Loading Wagons/Farming Simulator 15
A Loading Wagon (or "Forage Wagon") is an open receptacle on wheels, which can be filled with Grass, Straw or Chaff. Unlike a Tipper, the Loading Wagon can also collect Grass and Straw directly from the field. A Loading Wagon can dump its cargo at specific locations (such as selling points).
The base game provides 3 different types of Loading Wagons of various sizes, which can attach to different classes of vehicles.
List of Loading Wagons
| Wagon | Price ($) |
Maintenance ($ / day) |
Capacity (litres) |
Recommended Tractor Power (kW / hp) |
Front Hitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pottinger Euroboss 330 T |
27,000 | 30 | 21,300 | 44 / 60 | Drawbar (Bolt) |
 |
59,000 | 40 | 38,000 | 132 / 180 | Drawbar (Ball) |
 |
88,000 | 50 | 50,000 | 177 / 240 | Drawbar (Ball) |
Notes for Table
- Power Requirements are only recommendations. When the device is operating, it will need more power than stated. When empty and deactivated, it can be towed by a much lighter tractor.
- All Loading Wagons in the base game have a working speed limit of 25 km/h, and a working area of 2.5 meters.
Overview
A Loading Wagon is a unique type of Tipper. Like the Tipper, the Loading Wagon's primary purpose is to transport large amounts of cargo from one location to another, in bulk. However, the Loading Wagon has an additional (and very important) advantage: it can collect ("forage") its own cargo directly from the field.
Loading Wagons consist primarily of an open-topped box on wheels. This box can carry a large amount of Grass, Straw or Chaff. These are the only materials it can carry, and it will not accept other materials at all.
Additionally, the Loading Wagon has a small collecting head at the front, which is capable of collecting loose Grass or Straw from the field, left behind by a Mower or Harvester (respectively). When the Loading Wagon is properly activated, it will collect any such material it passes over. The Loading Wagon is one of only a handful of devices that can collect these materials.
Once the material has been collected, the Loading Wagon can be towed to its destination, where it can be unloaded. Loading Wagons can only be unloaded in specific locations on the map, depending on what cargo it is carrying. Selling Points exist for both Grass and Straw. In addition, the Sheep Pasture, Cow Pasture and Biogas Plant offer special unloading points that are discussed in more detail below.
Loading Wagons are pretty heavy in their own right, and even heavier when full with cargo. They also require quite a bit of power when operating, and will usually need to be connected to powerful tractors for forage duties.
Foraging
The Loading Wagon is one of the few tools in the game that can pick up Grass and Straw directly from the field, after they have been left there by Mowers and Harvesters (respectively).
The collecting head of the Loading Wagon must be lowered and activated for this to occur. When properly activated, the collecting head will suck the material into the wagon's holding box.
Grass
Grass can be collected only if the Loading Wagon is empty, or already contains some Grass.
A Loading Wagon can collect only Mowed Grass. It cannot cut the grass on its own. You will first need to use a Mower to cut the grass.
Mowers tend to leave very wide trails of Grass behind them - and usually there are several trails for each Mower pass. The Loading Wagon's collecting head, however, is extremely narrow in comparison, and would require many passes back and forth over the mowed grass to collect it all. To make this job much easier, use a Windrower on the grass first, condensing a large swath of it into a single, narrow trail that the Loading Wagon can pick up in one go.
- Grass vs. Hay
- Loading Wagons will pick up both Mowed Grass (green) and Dried Grass (yellow). For the Loading Wagon, these two materials are identical. As soon as they are picked up, both turn into regular, loose Grass, and behave the same when dumped (same selling price, same functionality when feeding to animals, etc.). A Loading Wagon cannot, therefore, create Hay, under any circumstances.
- Remember this when passing over a field containing both Mowed and Dried Grass. The Loading Wagon does not distinguish between them, and will collect both of them - effectively wasting the effort you took to dry the grass with your Tedder.
