Options for silage harvesting

[stevoxsi]

Had a quick search and didn't see if this was discussed so point me in the right direction if I've missed it!

What would be the advantage to spending the extra money on a forage harvester in single player console? I can mow, then row and pick up with a forage wagon for what seems as easy and cheaper than a harvester which would end up on a worker while I cart. I know on pc you have the mods to make it work but it doesn't seem worth it on console. Thoughts?

[NateS]

I guess this would depend on your silage needs. Whole cropping corn in the final growth stage is the most efficient way of doing things. But to accomplish this, you need an expensive forage harvester. Corn produces almost twice as much chaff per hectacre as grass. But if you have enough grass land and time, cutting grass and picking it up with a wagon works just fine.

[masterplan]

Get the forage harvester. It'll pay itself very quickly, trust me. Alternatively you can lease it, as you won't be using it every day. Selling silage is very profitable + it saves you fertiliser costs as it produces digestate.

[RODHA]

Whole cropping corn in the final growth stage is the most efficient way of doing things.

By the "final growth stage" do you mean the actual final growth stage or the final ready to harvest stage?

[Frantic Farmer]

I always go for the big X like peeps said above it pays for itself. A full clamp can bring you in a mil if you have enough grass fields of course. Hook the 70k tipper (or 2 of them they link together) on the back of the X and off you go.

[stevoxsi]

Playing on Sandy bay there's no way I'd go for 2 of the 70k tippers. At the minute I mow with the triple mowers then use the Kuhn merger to throw 5 rows to the right on the first lap, then combine that row with 4 more out the middle of the merger to create a big row to lift. You can put a decent field into around 10 rows like this making baling easier. Same process for a forage wagon would surely be as handy? Although I do take the point about doing a maize harvest.

[NateS]

Whole cropping corn in the final growth stage is the most efficient way of doing things.

By the "final growth stage" do you mean the actual final growth stage or the final ready to harvest stage?

Final stage of green... before 'ready to harvest'

[RODHA]

Yeap. I've also seen your post on "Best crop for silage/chaff"
Just didn't notice it was you and asked same thing on that post again

Didn't know you can actually harvest them at the final growth stage.
Good to know. Thanks.

[TomXP411]

Playing on Sandy bay there's no way I'd go for 2 of the 70k tippers. At the minute I mow with the triple mowers then use the Kuhn merger to throw 5 rows to the right on the first lap, then combine that row with 4 more out the middle of the merger to create a big row to lift. You can put a decent field into around 10 rows like this making baling easier. Same process for a forage wagon would surely be as handy? Although I do take the point about doing a maize harvest.

See, that's why the forage harvesters are handy. You don't need to make that second pass with a forage harvester. You just tow a tipper, and the stuff goes right into the trailer.

[stevoxsi]

Are you carting with the harvester? That would drive me mad!

[gmfarmer420]

Are you carting with the harvester? That would drive me mad!

I can't speak for anyone else but I use a truck or tractor to move full carts otherwise its a pain in the *** I prefer a pickup or the twinstar.

[redglasses]

Ya I use one dolly and two 70k tippers, The dolly stays with the forager and then when one I drop the one on the forager and replace it with an empty one, then take the full one by truck to the biogas or cows

[Magnarex]

I can mow, then row and pick up with a forage wagon for what seems as easy and cheaper than a harvester which would end up on a worker while I cart. I know on pc you have the mods to make it work but it doesn't seem worth it on console. Thoughts?

Can you elaborate on what you need mods for to "make it work"? Just trying to understand the issue.

Just tossing out ideas but I saw a youtube video and the guy had mowed and wind-rowed and was then picking up the grass with a forage harvester using whatever header is used for picking up stuff off a field. He didn't seem to realize there is a forage harvester header that mows.

[stevoxsi]

I can mow, then row and pick up with a forage wagon for what seems as easy and cheaper than a harvester which would end up on a worker while I cart. I know on pc you have the mods to make it work but it doesn't seem worth it on console. Thoughts?

Can you elaborate on what you need mods for to "make it work"? Just trying to understand the issue.

Just tossing out ideas but I saw a youtube video and the guy had mowed and wind-rowed and was then picking up the grass with a forage harvester using whatever header is used for picking up stuff off a field. He didn't seem to realize there is a forage harvester header that mows.

I just mean you can use follow me or courseplay to make it a bit easier. At the minute if I buy a forage harvester I'd either have it on a worker and it'd be sitting idle while I went to tip or I'd stick a trailer on it and drive myself then swop to a tractor to go tip. Neither way is very realistic really. Whereas a forage wagon I can do it without ever changing vehicle.
I should also say I don't really have the game money to just throw around either. So just trying to justify spending all that on a harvester where for half the money I can do it just as well.
Awesome thing on multiplayer, where you have people carting but harder to justify single player. I think...

[stevoxsi]

That's more money! Lol! I only have one tipper!