Grass and bales of hay | Descriptions of equipment Farming Simulator 17 Guide
Last update: 28 November 2016
This chapter contains information about machines used to acquire grass, transforming it into hay and silage, and creating easy to transport bales of hay.
Mowers
Every mower available in the game operates in the same way - it cuts the grass after lowering (V) and activating (B) it. The first two models available in the store cut the grass on the sides of the machines - they aren't worth purchasing. Pottinger NOVACAT 301 ED and Pottinger NOVACAT X8 ED complement each other - installing them on the front and on the back of the tractor allows them to mow 3 rows of grass. Lely Splendimo model works the same, although using it is not recommended - that model is a lot more expensive and requires a stronger tractor, offering only a slightly larger mowing surface. What is more, they often "drag" some of the grass behind the machine, making it harder to collect it later (the machine will block on the heaps of grass).
Tedders
Those machines are used to help grass dry after it has been mowed and eventually turn them into hay. It happens instantaneously after going through the strip of grass with an enabled tedder. Hay will be scattered around the whole field - you can use a windrower to collect it both faster and more efficient.
Windrower
Those devices are designed to pull loose strips of grass into a single thin line. The more advanced the model, the more grass it will be able to process. Rows of grass that are too big can be simply too much for a cheap machine to handle. Windrowers are mostly used after tedding the grass and turning it into hay.
Bale technology
Bale technology allows you to compress grass, hay and silage into bales that are easy to transport. In order to create them, drive a New Holland Roll-Belt 150 or BigBaller 1290 through mowed grass. What are the differences between those machines? The first one creates cylindrical bales that can be wrapped to acquire silage, although it requires the player to open (Y) the container, throw the bale out and close the container again. The second machine creates rectangular bales that are automatically falling out of the device. The process in the case of the latter machine is less complicated, the bales can be easily stored and transported, although you won't be able to wrap them. To start gathering you have to lower the device (V) and activate it (B).
Ursus Z-586 bale wrapper allows you to wrap the cylindrical bales with foil and acquire silage (immediately after wrapping it). The process is fully automated - you just have to drive the machine into the bale. When it comes to transport, storing and collecting, wrapped bales are identical to their non-wrapped counterparts.
Remaining devices in this category are trailers used to collect bales. They differ in the amount of bales they can store and the type of bales (shape) they are able to collect. The collection process happens automatically - you need to set up the device and drive it into bales. The only exception is the Fliegl DPW 180 trailer - it's a universal trailer, capable of transporting any type of good (bales, wood, pallets). Additionally, you can use transport straps (R) to secure the cargo - it won't fall out of the trailer even after the vehicle falls over. It doesn't have an automatic loading function - it has to be loaded manually.