How does a self-propelled forage harvester work?

3/26/2024

A forage harvester plays a pivotal role in livestock operations, allowing farmers to produce nutrient-rich feed for their animals in a more efficient way. The forage harvester creates feed for animals by harvesting crops such as corn, grass, and alfalfa and transforming them into a cut-up, compacted version known as silage. Unlike tractor-mounted harvesters, a self-propelled harvester runs independently without the need for another machine. This can increase yields for your silage and save you time by covering more ground in less time. So how does this self-propelled forage harvester get the job done? Keep reading to see how.

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Forage Harvester Cutter Heads

Different crops require different heads for your forage harvester to do the job efficiently. For corn and similar crops, you will need a corn head. For forages such as alfalfa and other grasses, you will need a rotary harvesting head. You can also utilize hay pickups to gather crops that have already been cut.

The John Deere 8000 Series harvesters are equipped with DuraDrum cutterheads that let the operator customize cutting length based on crop conditions. The 9000 Series features the 772 Big Drum Corn Header that is equipped with 6 large drums ready to harvest corn at 7 tons per minute

Harvesting Process

and processing crops to create sillage. The only difference is that the forage harvester has a few unique configurations to fit the needs of the forage.

In a forage harvester, two special blades slice through the bottom of stems, and a feeder mechanism to pull the shoots into the machine. The cut crops are then blown into a sillage trailer following the harvester.

John Deere’s self-propelled harvesting system elevates feed quality with special precision ag technology. The Harvest Lab feature is used to measure moisture content and constituents in the feed. Also, the ActiveFill Control feature automatically detects your transport vehicle while controlling the spout to implement various fill strategies.

What else can a self-propelled forage harvester be used for?

Besides harvesting forage crops, another common use for harvesters is to simply cut grass. By using their specialized cutting attachments, the harvester can efficiently and precisely cut grass and transfer clipping into a transport vehicle.

If would like more information on self-propelled forage harvesters, contact us at Goldman Equipment and one of our experts will assist you.

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