Timber vs Steel. Which Silage Wagon Floor Should You Choose?

Published 15th March 2018
Combi CM/CX/RX

A common question that gets asked when looking to purchase a new Silage Wagon is which floor is best suited to your feeding needs…

Timber vs Steel Silage Wagon Floor

So what are the pro’s and con’s of each type of floor and which is best suited to your farm? 

Advantages of Timber floor Advantages of all Steel floor
  • Easier to replace when broken
  • No rusting when left in the weather in the-off-season
  • Lower cost than steel
  • Lower tare weight
  • Higher strength to weight ratio
  • Doesn’t go rotten from silage juices
  • Lasts the life of the silage wagon
  • Proven in truck decks to out last timber (especially in tipping trucks where product needs to slide across surface) 
  • Lower friction, less wear on drives to move heavy loads
  • Isn’t damaged when loading e.g. tipping fodder beet into the wagon
  • Doesn’t get caught in bars breaking chains if damaged
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

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Unique all steel body & chassis design

When running an all steel, welded body, an important design feature to eliminate fatiguing is to use a single piece chassis, integrated into the body. This makes for a longer lasting design, that combines the strength of both the chassis and body members giving a stronger wagon overall that can handle the flexing of heavier loads without cracking over time and with a lower tare weight. 

Customer feedback

On a recent visit to a North Canterbury, based dairy farmer, we asked why they were switching from a timber floor wagon to an all steel, Hustler’s New SF1500 side feed silage wagon. 

 

“we wanted an all steel floor,

timber floors don’t last”

 

After running a Silage Wagon with timber floors Marty, became sick of the frustration of the floor not lasting the distance. They were on the hunt for an all steel Silage Wagon. This was especially a problem when feeding out their fodder-beet as it can give the wagon a hard time during loading, and when feeding out if a beet gets wedged under one of the bars. Marty settled on the popular Hustler SF1500, a 15 cubic metre side feed Silage Wagon. Which offered the best ground clearance, biggest drive rollers and the unique single piece all steel chassis/body design.

Take a look at their New SF1500 just delivered

 

Hustler’s 2018 Silage wagon range is available in 12.5 – 20 cubic metre capacities, in both Side Feed or Centre Feed models and a range of options to suit your exact feeding needs. 

To learn more about Hustler’s new Forage Wagons click the button below