Drawing silage, whats it like? need peoples opinions

limiter12

And most importantly negotiate your wages before the season such as what day is pay day, the hourly or daily rate. Many a lad has been stung and tis usually the lad with the flashy gear so be wary and don't be a busy fool.

tmboy95

I know what you mean friend of mine got stung this summer for abit. Ya heard that, the bigger man would catch you out before the smaller man.

Zr105

tmboy95 wrote: »

I know what you mean friend of mine got stung this summer for abit. Ya heard that, the bigger man would catch you out before the smaller man.

Put simply there's a reason he has the flashy gear

milkprofit

tmboy95 wrote: »

Hello all, il cut straight to the point. In the next few weeks or early in Jan i might go around asking few contractors for job at silage. Ive abit of experience as ive mowed, swarted, wrapped bales, draw bales, stack, spread slurry and do a small bit of baling. What is it like to actually draw pit silage? Does it require much skill or just stay under the chute of the harvester? Ive never pulled a silage trailer in my life though ive used a 20/21ft bale trailer single axel.
I have great respect for machinery and wouldnt drive them hard or dog them unless i was told to so, which suited one fella i worked with before! I think nothing of coming in on a day off or staying late in the yard to wash and grease the tractor.
Id be very keen and willing learn the ropes of drawing pit silage as il have alot more free time next summer and the number of hours dont matter to me. Also another thing is the most ive worked with is two other people on the one job, most of the time it was just me on my own or the odd time the farm might draw in with me or stack, whats it like working in a team? What rules did ye each have? I know i wouldnt get anything mad in wages maybe 8/9 euro a hour to be honest i dont exactly know id be just glad of the work and learn something new. So what was yer first time at it like? Was it very hard to try and grasp? Any information and replies are much appreciated.
Thanks

Get agreement on wages a in writing and get paid every week
Why not start with him now doing odd bits see how it goes

Sam Kade

20silkcut wrote: »

Drawing silage is stressful where any of the following are present : steep hills, boggy ground , tight silage yards, crap tractors. It's a doddle if those scenarios are not present.

All those were present when I drew silage, one positive thing about them you would learn fast

foxy farmer

Trees are another hazard with high trailers. Once I pulled in to let a full trailer by. When I pulled out trailer heeled sideways in dyke catching a limb of an ash tree. Tractor stopped abruptly but I didn't. I shattered windscreen with my head. No seatbelt! 2 loaders spent 3 hours trying to straighten the trailer. Take your time. Do your job safely. Better to sleep in your own bed than a hospital bed! Keep an eye out for children or elderly folk who may be out around yards. Watch out for holes or slopes around silo when tipping up. Not nice to see a fully tipped 20ft trailer dancing after finding a hole in a yard. Pull in and let traffic pass from time to time. Oh yeah you'll get to hate salads!

rs8

you would get more money if you went milking cows!! FACT

jersey101

rs8 wrote: »

you would get more money if you went milking cows!! FACT

40-50e a milking and have your day free then. Ye could make good money if you did ut full time

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

40-50e a milking and have your day free then. Ye could make good money if you did ut full time

not bad money there

Muckit

The quicker cpc comes in for contractor sized tractor and trailers the better!

rs8

its crazy that a 16 year old can get up on these big tractors and trailers

grassroot1

Any job would be better than drawing silage but for a summer it wont do you any harm.

foxy farmer

Been working for same crew with last 12 years. 1st cut, 2nd cut, bales and maize and helping with repairs. Never saw a brown copper for my work. He just deducts it from my bill at the end of the year. We both come away smiling. It's a hard way of life. You can't beat a dose of green fever!

lakill Farm

foxy farmer wrote: »

Been working for same crew with last 12 years. 1st cut, 2nd cut, bales and maize and helping with repairs. Never saw a brown copper for my work. He just deducts it from my bill at the end of the year. We both come away smiling. It's a hard way of life. You can't beat a dose of green fever!

your crazy.:D

foxy farmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

your crazy.:D

It's not all about money in your pocket. Not depending on tractor work to pay my bills. Why should I look for money from him if I'll just end up giving it back to him later when I pay for his services. Circumstances dictate. Which reminds me, where's the cheque book?!

