To feed farm animals, it is necessary to prepare juicy feed - silage. This is very difficult to do without the use of special forage harvesters. Which of the existing modifications is most suitable for modern requirements? Characteristics and features - later in the article.
General information
A forage harvester is a device that is necessary for cutting plants into a silo, then chopping them and collecting them into a car or trailer. The use of such agricultural machinery greatly facilitates the work of cleaning plants.
All forage harvesters have a similar design, differing in performance and some details. Agricultural machines have such parts - a frame, a header that cuts plants from the field, a screw for chopping silage, a collecting tank, and wheels. In some modifications of combines, there is no container for collecting silage; it can be replaced by a machine that moves parallel to agricultural machinery, or a trailer.
Combine "Polesie"
This agricultural forage harvester manufactured by the Belarusian factory "Gomselmash" refers to self-propelled, that is, it has its own engine for moving around the field. The Polesye silo harvester, or KSK-600, is designed for harvesting tall crops such as corn and sunflower.
The machine has the following technical characteristics:
- 235 hp YaMZ engine provides not only high productivity, but also profitability in use;
- productivity is about 108 tons of silage or 39 tons of hay per 1 hour of work;
- mechanical sharpening of knives, which allows you to control their sharpness;
- large capacity of the fuel tank - 400 l;
- the angle of rotation of the silo is 260 degrees, which is very convenient when loading material.
In addition, the complete set of the Polesye silo combine includes 2 sets of reapers (headers):
- The header for harvesting coarse-stalked crops is used for harvesting sunflower and corn. In this case, the stems are cut with knives, and the side dividers facilitate their passage into the combine, simultaneously raising dead plants.
- The header for grasses has a system of copying the relief of the field, which is convenient when harvesting a silo.
In addition, the agricultural machine is equipped with a pick-up, the function of which is to prevent loss of silage in windy weather and a clean selection of rolls. It is also regulated by the size of the stems of the plants, moving up and down along the guides.
Harvester "Jaguar"
The German company Claas is engaged in the production of agricultural machinery. Including self-propelled forage harvester "Jaguar 850".
It has a high build quality and is designed for a long service life. Jaguar is one of the best-selling silage machines in the world due to its good performance:
- diesel engine manufactured by Mercedes OM 460 LA with a capacity of about 412 liters. with.;
- chopping drum equipped with 24 knives;
- grain chopper, consisting of 100 teeth;
- rotation of the silo by 190 degrees;
- stone detector;
- corn header and grass header;
- fuel tank capacity 1150 l;
- transport speed up to 40 km / h;
- working speed - 16 cm / h.
The productivity of the agricultural machine is about 114 tons of silage per hour, or 50 tons of haylage. This technique is recommended for use on fields from 1.5 ha.
Harvester "Don"
The Russian company Rostselmash, among other agricultural machines, also produces Don 680M self-propelled forage harvesters.
They are intended for the preparation of feed for livestock up to 500 animals. The harvester has the following specifications:
- the presence of 3 modes for grinding the feed mass, while the operator does not need to change the knives, but just select the appropriate mode without leaving the cab;
- diesel engine YaMZ-238DK-1 with a power of 290 hp;
- high efficiency, which is achieved by attaching the shaft directly to the engine;
- high productivity - about 100 tons of silage per hour or 25 tons of hay;
- the device is adapted for domestic climatic zones, including arid;
- thanks to the clamping springs of the pick-up, minimal losses of raw materials are achieved even with gusty winds;
- the ability to rotate the silo 180 degrees;
- transport speed is 20 km / h;
- working speed - 9 km / h.
In addition, the Don forage harvester is unified with other Rostselmash machines, which makes about 60% of the parts interchangeable. It also has a relatively low cost and a guarantee for 2 years of use or 1200 hours.
The disadvantages include relatively low engine power, fewer knives on the grinder, the need for frequent replacement of rubbing elements (pulleys, gears, sprockets). With all the visible advantages and disadvantages of the combine, it has a relatively low cost, which explains its popularity among owners of domestic agricultural land.
Trailed harvesters
For relatively small farms and fields, you do not need to purchase a full-fledged self-propelled combine, as this is unprofitable. Trailed forage harvesters do an excellent job with small volumes of work:
- Semi-mounted combine PSK-1.8.
- Trailed combine SK-2,6A.
- Rotary harvester KRP-2.0.
- Challenger II Plus Silage Trailed Combine Harvester.
- Trailed combine TURBO 1250.
These varieties of trailed silage harvesters are the most popular among farmers.
Conclusion
It is difficult to imagine modern agriculture without the use of various combines, including for harvesting silage and hay. The use of such machines allows not only to prepare juicy and dry animal feed, but also to clear the field of plant stems. The choice of machine depends on the size of the field, the number of cattle, and the variety of cultivated plants.
There are many domestic and foreign versions of combines, each of which has its own special characteristics. They also differ in cost: Russian, as a rule, is cheaper both with purchase and in operation.