I get this question at every show. “Vertical or horizontal?” And the honest answer is it depends on what you feed, how many head, and what’s hitched up front. Both mix a ration. They just get there differently, and the wrong one costs you every single day.
How each one mixes
A vertical feed mixer uses upright augers that lift feed up the center and roll it down the walls. Knives on the flighting cut as it goes.
A horizontal mixer lays the augers or reels flat along the length of the tub. Feed moves end to end and around. It’s a gentle, fast blend.
Bales: the big divider
If your ration starts with whole round or square bales, a vertical is usually the easier road. It processes long forage in the tub.
Horizontal machines generally prefer forage that’s already chopped. Some handle a bit of hay, but feed a lot of long stem and you’ll fight it.
Feeding mostly silage and commodities? A horizontal blends that kind of ration quickly and evenly.
Load size and small batches
Verticals like to be reasonably full. Mix a tiny batch in a big tub and the auger can’t build that rolling motion.
Horizontal mixers tend to handle small loads more evenly. If you split your herd into lots of small groups with small rations, keep that in mind.
Height, length and your yard
- Verticals are taller and shorter in length. Check your loader reach and your barn door height.
- Horizontals sit lower, so loading is easier, but they’re longer. Think turning radius in a tight feed alley.
Power and wear
Processing bales takes power. A vertical doing heavy cutting will pull harder than the same tub just blending silage. Match the machine to the tractor you really have, not the one you plan to buy someday.
On wear, verticals have fewer moving parts down low. Horizontals often have more chains, bearings and seals to watch. Neither is maintenance-free. Ask any dealer what wears first on the machine you’re looking at, and ask what those parts cost.
A real-world example
Picture two farms side by side. One feeds 200 dairy cows a ration built mostly on corn silage, haylage and a grain mix, with a little chopped hay. The other runs 200 beef cows through winter on round bales, straw and a protein supplement.
The dairy could run either type. The ration is already short and wet, so a horizontal would blend it fast, and a vertical would do it fine too. Their choice comes down to yard layout, loader height and what’s already in the shed.
The beef farm is a different story. Round bales and straw are most of the ration. A vertical processes those right in the tub. A horizontal would need the bales chopped first, which means another machine, another step, more fuel and more labour every day.
Same herd size. Very different answer.
Mixing time and fuel
Mixing time isn’t just about the clock. It’s fuel, tractor hours and someone sitting in the seat.
Verticals processing long forage need time for the knives to work. Blending short, wet feed, they can be quick. Horizontals tend to blend short material fast but struggle when you ask them to process long stem hay.
If you track one thing for a month, track minutes per load and litres or gallons of fuel per day. That number will tell you whether your mixer suits your ration.
Cleanout and ration changes
If you feed several groups with different rations, cleanout matters. Leftover feed from one ration ends up in the next. Ask how completely the machine empties and how easy it is to check the tub between loads.
Maintenance over the years
Think past the first year. What does the machine need at year five? Knives, liners, auger edges, bearings, chains, seals, gearbox oil. Ask the dealer for a parts list with prices for both options you’re looking at, and compare. A cheaper machine with expensive wear parts isn’t cheaper.
Questions for your dealer
- What’s my ration’s realistic load in each machine?
- What horsepower under real conditions?
- What wears first, and what does it cost?
- Can I see one running on a farm like mine?
Climate and region
Where you farm matters too. In the US Midwest, a lot of dairies feed corn silage and haylage with some hay, and both mixer types show up. In Australia and South Africa, plenty of rations lean on hay, straw and by-products, especially in dry years. That tends to favour verticals because they process long forage in the tub.
Drought changes rations fast. When you’re suddenly feeding more straw and lower quality hay, a machine that processes long stem material saves you a lot of trouble.
Horsepower in the real world
Spec sheets give a range. Real life depends on your ration. A vertical that blends silage easily might need noticeably more power when cutting a dense round bale. Horizontals also pull harder when you ask them to deal with long forage they don’t like.
Ask the dealer for the horsepower figure under the work you actually do, not under the easiest case.
Resale and parts
Think about who’ll buy your mixer in ten years. Machines with a dealer network, available parts and a known service history hold value. The type matters less than the support behind it.
The short version
Don’t let anyone sell you a mixer type. Bring your ration, your herd size and your tractor, and make them show you why it fits. If they can’t, keep looking. And if your ration has bales in it, give verticals a serious look first.
So which one?
Short version:
- Lots of hay, straw or whole bales: vertical.
- Mostly silage and commodities, small groups: horizontal is worth a look.
- Mixed ration, medium herd, average tractor: a twin auger vertical covers a lot of ground.
That’s why we build our range around verticals, from the twin auger VT series to the heavy-duty TMR mixers for bigger operations. Whatever you pick, buy it from someone who’ll stand behind it in year five, not just on delivery day.
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