tmboy95

If i could get a some what normal job id take it i know id always have a odd day here and there at home driving. I wouldnt rely on it either to pay the bills id be happy if i got enough just to keep my car going and abit in the pocket. Do nothing for 3 weeks then work all around the clock for 2 weeks. Its the joys of it i suppose. Ya im more beef/suckler farmer, never held a cluster in my life but wouldnt mind learning how cause it would be handy. I was thinking about that too just tipp away helping a farmer if i could learn how, which i plan to do sometime.

foxy farmer

tmboy95 wrote: »

If i could get a some what normal job id take it i know id always have a odd day here and there at home driving. I wouldnt rely on it either to pay the bills id be happy if i got enough just to keep my car going and abit in the pocket. Do nothing for 3 weeks then work all around the clock for 2 weeks. Its the joys of it i suppose. Ya im more beef/suckler farmer, never held a cluster in my life but wouldnt mind learning how cause it would be handy. I was thinking about that too just tipp away helping a farmer if i could learn how, which i plan to do sometime.

It could be hard to get paid with some contractors. The lads I work for have mostly their own families to fill jobs. The sons have college and jobs to see after as well. 3 lads at most brought in for drawing. Start of first cut and maize can be a handful with some at college. I know that finances are tight meeting repayments repairs diesel bills etc. If you have an interest and understanding of machinery you'll learn tricks when fixing them. A trade would be a better bet but hard got in current climate. I'm the sort of lad who'd tackle anything building welding plumbing electrical. Not a chancer either. Read books and watched the experts.Love manual work. If you've an interest in anything like that keep it up. Anything you can do yourself at home saves money. I got caught with a builder putting up a shed years ago. Never again. The only 2 services I pay to come in now are vets and contractor.

rs8

do you not do your own c sections foxy ?? :L, its so true about first cut lads are either doing leaving cert or colage exams and then gone back when mazie comes around

tmboy95

Im in college at the moment full time and busy enough. And for me anyway the education comes first while im here, so i cant commit myself really that much outside of the summer. Id be okay id throw my hand to anything if id some clue like and wouldnt mind learning, worked around cars before for abit. Ya all the lads i know have there families driving for them. Ah wel see what happens, worst comes to worst and i dont get much it leaves me more time to be tidying the farm at home

GRASSorMUCK

tmboy95 wrote: »

Im in college at the moment full time and busy enough. And for me anyway the education comes first while im here, so i cant commit myself really that much outside of the summer. Id be okay id throw my hand to anything if id some clue like and wouldnt mind learning, worked around cars before for abit. Ya all the lads i know have there families driving for them. Ah wel see what happens, worst comes to worst and i dont get much it leaves me more time to be tidying the farm at home

Would you consider going to Uk for harvesting? would suit with college and you'll still have work on a wet day. Most farms take on lads late june-September just take your time to pick the right place and you'll be shown alot and earn a nice few pound.
Experience is prefered but most guys will give you a fair chance, and students are expected to do some damage. Neighbours had a guy tip a trailer through roof of a shed at 4am due to tiredness as much as anything this summer

tmboy95

Id love to go there if i could be guaranteed work GRASSorMUCK I wouldnt mind travelling for work at all. If i knew it was over there and id have some what reasonable conditions id have my flight booked. How would a person go about doing that?

GRASSorMUCK

tmboy95 wrote: »

Id love to go there if i could be guaranteed work GRASSorMUCK I wouldnt mind travelling for work at all. If i knew it was over there and id have some what reasonable conditions id have my flight booked. How would a person go about doing that?

There's no shortage of work when harvest comes let me tell ya haha!! :D
Pm'd details

tmboy95

Thats great news , after giving me some hope thanks a million

vermin99

tmboy95 wrote: »

Id love to go there if i could be guaranteed work GRASSorMUCK I wouldnt mind travelling for work at all. If i knew it was over there and id have some what reasonable conditions id have my flight booked. How would a person go about doing that?

