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| Lots of macdons up in our part of the country. Hope I can clear a few thing up for you. The older ones were built in a few versions, 972 had a different knife angle and were made more to go on swathers than combines but could be used on both. The 973 had a knife angle that was made to work better on combines but could go on a swather. The last one was a 974 which was the flex model was only for the combines. The 972 and 973 were a rigid cutting bar just like a auger header while the 974 had a different set up. It looked like a rigid cutting bar but basically flexed like a old cultivator frame. This video shows the newer version but was basically the same.
http://www.macdon.com/videos/fd75-flexfloat-animation
The d50 and d60 and d70 are the newer versions of each, also the swather version usually came more bare bones than the combine versions. Macdon also made the 9 and d series in case model numbers.
As far as the adapter go they allow the header to follow and tilt like contour master. On the older 9 series they came with 3 different adapters based on the model year. The early ones had 871 then 872 adapters that had leaf springs on each side for flotation, good at he time but not as good as the latter models with the 873 adapter which has the coil spring on each side the same as the d60. As far as the most important change to the d60 in my opinion is the new 6 bat reel, it works amazing in flat crop. With regards to the headsight system, the macdon header was designed to ride the cutting bar on the ground and use the float optimizer to adjust the feeder house up and down to keep the header following the ground. Up here guys put the headsight on when they want to leave more that 6" of stubble. It can be done with units that have guage wheels but does create some problem if there are lodged spots in the crop. I run my d60 wheels in the air, cutting bar on the ground and use the hydraulic tilt to control stubble height. Also they can be converted from one combine to another depending on brand very easily on the d 60 and 873 adapters. The exception if I remember right are the cat/ lexion ones. If I remember right about $4000 worth of parts for the lock mechanism, hydraulic and electrical, and the window as it's call that matches your machine. Have heard on the 900 series some of thing are not available like if you wanted to add a float optimizer kit they are not available, but you would have to talk to them to make sure. If you have any questions call them direct they have always be helpful when ever I have called. Number will be on the video website. Hope this helps
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MacDon D60 & 973
