Mixer Wagons/Farming Simulator 17

A Mixer Wagon is an Implement in Farming Simulator 17 whose main purpose is to create Power Food - a type of food eaten by Cows to increase their productiveness. Additionally, a Mixer Wagon can be used to break certain types of Bales back into loose form.

A Mixer Wagon can be filled with Hay and Silage (whether as Bales or as loose material) to create Power Food. This requires a specific proportion of Hay and Silage in the machine. Straw can be added in to act as a "filler" material, but is not required. The Mixer Wagon automatically mixes these together, producing Power Food, which the machine can dump straight into the cows' Feeding Trough.

Additionally, the Mixer Wagon can be used to shred bales of Silage, Hay or Straw, and dump them out in loose form to create Piles of these materials. This requires extra care, as the machine will only perform this function if it does not contain the specific proportion of ingredients required to create Power Food - otherwise it will only dump Power Food.

Farming Simulator 17 offers two models of Mixer Wagons by default. They are nearly identical machines in function, except that the more expensive model is completely self-propelled and self-sufficient - capable of moving itself and picking up the materials all on its own.

List of Mixer Wagons

Below is a list of both Mixer Wagon models available in the base game. They can both be found in the "Animals" category at the store.

First is the cheaper trailer model. This model needs to be towed by a vehicle, and needs to be connected to a vehicle in order to operate:

Name	Price	Maint. Cost per Day	Capacity	Power Consumption	Weight
SiloKing TrailedLine Duo 1814	41,000	90	16,000	47	6,079

The second model is completely self-propelled, as well as self-loading:

Name	Price	Maint. Cost per Day	Cargo Capacity	Fuel Capacity	Max. Speed	Work Width
SiloKing SelfLine Compact 1612	121,000	190	16,000	140	42	1.2

Loading Materials

In order for a Mixer Wagon to create Power Food or shred Bales, the component materials (Silage, Hay, and/or Straw) must first be loaded into it. Both models of Mixer Wagons can be loaded with either bales or loose materials, by using another machine (typically a Loader) to dump these materials into the Mixer Wagon's open-topped tank. The larger model (the SiloKing SelfLine Compact 1612) can also load itself by picking up these materials in loose form straight from Piles on the ground.

With either method, the Mixer Wagon will only accept Silage, Hay, or Straw. You cannot dump any other materials into the tank. If you attempt to dump a bale of Grass into a Mixer Wagon, the bale will simply sit on top of it, refusing to be shredded.

Loading from Above

The first and obvious method to load materials into a Mixer Wagon is to dump them into the machine's main tank from above. This can be done for any Mixer Wagon model available in the base game.

In Loose Form:

Loaders of any kind can use a Bucket or Manure Fork for this job, scooping up the loose materials from Piles on the ground, lift it over the tank, and angle down to dump it in. This allows you to control very precisely how much of each material you pour into the holding tank - an important factor when trying to make Power Food (see below).

When loading materials in loose form, you can store them near the Cow Pasture Feeding Trough, where the Mixer Wagon will probably be stationed. Incoming Loading Wagons/Tippers can just dump it there on the ground - making the process very simple and straightforward. However, shoveling loose materials is somewhat time-consuming, and the piles on the ground take up quite a bit of space.

In Bale Form:

The other method is to dump whole Bales into the machine, using the same method. In this case, a Loader with a Bale Fork, Pallet Fork or Wrapped Bale Handler can lift the bale and lower it into the machine from above. As soon as the bale dips into the machine, it will instantly disappear, adding exactly 4,000 liters of the bale's constituent material into the tank.

When loading materials in bale form, you know exactly how much material you're adding each time - 4,000 liters, no more, no less - but you can't change this amount to get a more preferable mixture ratio. Handling bales is also rather quick once you develop the skills for it, and bales take up far less storage space than Piles. Of course, the process of creating and managing bales is more complicated than just dumping the loose materials on the ground, as explained above.

Either model of Mixer Wagon in the base game can hold the contents of exactly 4 bales. When using this method exclusively for making Power Food (see below), the best ratio you can get is 1/4 Silage, 1/2 Hay, and 1/4 Straw, which is a rather decent ratio.

Loading with a Pickup Header

The SiloKing SelfLine Compact 1612 is capable of loading itself, picking up Silage, Hay or Straw directly from Piles of these materials lying on the ground.

All you need to do is to activate the Mixer Wagon Mixer Wagon: Turn On MixerDefault Buttons: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/d/dd/FS17_Logo_PC.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234847 Bhttps://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/6/6c/FS17_Logo_XBOX.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234910 ??https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/e/e3/FS17_Logo_PS4.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170828002413 ??. In this mode, whenever its pickup header touches a pile of the materials listed above, it will suck them directly into the mixer tank - assuming there is room left in the tank.

This loading method makes it unnecessary to use a separate Loader to fill up a Mixer Wagon, and saves a lot of time and effort otherwise spent on dumping in one shovelful or one bale at a time. However it does require you to store your Silage, Hay and Straw in loose form, since the Mixer Wagon cannot pick up Bales with this method. As stated previously, loose piles take up much more space than a stack of bales.

Creating Power Food

Main article: Power Food (Farming Simulator 17)

The primary function of a Mixer Wagon is to create Power Food. This is a type of food for Cows that significantly increases their productivity. The only way to create this material is with the use of a Mixer Wagon - there are no other tools that can do this.

In order for a Mixer Wagon to create Power Food, its holding tank must contain a mixture of Hay and Silage that conforms to a certain maximum and minimum ratio. Specifically, no matter how much material is in the mixing tank, no less than 20% of it can be either Hay or Silage, and no more than 75% of it, in order to create Power Food.

