Most efficient way to unload combine

[worik]

I'm trying to open a discussion about what is the most efficient way to unload a combine.
I have tried multiple things using autodrive, courseplay and followme and would like to hear your experiences on how you tackled this task.

AD - autodrive
CP - courseplay
FM - followme

My metrics are speed and automation, some people prefer speed and don't mind doing it all by themselves; others prefer automation no matter the time it takes, I'm trying to get the best of both worlds.

Using only a single combine + CP to harvest, here's possible unload methods I found:
Single unloader:

• CP: personally I haven't used this much because from my perception AD does a better job.

• AD: this is my most used and probably the most popular.
  • Pros:
    • Fully auto (if nothing goes wrong)
  • Cons:
    • Combine downtime: combine is not running while calling for unloader
    • On big fields unloader takes too long to calculate path to combine leading to more combine downtime.

• FM: Just recently I started using follow me to unload combines (for this I ran as many clockwise headlands as possible within reason: on tight corners combine leaves crop behind):
  • I can have the auger chasing the combine with the pipe just above the tank so it is always unloading. For some reason if I do this the combine is always slowing down (5kph instead of 10kph) because it is detecting traffic (go figure...).
  • To avoid the problem above I have the auger chase the combine a bit further back and just pull up manually (by changing distance) when combine is almost full so it doesn't stop.
  • Pros:
    • Combine has significantly less downtime, 0% if managed correctly
  • Cons:
    • Not automatic: requires player to intervene.
    • Unloading the auger is another problem: either done manually or using AD

Regarding multiple combines and multiple unloaders I have not fiddled too much with but I assume it is the same solutions applied just on a larger scale, 2 combines and 1 auger seems good for medium/large fields, the more vehicles on the field, the more likely they ran into each other though.

Let me know if I missed something and what works best for you.
Also feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Thank you

[Illinois Farmer]

Right now on my Midwest horizons save, I have about 400 acres and I only have 1 combine. I let cp run the combine then I will drive the grain cart to unload the combine. Then drive the truck to unload the grain when full. I haven't messed with ad yet, but to make it more efficient have the trucks work on ad.

[DEERE317]

CP for harvesters
I cart
CP trucks.
That’s my method as I don’t know if I trust CP to cart.

[Jalars86]

It's interesting to read other peoples methods for harvest. I would prefer to run the combine myself and have the grain cart and trucks automated. But since I haven't figured out a way to do that, I usually hire a worker or use CP for the combine, run the cart myself, and use autodrive for the trucks. I get the most enjoyment out of harvesting, so a lot of times I will run the combine until it's close to full and then hire a worker again and hop back in the grain cart tractor.

[theSeb]

AI Vehicle Extension for combine
CP for transporting harvest produce back to the storage
Player on auger wagon / grain cart

That is what I have found to be the most efficient. Unfortunately no automation is currently reliable enough to unload from the combine. It may work for 30 minutes and then something happens and it will all come to a grinding halt, hence why I just do that bit myself.

EDIT: I meant to type AI Vehicle extension

[blue_painted]

AD for corncart, with multiple points defined for the field so that I can run more than one if it's a long haul. Player (me) drives the combine, sometimes changing the combine's "target" to stop the corncart because although there's a "call driver" command there's no "pause driver" command. AD does a pretty good job, I find that I have to let it take it's own time to do things and sometimes have to stop the combine to sort something out. In my time as a real-life corncart driver there were often reasons for the combine to stop (including a "courting" couple once!") so I just accept the delay as part and parcel of harvest.

I got itno CP on FS17 but since the re-write for FS19, CP really wants to work auto-combine served by auto-combine, and although I got about 85% through adapting CP to serve player combine by auto-corncart that last 15% was just too tough in the time I had available. Before that I used FM, setting up the follow distances and jumping on and off the tractor and combine as needed.

[Mwal]

In my time as a real-life corncart driver there were often reasons for the combine to stop (including a "courting" couple once!") so I just accept the delay as part and parcel of harvest.

Ok I can’t be the only one who wants to hear the story behind this

[Farmercaseih]

Usually I just hire a worker on the combine and run the grain cart and truck myself, as long as you don't mess around too long it works fine

[blue_painted]

In my time as a real-life corncart driver there were often reasons for the combine to stop (including a "courting" couple once!") so I just accept the delay as part and parcel of harvest.

