Drawing Silage

[174Man]

How do ye boys in Ireland gauge where to place the spout of the harvester over the back of the silage trailer? Any tips from ye experienced guys would be appreciated. Thanks.
I find it hard when filling up the back first as I'm either too far back (missing the spout) or not back enough when filling.

(spout of the harvester is pointing to the left & trailer man has to fill his trailer)

 

[ColinV6]

Why is it the trailer man’s job to fill the trailer? Every time I’ve ever been on trailers I just sit with the tractor back wheel parallel to the header and the chopper man does the rest. Never had an issue or a complaint.

 

[kiwi pom]

Why is it the trailer man’s job to fill the trailer? Every time I’ve ever been on trailers I just sit with the tractor back wheel parallel to the header and the chopper man does the rest. Never had an issue or a complaint.

That's how it should be done really. With really long trailers there's probably 2 (or more with semi trailers) positions you want to sit in. A good operator will signal which one you should be in.
Forager driver runs the field and should get the blame for all feed spillage, clamp operator runs the pit.

 

[Boohoo]

I fill front to back up to the top of the grain sides then fill back to front to the top. I like some weight on the drawbar and you get more in if you fill in layers. If the harvester driver wants more in it's up to him to direct me back or forward. It's a long enough day being a trailer monkey without spending the whole time in the field watching the side of the pickup.

 

[ollie989898]

In reality the man on the chopper has a better view of what is behind you than what you do because he is higher up to begin with and these days probably has a camera on the spout as well. You can help him initially by pulling further in front a bit to get the back part filled then let the tractor drop back so the back wheel of the tractor is about level with the pick up/header. The chopper man will then leave the spout at about 90 degrees, fill the front and all he has to do is direct the spout back a bit to finish off the top which you can't see any sense no matter what you do.

There is an argument that filling the back first is counterproductive because you need weight on the drawbar to get around on a greasy field.

 

[Lofty1984]

Each to their own but it’s not a hardship to move the spout I prefer the lads to sit where I ask them too usually front of the trailer level with the chopper windscreen, it’s the ones that won’t look at you while your filling that fry me, I never loose my rag though it’s a long enough day for everyone, as for filling I usually start filling the front to get weight on then the back a bit in the middle then front to back untill full then to the back to the front to top it off that way you get less of a chance of blowing a load on the floor when the overly keen trailer doesn’t slow while the last of it clears the spout

 

[kiwi pom]

I'll never figure out why people fill tractors on the left. I get it if you're loading a right hand drive truck, you want the driver on the chopper side but tractors

 

[ollie989898]

I'll never figure out why people fill tractors on the left. I get it if you're loading a right hand drive truck, you want the driver on the chopper side but tractors

I suppose everything is back to front and upside down in NZ but pray tell: which side do you fill trailers on when combining?

 

[Boohoo]

I'll never figure out why people fill tractors on the left. I get it if you're loading a right hand drive truck, you want the driver on the chopper side but tractors

It's habit, it's the way it's always been done and the way trailers are set up. It goes back to the days of direct cutting with double chops or lifting 10fts with a trailed precision chop and the need to keep trailers on clear ground.

 

[Chae1]

Each to their own but it’s not a hardship to move the spout I prefer the lads to sit where I ask them too usually front of the trailer level with the chopper windscreen, it’s the ones that won’t look at you while your filling that fry me, I never loose my rag though it’s a long enough day for everyone, as for filling I usually start filling the front to get weight on then the back a bit in the middle then front to back untill full then to the back to the front to top it off that way you get less of a chance of blowing a load on the floor when the overly keen trailer doesn’t slow while the last of it clears the spout

I try and get it so spouts straight across in middle of trailer.

Then he can move it back and forward to fill trailer.

Is this wrong? He's never shouted at me. I just cart silage 2 or 3 days per year.

 

[ColinV6]

I'll never figure out why people fill tractors on the left. I get it if you're loading a right hand drive truck, you want the driver on the chopper side but tractors

I’ve never tried it on the right, but I can imagine it feeling very odd. Everyone round here fills to the left.

 

[yin ewe]

Would be better with a couple of big wagons instead of a harvester, they don't have spouts.

 

[ollie989898]

I’ve never tried it on the right, but I can imagine it feeling very odd. Everyone round here fills to the left.

I have occasionally filled on the right but only in wholecrop or maize and then only briefly because of the way the rows are worked until you are properly opened out etc.

 

[ollie989898]

Would be better with a couple of big wagons instead of a harvester, they don't have spouts.

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[Chae1]

An Irish man used to chop our silage. He put spout to right.

Contractor now loads off left.

 

[ollie989898]

Would be better with a couple of big wagons instead of a harvester, they don't have spouts.

Once the knife-fight you have just invoked here has stopped I will start another: push off buckrakers vs limp wristed flicker-off-ers

 

[ollie989898]

An Irish man used to chop our silage. He put spout to right.

Contractor now loads off left.

Perhaps he was brought up with drag choppers and so his head on longer rotates over his left shoulder- it's permanently fixed at 45 degrees to the right. Drag choppering also means their right eye is about 57% larger than the left as it has more work to do. Many people so afflicted will have ground their teeth down to the roots cursing because the automatic knife sharpening system no longer works or because there was never one fitted in the first place. Don't ask them about belt changing, either, whatever you do.

 

[Chae1]

Perhaps he was brought up with drag choppers and so his head on longer rotates over his left shoulder- it's permanently fixed at 45 degrees to the right. Drag choppering also means their right eye is about 57% larger than the left as it has more work to do. Many people so afflicted will have ground their teeth down to the roots cursing because the automatic knife sharpening system no longer works or because there was never one fitted in the first place. Don't ask them about belt changing, either, whatever you do.

This guy didn't do automatic knife sharpening!

First thing in the morning he went like the clappers grass chopped short. By 8pm it was like wagon silage and going half the speed. Lads on pit used to moan as difficult to push up.

 

[kiwi pom]

I suppose everything is back to front and upside down in NZ but pray tell: which side do you fill trailers on when combining?

A lot fill on the left with foragers here perhaps because of right hand drive trucks as I mentioned above.
No idea why combines were originally designed with the auger on the left.

 

[Lofty1984]

I’ve never tried it on the right, but I can imagine it feeling very odd. Everyone round here fills to the left.

We fill to the right I’m not arsed either way can do both just as well nice doing whole crop or maize you can do both