Trailed or Self Propelled???

[margerisons]

Next summer we will be re-shaping our silage fleet and i need to decide if we should have trailed foragers or self propelled?

[BERRY]

NH SPFH

[Coxy]

self propelled for me too

[Deere-est]

What is your acreage, harvest window and finances like? Key points like them will help you decide.

[margerisons]

our acreage will be 3,400,we do silage irish style here in ontario canada so we have a better time frame,about finances we will be running 18tractors and trailers and would need 6spfh or 9 trailed with 9 tractors we are able to afford both options

[Gav836]

A big deciding factor if it was me making the decision would be whether there was work there for the extra 9 tractors during the periods where they weren't needed for the choppers, if there isn't then self propelled may be the way to go as it would also mean 3 mens wages taht you didn't have to find, I wouldn't thought that there would be much cost difference between a tractor and chopper or a self propelled myself these days so thats a minor factor I would imagine

[margerisons]

well there is a cost difference but we are able to afford both options.we have thought about the extra 9 tractors work and well me and my dad have decided if we went trailed then we would do contracting all year round like ploughing,cultivating and seeding/planting so the answer would be yes they would find plenty of work i had the approx. price numbers somewhere but can't find them right now but anyways last year when we started to offer ploughing and etc. we got overflowed with alot of customers and time frames but slowly got it all done so if we did have the 9 extra we would be able to offer more work and time for the customers and also get our own ploughing and etc. done faster or just done if we have another overflow of farmers wanting work

[Deere-est]

In that case. . . Krone Big X 1000 Or Jag 900 as they are still making that series along side the new ones all be it with mechanical rotor drive rather than hydrostatic.

[margerisons]

We have one of those Krone machines working this year its a beast but also not that easy on fuel if you think that way vote for one of them on the poll

[Powerstarâ„¢]

A big deciding factor if it was me making the decision would be whether there was work there for the extra 9 tractors during the periods where they weren't needed for the choppers, if there isn't then self propelled may be the way to go as it would also mean 3 mens wages taht you didn't have to find, I wouldn't thought that there would be much cost difference between a tractor and chopper or a self propelled myself these days so thats a minor factor I would imagine

A tractor can always be used for something in the winter months, but a spfh sat in a shed isn't doing much. You can't exactly put the linkbox on it and nip out with a few bales.

[farmermarshall]

hi can you post you post of us some pictures of your present fleet would be nice to see

[margerisons]

will do captain ill go find me camera

[Deeredriver]

A tractor can always be used for something in the winter months, but a spfh sat in a shed isn't doing much. You can't exactly put the linkbox on it and nip out with a few bales.

Thats my sentiments exactly  i would say there no need for equipment sitting in a shed when the chopper can be droped off and the tractor put to good use

[Jez]

JD for me... you are the right side of the pond where JD is king  ;)

Seriously though, SPFH would be the way forward. Ok the tractors can be used for something else but you would need 200 > 300 hp on a tractor to hit the targets.

hi can you post you post of us some pictures of your present fleet would be nice to see

I'll second that, some more pics would be nice...

[margerisons]

thanks for the input guys  ok Jez and Fm ill get you pics asap my brother is the tech savvy  person in the family so ill talk to him

[SPN]

If you are paying attention to the price of Diesel, you might consider [url=http://www.poettinger.at/landtechnik/download/jumbo-torro_en.pdf]a couple of these instead 

[Light Land]

Few Fendt 900 series varios on the front of them and your away.

Well said SPN.

[margerisons]

SPN that is a good idea i will edit my poll and put them in i hope you guys get a chance to vote i never really thought of these.it is a wonderful idea i'll have to bring it up with my dad I dont think think so Light Land some  Lambo's will do it you cant go wrong with Silver Power

[texas]

It is a big decision you have to make. But for 3400 acre off grass silage do you need 6 spfh harvesters? I would go for 3 claas or krone harvesters with 9 usa trailers. Those trailers can load 30ton. So you don't need that many trailers and tractors. What is the price for grass silage overthere? Here is the price about 5 pounds a minute.

Texas

[denis086]

my advice is silage wagons weve got a pottinger europrofi and its get lees labour the grass is better quality i wont go into the technicalities at the moment but id advice a diet feeder to chop the grass when it comes to feeding the grass its abit trickier to buckrake the grass a draw is its looses its advantage to spfh when its on a long haul

[rabh7840]

youll hav eto get pics of this fleet if you can afford all that a digital camera would be nothin

[griffithsbros]

JD for me... you are the right side of the pond where JD is king  ;)

Seriously though, SPFH would be the way forward. Ok the tractors can be used for something else but you would need 200 > 300 hp on a tractor to hit the targets.

i say the same and get starfire and harvestlab on then

[grim]

does all the silage have to get chopped the same week is that why u need 6?would think u could near do it with 1 chopper maybe 2 if had the fields ready at different times.

[margerisons]

yeah sometimes we have to do it within the same day as we have alot of contracting to do too now we have to cut our time frame and get to other peoples silage

[margerisons]

youll hav eto get pics of this fleet if you can afford all that a digital camera would be nothin

:D you should try telling that to my da he dont like anything spent thats not farm related