John Deere F350R
Front Mount Mower-Conditioner

Tractor hookup

8R Tractor front hitch

The F310R and F350R Front-Mounted Mower-Conditioners are used to maximize the potential of the 7R or 8R Tractor equipped with a front power take-off (PTO) and front hitch. This 1000-rpm mower-conditioner can be combined with the following 1000 rpm mower-conditioners to increase productivity:

• Side-pull mower-conditioner
• Center-pivot mower-conditioner
• Twin rear-mounted mower-conditioner

Unmatched productivity is gained with cutting widths up to 9.9 m (32.5 ft) in one pass along with a narrow transport width.

The A-frame adapter enables quick and easy installation of the F310R or F350R Front-Mounted Mower-Conditioners. The adapter attaches to the tractor’s front 3-point hitch and locks into the mating headstock that is part of the mower-conditioner.

• Enables easy attaching/detaching of front-mounted mower-conditioner
• Mounting position of headstock is adjustable to assure proper clearance for the forming shields

Down stop chains are include for use with tractors, such as the 8R, without front hitch position sensing. A front chain support kit (RE327692) is required to connect the down stop chains on an 8R Tractor.

The 7R Tractors are equipped with position sensing that has the ability to establish front hitch set points from the CommandCenter™ controls. Position sensing will maintain the height of the hitch arms based on the set point.

The front chain support kit (RE327692) is not required for 7R Tractors, but damage to the front PTO driveshaft can occur if the front hitch positioning is not set correctly, or if the set point is manually overridden.

Hydraulic cylinders are used to raise and lower the cutting platform when crossing headlands.

• Front tractor hitch is not used to raise and lower the cutting platform
• Uses single-acting selective control valve (SCV) to raise platform.
• Lift cylinder operation must be independent of the front hitch operation.

The 3.5-m (11.5-ft) wide cutterbar

Quick-change knives (QCK) technology

Large farms, machinery rings and contractors need high quality output, and ease of serviceability.

• The cutterbars are fast mowing, with high quality work and reliable set-up.
• Each disc is protected against heavy shocks with a shear point located on the disc drive.
• All modules and intermediate gears are quickly and easily interchangeable.

To meet high quality output, the cutterbar is an oil-immersed, gear-driven cutting bed.

• All discs are offering an orbital cutting diameter of 440 mm (17.3 in.).
• With seven discs, the cutting width will be 3.1 m (10.2 ft). With eight discs, the cutting width will be 3.5 m (11.5 ft).
• Disc speeds are 2986 rpm.

To meet serviceability, the cutting bed is lubricated for life:

• No oil changes necessary.
• Discs are fitted with quick change knives technology.
• Cutting height is from 35 to 85 mm (1.4 to 3.3 in.).

Time needed to change a knife is below 15 seconds. It is an efficient way to gain up to 30 minutes of maintenance time on the mower conditioners.

Turnbuckle adjustment

Cutting height is adjusted by changing the turnbuckle on the front hitch. Cutting range is from 35 mm to 85 mm (1.4 in. to 3.3 in.).

Impeller Style Conditioning

Pivoting steel fingers for perfect conditioning in all crops

Producers need to be reactive to weather conditions when harvest is ready. They must cut faster, with efficient conditioning using swathing or wide spread.

• The steel fingers provide the right impact on the plant to remove the waxy coat.
• The R870R is equipped with four V-shaped tines in on both sides of the conditioner and 76 straights.
• The R950R and R990R are equipped with four V-shaped tines in on both sides of the conditioner and 100 straights.
• This accelerates the drying process while requiring little maintenance.

To improve productivity:

• Two conditioning positions are available at 755 or 1000 rpm.
• Speed change is done by a simple selector on the gear box.

The desired swath size can easily be obtained with adjustable swath deflectors:

• From 1.2 to 2.0 m (3.9 ft-6.6 ft) on the F310R and F350R
• From 1.45 to 2.40 m (4.7 to 7.9 ft) on the R870R
• From 1.85 to 2.40 m (6.1 to 7.9 ft) on the R950R and R990R
• Wide spread is available on all machines when very fast drying is required

Proper conditioning in a wide range of crops can be achieved when the conditioner is properly adjusted.

The impeller conditioner works well in legumes, especially alfalfa and most all-grass crops. Impeller conditioners are not recommended for thick-stemmed or cane-type crops, such as sudan or sudex, or crops more than 1.5-m (5-ft) tall.

How an impeller conditioner works:

Impeller conditioning

1. As hay is cut by rotating knives, tines (2) pick up the plants and carry them through the machine. Tines are free swinging to reduce damage to the conditioner if rocks or other solid objects are struck. 
2. As the plant passes through, it rubs against the conditioning hood (1) and other plants. Scuffing action removes the waxy surface from the stem of the plant to allow faster evaporation of moisture.
3. The pivot point for the conditioning hood is also adjustable to provide a wider range of conditioning intensity.

Adjusting impeller speed

The speed at which the tines rotate will also affect the degree of conditioning. Two impeller speeds can be achieved by simply moving the lever from 755 to 1000 rpm.

Square Flex Conditioning

Square Flex conditioning rolls are ideal for alfalfa, but also for heavy forage like sorghum or grasses such as oats or sudan grass. The large diameter (24 cm) provides a good throughput capacity and ensures a smooth material flow without material sticking to the rolls.

Conditioning pressure can be adjusted up to 336 lb/ft by rotating a central adjusting screw placed on the torsion bars. This provides a wide range for conditioning pressure

The double animated rolls are directly driven by maintenance free double transmissions. This allows for synchronization between the two rolls to never need adjustment.

Square Flex conditioning rolls are only available on the F350R, and the R990R.

Windrow to match needs

The available room for a windrow is a function of wheel spacing and tire width. The windrow width of the F310R and F350R Front-Mounted Mower-Conditioners may be narrower than the windrows from a twin rear-mounted mower-conditioner if the forming shields are adjusted so the tractor does not drive on the windrow that is produced.

Front-mounted mower-conditioner windrow formation

Adjustable forming shields

Front mower-conditioner adjustment

The desired swath width can easily be obtained by loosening the handle on each side and moving the adjustable swath deflectors to the desired position. Swath width is adjustable from 1.2 to 2.4 m (3.9 to 7.9 ft) on the F310R and F350R Front-Mounted Mower-Conditioners.

Rear-mount mower-conditioner windrow formation

Windrow forming shields (rear curtain raised for visibility)

Adjustment handle

Forming shields are easily adjusted to control material flow. This allows the operator to match the windrow width to harvesting requirements.

The forming shields are easily adjusted to match harvest requirements. No tools are required to adjust the forming shields. Windrow width for the R870R, R950R, and R990R on each unit can be adjusted from 1.3 to 3.2 m (4.3 ft. to 10.5 ft).