Square bale Grapple and accumulator

[blueriver]

I just purchased the 10 bale grapple for delivery next week ... Does anyone have the plans to build the accumulator that fits the FEL?

 

[jlsmith]

Blueriver go to wrlong.com and check out his. He has one that is called a grapulator that does it all.:thumbsup:

 

[flusher]

I just purchased the 10 bale grapple for delivery next week ... Does anyone have the plans to build the accumulator that fits the FEL?

I assume your FEL as a skid steer quick attach adapter on the ends of the arms. Here's the QA on my Mahindra 5525



I couldn't afford a store-bought accumulator-grapple, so I made my own. It's an 8-bale squeeze (2-twine small bales) with a detachable accumulator that
rides on the arms of the bale squeeze.



You can get an idea of the design of the accumulator from these photos.
The bale squeeze has a skid steer QA plate welded to its backside



The accumulator was pretty easy to build from rough sketches.

 

[blueriver]

Blueriver go to wrlong.com and check out his. He has one that is called a grapulator that does it all.:thumbsup:

Thats correct and I did check them out ... however they accumulate, grapple, load but they DO NOT unload ... I needed the unloading as well.

 

[jlsmith]

Thats correct and I did check them out ... however they accumulate, grapple, load but they DO NOT unload ... I needed the unloading as well.

Oh ok i didnt know you couldnt unload with it.

 

[blueriver]

I assume your FEL as a skid steer quick attach adapter on the ends of the arms. Here's the QA on my Mahindra 5525

View attachment 185668View attachment 185669

I couldn't afford a store-bought accumulator-grapple, so I made my own. It's an 8-bale squeeze (2-twine small bales) with a detachable accumulator that
rides on the arms of the bale squeeze.

View attachment 185670View attachment 185671

You can get an idea of the design of the accumulator from these photos.
The bale squeeze has a skid steer QA plate welded to its backside

View attachment 185672

The accumulator was pretty easy to build from rough sketches.

Yes I have the Skid Steer QA ... They want right at $10K for everything ... Like you I just can not justify that. So I elected to go with the 10 bale grapple and will be working on the 10 bale accumulator for the FEL in the shop this winter...

I went with the Rafter M 10 bale Grapple out of Texas ... he was running an off season special and saved a few hundred.

 

[blueriver]

Oh ok i didnt know you couldnt unload with it.

Yes per WR Long ...

This unit can accumulate, transport, and load square bale hay, however it does not unload if the owner chooses to tighten up the hay when he loads the trailer. In the video of the Grapalator on our website you will notice that the operator slides the hay toward the front of the trailer to help tighten the hay for transport, however since the gaps have been collapsed then the dividers of the Grapalator will not have room to go back down between the bales. If the operator sells most of his hay in the field or if the barn is to small to load then this is not an issue, otherwise a grapple will be needed.

 

[flusher]

Yes I have the Skid Steer QA ... They want right at $10K for everything ... Like you I just can not justify that. So I elected to go with the 10 bale grapple and will be working on the 10 bale accumulator for the FEL in the shop this winter...

I went with the Rafter M 10 bale Grapple out of Texas ... he was running an off season special and saved a few hundred.

I have about $1.5K invested in that homemade bale squeeze/accumulator- includes the steel, hydraulics and $125 from eBay for the skid steer attach plate that's welded to the back of the bale squeeze. It was a winter project several years ago.

 

[blueriver]

I have about $1.5K invested in that homemade bale squeeze/accumulator- includes the steel, hydraulics and $125 from eBay for the skid steer attach plate that's welded to the back of the bale squeeze. It was a winter project several years ago.

I am interested to know more about the squeeze ... I couldn't see from the pic. I assume when your bales are acumulated in the buch of 8 bales then your machine "squeeze's" them to lift them ... how about unloading?

 

[Rara Avis]

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