Skip to content
Contact Us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How to Set Up and Use Combine Advisor AutoMaintain on John Deere S700 Combines

AutoMaintain is a feature within the John Deere Combine Advisor package designed for S700 combines. Its purpose is to automatically maintain the combine's performance—not to set all machine parameters for you.

Think of AutoMaintain as your digital performance monitor: you set the machine for optimal results, and AutoMaintain helps keep your chosen settings consistent throughout changing field conditions.

What Is AutoMaintain?

  • Automated performance maintenance: After initial setup, AutoMaintain continuously monitors grain loss and grain quality, making targeted adjustments to maintain your goals.

  • User must set up: The system does not automatically set all combine settings from scratch. You need to establish your preferred performance targets first.

Getting Started: Setting Up AutoMaintain

Step 1: Access Combine Advisor

  • On your S700 combine's control panel, press the Combine Advisor button located in the shortcut bar.

Step 2: Initial Combine Setup

  • Before turning on AutoMaintain, ensure your machine is harvesting effectively with minimal grain loss and good grain quality.

  • You can use the Optimized Performance tool to help:

    • Identify what aspect of your sample needs improvement (e.g., broken grain, loss, foreign material).

    • Specify the severity of the issue (e.g., moderate broken grain).

    • The combine will recommend specific setting changes (e.g., increase threshing clearance by 1mm).

    • You may accept recommended changes or choose alternatives.

  • Apply the recommended setting and monitor performance. Decide to keep changes only if results improve.

Step 3: Turn On AutoMaintain

  • Once satisfied with harvest results, go to the Automation Settings and turn on AutoMaintain.

  • The system will now start acquiring a performance target. You'll see a spinning circle and a yellow progress bar indicating setup progress.

  • Typical setup duration: About 15 minutes.

Monitoring and Adjusting Performance

  • Upon setting a target, the system maintains the levels of grain loss and grain quality you selected.

  • History Section: View both active and completed system adjustments (for example: if the sieve was increased due to excessive tailings).

    • Note: For corn and soybeans, tailings feedback is not used for AutoMaintain.

    • For wheat, tailings feedback is utilized.

  • Active adjustments monitor new changes. If results improve, the changes are stored for future reference.

  • Performance Section: Shows graphs tracking grain loss and quality over 30 minutes.

Best Practices and Tips

  • Crop-specific feedback: Some sensors (like tailings) are used only for wheat.

  • Dealing with sensor inaccuracies: For example, when cutting soybeans at night, sensor feedback can be unreliable. You can temporarily switch off AutoMaintain and turn it back on when conditions improve.

  • Adjusting targets for changing conditions: As harvest conditions change during the season, you can revisit Combine Advisor and create a new performance target to suit new field realities.

Advanced Settings

  • You can customize AutoMaintain’s responsiveness and sensitivity to particular issues (e.g., increasing sensitivity for broken grain if seed quality is a priority).

  • Settings currently being adjusted appear in blue on both the Combine Advisor and the Run page, indicating ongoing changes.

  • Adjustments to chaffer, sieve, and fan due to slope or terrain are also shown in blue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AutoMaintain set all my combine’s settings for me?
No—AutoMaintain helps maintain your specified performance settings. Initial manual setup is required.

Can I run Optimized Performance and AutoMaintain together?
Optimized Performance is optional and can assist in setting up the combine, but it's not required for AutoMaintain to function.

What if my field conditions change during the season?
You can update your performance target by revisiting Combine Advisor and going through the setup steps again.

What does it mean if a setting turns blue?
This indicates that the combine is actively making an adjustment to maintain performance or respond to changes in terrain.

How do I turn AutoMaintain off or on?
Simply navigate to the Combine Advisor, toggle AutoMaintain off, and turn it back on when needed. The system resumes at your previous target.