Adapter to fit Claas® (493, 494, 496, 497, 498, 499 & 502)

The K00494 adapter is designed to fit all Claas® Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters (SPFH) with quick attach hookups. This adapter is made to attach to all John Deere® corn heads and will also fit CaseIH®, New Holland®, Geringhoff®, Lexion®, Harvestec™, and Cressoni™ corn heads with the appropriate conversion brackets. It is used to adapt a conventional combine corn head to a self-propelled forage harvester to make earlage.

Installation is simple, as the adapter mounts directly onto the faceplate of the harvester. Once hooked to the harvester, it will pick up the corn head like any other harvesting unit. For maintenance, inspect the unit regularly for wear and replace as needed.

This adapter is ideal for customers grinding 300 acres or less. If you plan to work more than 300 acres, we recommend the dual roll adapter K00498 for increased efficiency.

The K00494 adapter features a large intake roll that sits directly in front of the harvester feed rolls. This intake roll transitions the material from the corn head, across the auger, and into the feed rolls. This design allows for better harvesting ground speed and helps with shelling issues.

• For 493-502 series machines, use the quick coupler FH5001131 to drive the adapter.
• Claas® 494 series machines: Use K494STOP to open the feed rolls for better feeding performance.
• Claas® 497, 498, 499, and 502 series machines: Use K502STOP to open the feed rolls.
  • Three kits are needed for dual feed roll cylinder machines.
  • Two kits are needed for single feed roll cylinder machines.

Additionally, we offer earlage pans to close the feed roll chamber and improve feeding:

• K9842901KIT fits 491-493 series machines.
• K4956811KIT fits 494-498 series machines.

We highly recommend purchasing a heavy-duty PTO shaft for the left-hand side of the earlage adapter to drive the corn head, as standard corn head PTOs may wear out quickly under heavy use.

If the earlage adapter is not feeding properly, we recommend inspecting the teeth on the upper rear feed roll. If the feed roll lacks sharp teeth, it will not grab the corn cob properly and feed it into the cutter head.

Kooima Ag is a leading source for earlage adapters. We continually test and implement customer feedback in our designs to ensure the best performance.

Patent #8,376,126

No belts! Reverse drive from your cab!

Maintenance Tip: Be sure to replace your gearbox oil every season. Use 4 quarts of 75W-90PS. To refill, remove the plug from the back of the gearbox and pour oil through the top hole until it reaches the level of the back hole.

Product Overview
Kooima Ag’s earlage adapters allow operators to run a variety of corn head brands with forage harvesters, giving you flexibility and compatibility without compromising performance. Whether you're outfitting your harvester for a new header or adapting an existing setup, our conversion kits make the switch easy and efficient.

Compatible Header Brands & Required Conversion Kits:

• New Holland® & Case IH® 3000 Series Headers:
  Use Conversion Kit: K98CJD
• New Holland® & Case IH® 2608, 2612, and 4000 Series Headers
  (For throats with angle supports in the top corners)
  Use Conversion Kit: K4000CH
• Lexion® Headers:
  Use Conversion Kit: KLEXKIT
• Harvestec® & Cressoni® Headers:
  Please purchase S Series John Deere® mounting brackets separately to complete the installation
• Geringhoff® Headers:
  Use Conversion Kit: KGCKIT

WARNING:  Grinding earlage with the use of corn heads and choppers can cause a risk of fire.  The risk of fire does not emanate from the adapter products described here, but can be caused by the heat generated by the choppers.  To reduce the risk of fire, please keep the chopper clear of dust.