lifting bales

[joeu235]

Bring a bale with you when you test drive the tractor.

 

[Trillium Farm]

And wondering why do they stay away from big bales my nieghor sells big and small cut from same field

The quality of hay is better in small bales, they also prefer birdsfoot trefoil as the sheep really like it, so they tell me. I don't have sheep so can't speak from personal experience.

 

[Creamer]

How do you feed big bales to sheep? Their necks are not long enough to reach the middle of a bale feeder. Do you unroll them in a bunk? I would think it would be kind of hard to drop loose hay in a bunk. I am thinking grinding would be the best way.

 

[Creamer]

I guess We just had good luck, we handled 20,000 5x5 silage bales with a 4020, never had a bit of trouble, bought a 6403 mid 2000's and we cant keep that thing working (electronics), the 4020 still fills in when the new one is down. I would think about anything over 50 hp would handle smaller dry rounds, I currently do 4x4 dry with a JD 790, or my Massey 135.

Maybe it was just abuse by putting too strong of loaders on an older tractor but I have seen a lot of 4020s with broken front axes. Don't get me wrong, I think the 4020 is one of the best tractors ever built but it was not designed to be a loader tractor. We never had any problem with ours but then we never had a loader on it. The 4230 we put a loader on had a lot more axle under it but many put the same JD158 loader on 4020s. It was a great loader but maybe just too strong for the tractor.

 

[powerscol]

There are numerous ways to handle bales, including rear 3pt spears, to front loader grapples to handle all sizes of large and small, round and square bales.

This is what I have for my small operation. I just got it for this season. I use a small Hesston 4550 inline to bale with using a 26.5 PTO HP Bobcat CT 235 tractor.

 

[Trillium Farm]

I think this is one of the most cost efficient ways to handle small sq on a small medium farm. The only thing that changes is the size of the grapple, I would add a small drag behind accumulator to fit the size of the grapple or vice versa. And you're off to the races!

 

[powerscol]

I think this is one of the most cost efficient ways to handle small sq on a small medium farm. The only thing that changes is the size of the grapple, I would add a small drag behind accumulator to fit the size of the grapple or vice versa. And you're off to the races!

Maybe next year, and Kuhns makes one or can make one to fit the grapple I got from them. I have a slightly modified (extra Hooks) 205 Compact Bale Grabber
Kuhns Mfg LLC | Kuhns Mfg provides a small square hay bale handling solution.

 

[Creamer]

If it were me especially in colorado or one of the western states where it is dryer I would find an old stooker. They set six bales up in a triangular stack that allows you to bale slightly wetter and also will shed some rain so you have more time to get them off the field. You can pick up the "stook" with any four fork system on a loader or 3 pt. We used to pick up two at a time with the 14' wide hay sweep on our loader to put them up on a stack or truck.

Here is a video of one working but it isn't adjusted quite right. They were all mechanical and with six bales they automatically tripped to dump the pile. There is no dragging of the bales like in an accumulator and are very easy to pick up. The setting of the bales at an angle allows air to flow underneath which is why you can bale slightly wetter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHpVYKmGhbA

 

[Creamer]

Here is the style of Stooker I worked with.
Agritec Bale Stooker (similar to a bale accumulator) - TCT Classifieds

 

[coranchin]

So what do you go guys think about picking up big bales with a bale spike on a three point setup ]