A "Neat" large hay bale solution for TLBs

[sd455dan]

Needed another tractor to move large square bales off of my trailer since we have been picking up and load hay with our own equipment in the growers field.
Hoping this works as a way to unload my trailer instead of tying the load to a big stump putting the RAM in 4 low and dragging the bales off the tilt trailer.

Ordered up a 3 spear chain on bucket bale spear from Neat Farms / attachments for my old Ford 550 TLB.

Chains on and also has large bolt thumbscrews to lock the frame to bucket edge.

rated for 3000lb this should work for moving unloading and stacking 3 X 4 X 8 squares.
Should also be handy if the other tractor is down and a bale needs unstacked.

 

[oosik]

Let us know how it works.

 

[sd455dan]

Let us know how it works.

Will do.

I would have already tried it but have to move some things in the barn to access a full an " unopened " bale

 

[OzarkChris]

Needed another tractor to move large square bales off of my trailer since we have been picking up and load hay with our own equipment in the growers field.
Hoping this works as a way to unload my trailer instead of tying the load to a big stump putting the RAM in 4 low and dragging the bales off the tilt trailer.

Ordered up a 3 spear chain on bucket bale spear from Neat Farms / attachments for my old Ford 550 TLB.

Chains on and also has large bolt thumbscrews to lock the frame to bucket edge.

rated for 3000lb this should work for moving unloading and stacking 3 X 4 X 8 squares.
Should also be handy if the other tractor is down and a bale needs unstacked.

I really hope that setup works for you. My experience with any bucket mounted accessory has been dismal at best. One of the tractors I bought several years ago had three or four different bucket attachment that came with it. Forks, tines & some other things I don't recall right now. The forks would move no matter how tight you made them. The tines would tilt up or down when engaging in a bale and I'm sure the other attachments didn't work well either or they would still be hanging around.

Again, I truly do hope it works out for you - please let us know!

 

[sd455dan]

I really hope that setup works for you. My experience with any bucket mounted accessory has been dismal at best. One of the tractors I bought several years ago had three or four different bucket attachment that came with it. Forks, tines & some other things I don't recall right now. The forks would move no matter how tight you made them. The tines would tilt up or down when engaging in a bale and I'm sure the other attachments didn't work well either or they would still be hanging around.

Again, I truly do hope it works out for you - please let us know!

I only have one other bucket "add On" attachment and it was one of the first I bought..

Chain on Pallet Forks, but they did not also have the large thumbscrew bolts that also clamp to the bucket.



They worked/ work Very well I used them on both my Rhino and Ford 3000 FELs and unloaded 1 ton energy log pallets, round hay bales, concrete loaded pallets, tree stumps and brush. even used them to get the 3000 unstuck in a mud hole after the front end sunk to the oil pan. they lifted the frontend out of the hole and was able to back the tractor out.

I repurposed an actual New Holland L778 skid steer QA forks attachment to replace the chain on forks.
Been busy rebuilding a deck and have not tried to move a large square bale yet.

The FEL on the 550 should have No problem power wise since it is rated at 8000 lb breakout and 4700lb lift to 139 inches.

The metal thickness is Much heavier in this Neat attachment will accept a 2 inch thick bucket bottom the thumbscrew bolts are a 3/4 inch thread and the bare frame weighs at least 150 LB IIANM

I would not own a bucket add on attachment that relied on thumbscrews Only

The chains around the bucket add a whole lot of rigidity


We will see, Nothing is for sure until I get a 3 x 4 x 8 square bale on it. I do almost wish i had noticed they offered longer tines than the 39 inchers that I got.

My biggest concern is the actual width... if the bales SAG on the sides there will be some attachment mods additional welding and Tines added.

 

[jonsstihl]

your bucket does seem pretty substantial but I would be worried about bending the top lip down with a large bale especially considering how the geometry of that attachment is.

 

[sd455dan]

your bucket does seem pretty substantial but I would be worried about bending the top lip down with a large bale especially considering how the geometry of that attachment is.

