Tractors, harvesters, trucks | Descriptions of equipment Farming Simulator 17 Guide
Last update: 23 November 2016
This chapter presents agricultural equipment meant for production of hay, fertilization of soils and harvesting. The division into sub-chapters has been modelled after the division into categories at the shop. The purpose of this chapter is to present machines and explain their purpose, as well as to mention differences between them. This will allow you to make sound choices and avoid mistakes. Also, instructions have been mentioned.
- Harvesters
- Tractors
- Front loaders
- Forage harvesters
- Trucks and pick-up trucks
- Potato harvesting
- Sugar beet harvesting
Harvesters
Harvesters are the basic agricultural machines used for harvesting the majority of available cultivated plants. It is important to use them according to their intended use, because exploitation costs are high. You can use them to harvest: wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, rape and sunflower. Note that there are three types of headers that are used for harvesting of different types of crops and they are available only for specific models.
When you pick a new harvester, do not pay attention to max speed. It is limited across harvesters to 10km/h - differences in effectiveness hinge on the width of individual headers and maximum load capacity of the harvester itself. The only difference are two specific headers for harvesting sunflower, where productivity doubles (max speed - 15km/h), however, this is a good idea only if you want to specialize in growing sunflowers. Harvesters cannot be modified.
To use the harvester, you first have to unfold it (X) and stick out the trough (O) Then, lower the header (V) after you switch to it (headers also sometimes have to be unfolded). Only then, after you switch back to the harvester, you can engage it (B). Harvesters cannot be used when it is raining/snowing. After you fill up the harvester, you should unload it into the trailer, which you place under the trough and select "unloading" (I) or emergency unload in any spot (CTRL+I). You can also decide whether you want to leave straw on the field or not. This does not really matter if you are not going to collect it, but the field has an aesthetic appeal without it lying there.
Tractors
Tractors are the basic vehicles in the game. Without them, any work becomes impossible to complete. The key parameters of tractors are horsepower and max speed. Remember that speed drops down whenever the tractor is operated (e.g. down to 10km/h in the case of potato harvester, even though the max speed may be 72km/h). Excessive horsepower and speed will not make the tractor more effective, so match your purchase with your needs - each attachment has a required horsepower for it to work properly. This also justifies high daily exploitation costs of some tractors.
Additional characteristic of tractors is that you can attach tools in front and at the back (a great majority has this function - but one of the exceptions is Case IH 1455 XL) - you can tell that by hooks and holes in the front of the tractor - if there is a factory weigh there (like in the case of the one on the left in the above screenshot), this will mean that you cannot attach any attachments.
Some of the tractors can also be fitted with an excavator. This allows you to attach front loaders. Inna Another functionality of select tractors is the rear gear - you can revolve towards the back of the tractor in your seat and drive the tractor, at full power, back. The remaining mods are a more powerful engine (it never affects the tractor's max speed!), non-standard wheels or even caterpillar threads that improve the vehicle's traction.
Front loaders
Front loaders are provided with tractors that come equipped with an excavator. Using them, you can load/unload crops, materials and palettes without using additional equipment. There are two models available: FZ 30 and FZ 60. It is always better to pick the other one, because it is a bit longer. To use loaders, you have to buy headers that can be used to manipulate other types of items.
Universal shovel is intended for picking up all types of crops/manure, etc. Palette fork can be used to load/unload palettes e.g. with manure. Bale spike, Bale forks and Wrapped Bale Handlers can be used to manipulate bales - all of them can be used with all types of bales, although the latter two are much better with cylindrical bales. Personally, I found it most convenient to use Bale spike, which is both more universal and cheaper. You can also use it to load palettes.
Manure fork, Fork with grapple and Ensilage cutters are basically the same type of tool used for handling small, compact substances: manure, ensilage, chaff or hay. The last two are a much better choice, because their capacity is slightly larger. Log grabber is the basic tool for grabbing single and not too thick pieces of wood.
