SLOW BUT SIMPLE SILAGE STACKERS DEMONSTRATED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 28, 4 December 1950, Page 5

SLOW BUT SIMPLE SILAGE STACKERS DEMONSTRATED

A new emphasis is part on harvesting by the introduction of highlift sweeps and rakes. In a demonstration last Thursday various types were shown to an assembly of farmers—many of whom had left their harvesting for a quick look at new ideas.

At the invitation of the Awakeri Y.F.C. several machines were made available by farmers and dealers. Most farmers expect more speed and greater capacity on “imported” machinery so that the general comment was one of pride in the accomplishment of “an acre an hour by our gang” as compared \yith the rate of input by the high-lift sweep. Silage making at an acre an hour is very rare and a gang of four or five men know that they have really worked at the end of such a day. It appears that the man hours an acre of putting in silage really ranges about seven to ten. A machine that can reduce this figure to three to four man hours per acre will go a long way to saving labour troubles on farms. This on the average farm an owner is concerned as much with man hours as with acres an hour. When seen in this light, the use of a high-lift sweep with one man on the stack has much to recommend it.

The speed of movement of the buck rakes was their main feature as well as. the ability to pass over and consolidate a stack (preferably in a trench). Here again comparison was fairly made with the sweep loads .that can be handled in front of a tractor, but again it was forgotten that a buck rake requires only one other man for silage making in trenches or “clamps” as were common in the days of "sledging silage 40 years ago.

Fitting in more with the orthodox was a stacker winch with a small petrol motor. The smoth and effortless performance by a capable operator was much admired.