Round baler/Forage wagon hybrid

[Gettin by]

Like many livestock units using forage wagon for first and second cut silage then round baler for third and forth plus hay and straw in various quantities.
Planning stage of coupling a rotor feed round baler to a silage trailer to do both jobs!
Simple really...... Working through using a force feed system from baler to trailer or possibly an auto-swather bed to get to the back of the trailer. Various bits and pieces at my disposal but possibly as a sign of middle age I contemplated asking for advice!! Shock and horror all round but just a chance that I am missing some fundamental point that will cost me plenty of time in the workshop.
Any opinions gladly received.

 

[Col555]

I run a forage wagon, but not much experience of balers....in theory I think it would work if you could transfer the grass to a trailer from the baler rotor/knives. Can't see how you'd get the compaction in the trailer like you do in the wagon though.

 

[Blue.]

I run a forage wagon, but not much experience of balers....in theory I think it would work if you could transfer the grass to a trailer from the baler rotor/knives. Can't see how you'd get the compaction in the trailer like you do in the wagon though.

If my wagon was 2 foot shorter I wouldn't need to move the bed back while filling,helps having lots of power on the front though.

The rotor is the key with a forage wagon,@Gettin by a proper wagon is what you need.

 

[Gettin by]

Agreed! Irritation is that over the years of running your own trailed forager to a contractor with a self prop and then various wagon boys there is still never enough in the pot to gear up to a nice modern wagon.
The old generation of wagon design work reasonably in an easy crop but most people agree that the old style pick up and rotor set up is the weak spot. I question if a new style rotor cut baler pick up feeding an old style wagon would bridge the economy of scale divide that many farms my size face. 70-80 acres in a cut spread over a couple of sessions seems to reassure me even with the chaos that will ensue over the demonstration of power and 'nudged' gateposts accompanied by a sizeable (but realistic) bill that comes with the contractor.
Long since given up worrying about the comments from over the hedge and at heart I expect that it would be cheaper to buy an old wagon and an old baler, leave the gas in the workshop, keep them separate - hitch up and go on steady!
Nice to have an unbiased opinion. Thanks.

 

[mushnt grummmble]

keep them seperate and buy 1 of each
it will never work and cost you more in lost hair and wasted feed

 

[hillman]

Emh interesting question ,get old cam type wagon from continent with good wheels chassis ,money wouldn't be that big?
A fire damaged or turned modern baler and carefully swap /cut ,rotor and pick up across
I think left with a wagon of sensible size and something that a small tractor should handle but with up to date chopping !!

 

[joe soapy]

You are actually looking at replicating a krone wagon from the mid 80's