Quick checks before you begin
- Stop and isolate the machine, prevent restart and wait for all movement to stop before access. Secure raised units with the prescribed mechanical supports.
- Do not run a damaged mechanism to reproduce a symptom or take a photograph. Pressurized, spring-loaded and heavy assemblies require qualified service and the complete procedure.
- Keep unit identity, component location and repair history with every photograph and measurement.
Stop before collecting knife photographs
Rotary knives and their drive require safe isolation and the complete service procedure. The manual includes a sharp-edge handling warning; protective equipment does not replace isolation, support or qualified repair.
Do not run the knife to show the damage, reach through an opening or remove guards just to obtain a better picture. Request safe access from the service technician.
Keep the section, mounting and drive identities separate
Section 120 treats knife sections, the knife slip clutch and the front feeder as separate service tasks. A damaged blade photograph does not establish that all of these assemblies need replacement.
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Unit designation and serial number | Confirms the structure to investigate. |
| Knife section and installed position | Distinguishes the damaged cutting part from other drive parts. |
| Both faces and mounting interface | Preserves reference, orientation and attachment details. |
| Surrounding damage or recent work | Helps service decide which associated parts also need inspection. |
Do not overlook the parts that support and drive the knife
Have qualified service assess the mounting and associated drive under the applicable procedure. Preserve evidence of contact, missing retaining hardware and damage to mating components rather than asking for a blade by approximate shape.
The illustrated knife clutch is not the idler-gear clutch covered in Section 60. Similar descriptions in a supplier list are not proof of compatibility.
- VRS clutch and sensor identification
Separate the knife clutch from the feeder and other clutch arrangements.
Send a defined replacement request
This page does not provide a tightening sequence, knife adjustment, sharpening instruction or return-to-service test. Use the full service procedure and have the repair result verified.
- Include a legible installed reference when available, not only a manual figure identifier.
- State whether the requirement is a knife section, mounting hardware or a separately diagnosed drive part.
- Keep quantities and locations together; do not assume the supplier’s package is a complete repair kit.
- If a reference cannot be verified, retain the request for identification rather than selecting a visually similar item.
- Ask about an identified replacement part
Send the installed reference, unit identity and mounting photographs. A symptom alone does not establish fitment or availability.
Technical basis for this article
The article paraphrases and organizes the sources below. It does not copy a service manual, and it does not replace the current documentation for the exact machine.
- TM2109 (20 July 2020), Section 120, Group 05John Deere Des Moines Works | repair manual
Source scope: PDF pages 206–208; printed 120-05-2–4. Original inspection and service-handover summary, not the complete repair procedure. Confirm current service information for the installed unit. The purchased manual and its illustrations are not hosted here.
Questions buyers and technicians ask
Does this guide confirm that a knife fits my PRO-16?
No. The guide concerns the identified VRS arrangement. Unit configuration and the actual part reference still require confirmation.
Is the knife supplied with its clutch?
Do not assume so. The knife section and clutch are different service and supply items; request the exact contents.