Stacking

Thank you. Discord’s answer was 9 trays plus 49 stacked. 50 sounds like a good number.

Stacking means that you keep adding items to a machine without letting any of them be released. So let’s say I have nine slots open in a machine, and I filled all of those—but I want to add more without collecting the nine I already added. As long as my barn is completely full, I can add more items to the machine, up to the limit of about 50. (The key is keeping the barn completely full, so the items that are ready won’t be released when I add new ones.)

I find this useful in a couple of ways. It helps a lot with derby tasks that require more than nine items (because I usually do a delayed start and want to have 10 tasks ready to go before I start the derby, which I play solo). Also, stacking can save barn space because I can “store” items in my machines instead of in my barn.

For example, I have five smelters, and there are five types of metal bars they make, so I have one smelter devoted to each type of bar. I try to keep them fully stacked, so that I’ll have about 50 bars of each type available—without taking up room in my barn.

As you can see below, I don’t stack all machines to the maximum. It just depends on how/how much I use them—and how long the products take to make. With the products that take the longest (e.g., jams and metal bars), I try to keep them fully stacked. 

Thank you LuvHayDay for the explanation. I was wondering how I'll be able to keep making stuff without them being collected.

Aha, the key is keep the barn full.  I'm bookmarking thread for future reference.  Thank you again.

I also stack for the derby and I do it when my barn is full. I don’t really like it but it is very useful. Sometimes it is hard to work out what and how many you have stacked.

I usually pick everything up after a barn upgrade and start again😂

Yes, donkeyfan, you mentioned the aspect of stacking I find most annoying. Once I fill my barn to prepare for stacking, then I can add an item to a machine—but if that item requires products from the barn, then obviously the barn is no longer full after I add the item. So I have to fill the barn again before I can add another item to the machine. I usually do that by feeding animals or by collecting ore from the mine.

Likewise or I pick up sugar or popcorn.  The whole stacking thing can be annoying and I always enjoy picking everything up when the barn is upgrade.
My husband does not stack as he does not like farming that way and he uses Rosie and Ernie whereas I do not.  Everyone farms differently 😊😊

Stacking and full barn and silo prevents expansion material drops from fields and animals. A reason not to do it.
For derby tasks it is great. I do a lot of stacking in the fishing area.

I wonder how the two/four extra production slots from the farm pass affect stacking, particularly at farm pass season end where a line of production slots all filled suddenly reduces by two/four slots, making the first two/four items available. This might be something to try when the current pass season ends... I'll need to plan this carefully though.

I've been taking advantage of this for months.  At the point where the pass is about to come to an end I make sure that ALL slots on the affected machines are full.  When the pass ends, the items at the front of the queue drop immediately.  

My own particular technique is to front-load with 4 cheesecakes, and then fill all the rest of the slots with whatever else I need.  At the point where the pass ends, 4 cheesecakes drop, and I save hours of baking!

It's important that all slots are full, or this will not work.  

Are you saying that when the pass ends, the 4 front-loaded items are released into the barn, even if it’s full?