More maize in mud: Multi-wheeled forager

Last year will be remembered for its challenging maize silage harvest, especially for the headaches it caused Dutch contractors in the northern half of the country. The cold and wet start meant that many crops did not get planted until the second half of June, some as late as July. By the time these late drilled crops were ready to harvest the weather took a turn for the worst. Wheeled machines snaked their way through the pudding leaving deep ruts in their wake. Many others were forced to retreat leaving half cut fields.

Desperate times require desperate measures, but the lengths taken by Hoekstra Flowers underline the fact that Dutch contractors have no qualms taking the gas torch and angle grinder to any machine, including a self-propelled forager.

More wheels, more floatation

The base for the six-wheeled rubber-tracked result is a 1996-built FX450. Bought secondhand