Combines JD head on a TR85

Yes, I've seen people but a 220 JD head on a TR85. All you need is a BISH head adapter.

A J.D. head will fit with a bish adapter, but the 972 should cut as close as the J.D. head. Have you tried playing with the header contol adjustmentIJ If you have a later TR-85 you can tilt the feeder house front plate to get a closer cut.If you don't have the later feeder house you could get one from a salvage yard and install it on your TR without much problems and this should take care of your cutting problems.

I have messed with the header height control, but if the head is lowered to far, the cutterbar starts coming up in front and cuts higher. I ran it manually all fall just touching the ground to cut as close as possible. I do like the twin sickle aspect of the head. I probably have the old style feederhouse on the combine, it has the high and low drive on it.

This may sound kinda funny. I have a neighbor that has 3 TR85's. Two have the new style head and the one has the old. He took a torch and cut 2 slots at the back of the square tubing and stabs the two guide straps on the feeder house into the slots tilting the header forward and off its heals. It looks funny, and you actually have a hole between the feeder house and the head, but don't loose anything thru it, but it works.