A Leveler is a type of Implement in Farming Simulator 17. Levelers are used to re-shape Piles of material left on the ground. Most importantly, Levelers are used to flatten piles of Chaff or Silage inside your Silage Bunkers, so that vehicles can more easily drive into the bunkers to unload more materials.
The Leveler itself is a flat piece of metal that can effectively push materials around - like a bulldozer. Unlike a Bucket, a Leveler cannot scoop materials up to dump them elsewhere; it can only push them. Levelers are very wide when deployed, since they need to be able to push a lot of materials at once. The two Leveler models in the game can be folded when they aren't in use, to take up less space.
The base game offers two different models of Levelers, and they can both be found in the "Levelers" category at the store. Both models function the same way, with the main difference being their size and the maximum amount of materials they can push with each forward movement. One of these Levelers also has a modification that allows it to be installed on a Wheel Loader - a type of vehicle specifically designed to work with Silage.
List of Levelers[]
Farming Simulator 17 offers only two models of Levelers, listed below. Both types can be found in the "Levelers" category at the Store. By default, both models can only be attached to a Three-point hitch (e.g. to Tractors), but one can be modified to attach to a Wheel Loader instead.
Common Features: $10 Maintenance Cost per Day.
| Name | Price | Capacity | Weight | Attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holaras MES 400 | 6,800 | 6,000 | 1,293 | Three-point hitch or |
| Holaras MES 500 | 7,500 | 8,000 | 1,622 | Three-point hitch |
Working with a Leveler[]
Levelers have two primary functions: To reshape and push Piles; and to flatten Piles in your Silage Bunkers. They are specifically designed for this job, and cannot really perform any other job.
Regardless of which type of work it is doing, the Leveler will pick up any loose materials that touch its lower edge. However, instead of scooping them and holding them (like a Bucket would), the Leveler will instantly drop any material it is carrying as soon as it finds room underneath the Leveler. Lifting the leveler off the ground will therefore always cause the material inside it to spill out.
The Capacity of the Leveler also has a strong effect. As the Leveler moves forward into a pile of material, the amount of material being "carried" by the Leveler grows. If the Leveler is lifted or driven back, it will instantly let go of the material as described in the previous paragraph. But if the amount of material in the Leveler hits its maximum, the Leveler will stop picking up any extra material as it moves over a Pile. Instead, it will continue pushing whatever material it already contains until it reaches a location where that material can be spilled out - in which case the material will drop out of the Leveler automatically.
Note: A Leveler must be unfolded in order to work. It will also only work when driving forwards - it will not interact with any Piles while driving backwards over them.
Reshaping Piles[]
Farming Simulator 17 allows you to dump loose materials on the ground, almost anywhere you choose, creating a Pile. Piles are the simplest type of storage for loose materials, and the ability to create them anywhere allows you to store your materials close to where they will be used (or sold). Tools like Buckets can then be used to pick up materials from the pile.
Piles can get misshapen over time. Each dumping vehicle might dump its materials in a slightly different spot around the pile, creating a large mess of small piles next to one another. As materials are scooped out of different parts of the pile over time, the mess can get worse and worse. To solve this problem, a Leveler can be used to push the outlying piles towards the center, eventually making one large piles out of several smaller ones.
To perform this job, unfold your Leveler and use its lower edge to touch the Pile and push it in the correct direction. When you're happy with the new location of the Pile, lift the Leveler off the ground - causing the material to spill out of it automatically. Drive backwards, lower the Leveler, and repeat the process, each time approaching the Pile from a different direction. Repeat this enough times, and you should end up with a single tall pile comprised of all the materials you've pushed.
Leveling[]
How To Use The Levelers
This video demonstrates one technique for using Levelers to level Chaff in a Silage Bunker.
As vehicles dump more and more Chaff (or other silageable materials) into a Silage Bunker, they often create uneven or steep piles of it at different points within the Bunker. While there are ways to avoid this, it is usually inevitable. After several vehicles have dumped their cargo in the bunker, the piles can be so steep that vehicles cannot enter the bunker at all anymore, or worse - they might get stuck on one of the piles! The existence of steep piles in your bunker can also make it much more difficult to compress the material later - a necessary step during the Silaging process - by driving heavy vehicles over it.
The most important work that a Leveler can do (and is designed to do) is to flatten those steep piles. This task is new to Farming Simulator 17. No other tool is as good or quick at this job as a Leveler.
To level a pile of material, the Leveler must be raised some distance off the ground - typically just high enough to touch the top of the pile. Then, drive the leveler forward just far enough into the pile to push the top over to the opposite slope. Once the top of the pile has been flattened, lower the Leveler just a bit more, and repeat this process. Repeat this enough times, and you should end up with a relatively flat pile. With some skill, you should be able to flatten very large piles completely.
When leveling very large piles, keep an eye on the Capacity meter at the bottom right corner of the screen. If the amount of material in the Leveler approaches 90%, stop pushing immediately and back away. Otherwise, you are not effectively flattening the top of the pile - you're leaving an uneven surface behind.
This process requires a lot of practice and skill to perform correctly. It is very patient work - it cannot be brute-forced.
For an example of how to perform Leveling correctly, check out the video on the right side of this section.
Comparison with Other Tools[]
Although Levelers are designed for the purpose of leveling piles, they are not the only tools that can do so. Both Buckets and Manure Forks can perform the same function, when used in a very specific way. Levelers do, however, have some advantages over those tools, and potentially some disadvantages.
The real difference between a Leveler and a Bucket or Manure Fork is that a Leveler cannot hold any material it picks up - it instantly dumps it as soon as there is room. This is what creates the leveling effect, as the Leveler basically pushes material off the top of the pile. To force a Bucket or Manure Fork to perform the same function (push material without lifting it), all your have to do is angle the Bucket/Fork down towards the ground. That way, once the tool picks up any materials, it will dump them as soon as there's room below it - just like a Leveler. Note that the angle at which you need to hold the tool is specific. If you angle it too low, it will not pick up any materials at all; Angle it too high, and the material will not fall out.
Nonetheless, Levelers have a few advantages here:
- Levelers can be fitted directly on Tractors (no modifications or Front Loading Arm required). With the same tractor you use for fieldwork, you should be able to also level Piles. Furthermore, they can be attached to the rear of a Tractor and used in reverse - which has some potential benefits.
- Levelers can be folded and unfolded. When folded, they are about as small as the average Bucket. When unfolded, they have a very wide catchment area - as large as the largest Manure Fork.
- Levelers don't require precision angling in order to work. They work just fine at any angle, and will never accidentally scoop up materials.
- Unlike Manure Forks, a Leveler can work with any type of material (same as Buckets).
They also have a few disadvantages:
- Levelers are significantly more expensive than any Bucket or Manure Fork.
- Levelers can't really perform any other job, since they cannot actually lift any materials off the ground. (Note: They can clean Animal Dirt, but only by pushing it away to somewhere else...)