6 Best Sickle Bar Blades for Hay Fields

There’s a moment every season when you’re halfway through your first pass and the sickle bar starts to gum up, tearing the hay instead of slicing it. You know the sound—that frustrating chewing noise that means a long, hot afternoon of clearing clogs is ahead. The old-timers will tell you the problem isn’t always the mower; it’s the blade sections you chose for the job.

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The Enduring Value of a Sharp Sickle Bar Mower

A disc mower might be faster, but for a small field, nothing beats the simplicity and low power requirement of a sickle bar mower. They sip fuel and can be run by just about any tractor with a PTO. Their enduring value, however, hinges entirely on one thing: a razor-sharp, well-maintained cutter bar.

A dull or mismatched blade doesn’t just cut poorly; it damages your crop. Tearing stems instead of slicing them cleanly leads to slower drying times and increases leaf shatter in legumes like alfalfa, which is where most of the nutrition is. A clean cut also promotes faster, healthier regrowth for your next cutting.

Think of it this way: the engine provides the power, but the little triangular sections on the bar do all the real work. Choosing the right ones for your specific hay type and field conditions is the difference between a smooth, satisfying mow and a day spent fighting your equipment. It’s the cheapest, most effective upgrade you can make to your haying operation.

Herschel Under-Serrated Sections for Tough Stems

When you’re facing down a field of thick, stemmy sudangrass or first-cut alfalfa that got a little too mature, under-serrated sections are your best friend. The serrations are on the bottom edge of the blade, hidden from view but grabbing and sawing through tough, fibrous material that a smooth blade would just push over.

These sections are workhorses. Because the serrated cutting edge is somewhat protected by the smooth top surface, they tend to hold their edge for a surprisingly long time. They excel in conditions where the crop is dense and challenging.

The tradeoff is that they can be slightly less effective on very fine, soft grasses, where their aggressive sawing action isn’t really necessary. But for anyone battling wiry weeds or cutting forage for winter bedding, the grabbing power of an under-serrated section is hard to beat. They are problem-solvers for difficult cutting conditions.

A&I Products Chrome Top-Serrated for Durability

If you’re looking for a long-lasting, all-purpose blade, the chrome-plated, top-serrated section is a fantastic choice. The serrations are on the top, visible side of the blade, providing a crisp cutting action on a wide variety of mixed grasses and legumes. They offer a good balance of aggression and clean cutting.

The real advantage here is the chrome plating. It does two critical things: it makes the steel harder for better wear resistance, and it provides excellent protection against rust. If your mower sits outside or you often cut in the dewy morning, that rust resistance saves you a lot of maintenance headaches and extends the life of the blade significantly.

While they might cost a little more per section upfront, their extended lifespan often makes them more economical in the long run. For the hobby farmer who wants to install a set of blades and not worry about them for a few seasons of moderate use, this is a solid investment in reliability.

CountyLine Universal Sections: The Reliable Standby

You’ll find these in a box at just about every farm supply store, and there’s a good reason for it. CountyLine universal sections are the affordable, get-it-done option that has saved many a hay day. They are the definition of a reliable standby.

Most often, these are smooth or have a very fine, almost unnoticeable serration. They aren’t specialized for any one task, but they perform adequately in average conditions with mixed grasses. Their biggest selling point is availability and price; you can rebuild a whole cutter bar for a very reasonable cost.

Don’t expect them to last as long as a premium chrome section or cut through tough weeds like an under-serrated blade. But for a few acres of decent-quality grass hay, they work just fine. Every old-timer keeps a handful of these in the toolbox for quick field repairs, because sometimes "good enough" is exactly what you need to finish the job.

Webb’s Smooth Sickle Sections for Fine Grasses

Before serrated sections became common, the smooth, knife-edge section was the only option. Many purists still swear by them for one specific job: cutting fine, leafy grasses like timothy, brome, or orchardgrass. A properly sharpened smooth section delivers an impeccably clean, scissor-like cut.

This clean slice is less traumatic for the plant, which can lead to quicker regrowth. It also works beautifully on delicate legumes where you want to minimize stem bruising. The key to success with smooth sections, however, is non-negotiable: they must be kept exceptionally sharp.

A dull smooth section is useless. It will plug, drag, and tear the grass without cutting it. This means you’ll be spending more time with a file or grinder, but for those who prioritize hay quality and are willing to do the maintenance, the results are second to none.

Shoup’s Forged Steel Sections for Rocky Fields

If your hay field has a history of unearthing rocks, you know the sound of a sickle section shattering against one. Shoup and other suppliers offer sections made from forged steel, and their primary advantage is impact resistance. They are built to be tough, not just sharp.

Unlike standard stamped-steel sections that can be brittle, forged sections are designed to bend or deform before they break. Hitting a small rock might put a ding in the blade that you can file out later, rather than snapping the section in half and forcing an immediate stop for repairs.

This is a clear tradeoff. Forged sections might not hold the finest razor edge like a high-carbon smooth section, but their durability is the entire point. If you value uninterrupted mowing time over a perfect cut because your ground is unpredictable, choosing forged steel is a smart, practical decision to minimize downtime.

Herschel’s NH-Style Sections for New Holland Mowers

Not all sickle sections are interchangeable, and this is a critical point many people overlook. New Holland mowers, particularly the venerable 451 and 456 models, use a specific geometry for their guards and hold-down clips. Using a generic "universal" section might seem to fit, but it won’t have the correct shear angle or clearance.

Using the wrong section profile leads to poor cutting, accelerated wear on the guards, and frequent clogging. Herschel and other aftermarket suppliers make NH-style sections that are designed as direct replacements, ensuring the mower works exactly as it was designed to.

This isn’t about brand loyalty; it’s about mechanical function. Before you order any sections, double-check the make and model of your mower. Matching the section style to your specific machine is just as important as choosing between serrated and smooth.

Matching Blade Type to Your Specific Hay Crop

There is no single "best" sickle bar blade. The right choice is a moving target that depends entirely on your field, your crop, and how much maintenance you’re willing to do. The old-timers understood this and matched their tools to the task at hand.

You can use a simple framework to make your decision:

• For tough, stemmy, or weedy crops: Start with an under-serrated section for its aggressive sawing action.
• For fine, leafy grasses like timothy: A smooth section will give the cleanest cut, provided you keep it sharp.
• For general-purpose mixed hay: A top-serrated section, especially a chrome-plated one, offers a great blend of performance and durability.
• For fields with rocks or debris: The impact resistance of a forged steel section can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Think about your primary cutting challenge. Are you fighting weeds, striving for quality, or just trying to avoid breaking parts? Answering that question will point you directly to the right section for your cutter bar.

Ultimately, a well-chosen set of sickle sections transforms your mower from a clumsy tool into a precise instrument. It respects the crop, saves you fuel, and makes the work of putting up hay just a little more satisfying. A sharp, appropriate blade isn’t an expense; it’s an investment in a smoother, more productive season.