What to Consider When Buying a Silage Wagon for Your Farm

A silage wagon can make quick work of harvesting and then chopping feed and grain for your farm, and this type of wagon is a must-have for farms both large and small. As with any other piece of equipment that you might purchase for your farm, you'll find a wide range of silage wagons from which to choose, so note a few things to consider before you buy.

1. Self-propelled versus towing

A silage wagon is usually just towed behind a tractor, but some are also self-propelled; you don't drive the wagons, but this added propulsion can reduce the wear and tear on your tractor. If you need a large wagon to handle the amount of grain you'll be chopping, you might want to invest in a self-propelled model even if you have a heavy-duty tractor. This can ensure you don't overload your tractor, and it can also make quicker work of pulling the silage wagon on a larger farm, as it may be easier for it to travel faster.

2. Tipper versus chute

A tipper wagon allows you to unload the grain into a pit or spread it on the ground. If you're unloading in a silo, you want a chute for better control. Be sure you note the unloading feature of a silage wagon and choose the one for your particular use. Also, if you do choose a tipper wagon, note that a side tipper is better for unloading in a trough whereas a back tipper will work better for a pit or for bins.

3. Speed of harvesting and carrying capacity

You might notice that a silage wagon is advertised with its pickup speed; this refers to how quickly it can collect grain. This is important to consider for very large farms; you want a silage wagon you can easily pull behind your tractor but you also want one with a good pickup speed. This speed is affected by its cutting width and also the size of the wagon itself.

The carrying capacity is also important; a larger capacity means you'll need to return to your silo or trough less often to empty the silage wagon. However, you don't want to overpay for a silage wagon that has a larger capacity than you will reasonably need. Consider the size of your farm and the overall weight of a wagon and choose something you can easily pull while still getting something large enough to make quick work of harvesting and cutting.