Straw
Straw can be collected only if the Loading Wagon is empty, or already contains some Straw. Straw collection is far more straightforward than Grass collection.
Straw is left behind Harvesters when they process Wheat or Barley fields while the "Straw Swath" option is enabled. Straw is created in narrow trails that are bright yellow in color.
Since the Straw Swath is already very narrow when created, a Loading Wagon should have no problem picking it all up very quickly and efficiently. There is no need for Windrowing, though it can be still useful in certain situations.
Chaff Collection
In addition to forage duties, Loading Wagons can also be used to collect Chaff out of a Forage Harvester. Though not superior to a Tipper in this regard, the Loading Wagon can perform this duty just the same.
Forage Harvesters have no holding capacity of their own - they need to continuously dump all of the Chaff they create into an external holding tank. This can be done by attaching a Tipper or Loading Wagon directly behind the harvester, or by towing one next to the Harvester using a separate tractor. The Forage Harvester will stop working instantly if it cannot find a nearby tank with space to dump the Chaff into.
Again, Loading Wagons have no inherent superiority over Tippers when performing this job.
Unloading
The Loading Wagon has the ability to unload itself, at certain points on the map specifically designed for the type of cargo it is carrying.
In order to unload at any of these points, the Loading Wagon must be driven up to it, with the rear of the wagon pointing at (or at least close to) the unloading point. When close enough, the option to unload will appear. Hit the "Unload" button to start unloading. Loading Wagons can only unload out the rear.
You can stop unloading at any time by either driving away from the unloading point or hitting the "Unload" button again.
Selling Points
Grass can be unloaded at a Grass Heap, to be sold immediately. Grass Heaps exist in many locations on the map, and are marked on the mini-map with a green "offloading" icon.
Both Grass and Straw can be sold at another unloading point, a special barn at your farm. This barn has an open door on one side, with Straw spread out in front of it. To unload into this selling point, you will need to back the Loading Wagon right into the door, until you get the option to unload.
Chaff cannot be sold directly at any selling point on the map.
Fermentation Bunkers
All three types of Loading Wagon cargo can be dumped into a fermentation bunker, for purposes of turning these materials into Silage.
There are four Fermentation Bunkers at the Biogas Plant, and another (smaller) one at the Cow Pasture. To dump a material into the bunker, simply drive through the Bunker until the option to unload comes up. It's recommended that you drive slowly forward while unloading, to ensure that the material is spread out along the bunker. Dumping it all in one spot may create a steep "hill" that may be difficult to climb later on.
A Fermentation Bunker will refuse to accept any cargo if it is currently full, if it currently contains Silage, or if it is currently covered with plastic. Otherwise, the material you dump will accumulate into the bunker. Note that you can dump Grass, Hay, or Chaff into the same bunker - all materials are treated the same for this purpose.
This is the only location where Chaff can be dumped. There is no other way to get rid of Chaff. It cannot be sold directly.
Sheep Pasture
The feeding trough at the Sheep Pasture accepts Grass, which is the only kind of food that Sheep will eat. The game will count the exact amount of Grass dumped into the trough, and will track that amount as the Sheep consume it. While there is at least 1 liter of Grass in the trough, Sheep will produce Wool at a constant rate. If the Grass runs out, Wool production will cease.
Cow Pasture
There are several unloading points at the Cow Pasture, where you can dump either Grass or Straw as appropriate.
The Feeding Trough accepts Grass, as a type of cow feed. The game will count the exact amount of Grass dumped into any trough (it doesn't matter which specific trough you dump into), and will track that amount as the cows consume it. While there is at least 1 liter of Grass in the trough, Cow Productivity levels will rise to at least 35%, and the Cows will produce Slurry at a constant rate.
The Cow Shed accepts Straw, which is used as Bedding. The game will count the exact amount of Straw dumped into the shed, and will track that amount as the cows consume it. As long as there is at least 1 liter of Straw in the shed, Cow Productivity will be increased by a small amount, and the Cows will produce Manure at a constant rate.