Please weigh in on a weighty issue.

[Halftrack]

I have a co-worker shopping for a used hydro 4X4 tractor loader in the 40 to 50 hp range. His major concern is that it be able to handle 1000 lb +/- bales of hay for feeding his livestock. I am not aware of dry hay, either round or square exceeding the 1 k limit, with most that I have scaled being roughly 900. Your experiences may differ. He is not leaning towards anything specific, red, orange, green, or blue, but I, of course, lean red,blue (CIH). Have seen a couple of TC 40/45s, DX40/45s available and am wondering if those members with experience with those models might weigh-in on bale handling capacity. Thanks from both of us for the input and replies.

 

[jeff9366]

New Holland TC40 Attachments​

TractorData.com New Holland TC40 tractor attachments information

www.tractordata.com

 

[Wagtail]

My 41hp tractor is, in my experience, right on the edge of comfortably handling a 5x6 round bale. Not only around my property but out 'in the field', gathering. Mind you, I take it 'low and slow' with ample (at times ) ballast box counterweight. A 'new' 6x6 round can be handled too, I just take it extra cautiously. I have no experience with the large square bales that are being produced.

I cannot stack (with bale spikes), on edge (flat), higher than two bales. I have stacked, round side (in a pyramid), three high BUT the third one was a real slow evolution with plenty of 'pucker' and caution to ensure that the pyramid didn't come down on me as I backed away.

In other words, bigger is better.

 

[oosik]

Size matters ..............

 

[LD1]

The largest hydrostat offerings currently from manufactures are 4000# bare weight tractors and are right on the edge of comfortably handling round balers with a loader.

Frequency is my concern. If he is planning on 20-25 bale's a year...it's doable. Ssqa spear and not a bucket clamp on one. Gets the load closer. And plenty of ballast.

A tractor this size....moving the bale's on the rear with a spear would be preferred.

Look at the 4000-series Deere or Kubota MX.

But if he is handling bale's daily he is asking for trouble sooner rather than later. Consider the next size up for a tractor. Kubota M or deere 5000 series. Those don't come in a hydro though. Or consider smaller 4x5 bales

 

[JC-jetro]

I can easily pick up a 5x6 with a proper ballast. My need is very occasional. I pick bale up with a 2 in 1 pallet fork that has bale spear that I can take off and put back on very easily. Like others say I do it nice and slow and during transport I keep the bale as low as I can. On road I can go a bit faster but on farm ground have to go slow to my liking. I think for everyday use my setup is not the most optimal. My land is relatively flat. My rig is a Kubota MX-4700 and with a ballast and pallet fork weighs under 5000.

 

[Egon]

Consider the distances, height, reach etc. That will be required and base your choice on tractor handling a bale at full height. That would be the most critical point. Also consider the front axle loading and ensuing wear On the axle.

Just lifting is one thing. Placing and handling is quite another process.

 

[LouNY]

I have no idea of the number of animals he will be feeding, how many bales he will be handling that would all make a difference.
And, then a major consideration is what type of feed lot is using, the ground, mud and manure conditions.
The weather conditions when feeding, is the ground frozen, thawed a combination. What can handle a bale on smooth hard ground
can become completely incapable of doing so with frozen hummocks of manure and mud with sloppy mud between frozen chunks.
Cows moving in a muddy lot will tend to follow each other creating trails in the ground that can easily be a feet below the surface.
A 30 hp utility can work on hard ground that in the winter will need an 80 hp with much taller tires, and a correspondingly heavier duty axle.
I wouldn't consider anything under 70HP for winter feeding.

 

[K5lwq]

Back when I had to move round bales I always put one on the back with 3pt spear then picked up one with the loader. The back one stayed on until last.

 

[Xfaxman]

The Toolcat with one 1100 pound bale, no counterweight:

Or two:

 

[LD1]

I was wondering too on the estimated weights.

900-1000# bale's for a 5x6 don't sound right.

My neighbor makes 5x6 bale's. He has a skidloader and a 100hp New Holland. He estimates them at 1500-1600.

One of these days I'm gonna take the MX over there just to see if it will handle one, how high it will lift, various ballast weights, etc. Just so I can be a little more informative on posts like these.

