bale slicer

[Renze]

I have been looking to build a bale shredder, basically the idea was to convert an on field flail shredder with a 3pt hitch feeder bunk, to chop straw bales.

I tried the flail shredder on a bale by driving into it, but the horses were all coughing and it generated so much dust that vision was limited to about halfway the barn.
That means, shredding is a bad idea.

I have another idea, more like a blade slicer to cut bales into 10 cm long portions which dont make dust, but it does make manual stable cleaning a whole lot easier, because you dont have to tear apart the thick carpet of long and tramped straw.

Is there anything on the market that sounds like this, so i can copy the design ?

 

[srjones]

You didn't mention is you're using round or square bales. Anyway, here are a few things I found.

At the heart of the slicer (however you decide to build it) seems to be reciprocating knives like a giant version of an electric turkey carver.

See the following:

PFM Series 600 Bale Slicer

Penn State Agriculture Magazine

Anyway, good luck and post photos!

 

[srjones]

One more link and a quote.

A Longer Chop

"The slicer takes a 4 × 8' bale and moves it through a grid of knives that looks something like a French fry cutter."

 

[chadincolo]

I think you are looking for a Deweze Super Slicer.

Super Slicer II is the link

 

[Knotbored]

Most of these apply to hay (for feed) rather then straw for bedding. I think you need a way to just bust up the bale like you would do with a pitchfork after a rectangular bale has the string ties cut-correct? I don't think you need it chopped fine.
Maybe a large drum roller like a concrete truck with spikes inside (smaller of course.)-something you can push with a tractor-like a lawn roller.

 

[chadincolo]

Actually the Deweze doesn't shred a bale, it just cuts slices off as the bale rolls. Someone also makes something similar that cuts a slice off, then throws the hay or straw over a wide area, you see them used for bank reclamation, spreading straw over the bank without driving on it.

 

[Renze]

I was thinking of something inbetween this home made invention: Agriculture equipment, farm magazines, farm equipment, farm inventions, farm machinery, agriculture machinery

and this nifty Finnish machine:
Agronic - Feeder Wagons

Most bale busters work with rotating knives that beat the dust out of the straw, and consume more power (fuel) than i'd like to waste.

The first link is sturdy and couldnt be simpler, though it needs a big heavy machine, not something i'd carry around on the 3pt of our yard tractor, a 1965 Zetor 2011, as it will lift only 800 kg.

the 2nd is great for round bales, but for square bales (which is most common) the blade works in the same direction as the stems are baled, so it doesnt shorten the straw in 6 inch slices.

 

[srjones]

The first link is sturdy and couldnt be simpler, though it needs a big heavy machine, not something i'd carry around on the 3pt of our yard tractor, a 1965 Zetor 2011, as it will lift only 800 kg.

the 2nd is great for round bales, but for square bales (which is most common) the blade works in the same direction as the stems are baled, so it doesnt shorten the straw in 6 inch slices.

Renze,
You didn't say what type of bales you'd be using...round or square or the mega size versions. I'm going to assume that your using the smaller square bales that can be handled be a single person. I'm also going to assume that you bales are bound with twine instead of wire.

While the first link couldn't be simpler, it sure could be a heck of a lot smaller. Perhaps small enough that you could drop a full bale into a hopper, and then engage some sort of pressing mechanism, (hydraulic ram or pto driven acme screw) to press the bale through a series of blades, depositing the 'chop' out the back of said device.

 

[Renze]

Last truckload we bought, was 120x120 cm squares, or 4' x 4'
Previous loads were 3' x 4'

We buy from a contractor / trader who trucks them in from the grain plains in southern Germany and northern France. In our country there isnt much straw available because the soil is too expensive to grow just grains. grains are only grown for means of necessary crop rotation.

Since i've got a good front loader, we dont want to stack a truckload of bales to the attic. Mostly this has to happen when me and my brother are to work, so my 64 year old father, my mother and a neighbor have to lift them all up to the attic.

 

[Renze]

this is one that is even more like i want it:
Agriculture equipment, farm magazines, farm equipment, farm inventions, farm machinery, agriculture machinery
i still didnt start the build though..