Ok I can’t be the only one who wants to hear the story behind this

It was pretty much what you think: A couple who had chosen a wheat field (I'm pretty sure it was wheat, probably *not* barley) for their tryst, running away to a parked car in a very undignified manner holding their clothes. No doubt they laugh about this to this day! The combine driver very kindly stopped to let them make their getaway.

[Mwal]

[worik]

In my time as a real-life corncart driver there were often reasons for the combine to stop (including a "courting" couple once!") so I just accept the delay as part and parcel of harvest.

Ok I can’t be the only one who wants to hear the story behind this

It was pretty much what you think: A couple who had chosen a wheat field (I'm pretty sure it was wheat, probably *not* barley) for their tryst, running away to a parked car in a very undignified manner holding their clothes. No doubt they laugh about this to this day! The combine driver very kindly stopped to let them make their getaway.

That is hilarious!

[Dagrump]

Today I control the combine with CP and unload it with the CP grain cart function. The grain cart dumps into a hauler that is controlled by AD. The current beta version of CP does a fairly reliable job with the grain cart function. I always cut a headland of two swaths when I start harvesting a field. It is usually here that the grain cart will need some help. Sometimes as the field is nearly finished the grain cart will for some reason want to get in the path of the harvester. But all in all I think CP has made great advances in handling the grain cart duties.

Previously, I used either the AI extended or CP to control the harvester and AD to unload the combine with a trailer direct to the farm silo. Sometimes I had two tractors and trailers working together to unload the harvester. The reason I changed to my current method is because of all the collisions I was experiencing with AD - even with only one tractor and trailer unloading. I also could never get AD to always obey the command of "stay of the fruit".

Harvesting is also my favorite period in the farming cycle and it is really a pleasure to watch the combine, grain cart and hauler go about their business unattended. I commend the people that have developed both Courseplay and Auto Drive. These are two mods that I could never be without.

[blue_painted]

8-< snip

I commend the people that have developed both Courseplay and Auto Drive. These are two mods that I could never be without.

I really like the way that the two dev teams co-operate.

[cwattyeso]

If I'm going full Auto with no input from me, then I use Courseplay, with the Harvester set to Self Unload to Trailer. Trailer is set to unload to Silo or Sellpoint, so sits and waits till the Harvester fills it, then it goes off and empties, comes back and waits for Harvester to fill it again. Benefits to this, no chance of Harvester and Trailer collisions, as Trailer is parked beside field, and never drives on it. People will say this method is slower, because when the Harvester is full, it has to go and drive over to the trailer, empty and then drive back to where it was and resume harvesting. However as I say unattended harvesting this seems to work best for me.

If I'm harvesting, then I like to use Follow Me, and have the Trailer set to drive at the correct distance from the harvester so the pipe is just able to reach the trailer and empty as I'm driving. This usually means asking the Follow Me Driver to drive a little bit in front of the Harvester to keep the Trailer under the pipe. Helps to turn of the Tractor/Trucks collision sensor so it doesn't think it's being blocked by the harvester or header. I then just drive clockwise round the field. Usually when I reach a corner, I drive a little way past and then reverse turn to align with my next row and start harvesting. The Follow Me guy usually ends up doing a 270 degree turn before finally realising I'm heading away from it and then it races to catch me up and falls back into position under my pipe. If doing big fields with big fields, I might use an Auger Wagon to follow me, with a regular truck and trailer parked field side with Courseplay doing silo/selling and return, when I have filled the auger wagon, I just then lead it over to the trailer and let it unload into the trailer and then continue harvesting, without ever needing to climb out of the harvester myself.

[Bryan83]

Right now on my Midwest horizons save, I have about 400 acres and I only have 1 combine. I let cp run the combine then I will drive the grain cart to unload the combine. Then drive the truck to unload the grain when full. I haven't messed with ad yet, but to make it more efficient have the trucks work on ad.

Although I'm not a PC player, this seems most efficient. On console, I run 2 combines by hired workers, I have 4 trucks with 100,000L Demco trailers (not realistic, I know, but kind of a necessity when you're doing it yourself) that I park at the 4 corners of the field, and I drive the Quadtrac with a Brent 2596 cart. Usually its the 470, but sometimes I'll take the 580. I have yet to hook the 620 up to the cart.