Look up silage harvesting new Zealand on done deal , a cousin done it and had right good craic.He was on a fendt and made a load of money because where he was they'd only go to a shop by helicopter Planning on doing it myself in another few year

vermin99

tmboy95 wrote: »

Id love to go there if i could be guaranteed work GRASSorMUCK I wouldnt mind travelling for work at all. If i knew it was over there and id have some what reasonable conditions id have my flight booked. How would a person go about doing that?

Look up silage harvesting new Zealand on done deal , a cousin done it and had right good craic.He was on a fendt and made a load of money because where he was they'd only go to a shop by helicopter Planning on doing it myself in another few year

tmboy95

Vermin99 i wanted to do that when i was 16 haha my friend actually rang about it and all but i dont know would it be abit far for me. Il look it up dou thanks.

garyhealylad

Hey tm95.. Buy reading your post and the experience you have with other machinery you will be fine. Of course you will be nervous as hell first time round. I know I was my first day. Started with a fiat 90/90 with a 12ton Gillespie single axle trailer. It Will take you a few load to get the hang of it.. But there's nothin really to it.
Easy for me to say that now as I've been workin for contractors for the last 18yrs!!
Heres a few tips anyway.. 1. When your load starts to get full.. Try and fill the back and work your way to the front.. Reason being that when the harvester driver stops.. What ever grass is comin out the shute will still stay in the trailer as your stoppin.. If your at the back and you don't notice him stopping you will have gone past and the grass will be on the ground.
2. If your workin in very extreme hilly ground.. I recommend you drop your gears down to walking speed.. I.e walking speed 5th or 6th etc. That what if you need a lower gear when your load is getting full on a hill you have it.. Hence you don't have to stop half way up the hill to chance gear ranges. This happens quiet regularly with first timers as I drive the harvester myself at times. This will work even more so to your benefit and the tractors when driving down hill.. Saving alot on the brakes.
3. Headlands. Headlands are tricky if your first time goin at them. If your goin around a corner or more so the harvester is just give a slight over swing on the trailer not to be have your trailer wheels busting into the harvester back wheels. And when goin on the inside bends you can just turn as normal within reason. Reason I say this is because some lads tend to drive in real close to counteract the trailer when there's no need at all. The harvester driver can use the shute and throw it out to you if hes any good in it. But I've come across arsholes who think they know better and think you should do all the work. Usually senior aul farts that have lost touch wit modern machinery.
4. Driving on the road or lane way. The rule is when driving on roads or lane ways the person with the empty trailer gives right of way to person with load. And that goes for reversing too if met suddenly. Nobody wants to see full load of silage reversed into a trench. And I've seen it happen. Usual other rule that we work by and it works well and sure other contractors around country do the same is that if workin on narrow roads or lanes the person wit the full load will wait in the field until next person with empty trailer comes in to the field to avoid meeting and reversing hence losing time etc.
5. Your back door is always a good one.. If you have self closing back rim generally just stop.. Take off.. And stop very quickly to give a swinging action for it to close. You'll hear a bang of the tail board and it generally shuts. But beware not all the time. If not the harvester driver generally will see it and tell you in time if there any good.
6. Enjoy the buzz;-) and good luck!

tmboy95

@garyhealylad Ya id be fairly nervous first time round i was too when i started but when given a few hours alone and get to know the machine id be away more comfortable. Thanks for those tipps, just silage can be so fast and hyped up id be worried something small would catch me out. Feel way better towards it.

foxy farmer

tmboy95 wrote: »

@garyhealylad Ya id be fairly nervous first time round i was too when i started but when given a few hours alone and get to know the machine id be away more comfortable. Thanks for those tipps, just silage can be so fast and hyped up id be worried something small would catch me out. Feel way better towards it.

Well tmboy have you seen any action drawing grass and if so how are ya getting on?

tmboy95

Well foxy farmer, ive drawn **** and silage alright but not actual fresh grass with silage trailers. Getting odd jobs here and there with fellas around which suits me down to the ground nearly because we got back into cattle this year. Getting experience at other jobs too. Was half thinking of going to england at start of year for the harvest but i contacted a few fellas and due to me needing to be back for college it wouldnt have worked out. Everything happens for a reason i suppose, alls going good now have my odd few days work and still time to do jobs at home