Drawing silage advice

Classy 399

So going at grass for the first time used of hauling slurry with 2000 gallon tank and just wondering is it much harder to get in and out of gaps and yard's with a 20 ft silage trailer compared to a slurry tank

einn32

Classy 399 wrote: »

So going at grass for the first time used of hauling slurry with 2000 gallon tank and just wondering is it much harder to get in and out of gaps and yard's with a 20 ft silage trailer compared to a slurry tank

Yeah I always thought it was. Just have to swing wider but you get used to it quickly. You'll have plenty practice! You could always just drive over anything in the way, farmers are used to it and won't mind!

dar31

The really skilled lads can get the front wheel right in against a gap post, just enough to loosen it, and in the same swing, skin by the opposite post. Leaving the wires slack.

Give a Muppet a 20ft gap, and he'll take out every wire in the place,
No sorry wrong saying, should have been. Give a lad an inch and he'll take a mile, silly me.

Moral of the story, gap posts are not for target practice.

Other than that little rant, best of luck with it

K.G.

Make sure you have the phone charged up so you can pull it out anytime you waiting otherwise you might spot the wet patch/empty trailer coming back the road.alot more fun to drive straight into it or make a fella back up the road.

foxy farmer

Don't forget the extra height on a trailer. Great for finding overhanging limbs of trees and making a hoop of the trailer. The narrower wheels won't ride the road edges as well without slipping into the dikes.
At least when turning at the headlands you wont have to be switching off the pto.

foxy farmer

dar31 wrote: »

The really skilled lads can get the front wheel right in against a gap post, just enough to loosen it, and in the same swing, skin by the opposite post. Leaving the wires slack.

Give a Muppet a 20ft gap, and he'll take out every wire in the place,
No sorry wrong saying, should have been. Give a lad an inch and he'll take a mile, silly me.

Moral of the story, gap posts are not for target practice.

Other than that little rant, best of luck with it

What are these mythical 20ft gaps you speak of?

Reggie.

foxy farmer wrote: »

What are these mythical 20ft gaps you speak of?

All 12ft around here

yellow50HX

Big difference will be the speed, it's hard the balance the need to get in and out as fast as possible with out getting reckless. Remember there are other folks on the road and plenty of kids only happy to run in front of you, and don't forget the eggitts that think they are cycling the Tour de France.

Go slow through the yards
Have plenty of water with ya in the tractor.
Check the tractor and trailer every morning before you start
Make sure you do some stretches before you start as you'll be sore down your right hand side the 1st few days.
Figure out how the harvester driver wants to signal you for filling the trailer as he will need you to bring the trailer forward or back. Good idea might be to hop up with him for the first load.
Same with loader guy see where he wants to park the loader when your in the yard so there is room for both or you.
Watch the tyres and lifting arms on the draw bar when turning
Know where the yard is (I remember getting lost following the lad in front but he was lost too)

Gawddawggonnit

Be quick to tip at the pit, for everything else, slow!
What’s the point speeding back to the field to wait to be filled...

Hard Knocks

yellow50HX wrote: »

Have plenty of water with ya in the tractor.

Fill a 2L bottle shy of top & put in freezer at night & bring fresh every morning.
Nothing like nice cold drinks

patsy_mccabe

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Fill a 2L bottle shy of top & put in freezer at night & bring fresh every morning.
Nothing like nice cold drinks

Met an old neighbour coming out of a meadow one time. After turning hay and no cab on the tractor. He was sweating like mad and said he had a pain in his head. I asked him was he drinking water and he said no but he was parched. Handed him a bottle and he finished if all off.

satstheway

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Fill a 2L bottle shy of top & put in freezer at night & bring fresh every morning.
Nothing like nice cold drinks

If u start sipping it too early you'll be hanging him out all day

satstheway

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Be quick to tip at the pit, for everything else, slow!
What’s the point speeding back to the field to wait to be filled...

Most around here are flat flat flat then wait wait. All show and not much between the ears.

farisfat

Drive her like u stole it and you'll be sound.

Never wrestle with pigs

Don't drive off out of the pit like a hero with the trailer still dropping. Get out of the way and hold on until it's fully down. Watch out for power lines over head around yards.

If filling on a slope going across a hillside it's better to go turn the steering slightly up hill and down hill than go straight across to avoid tipping over.

Know how and when to use the diff lock and how to turn it off.

Arrive in the yard a few minutes before you need to, check oils, cooling clean cab for the day. It's a good habit to get into.

Find all grease points on the tractor and trailer and a squeeze every morning is better than a load once a week.

Keep a Bottel of non drinking water in the cab if you have no fire extinguisher. I saved a 110 90 going up then a cable snapped and fell on the exhaust manifold. The plastic cover went up in a second.

Sun glasses will stop you getting a head ake.

Try to fill last in the field until you get the swing of it and you'll not have to do the headlands.

Mirrors mirrors mirrors for backing up to the pit. You shouldn't have to look over your shoulder. Keep your windows and mirrors clean.

With wet silage don't back up to the pit and let your trailer up the full way, let it up half way and creep forward as the silage comes out. This will avoid bending the tail board.

If your going to take a gap out, do it on the first run and make every ones life easier. 😂

That's all for today ha. Take your time until you get up to speed and enjoy it.

Keepgrowing

Have money in you pocket, nice to get s treat if passing a shop.

Bring a lunch box with a sambo, some fruit and a yogurt or what ever your choice is.

Plenty of water, toilet roll you'll never know when you'd be stuck

MF290

Plenty of Red Bull, a charger so you can use Snapchat all day long and Spotify if you’re lucky enough to have a tractor with Bluetooth.
Joking aside, have your wingmirrors set up properly. Have a cloth to clean down the windows, it’s hard see anything with all the lights glaring from the harvester. Turn your spotlights off on the road. If there’s a gate being blown open by the wind put something on front of it, rather than plough through it when it catches you out. Take your time until you get used to it.

einn32

Grab some naps in your downtime waiting to go under the harvester. Eat as much as you can when you get it because you might not see food for another few hours. Get off the tractor when you can and walk around to get some air in the lungs, check the tractor and trailer at the same time. If you're not sure of a yard walk in first and see what way to approach it. Never drive down lanes you're not sure are right as you might have to reverse out.

patsy_mccabe

Avoid reversing if you can and ask if there are kids about.