Combines flex draper head on 9600

We run a 30' and love it. The only hassle is it won't fit down some of our roads and we have to pull it. Don't buy the transport kit buy a trailer, if you plan on cutting wheat get the gage wheels.

Hop-a-long, is your 30foot draper really a flex draper, three sectionIJ What makeIJ Do you use it for soybeans alsoIJ

While working for Machinerylink, we had pretty good luck running rigid MacDon drapers on the 9600s, especially in wheat, where feeding "heads first" is very beneficial on a conventional cylinder machine for best threshing. It was nice having the cutter bar out front further and better view of the cutterbar. We did some trial testing of the MacDon flex draper in Nebraska pivot irrigation soybeans in 2003, but not overly impressed due to the dirt ingestion along the pivot wheel tracks. The tri-flex cutter bar could not ride up over the wheel tracks _ rigids like a true flexhead cutterbar. Things may have improved by now and some work is being done on a true "flexible cutter bar" for a draper header. But, from what I've seen, it would be difficult to match the newer 40' max-flex cutter bars harvesting soybeans on rolling or irrigated ground. Do make sure to get the right knife drive pulleys for the MacDon to match with the JD backshaft _ header drive speed. Good luck.

I've ran a 36' flexdraper for two years. It works great. Make sure your 9600 has the large lift cylinders.

Who makes a 40' max flex cutterbarIJIJIJIJ

Claas _ Cat lexion Omaha sells a model 540 "Max-flex" header on the market since last year. I'm pretty sure the frame and most components are made around Nebraska and assembled in Omaha. It was impressive at 2005 and 2006 US farm shows. It has a 6" vertical flex range with a true flex cutter bar, some stainless steel flooring where needed. Their lateral tilt feederhouse provides additional left right tilt, (around 4-5 degrees as I recall) This seems to be a very well built header. It can also be locked up rigid for small grains. Other nice features include full fingered split auger with center support to maintain floor clearance and elimiate "stipper chirping" in the center. Rear stripper plates are also easily adjusted along the back of the header. Also has dual knife drives, (albeit one on each end) for reliable cutter bar performance. I continue to hear and see problems of JD935 cutter bar and knife drive problems around here, especially during soybeans harvest time. The lexion _ Cat 540 Max-flex seems to be the best 40' auger head on the market today. I think they also have it available in a 35' version for this year. I added a link below where you might find more information, but I did not see a 540 Max-flex tab button there either. The 540 flex head works good in soybeans with the 590 and 595 lexions.

I did some more looking and found the corrected link. I left too many http:__ in the above listing. I was also wrong again on the cutterbar vertical travel range.... it's seven inches. As the song goes: Size Matters! It does have dual strokers, one on each end. Very nice reel, split in the middle, 50 - 50, with great tine bars. Eventually it seems that this could easily evolve into a ClAD configuration.

MacDon 974 with a 873 adaptor bought it for beans. This will be its 3rd season with us. Have since bought a 36' to use on the lexion.

hop-a-long - Thanks for the clarification and history. That should be a good combination for comparison between the JD and lexion. Will be traveling to WI and KS later this month, and would like to see them side by side if possible. email FarmBuddy@aol.com

We ran the 962 36' on our 9610s in 2000 and loved them. It was our first year with MacDon and we stayed with them and never looked back. You might know, that Degelman in Minot, ND is the US headquarter for MacDon. Once you get the head and have questions running it don't be afraid to call MacDon service at 800-MACDON1 (800-622-3661). From 6 years of experience I dare to say that MacDon service is second to none.