Hay accumulator/grapple

[powerscol]

I have not used any of hay accumulator. I have seen those the bale moves from baler to a trailer which dumps when it gets loaded and then you use a front end style to lift and move them for loading or stacking.

Then I have seen them that are pull behind style or front end mount used that run across a field catching the bale and most have rails or such to line the bales up but the bales are sliding on the hay stubble. On the front end mount models they use those designs to also load with. Well the best I can tell same attachment they use to load from any other attachment used to accumulate the bales.

Below is youtube of WR Long's which is about same as any other brand I have seen.

W. R. Long Grapalator - YouTube

Love to know where they found the smooth and flat fields. They don't exist like that where I cut

 

[ProjectKing]

Love to know where they found the smooth and flat fields. They don't exist like that where I cut

Yes exactly!! I like the sounds of your grapple system much better!

 

[kthompson]

I may have not been as clear as should have been, I have been told all is needed is the hay accumulator with grapple and not the separate accumulator that is pulled behind the baler and also then one with the grapples just to move the bales.

If I have understood powerscol is doing about what I thought was the best way to run it. I will be using rear remote for the grapples also but on my tractor that lever is very near the fel joystick. Use that same set up for a rear mounted boom mower.

 

[Garrett Wiggins]

I know I am late but kuhns makes a great accumulator and grapple set up. Easy to set up and works 100 percent of time

 

[Zeugim]

Have you ever seen a Hoelscher? I have one and love it. Hay loads onto a table cut edge up for good stacking, table tilts when 10 bales are accumulated, nice 10 pack laying there to be picked up with their grapple. I put 120 - 150 on a 22 ft deck over and haul it to the barn to unload the trailer and load the barn. One tractor, one man, for the whole operation.

 

[kthompson]

Have you ever seen a Hoelscher? I have one and love it. Hay loads onto a table cut edge up for good stacking, table tilts when 10 bales are accumulated, nice 10 pack laying there to be picked up with their grapple. I put 120 - 150 on a 22 ft deck over and haul it to the barn to unload the trailer and load the barn. One tractor, one man, for the whole operation.

Again I have only seen any of these on line but like the accumulator trailer design they have. However for my needs or read that budget, will most likely go with the WR Long accumulator and grapple combo. Might end up with an accumulator like this one in time to come.


No idea where those videos are made but we are a right flat area here. One reason we have so much swamp land. I rivers run shallow but wide. A hill here is like 5 feet and a mountain it a over size ant hill. Yes we have mountains made out of ant hills. lol if you have fire ants you have mountains. Mountains of problem and pain.

I have noticed the little push and turn in the bundles of bales on the ground with the grapple before they engage the hooks.

A question that came to me mind this morning: they show picking up the 10 bale bundles with the two cross wise away from the tractor or skid steer, is there any reason you can not pick them up near side to the machine? IF so then you could alternate the direction for stacking and not need to load trailer from both sides or that is my thinking with NO experience.

 

[powerscol]

If you choose the correct set up cross stacking is not a problem. To pick up in both directions you need a grapple that will handle a square pattern. My unit will pick up 4 bales flat long ways, or 4 bales flat sideways (note for side ways you will need at least 3 hooks per bale - at least for me) This means I can cross stack just by grabbing the 4 packs from the other side. The way I operate is to sweep in and grab all the bales long ways (more secure) the create blocks of 8 so I can then grab from the side. For my goose neck deck over I place the first set sideways in the middle and long ways each side (the center is always long ways to counter the random length of the bales) Then as I gather more I keep in mind how many sets I need long ways and sideways and make them (the blocks of 4) up as I go.

In searching for my unit I came up with some criteria.
Whats important first is the weight of the grapple plus the weight of the hay and not overload your tractor. I did not want to have ballast out back (I do have filled tires). That ballast can get in the way in the barn. I chose my size based on being able to maneuver in the barn and not need ballast. I also mocked up the size of the grapple using my pallet forks, a pallet, and cardboard. I found that the next size up limited my viability to stack - could not see the edge of the grapple clearly and turned out to be too heavy without ballast. It also stuck out too far forward to easily move around in the barn. To check for weight I loaded up a bunch of concrete blocks at the approximate center of what I would be lifting and took my tractor for a spin.

I think I chose wisely both for gathering in the field and working with the stacks in the barn. One item I will be adding to my unit are twisted hooks on the outside of each group. Local CoOp has them on their unit. When you grab the twisting action compresses the bales slightly for a firmer grab. Should help in the sideways pick up. The accumulator would speed things up, but is too much for my tractor to pull behind the baler. Also remember that any grabber that has bars between the bales will not allow you to cross stack. My grapple has one bar on the right side to help line up the bales as I grab.

Once you get the hang of it it goes very fast gathering and stacking. I just set the grapple slightly above the ground to clear the top of the bale by a few inches, swing in to have the bale move into position, lower fully and grab, then pick up for the next. As I awing in for the second one, I unhook the first as I am swinging in, get the second to line up and re grab. I just repeat until full, then off the the trailer. I have had no issues with re-grabbing a bale several times, but you hook position needs to be clear of the strings. I have a Hesston inline baler so the strings are on top.
Hope this helps

 

[kthompson]

Up date on where I am, think I am passing the WR Long and will go with the Maxilator. Finding $1,300 difference in price and do not see anything that stands out to justify the much higher price with the Long. Will point out and I ALMOST missed it, WR Long has two models one with removable rails to allow for tighter bales for stacking and the other one does not and what some dealers lead with price quotes on. Watch to see if the info states "BOLT ON RAILS" if so they do not come off, the one that has the pull pin and easy remove the rails are of course not bolted on.

 

[powerscol]

Up date on where I am, think I am passing the WR Long and will go with the Maxilator. Finding $1,300 difference in price and do not see anything that stands out to justify the much higher price with the Long. Will point out and I ALMOST missed it, WR Long has two models one with removable rails to allow for tighter bales for stacking and the other one does not and what some dealers lead with price quotes on. Watch to see if the info states "BOLT ON RAILS" if so they do not come off, the one that has the pull pin and easy remove the rails are of course not bolted on.

How flat are your fields? He sure slid the bales a long way before grabbing the bundle. Just watched the video Maxilator Accumagrapple - YouTube Looks cumbersome to me, You really need the skid steer to operate to line up the bales correctly, Then think of all the hardware you need to undo the be able to pick off the trailer and stack. I also think Kuhns Kuhns Mfg LLC | Innovation in small square bale handling. will have better pricing - at least they did when I was shopping a few years back.

Hope this helps