Less yeld from windrow

[Buddy2004]

Is it just me but I seem to get less bales after using windrow

[farmer_bell]

I have noticed this as well. Not so much with baling, but if you cut the starting field of grass with the big 9m mower and then collect it with the small forage wagon, it fills to about 76%.
If you then cut the same field and windrow it, then collect the grass with the same small forage wagon, it only fills to around 67%

So windrowing is causing around a 10% loss of crop.
I have tried this on several grass fields and have the same 10% loss, so may be a game setting?

[Buddy2004]

Agreed on the starting field if I windrow into 4 rows I get like 16 bales. If I then windrow the 4 piles into 2 piles I get 8 bales

[hasab]

Hi.

You are right.

I think there is no need to use the windrower for two reason:
1., Less bales you got.
2., The baler (in auto mode) will go through every row on the field even if the windrowed grass is only in every second or third row.

[Navan]

Been awhile, but thought I'd add to this. With the new AI from the last update, the AI only runs each Windrow twice now then moves to the next line (same with straw). Also the yields seem to be fine with and without. Note that I never tried windrowing before the update except back in FS 14 where windrow was even smaller yield then just 10% less.

One thing I did notice is if you start the worker in the wrong location he'll run the last windrow off the edge of the field causing you to loose all of that windrow's grass. Seems best location on the smallest starting grass field and the big field next to gas station is to make sure the tractor's wheel just in from field edge. The medium field south of the starting farm needs the windrower to clear that fence putting it in further then the small and large, but will still yield fine.

One to the yields I got, I got 17 bales on the smallest (I always bale it but I'll try to remember to collect with wagon with and without). The large field I got 95% in the large wagon on first try where I caught the worker starting to windrow off the edge and stopped him, next time it came out to 96% of the large wagon which is the same without. The medium field I found out something fun, windrowing a windrow'd row causes a terrible row! With that terrible attempt at humor out of the way running the windrower down an already windrow'd row will destroy all it's extra grass. Though when properly done, I get 94% yield in the smaller wagon which is exactly what I get without windrowing.

So with that, is it worth windrowing? With the new AI, I'm thinking strong maybe since instead of 4 passes (12m windrower vs 3m collecting) you'll have 1 windrower pass and 2 collecting pass. That alone should yield fuel and wage savings, but does mean you have to work with one extra implement, so it might only be nice when you have enough tractors, or need your tractors available sooner. I do think the collecting though overlaps more, so it might actually be closer to 5 passes without windrowing (have to actually check that some time).

One last thing, suggestion to devs, would it be possible to narrow the windrow/straw lines or widen the baler/loading wagon so the AI only has to do one pass? Even manually doing it seems darn near impossible to get the complete line in one pass.

[hasab]

Nice research you have made!

[Navan]

Thanks! I'm very analytical and while i prefer to play games to relax, it's hard not to sometimes get into analyzing them.