Telehandler or tractor + front buckrake?

[Rob Holmes]

Just wondering which is best for clamping wagon grass.
Had someone in with tractor and front buckrake and he had difficulty dealing with it as it came off buckrake in lumps, he suggested using a telehandler with push off, which does work well and even though it's 140 hp, it can only deal with 1 wagon. I'd like to add another wagon into the system so wondering whether to look at front buckrake again but with a different operator (the original one admits himself that he's not suited to it).
What does others find best?
Loading shovel is not an option

 

[Hilly]

Just wondering which is best for clamping wagon grass.
Had someone in with tractor and front buckrake and he had difficulty dealing with it as it came off buckrake in lumps, he suggested using a telehandler with push off, which does work well and even though it's 140 hp, it can only deal with 1 wagon. I'd like to add another wagon into the system so wondering whether to look at front buckrake again but with a different operator (the original one admits himself that he's not suited to it).
What does others find best?
Loading shovel is not an option

Tractor. .

 

[stuart]

a decent set of knives in the wagon and someone who knows what they're doing on the Pit

 

[Beames]

Having just pushed in 60 wagon loads with a buckrake on the back of my tractor it makes a massive difference on chop length.
Sharp knives are a must to keep grass short to buckrake nicely. I had one load last night where the knives didn’t go in properly on the wagon and It was like buck raking cotton wool. Couldn’t do anything with it
Picture of the last load I’d been longing for!!!

 

[Beames]

Just wondering which is best for clamping wagon grass.
Had someone in with tractor and front buckrake and he had difficulty dealing with it as it came off buckrake in lumps, he suggested using a telehandler with push off, which does work well and even though it's 140 hp, it can only deal with 1 wagon. I'd like to add another wagon into the system so wondering whether to look at front buckrake again but with a different operator (the original one admits himself that he's not suited to it).
What does others find best?
Loading shovel is not an option

2 wagons is a push on short hauls. By the time you’ve dealt with the one load the next is there waiting with no time to roll. Contractor came last year with two I sent one away.

 

[Cotlandfarmer]

As said above, sharp knives are a must.

In my opinion, clamping with one wagon, either a telehandler or tractor with push off will be fine.
Two wagons or more you need a big shovel or big tractor and push off.

The key (with any number of wagons) is to keep rolling and rolling, you'll never get the clamp as tidy with wagon silage as with spfh silage.

@davidroberts30 will be able to give plenty of advice.

Planning to have a clamp roller in action here on second cut alongside a jcb 434 loading shovel with three wagons hauling in.

 

[deere 6600]

wagon silage I’m told is not easily buckraked but I’m a buckrake on the back guy and I’ve done a few hours at it one chap I knew who was one of the best buckrakers ive ever seen used to say front buckrakes were for a certain type of man

 

[daveydiesel1]

Would them rear beaters on the wagon not help loosen up the grass for the buckrake

 

[Will Blackburn]

Tractor and front buckrake, feather it off in 6" layers as best you can and keep rolling.

 

[windymiller]

Having used both, I'd edge towards tractor an front buckrake. Was using a jd 5100 m I think it was, with all the functions on a joystick last week and it was making less work of it than the 140 hp manitou I've used in the past.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Worst I’ve seen was a merlo, hydrostatic and clamping

 

[Blue.]

You just can’t flick the lumps out with a tractor mounted buckrake,300hp with a front mounted buckrake here and I still prefer to use the loading shovel or loadall.

The only tele’s suitable would be a 420s

 

[George Mitchell]

Worst I’ve seen was a merlo, hydrostatic and clamping

Garbage at the best of times

 

[aidan]

Worst I’ve seen was a merlo, hydrostatic and clamping

How so

Overhead hydrostatic or hydraulic too slow or tyres just not having any ability to grip

 

[JJT]

Worst I’ve seen was a merlo, hydrostatic and clamping

Buckrake with a merlo here. Find the hydrostat copes fine as long as grass isn't too dry, if it is you get too much floating about and it can block the radiator. Last few years I've had someone just rolling with a tractor too, that makes a massive difference to the quality of clamp, could cope with 2 waggons of not too close to yard. Man on the buckrake makes a massive difference though. Man who worked for us jumped on the merlo once so I went on rolling tractor. He was making an absolute arse of a job and soon got buried in grass.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I believe buckraking wagon grass requires an extra skill set. If you are used to dealing with it, anything else is a breeze.
As such, I think it is probably down to the operator more than the equipment they are using and you have to allow extra time for keeping it rolled.

 

[Will Blackburn]

How so

Overhead hydrostatic or hydraulic too slow or tyres just not having any ability to grip

Buckrake with a merlo here. Find the hydrostat copes fine as long as grass isn't too dry, if it is you get too much floating about and it can block the radiator. Last few years I've had someone just rolling with a tractor too, that makes a massive difference to the quality of clamp, could cope with 2 waggons of not too close to yard. Man on the buckrake makes a massive difference though. Man who worked for us jumped on the merlo once so I went on rolling tractor. He was making an absolute arse of a job and soon got buried in grass.

It was a few years ago on holiday in Cornwall, we were staying in the barn with friends. The Merlo was making very heavy weather of some dry grass, struggling to push it up, spread it out and press it down.