Adapter to fit John Deere® (8000 & 9000 series)

The K8000 adapter is designed for harvesting just the ears of corn using a row-crop header to make earlage. Earlage is harvested later than silage, giving producers a longer working window and providing a product that reduces the amount of roughage needed in a corn-based ration. This makes it a valuable tool for efficient livestock feed production.

This adapter is specifically made for John Deere® 8000 and 9000 series self-propelled forage harvesters. It facilitates the connection between the harvester and a row-crop header, making the transition from silage harvesting to earlage harvesting simple. Installation is the same as hooking up any other implement, and the adapter can be left on the harvester or corn head when not in use. When left on the corn head, simply lift the adapter/corn head and hook up the PTOs.

The K8000 adapter is modeled off our proven single paddle design, ensuring smooth material input. It is ideally suited for 8-row corn heads and fits both narrow and wide row heads. The design and feeding angle promote faster product feeding when harvesting. The PTO connection can be removed in just 10 minutes, allowing for a better corn head angle. Equipped with a standard dual drive, the K8000 adapter powers various corn heads, including John Deere®, New Holland®, Case IH®, Drago™, and more.

These adapters are highly robust, with many customers enjoying over 10 years of use. Replacement typically occurs when a customer upgrades their harvester or switches brands.

Installation and Operation Tips:

To block up the feed rolls, use K9000KIT or K8000KIT, depending on serial number breaks. We highly recommend using bottom earlage pans to make the feed roll chamber act like a tunnel for better material flow. You will also need to remove the quick coupler from the forage harvester and use K8000DL to drive the earlage adapter. Additionally, we encourage purchasing a heavy-duty PTO shaft for the left-hand side of the earlage adapter to drive the cornhead, as standard PTOs can wear out quickly. If the earlage adapter is not feeding properly, check the teeth on the upper rear feed roll. If the feed roll has no sharp teeth, it won't be able to grab the corn cob and feed it into the cutter head effectively.

Maintenance and Care:

Replace the gearbox oil every season with 4 quarts of 75W-90PS. With the gearbox sitting level, remove the plug from the back of the gearbox and fill it through the top hole until the oil is level with the back hole. If you wish to use the header height control in your harvester, you will need the K31-EXT Header Height Control Extension Cord.

Why Choose Kooima Ag?

Kooima Ag is the leader in header adapter manufacturing. We continuously test and implement customer feedback to offer some of the best products on the market. Our customers have trusted our adapters for over a decade, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and performance.

Patent # 8,376,126

Customer Testimonial

"We love our Kooima earlage adapter we purchased this year to fit our 8600's chopper's 8-row shredding head. The outcome was far better than the adapter we demoed last year, and more importantly, the customers were more satisfied!"

• United Ag Enterprises, LLC - Wisconsin