1500# is doable on a pallet with forks on a MX. But bale's stick out there a little more

 

[Halftrack]

Thanks for the replies so far. To clear up some questions, he will probably only handle a bale a week or less. And a muddy feed lot is not an issue. Being able to drop a bale into a round feeder and stacking in a barn are considerations. Thanks again.

 

[Xfaxman]

I was wondering too on the estimated weights.

900-1000# bale's for a 5x6 don't sound right.

My neighbor makes 5x6 bale's. He has a skidloader and a 100hp New Holland. He estimates them at 1500-1600.

Picture from 2010, took this load to the scale at the Co-op. 5x6 bales averaged 1450 pounds each:

 

[4570Man]

HP really isn’t the classification you want to be using. There’s a wide variation is sizes for the same HP tractor. Also how the tractor is setup makes a big difference. You could do the same job with a 50 percent smaller tractor if it had optimal ballast. It seems that most farmers want to use a 100 hp tractor with no ballast to do the job.

 

[WM75Guy]

I moved round bales with my TC40DA with no issues. Moving them out of the field I had forks front and rear. Load the rear first for ballast. When moving them to feed I always had rear ballast from the arena drag. Just go slow and kept it low to the ground until I lifted it up to drop in the feeder.

 

[Clintock]

A 45 horse tractor will handle all he wants. I’ve got a 45 and I move 4x5 and 5x5 bales frequently. Bahai bales. Bermuda bales. Rye and some with clover. Clover makes a heavy bale. I’ve not run into any issues yet and I don’t use a ballast. Just loaded rear tires. I do recommend getting a true bale spear and not a clamp on bucket type.
Note: I live on rolling hills

 

[LD1]

A 45 horse tractor will handle all he wants. I’ve got a 45 and I move 4x5 and 5x5 bales frequently. Bahai bales. Bermuda bales. Rye and some with clover. Clover makes a heavy bale. I’ve not run into any issues yet and I don’t use a ballast. Just loaded rear tires. I do recommend getting a true bale spear and not a clamp on bucket type.
Note: I live on rolling hills

What is your 45 HP tractor.

John Deere makes a 3046r. Doubt it would handle a 5x6 bale blasted and no chance at all non ballasted.
Deere also makes a 5045 that would likely handle it day in and day out.

Simply saying a 45 HP tractor will handle all he wants is the WRONG way to size a tractor for moving big round bales. I can point you to a tractor that is 45hp yet weighs UNDER 3000 pounds. I can also show you one that weighs double that

 

[Clintock]

What is your 45 HP tractor.

John Deere makes a 3046r. Doubt it would handle a 5x6 bale blasted and no chance at all non ballasted.
Deere also makes a 5045 that would likely handle it day in and day out.

Simply saying a 45 HP tractor will handle all he wants is the WRONG way to size a tractor for moving big round bales. I can point you to a tractor that is 45hp yet weighs UNDER 3000 pounds. I can also show you one that weighs double that

It’s a kioti dk4510. I didn’t say anything about a 5x6 bale. Not sure my would handle a 5x6 safely. I know I could move it but not safe. I assume the guy knows something about tractors since he’s needing it for hay. But I may be wrong in that assumption.

 

[LD1]

It’s a kioti dk4510. I didn’t say anything about a 5x6 bale. Not sure my would handle a 5x6 safely. I know I could move it but not safe. I assume the guy knows something about tractors since he’s needing it for hay. But I may be wrong in that assumption.

You said a 45hp tractor will handle all the op wants. And the op wants to handle 5x6 bale's......

 

[JC-jetro]

Perhaps one more thing to look at as far as longevity of the rear axle and the 3 point. Most of the 40ish HP tractor come with cat-1 3 point and a an axle matching that. My MX-4700 comes with cat-2, 3 point and a lot beefier axle in comparison to a mid 40ish kubota (L series) with cat-1 and not as beefy of axle. Along with that My Kubota has a sub mount for the loader that ties the bell housing to the rear axle that I think is pretty important for stiffness of the tractor loader and rear end combination for picking up hay bale on both frontand the rear of the tractor.