Farming Simulator 19 already prides itself on having a sizeable selection of vehicles and implements. But, now, its collection is getting even bigger with the official addition of branded equipment from Canadian manufacturer Bourgault. This pack adds eight brand-new items in total: seven farming implements and one tractor.
John Deere returns
The 9RX flexing in Estancia Lapacho
Let’s get the big boy out of the way, the addition of the John Deere 9RX. This tractor ditches wheels for a quad array of tracks. It also happens to be one of the most powerful machines in the game, having a starting engine power rating of 517 (this can be upgraded).
What really sets the 9RX apart is its segmented body. Rather than turning using the tracks, the 9RX actually pivots from the center. This allows it to make some pretty tight turns, however, it can be challenging to maneuver especially when hooked up to some of the new implements.
Twin Bourgault giants
A tractor as powerful as the 9RX is what’s needed to operate the two big boys of the package: the Bourgault 3320-76 and its even more massive brother the 3420-100. They aren’t just a random collection of numbers; those are the names for the two Hoe Drills.
But, they go along with two more pieces of kit: the Bourgault 7950 and 71300, respectively. These are Air Carts which hitch to the rear of the two hoe drills. Joined together, each pair basically becomes a field train. Again, a powerful tractor is needed to operate them with a starting requirement of 500HP for the 3420-100 paired with the 7950.
The Hoe Drills and their Air Carts are best for big fields.
Both of these hoe drill-air cart combos are best used on huge fields. The hoe drills have very wide working widths (23.2m/30.5m respectively), and the air carts can carry a massive load of fertilizer and seeds.
For smaller fields, however, there is a third option, the Bourgault FMS CD872-8. This is a hoe drill and air cart combined into one, albeit on a much smaller scale. With a working width of only 8.0m, all you’ll need is a tractor with at least 240HP to operate it. It has proven to be a cool alternative to traditional seeders/planters. There’s not really much of a benefit with this one, other than it simply being a unique design.
Using any of these three drills also nullifies the need for a cultivator. However, if you do need just a cultivator, then you’ll definitely benefit from the next tool.
Cultivating the masses
The SPS360-50 being used to get rid of unwanted sunflowers.
The Bourgault SPS360-50 is a wide cultivator that can make quick work of large fields. While it calls for a tractor with at least 480HP, it proves to be a very important asset when trying to next a big field prepared for its next round of seeds.
While you may not get much use out of it if you already own the aforementioned hoe drills, I did happen to need it when I butchered the planting of one of my bigger fields. All it took was a few minutes of raking it over with the SPS, and it was ready to be (properly) dressed with a fresh batch of soybean seeds. But, when the seeds began to germinate, sometimes some pesky uninvited guests also turn up to crash the party. That’s where the final piece of new Bourgault equipment comes in.
Wide weeder
Weeds are a new feature of Farming Simulator 19. Like in real life, they invade crop fields and sap nutrients from the soil. This results in lower crop yield, which means less profit for you as the farmer.
The XR770 Harrow makes quick work of pesky weeds.
Thus, weeders are necessary in order to pluck them out during the early stages of seed growth. The Bourgault pack comes with the XR770 Harrow which is—as like most of the other tools in this DLC—very large. Thankfully, it only calls for a tractor that has at least 350HP.
Regardless, it can knock out weeds in a medium or large field fairly quickly. Again, a very important asset to have on your side when you’re trying to quickly move onto another job.
The mixed-and-mashed Bourgault collection
As useful as all of the new equipment in the Bourgault DLC pack for Farming Simulator 19 is, I couldn’t help but find it a bit off-putting how expensive it all is when buying the machines in the in-game store. If you’re just starting out, then you’re not going to be able to gain access to the right away (unless you lease, which can add up).
Every piece of Bourgault equipment is in the triple digits. On top of that, considering most of these tools require a large, powerful tractor to operate, then that inflates the price even more. The JD 9RX alone is nearly a half-million in-game dollars with no upgrades. So, prepare to shell out some serious dough for the full collection.
The massive difference between the mini combined hoe drill and air cart with its bigger brother
Looking at the big picture, however, this is a fairly decent pack. While none of these machines add any new gameplay features, they do all make the core experience a lot less tedious due to most of the tools being dedicated to large workloads.
If you’re managing huge fields, the Bourgault pack will definitely be right up your alley. But, if you’re someone that likes to play on a map with either small fields or ones that aren’t square/rectangular, then you may want to rethink picking this DLC up. These machines are definitely best suited for flat, open environments due to their massive size. Believe me, if you intend to use AI helpers, or even if you try to maneuver these monoliths yourself—hills and curves will not be your friends at all.
Published: Mar 16, 2020 03:00 pm