer together so it'll turn on a dime. Have not run that one in wet grass either.

I always hate to see machines that can still do good work getting scrapped and shredded for steel. Obviously we live in a world where most people just throw stuff away and replace.

Re the wet grass problem... Call it a beta version? Or better yet, and excuse not to have to cut grass in the rain?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Have you tried it in wet grass? I'll bet that is where cogs on the wheel will help.

I don't know with these walk behind ones but when you cut with a tractor sickle mower you do not want your grass wet for a multitude of reasons.

It dries quicker standing than down and you don't have to rake it as much to try to get it to dry out. And while you are doing that you are playing with it rather than baling it and getting it off the field before it hurts the next cutting and extending the time you have to have before the next rain.

Mine needs a new tire too, it just uses a wheel barrow tire though. It holds air for a day... and on something that sits in the weeds 360 days a year that is good enough for now.

 

[Shran]

My dad has a hay rake that he pulls with a garden tractor and enough ground that I think he could make a decent amount of hay... main thing for him is fire protection, keep the tall grass knocked down so that a fire won't rip through.

I use mine in the empty lot behind my house to keep the weeds knocked down. There is a lot of huge burdock, thistles, and other nasty stuff that I don't really want spreading into my property. They should spray back there but it would be a huge undertaking so I just try and help out in exchange for the kids playing out there.

 

[scotts90ranger]

This is very interesting, I have I think 3 Jari's in various stages, the one at my brothers is is usable shape, the other two need something or other likely running engines... All of mine so far have ok tires but was wondering about that. I had big hopes for them but I think other things will work better... although this time of year they would work great under my dwarf apple trees...

 

[superj]

that dude above scotts90ranger sure looks like a spammer

 

[Shran]

This is very interesting, I have I think 3 Jari's in various stages, the one at my brothers is is usable shape, the other two need something or other likely running engines... All of mine so far have ok tires but was wondering about that. I had big hopes for them but I think other things will work better... although this time of year they would work great under my dwarf apple trees...

They work really well for quickly knocking down tall grass, weeds, even small brush. I only use mine once or twice a year, push mower takes care of the rest.

that dude above scotts90ranger sure looks like a spammer

Ukraine IP... yup