Northern Tool Bale Spear

   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #1  

zuiko

Platinum Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
565
Location
Minnesota
Tractor
JD 990 4WD
Anybody know why this bale spear says that Cat I is not recommended "due to the weight of the blades"? The entire unit weighs less than 100 lbs. This is in their big catalog, it seems pretty reasonable at $109.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #2  
I've found Northern to be very helpful with questions on the telephone. Have you thought about calling and asking them?

Also, my local TSC has some red Cat. 1 Wallace brand bale spears for about half that much money if you're interested. Your profile isn't filled out so I have no idea where you are or if TSC is a convenient option for you. It really helps if you fill that out. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I might have to check out that TSC one. There isn't a convienent one for me (about 75 minutes away), but it might be worth the drive.

I thought about calling Northern but thought it would be a total waste of time. I know I've never encountered anyone at the stores who knew anything about anything, and figured there would be even less chance when it came to tractor implements. The bale spear and boom pole are even labelled as a middle buster and subsoiler in the catalog I have. I guess I try calling them tommorow.

I filled out my profile now /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #4  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( "due to the weight of the blades"? )</font>

I would assume that should be "Bales". I guess it depends on the size/weight of the tractor vs the bale. Smaller round bales would be ok if you have proper ballast.

I carried pallets of 500 bricks behind my L3130 that had to weigh upwards of a ton. The loader was the ballast with no problems steering or anything. Had to rev the tractor to lift it though.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #5  
It's not the weight of the implement it's the weight of the bale that is the problem. See what your hitch is rated for. Most people don't realize how much the round bales weigh.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Most people don't realize how much the round bales weigh )</font>

But the dealers do. A whole lot of them must have been sued, 'cause most don't want to sell bale stuff...
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #7  
No they don't. When I first went to buy my 4600 the one dealer flat out would not even give me a price because I told him I wanted to lift round bales. He said that tractor wouldn't work and he wouldn't sell it to me based on me lifting round bales with it.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Bales would make a lot more sense. Probably was a typo.

Seems like the smaller round bales wouldn't be a problem for the bigger CUTs, assuming you have enough ballast. The spear itself is only rated to 1500# so if you went over that you could be in trouble anyway, no matter how big of a tractor you have it on.
 
   / Northern Tool Bale Spear #9  
1500 pounds would be ok if its small 4'x4', and usually ok for most 4x5s. But get a 4x5 that was bailed with to much moisture and you will be pushing the 1500 lbs.
Anything bigger and you are asking for trouble.

Fred
 
 
 
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