Additionally, Straw can optionally be used as a sort "filler" material. You may add straw to increase the amount of Power Food created - as long as the final mixture does not contain more than 40% Straw. Straw is much more readily available than either Hay or Silage (being a free by-product of Wheat and Barley harvest), so using as much of it as possible without passing the 40% ratio threshold reduces the cost and effort of Power Food production by a very wide margin.

When a vehicle is connected to the Mixer Wagon (or when driving a self-propelled Mixer Wagon), the hotkey help display Show Hotkey HelpDefault Buttons: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/d/dd/FS17_Logo_PC.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234847 F1https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/6/6c/FS17_Logo_XBOX.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234910 ??https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/e/e3/FS17_Logo_PS4.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170828002413 ?? at the top left corner of the screen shows a graphical representation of the ratio between all materials inside the Mixer Wagon's tank at this time, including the minimum and maximum ratios required for making Power Food. Each material is listed, with a bar showing how much of that material is in the tank in proportion to all the others. A green bar means that this specific material is in the correct proportion for Power Food, while a red bar means there is too much or too little of that material. When both the Hay and Silage bars are green, the machine can produce Power Food from it. If any of the bars is red, the machine will not produce Power Food.

Note: At no time does the Mixer Wagon actually contain any Power Food, even when the mixture is at the correct ratio! This material is only created once the Mixer Wagon unloads its contents (see next chapter), if the ratio of materials is correct at that time. You can change the ratio by adding more material into the machine at any time (as long as there is room), at which point the machine will not dump Power Food, but rather the separate materials that were loaded into it (see below).

Unloading

Regardless of what materials are inside the Mixer Wagon, it has the ability to dump these materials out - whether into a Feeding Trough or on the ground. The exact mixture ratios of the materials in the tank determines what kind of material will be dumped out.

Dumping materials from a Mixer Wagon into a Feeding Trough or any other designated unloading spot requires the Mixer Wagon to be standing right on top of that spot. Use the "Unload" button Mixer Wagon: UnloadDefault Buttons: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/d/dd/FS17_Logo_PC.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234847 Ihttps://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/6/6c/FS17_Logo_XBOX.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170827234910 ??https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/farmingsimulator/images/e/e3/FS17_Logo_PS4.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20170828002413 ?? to begin unloading when the option comes up. The same button can be used to stop unloading prematurely; otherwise the machine will stop when it is empty, or when the target storage facility is full (in which case a message will flash on the screen to indicate this).

The specific unloading spot in question must be one that can accept the materials inside the Mixer Wagon. For example, if the Mixer Wagon contains nothing but Hay, it can only be dumped in places that accept Hay, such as the Cow or Sheep Feeding Troughs, or inside your Barn (to sell). If the Mixer Wagon contains a suitable ratio between Silage, Hay and Straw, then it can only dump them as Power Food into the Cow Pasture Feeding Trough.

Alternatively, the Mixer Wagon can dump its cargo anywhere on the ground, creating a Pile of materials. To do this, pull the Mixer Wagon away from any designated unloading spot, and hit the "Unload Here" button Mixer Wagon: Unload Here. The same button can be used to stop unloading prematurely. If the Mixer Wagon contains a mixture of materials that does not conform to the Power Food ratios, it will dump out the individual components as though they had never been mixed. If the ratio is correct, the Mixer will dump out Power Food.

Unloading Power Food

When the mixture inside the machine conforms to the minimum and maximum ratios outlined above, this mixture will be dumped out as Power Food.

Power Food can be dumped directly into the Feeding Trough at the Cow Pasture. It only requires that there is enough room for more Power Food at the pasture currently. The pasture can hold only a limited amount of Power Food, based on the number of Cows currently living inside it. When the storage capacity is full, a message will flash on the screen indicating that there is enough food to last the animals for 6 days (although it usually lasts much longer than that).

Alternatively, you can dump Power Food on the ground in a Pile. A Pile is the only way to store Power Food in large quantities when there is no room in the Cow Pasture for it. You can later use a Bucket to scoop it up and dump it into the Feeding Troughs.

Note that there is no way to sell Power Food - no Sale Point will accept it.

Unloading Loose Materials

Unlike in previous versions of the game, in Farming Simulator 17 the materials loaded into a Mixer Wagon are not actually mixed together (despite the visual model showing them being mixed). They are kept completely separate from one another inside the machine. As long as the mixture inside the Mixer Wagon does not conform to the ratio required to make Power Food, the materials in the tank can actually be dumped out separately, as though they had never been mixed together.

When dumping materials out of a Mixer Wagon in this state, the wagon will first attempt to dump any Hay it contains, then any Silage, and only then any Straw. For example, if you want to get rid of all the Straw in the machine, but there is either Hay or Silage in there as well, you need to dump out those materials first.

Hay and Silage can both be dumped into the Feeding Trough at the Cow Pasture, as long as there's room for them in the internal storage tank. Note that both of these materials fill the same storage tank. Hay can also be dumped at the Sheep Pasture Feeding Trough, but Silage cannot.

Straw can only be dumped at specific locations near the Cow Pasture and Pig Sty. Again, there must be room inside the storage tank of that animal pen. Straw allows Cows and Pigs to generate Manure.

All three materials can also be dumped on the ground, to create a Pile of loose materials. These can later be scooped up with a Bucket, or by the Mixer Wagon itself (in the case of the SiloKing SelfLine Compact 1612).

Finally, all three materials can be dumped for sale inside your Barn.