Harvest with a John Deere 6620

John Deere 9700 Chopper

Speed Up Your Head and Pick Cleaner

Is Your John Deere Draper Head Out of Sync?

Harvest Tip: Check Your Cobs by Hand to Help Determine Threshing Settings

Check the Unharvested Rows to Determine Combine Versus Header Losses

Silage Chopped and Stored

Moisture Sensor Correction

John Deere HDF Wing Calibration

This video explains how to perform the Hinge Draper Wing Position Calibration on a John Deere HDF head, a necessary step unique from HydroFlex or RDF headers. By walking through simple steps like unlocking the wings and adjusting suspension pressure, this quick two-minute calibration ensures the system accurately understands each wing’s full range of travel for optimal performance.

John Deere HDF HDR Draper In Cab Operation

This video walks through tips for first-time use of the John Deere HDF (HydraFlex Draper) head, including how to adjust downforce settings, wing pressures, and reel presets using the 1-2-3 joystick functions. With advanced tuning features like independent wing pressure and automatic reel/resume controls, operators can maximize performance, reduce crop loss, and streamline in-field adjustments on the go.

Swept Back Paddles for PowerCast

Residue management is more important than ever, and John Deere’s PowerCast™ swept-back paddles help farmers achieve a more consistent spread pattern at harvest. Unlike the original flat paddle, the swept-back design with its chamfered edge pushes residue down sooner, creating a more uniform distribution across the field. If you’re looking to improve residue flow, spread consistency, and harvest efficiency on your combine, this upgrade is a simple way to make a big difference.

Combine Chopper Knife Checks

The chopper drum on your combine does heavy work so keep knives sharp and avoid over-chopping in corn by running stationary knives out to save horsepower. For soybeans, don’t shove the stationary knives all the way in; a small adjustment (about 10–50%) gets the knife tips into the chopper chamber for finer residue without the big power draw. This setup delivers the best balance of chop quality, ground speed, and overall combine performance, improving residue sizing while protecting efficiency.

HDF Draper Hydraulic Block (older model year)

Master your John Deere HDF flex draper by using the hydraulic block decals correctly: set service mode to lock wing movement, then use the solenoid button to relax the frame for safe trailer loading and unloading. Before field operation, press the button in, turn it clockwise, and run red handle up so the combine has full control of the head. These steps keep the frame and cutterbar flexible in the field, speed up moves between fields, and make harvest smoother and safer.

HDF Draper Hydraulic Block (newer model year)

Run your newer John Deere HDF header the right way by setting the hydraulic block to Combine Mode before you pick the head up so the combine controls wing flex and movement. Use Service Mode to lock the frame when unhooking, and switch to Trailer Mode after the head is on the trailer so the wings can relax, which prevents heat buildup, pressure spikes, and lifted wings that can break straps. Before you hook back up, flip it to Combine Mode again to ensure smooth operation, safer transport, and faster moves between fields.

Concave Leveling Importance

Level your combine concave front to back before harvest to protect threshing performance, material flow, and horsepower utilization. Follow the operator’s procedure to set a true zero point, remove the electric adjustment motor to turn the worm gear by hand, rotate the rotor to check 360 degrees of clearance, and fine tune until it just ticks at the front and rear, then back off a quarter turn. Bring the stop bolts in, recalibrate in the cab so zero matches, and you will start the season with a balanced machine and cleaner, more consistent results.