Weed Whipping - 1930's style

My neighbor has a great way to trim the long grass and weeds along the creek that goes through our properties.  He has a McCormick No. 9 sickle bar mower.  We can trim the creek in the front of the house in about 45 seconds per side.  That sure beats a sweaty hour of weed whipping.

Sure, back in the 1930's, this rig would have been pulled by some horses, but the International 184 is a little smoother.  My neighbor drove, weaved around the many trees, and kept us out of the creek - it was very professional driving.  Keep in mind, the sickle bar is driven by the steel wheels, so the faster you go the faster the sickle bar moves.  We feel it cuts better at a high speed. 

My job riding on the mower is to adjust the height of the sickle bar.  Too high, and you're not cutting anything.  Too low, and you plug up with mud, get loaded up with grass, or break something.  A hand lever coupled to a foot lever allows for movement of the sickle up and down.  If all this wasn't a challenge, staying on the seat certainly was.  The seat I rode on tipped forward somewhat.  So, bouncing over the yard at a decent clip on the edge of the creek while dodging trees and all the while nearly being launched forward out of your seat made for a fun afternoon.  I hope we can do this again soon.