First harvest | The basics Farming Simulator 2013 Guide

The harvester which you start with has a very limited tank for harvested crops.

You will begin the game with one of the fields ready to be harvested. It's field number 16 found to the west of the farm. Switch to the harvester (controls can be found in a different chapter) and attach the cutters. You can turn on the harvester, which will automatically lower the cutters, and start driving with the cruise control at 2.

Be sure to drive steadily and not to miss any corn. Those two hints can be applied to any machine in the game: the plows, sower, harvester, spreader, mower and sprayer.

However instead of driving yourself, it's more profitable to hire a worker and take care of something else yourself. The worker is automatically paid, but it's still cost-effective. You will find time to have fun with the harvester later on, when you buy some better equipment.

Also be sure to check the weather prognosis in your PDA. It's impossible to harvest during rain.

It's worth taking this cultivator together with the tractor to the farm.

You have four tractors, out of which three are very basic. The only better one, together with a cultivator, can be found far in the north-east beside field number 9 owned by you. The field at the moment requires cultivation, though I wouldn't recommend focusing on this little bit of field. It's worth taking the tractor and cultivator to the farm. You can also head to the vehicle menu, choose the tractor and reset it (and do the same with the cultivator).

Control the harvester's tank while harvesting.

When the harvester's tank fill up (its capacity is only 1500 liters), you will see a 100% capacity note below the speed meter. If you have been harvesting yourself, stop and move out the pipe. If the harvester was operated by a hired worker, he will do it himself (for which he doesn't have to be paid).

Drop the harvested crops in the trailer.

Right beside the field you will find a tractor and a trailer. Attach the trailer to the tractor and head towards the harvester. You don't have to worry about destroying the remaining crops. Drive the trailer just below the pipe and the harvest will be automatically unloaded. If you want to harvest further, drive the tractor away so that it doesn't stand in the way (e.g. into another harvested field). If you're hiring a worker, he will automatically begin harvesting again, so just drive away so you don't disturb him.

If you're hiring a worker to operate the harvester, you can simultaneously drive the tractor with a trailer beside it to collect the crops as it goes.

Notice! Remember that you can drive along a harvester operated by a worker. Thanks to what the harvester doesn't have to stop to unload crops, as they're being dropped onto the trailer as it goes. It does however require some skills to keep the speed similar to the harvester.