Farming Simulator 19: Machines for fieldwork Farming Simulator 19 Guide and Tips

Last update: 04 May 2020

This chapter describes the machines used in the field to process the field: preparation for sowing, fertilizing, sowing and planting. Farming Simulator 19 features several new machines, such as harrows or subsoilers, as well as a whole lot of machines in each of the other categories.

• Ploughs
• Subsoilers
• Cultivators
• Harrows
• Seeders
• Planters
• Potato planters
• Sugarcane Planters
• Weeders
• Fertilization: solid fertilizer and lime
• Fertilization: liquid fertilizer and herbicides
• Fertilization: manure, slurry, and compost

Ploughs

Ploughs are soil tillage tools that improve soil quality. Such a rutting deep in the ground causes that these machines to have very high requirements for the power of tractors and a very low operating speed. Some plants require ploughing before each planting (e.g. potatoes), other - every third harvest (if this option is active in the game settings) [ it is better to use subsoilers] for this task. In addition, ploughs can be used to create new fields after activating this option while working with them.

The larger the plough, the faster the work is done. At the beginning of the game, you should consider the plough called AGRO POH 5. It is mounted on the tractor so that it is in the air - making it easy to manipulate, twist and turn.

Subsoilers

Subsoilers are new machines introduced in Farming Simulator 19. Their work is similar to ploughing - you can use them for periodical ploughing - but they do not allow planting e.g. potatoes nor for the creation of new fields. They move much faster than small ploughs and have lower tractor power requirements. In addition, you can attach other tools to them, e.g. and use them instead of cultivators.

At the beginning, it is worth to choose one of the subsoilers Agrisem Combiplow or KUHN DC 401. They have an additional 3-point linkage at the rear so you can attach seed sowers/planters to them.

Cultivators

Cultivators are a basic tool on every farm. Before sowing, you must use this machine in the field to prepare the soil. Ploughing also allows you to prepare the soil - but the cultivators are much lighter and faster, often with the option of sowing/planting and/or fertilizing the soil at the same time.

You can find cultivators in several categories as they are often combined with machines that are able to perform other functions as well. We do not recommend most of the machines in the Cultivators tab in the shop: they usually require a lot of power, are single-functional and move at a maximum speed of 15 km/h.

You can find two additional cultivators in the category Manure tank. They are suitable for operation with liquid manure tanks (slurry/compost). However, they can work as cultivators without them. This is a good purchase when you intend to use liquid fertilizers in the near future. Note that these cultivators work at a speed of 17 km/h.

There are some Cultivators in the Seeders category. Some seeders cultivate, sow and fertilize the soil at the same time, and in addition work at high speeds - even 18 km/h.

1. Note that if you do not want to sow with a seeder, but only cultivate and optionally fertilize the soil, you can do so. Simply do not activate the seeder before starting work.
2. If the work is to be carried out by an employee, you only need to unload the seeds from the seed drill, and you can cultivate the field and sow later, e.g. with corn (make sure you do not have the option set to automatically purchase seeds by an employee).

Harrows

Harrows work exactly the same way as cultivators. As a rule, however, they do not have seed drills or fertilizer sprayers, but they often have lower requirements for tractor power and quite a low price and higher working speed than the machines in the Cultivators tab (harrows work at a speed of 17 km/h, cultivators - 15 km/h).

All harrows are similar: they differ in price, width and power requirements of the tractor. However, pay attention to the model Amazone Catros 6002-2, for which you can buy as an upgrade, liquid fertilizer spray tubes (compost/manure). Of course, it is necessary to connect the cultivator to the fertilizer hopper in order for it to perform this function.

You can also find two additional small models in the category Mechanical harrows. Their width and additional 3-point fastening at the back allow for connecting to them, e.g. for small seed drills.

Seeders

Seeders, as the name suggests, it allows the seeds to be sown. You can use them for sowing: grass, oilseed radishes, wheat, barley, oats, rape, and soy. The seed drill may only operate on ploughed or cultivated fields. Fill the tool from the seed pallet purchased from the shop before use.

Seeders can simultaneously sow and optionally cultivate and fertilize fields with loose (artificial) fertilizer. A good choice at the beginning of the game is Horsch Pronto 9 DC, but it requires quite a powerful tractor to work with. If you don't fill it with seeds, you can use it as a cultivator.

For cheaper models, the KUHN BTF 4000 model is worthy of interest, which you can attach to mechanical harrows or subsoilers with the same working width. Please note that this seed drill does not have its own seed container - you have to buy an additional container at the front of the tractor, such as KUHN TF 1512. You can use the container to increase the capacity of almost any seeder.

However, a better container is the Vaderstad FH 2200. It is cheaper and lighter, and can also be used to increase the amount of fertilizer for the tool. You can find this tank in the category Seeders.

Planters

If you want to grow other plants that are not allowed by the seeder, you have to use a different tool. A Planter can only work on ploughed or cultivated fields. For some plants, special planters are required. The basic planters will allow you to plant: sugar beet, corn, sunflower, cotton, and soy. Fill the tool from the seed pallet purchased in the shop before use.

All planters are equipped with a field fertilization system, but none of them has the option of cultivating the field. For this reason, it is worthwhile to start with smaller devices such as Kaverneland Optima V. Connect it to power harrows of the same or similar width and you can prepare the field at one fell swoop.

1. Other models differ only in working width, capacity and required tractor power. Each machine operates at a maximum speed of 15 km/h.

