Forage wagon - I don't believe the hype
- Thread starter smcapstick
- Start date
'Some of the grass was a foot long'.... There may have been the old bit at that length due to tiny amount going in at the sides of the real or during chokes when knifes need knocked out to restart but in reality i bet that its % of the entire load was well under 0.5%... if not the knifes were not in and this is down to people being let loose without proper training.
PIT SIZE... we have heard all the horror stories about sunken pits and not being able to fit the crop in but if its done properly there are NO ISSUES.
As i have mentioned it is alot harder than short chop which stands to reason with a longer chop but the trick is to use the right weight of machine relative to the number of wagons running or the need to pack the pit tight due to space.
When we put the 939 on the pit its weight is app 14.5tons and i would say it does as good a job if not better than a shovel on the pit at both shifting the grass and compaction. If the wagon silage has a decent weighted pit machine then it will compact in tight and the pit will hold exactly the same amount as sp chop. From our experience you just wont get full compaction with small tractor/buckrake or teleporter that will compact sp chop ok.
So its all down to pit management!
PIT SIZE... we have heard all the horror stories about sunken pits and not being able to fit the crop in but if its done properly there are NO ISSUES.
As i have mentioned it is alot harder than short chop which stands to reason with a longer chop but the trick is to use the right weight of machine relative to the number of wagons running or the need to pack the pit tight due to space.
When we put the 939 on the pit its weight is app 14.5tons and i would say it does as good a job if not better than a shovel on the pit at both shifting the grass and compaction. If the wagon silage has a decent weighted pit machine then it will compact in tight and the pit will hold exactly the same amount as sp chop. From our experience you just wont get full compaction with small tractor/buckrake or teleporter that will compact sp chop ok.
So its all down to pit management!
Think it would make a big difference if you tedded out the raked before a wagon not just picking up mower rows.
Glad you've finally got yourself registered on here
hillman
Member
- Location
- Wicklow Ireland
Think it would make a big difference if you tedded out the raked before a wagon not just picking up mower rows.
Even after a mower conditioner
Even after a mower conditioner
We have used a wagon contractor twice- when having problems with our old drag choppers- It definately made the best job when we doubled up rows. The guy was new to the job and quite liked speeding along mower rows but machine made a better job going slower with a bigger row.
The rotor and static knife is always going to work best if grass is presented crossways. A mo-co tends to leave grass end on (which is perfect for a chopper)
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Maybe the knives weren't set correctly as this stuff was awful, wish I'd taken some pictures, it was some tough old grass though. I was clamping with a tractor weighing approximately 12 ton. Seems ironic that you need a similar horsepower tractor on the clamp to that of of a small sp forager, I'm sure you don't need that much power just the weight of the that size tractor.
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
no problem at all , mows, ted, rake , buckrake by the acre , carting by the hour, Both us & the farmer are very happy & there is more to it that having lots of cows, Old saying do not judge a book by its cover
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Well how wrong can you be if a wagon was the way to go I would have one tomorrow, Your answer is just what I thought I would get about the price per the truth is you have no idea
Contractor here has one wagon and refuses to work two together as the pit needs lots of packing. We had a demo this weekend close field 5acre/hr next one away down to 3acre. Trailed chopper consistant 5 acre. Wagon work a young mans game. I thought we would love a wagon but it SP for me now.
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
you dont
I have quoted honest figures many times before re costings and performance - if you bothered to read what others had to say instead of loving your own you would know that - life to short to waste time on you
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
good you think that Gruumpy , Can you sit down at night I think well that is a good days work our team has done & there are now 11 men that have made some money today to feed there family & can move on in life & do so thing they want do & put that money back in to the local area. think if we did not have a team likewe have & the kit we run.Then all we would get is ear pain from people about how crap there silage is how long it is or how bad the cows do from it.
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Per ton Mate not per acre
R tea
Member
- Location
- Never far from Home
Your late on tonight it ain't taken 11 superstars until now to pick 100 acre up has it?
mushnt grummmble
Member
whats your cost per ton for chopper and trailers?
no name no pack drill,but we just need the wagon muppet to announce him self now.
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
No R tea was out for a meal with the Mrs finished chopping at about 2.30pmYour late on tonight it ain't taken 11 superstars until now to pick 100 acre up has it?
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
sorry i not deliberately trying to be pedantic but why the obsession with price per tonne of grass harvested , no one i know pays their contractor per tonne picked up , the only way to pay is per acre . so surely that is what all figures should be based on
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I want a wagon demo now, you lot have done this to me you barstewards
R tea
Member
- Location
- Never far from Home
Have you put all the gate posts back after them clowns you let loose on your land last year?