In this category, you will also find Kramer KL 30.8T. It is even more affordable than the cheapest tractor with excavator, if you do not have one. You can attach all of the above attachments to it, without the necessity to attach front loader. It has a telescopic arm, which provides it with an advantage over tractors.
Forage harvesters
These are specialist machinery and you should not buy them at the very beginning of the game. They are used for: production of chaff for ensilage, cutting down of poplars for wood chips and for loading grass/hay onto the trailer (instead of a wagon - a faster way with more capacity).
For forage harvester to work, it has to be equipped with a self-propelled harvester - there are four available: the cheapest ones - loading (grass/hay), cutter - for chaffing various crops for ensilage, shredding for corn - there is much more corn chaff than from any other plant, a special poplar harvester New Holland 130FB - although it has been marked as being for a specific model, it can be attached to any forage harvester.
A separate model of forage harvesters is Pottinger MEX 5, which you attach to tractors. However, it only allows you to chaff corn.
For a forage harvester to work properly, you have to attach a tipper to the front and a trailer to the back (optionally, it can be drawn by a tractor, next to the harvester). Then, extend the trough (O), switch to the harvester and lower the trough (V) or, if possible, extend (X) and turn on (B).
Trucks and pick-up trucks
There is one main function of trucks - they are meant to transport a load from point A to point B. Their main characteristic is high max speed (even as much as 82km/h) and the capability for towing large trailers (such as a platform carrier or Fliegl Timber Runner for transportation of logs). To tow smaller trailers, you have to use a Attachments mod. You can also modify tires for better traction and engines for more horsepower.
You can find pick-up trucks in the Vehicles category. There are two models available and they can be used to transport you and small trailers/equipment by the tow hook. They are not too costly and they are the fastest vehicles in the game (max. speed 120km/h).
Potato harvesting
Equipment in this category does not require powerful tractors. There are three Grimme machines available here: KS 75-4 is for topping before potato harvesting. It is attached to the front side of the tractor and activated by lowering (V) and activating (B). Working width equals 4 rows.
Potato harvester SE 260 pulls potatoes out of the soil and stores them. It is attached to the back side of the tractor and its working width equals 2 rows, as a result of which it is not too efficient when with KS 75-4. To start it, you have to unfold it (X), lower it (V) and activate it (B). To empty it, activate the conveyor belt: (O).
Tectron 415 performs the functions of the two above pieces of equipment - it tops before harvesting and harvests potatoes, at a much greater speed and with higher tank capacity. Controls are the same as for SE 260.
Also, Grimme RH 24-60 from conveyor belts category should be mentioned here. It allows you to pack tuberous plants into pallets easy to transport, (on a cheap Fliegl DPW 180 trailer).
Sugar beet harvesting
Equipment in this category does not require strong tractors. There are five available here. Two of them are by Grimme: FT 300 - is for topping beets before harvesting, which you have to do before harvesting. Attach it to the front side of the tractor and activate it (B), after you lower it (V).
ROOTSTER 604 is a beet harvester that you attach to the back of the tractor and it can work simultaneously with FT 300. Controls: lower (V), activate (B), activate the conveyor belt if you want to empty the tank: (O). It requires frequent emptying!
Holmer equipment: Terra Dos T4-40 works only after you attach HR 9 harvester from the same category. It is a self-contained beet harvester with large tank capacity and slightly higher speed of operation. To start using it: attach the header (Q), unfold the harvester (X) and the header after you switch to it, and lower it (V) turn it on (B). To unload the tank, extend the conveyor belt (O).
Terra Felis 2 eco is slightly unique. It is only for collecting beets on the ground and loading them onto a trailer. You can also do this manually, using shovel or with conveyor belts. To use: unfold (X), lower (V) and activate(B). Using the mouse, you can control the direction, in which beets are unloaded.
A machine that deserves a mention is also Grimme RH 24-60 from Conveyor Belts category, which allows packing tuberous plants into palettes for transportation (on a cheap Fliegl DPW 180 trailer).