Potato planters

Two models of potato planters are available: Grimme GL 420 and GL 860 Compacta. The more expensive model has a twice as wide working area and fertilizes the field at the same time. Remember that the field must be ploughed before planting potatoes. If you're serious about growing potatoes, it's worth investing in a more expensive model right away. Remember that you'll fill planters like seeders: using seeds from the shop's pallet, or pouring potatoes from the previous harvest into it.

Sugarcane Planters

Two cheaper models of cane planters: Gessner Single Row Billet Planter and TT8022 Drive-less only differ in capacity and required tractor power. But the third model: Gessner Two Row Billet Planter has 2x more planting capacity. Cane can be planted on any defended field, even on the uncultivated field. <Reed does not need to be planted a second time - it grows back itself. That's why you don't need to forcefully buy more expensive planters - a good option will be to lease them. Cane planters can be filled with a cane from the previous harvest, just like potato planters.

Weeders

In the Farming Simulator 19, there are new obstacles to cultivation - weeds. Use weeders to pull them out of the ground when the plants have not yet grown to harvest. This is a simple mechanical method - spraying is an alternative, but you have to pay for it. If the crop destruction option is active, equip the tractor with narrow wheels in order not to damage the plants during weed control.

Only three models are available, which only differ in working width. However, they can also plant grass, rape and oil radishes. Weeders can be considered quite expensive, but you use them in every field, so it's worth investing in the most expensive model right away (but it requires only 120 hp from the tractor). Remember to use narrow tractor wheels when working in the field with plants of at least the second growth phase in order not to damage the plants.

Fertilization: solid fertilizer and lime

In principle, loose fertilizer is the cheapest method of fertilization. Fertilizer itself is cheap, as well as the machines that use it. Keep in mind that most seed drills and planters have their own hopper for loose fertilizer, which they apply during sowing. In the category Fertilizer technology, you will only find three machines:

1. KUHN AXIS 40.2 M-EMC - you can attach it to the front and rear of the tractor. It is characterized by high speed of work and a large area of operation. Do not connect it to other machines - no other device works in this area. If the machine moves more slowly or goes twice through the field, you will only waste fertilizer.
2. Bredal K105 and K165 - these are the only machines that have the ability to fertilize the field with lime. So, these are machines that you have to have on your farm anyway. You can also fill them with bulk fertilizer. They only differ in capacity, but this can be increased when purchased, increasing the height and capacity of the fertilizer hopper. Additionally: it is worthwhile to install narrow wheels (only K105) on the trailer in order not to damage the plants; you can install a fertilizer spreader system in a smaller area - 6m. This will allow you to work with other machines that have the same working width.

It is worth knowing that the self-propelled fertilizer vehicle Stara Imperador 3.0 also has the option of spreading fertilizer on the field. The vehicle has two tanks: for loose and liquid fertilizer (only the latter works on folding arms - loose fertilizer is spread from behind the vehicle on a much lower area).

Fertilization: liquid fertilizer and herbicides

You can use several KUHN and HARDI machines to fertilize and protect your crops. Each of them works over a very large area, and cheaper models can be mounted on the tractor at the front or rear, and the most expensive models (apart from the much larger area of operation, of course) are connected as trailers. Each machine can be filled with liquid fertilizer from the shop, or with weed killers that get rid of the weeds on the field.

1. Note that weed killers can only be used if weeds already appear in the field - they do not have a preventive effect.
2. You can use two machines KUHN DELTIS 1302 MTA 3 or HARDI 2200 at the front and rear of the tractor and fill them with separate chemicals - you will then perform two operations at once.

You can also use motor vehicles for spraying fields (specially adapted for this task): Stara Impreador 3.0 or Hardi Rubicon 9000. The first model works over half the area but can use both liquid and bulk fertilizer. In addition, it has narrow wheels that do not damage the crop.

Fertilization: manure, slurry, and compost

Fertilizing a field with manure is not such a simple matter. You will get manure from cow and pig farms if you deliver straw to the animals. Fertilizer spreaders must be manually recharged (using a spade). The trailers have their own fertilizer spreader mechanism.

I personally do not recommend these devices: they are expensive, require powerful tractors, have a small area of operation compared to other methods of fertilization, and manure disappears quickly from the tank. The only upside is that you received the fertilizer for free. However, it would be better to sell manure and use other fertilization methods.

Slurry and compost tanks are a bit more interesting. The first model: Garant VE 8000 is fully operational - it does not need any additional equipment for fertilizer distribution. Other models, as you will notice, are sold with an additional tip mounted at the back of the tank. Without them, you cannot fertilize the field. Some models, such as Zunhammer ZuniDisc cultivate the field at the same time. Bear in mind that when you change the tank to a larger one, you don't have to buy a new tip - you can mount it on different models.

You can find one overlay model with the additional cultivation option Amazone Catros 6002-2 in the Harrows category. However, in order for it to work as a fertilizer sprayer, you need to upgrade it with a piping system when you buy it.

As the first machines in this shop category, you will see cheap tanks Garant FRC and TSA 30000. They are not used to distribute fertilizer, but only to transport it to collection points or in the vicinity of remote farmland.

Dung manure you will get from cow and pig farms as soon as they are fed and watered. The tanks are filled automatically with a single click. Compost you will get in the Bio-gas plant - buy it and sell silage there. After this, you can drive the tank under the pipe protruding from the silo to fill the tank with compost.

1. The use of this method of fertilization is much cheaper and more enjoyable than the use of manure. Remember, however, that in order for this method to be used as a substitute for artificial fertilizers, you need to generate large amounts of fertilizer (i.e. either take seriously the supply of silage to the biogas plant or have a lot of animals on the pasture).