Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters Dismantled Machines in Ireland

Forage harvesters can be used as tractor implements, but for extensive operations self-propelled forage harvesters are often preferred. The basic operational mechanisms are similar on both types of forage harvester. This includes either a drum cutter head or flywheel with a number of knives fixed to it. These chop the crop and blow the cut silage out from a funnel or chute and into an awaiting wagon. Larger self-propelled forage harvesters may have paddle accelerators, which increase the speed of the chopped material and thus boost performance. When the loading wagon is full, it is exchanged for another and the original wagon is removed for unloading. Different forage crops such as grass or corn require specific cutting heads and these can be attached to the self-propelled forage harvesters relatively quickly and easily. In the case of grass, the crop is usually cut first to allow it to wilt. It is then harvested via a windrow pick-up.

How They Work

Corn and whole-crop silage are cut by the self-propelled forage harvester header directly. This uses disc mowers, reciprocating knives or large blades. Kernel processors are often used to harvest cereal crops such as sorghum or corn. These are constructed from a pair of toothed rollers pressed together to crack the kernels on the crop heads. The kernel processors tend to be situated between the cutter head and accelerator. This can be swapped with a simple grass chute when not required.

Large Scale Farms - A Must

The self-propelled forage harvester is usually accompanied by a tractor or other collection vehicle and is now the preferred forager for large-scale farms. These machines can get very large and something like the Krone self-propelled forage harvester has engines in excess of 1,000hp. The headers can stretch to accommodate a cutting width of 11 metres, and such self-propelled forage harvesters can produce 400 tonnes of silage in an hour. The silage can be cut in lengths from 5mm to 80mm and is often treated with a variety of additives, such as mould inhibitors, enzymes or bacteria, to improve the silage process. Silage made from corn or sorghum has less need of additives because of the high sugar content of these crops.

Self-propelled forage harvesters are available from a host of major suppliers, such as AGCO, CLAAS, Case IH, Krone, John Deere and New Holland. These are relatively complex machines, combining the many moving parts of the operational implements with the mechanics of a self-propelled machine. Care should therefore be taken in examining each area before purchase. The size and capacity of the self-propelled forage harvester should match your requirements, and the harvesting technology should also be suitable for the type of crop being harvested. The headers, drums and rollers should all be examined for damage and tested for smooth operation. The engine, transmission, running gear and all other components should also be looked at.

When it has been serviced properly and treated with care, the self-propelled forage harvester can have a long and productive life and a good used example should give many years of service.