Rural Heritage June/July 2025

This photo shows how a coupling bar conforms to a jig, in this case a jig for a No. 7 mower. Maggie Smith Photo

Small bolts drop in to keep it in place until you tighten a 1-inch bolt in the center. A combination of tightening and “tapping” with a 2-pound hammer will usually convince the wheel to slide off the axle, bringing the hub assembly with it. Sometimes the tapping will turn into pounding! But the puller was made to take that abuse. There was a debate over rubber or steel as Dave had both options on his trailer. In the end, he went with rubber. On the second day, we decided to try changing the wheel on the other side, and it was good we did. We found more broken springs in the hubs, which we were able to replace. One advantage we had in hosting a mower repair event is my shop also serves as the local mower shop for parts for my Amish neighbors. I will occasionally help with simple repairs; mostly I just supply parts. All summer long, as long as the grass is growing and it is not too rainy, I have a steady stream of customers looking for knives, pitmans and almost anything else you can break or loose on a No. 7 or a No. 9. In the spring I restock my shelves with $3,000 or $4,000 worth of parts and wait for the onslaught. In advance of the weekend, I also prepared a couple of coupling bars. These large bars that start under the gearbox and run to the cutter bar head are the basis of correct lead in the mower. Over the many years of use, fatigue, combined with slop and wear, allows the bar to sit back and not maintain a good The wheel puller uses small bolts that drop in to keep the machine in place until you tighten a 1-inch bolt in the center to pull the wheel. Maggie Smith Photo

The jig for the No. 9 coupling bar with measurements. Maggie Smith Photo

inline position with the pitman stick. Proper lead has the cutter bar running a little ahead of a straight-line The jig for the No. 7 coupling bar with measurements. Maggie Smith Photo

Rural Heritage

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