That bucket is really beat up but it is the heavier industrial version of the two Ford offered back in the 70's for the 550.
the bucket is 87" wide and weighs over 700 lb.
I seriously doubt the bucket will give much.
Ford always seemed to use hard steel back then.
Seen lots of cracked Ford stuff that needed welded but very little where it bent distorted and tore like mild steel does. There is a hole punched through it though

We will see.

 

[jonsstihl]

you also have plenty of capacity but for anyone thinking of doing this with their tractor. you have to subtract the weight of the bucket with all of these clamp on attachments. If it gets the job done thats all that matters and as a back up plan it doesn't look too bad. they certainly don't build them like they used to.

 

[sd455dan]

your bucket does seem pretty substantial but I would be worried about bending the top lip down with a large bale especially considering how the geometry of that attachment is.

We will see- but that is a double walled box tubed bucket top.

Again this is an industrial TLB which was the reason I posted it. Not to many old TLBs with Quick attach FELs. but they do have plenty of lifting power which is why just adding a set up like this NEAT brand made some sense for this years hay for me.
Eventually I may look for a 4x4 TLB maybe a New Holland B95 or a Case unit 10 or more years newer. But for now...

Pics
Doubt I will need to but think I could stack 4 high with this set up.

After a quick test No complaints so far-

I LIKE IT.

Also very handy that the TLB has the self leveling FEL.
Much easier than the Grapple on the Rhino to keep a bale oriented tilt wise.

 

[Sportsman762]

Had a friend with a 550 and a 655D that we would move 5x6 round bales with. I always liked using a TLB instead of a skid steer. Good visibility with the TLB, as the skidsteer was driving by brail with a 6' wide bale on the front. I would not try a chain on spear with a regular farm bucket, but the TLB buckets are much much stronger. It looks great and should serve you well.

 

[sd455dan]

Had a friend with a 550 and a 655D that we would move 5x6 round bales with. I always liked using a TLB instead of a skid steer. Good visibility with the TLB, as the skidsteer was driving by brail with a 6' wide bale on the front. I would not try a chain on spear with a regular farm bucket, but the TLB buckets are much much stronger. It looks great and should serve you well.

Thanks,
I had a wheeled skid steer as well and Never liked it , Sold it. It would get into tight areas, but that bouncy ride, poor visibility and whining hydrostat. .. Don't miss it.

Oh and Both the Ford 3000, Rhino 554, and 550 TLB would put the skid steer to shame pushing snow.
Much prefer tractors.

 

[sd455dan]

Update well the hay is Home and my plan to use two tractors worked.
Transported the Rhino to the hay field and then loaded 6 bales on per load using the Grapple by removing all but 4 round tines.

Once home fired up the TLB and unloaded the trailer.

Round Robin till the final trip picking up the tractor.

This bale spear attachment works great!

For the first time I was also able to completely unload the trailer from just one side because the 550 has such a great reach with the FEL

ps. after cleaning up pallets and putting down some 3/4 minus in the barn with the Rhino tractor, I decided to do all of the placement and stacking with the TLB and this Neat attachment.

Things must have gone well because my wife even commented "You are getting pretty Good at that!"

 

[Smokeydog]

Have welded a short piece of thick wall tubing to hammers to easily tighten jam type screws on bucket forks or attachments. Also helps as a fulcrum when tightening fence wire.

 

[Hay Dude]

Update well the hay is Home and my plan to use two tractors worked.
Transported the Rhino to the hay field and then loaded 6 bales on per load using the Grapple by removing all but 4 round tines.

Once home fired up the TLB and unloaded the trailer.

Round Robin till the final trip picking up the tractor.

This bale spear attachment works great!

For the first time I was also able to completely unload the trailer from just one side because the 550 has such a great reach with the FEL

“If it works for you, it works for you” someone once told me.
I think the backhoe buckets are built so strong, that type of spear would work.
Probably tear-up a normal farm tractor bucket.

Thanks for sharing. I might have an older backhoe in my future. Handiest machine on the planet.

 

[sd455dan]

you also have plenty of capacity but for anyone thinking of doing this with their tractor. you have to subtract the weight of the bucket with all of these clamp on attachments. If it gets the job done thats all that matters and as a back up plan it doesn't look too bad. they certainly don't build them like they used to.

Right, with Hindsight I Really should have titled the thread Industrial TLBs

 

[sd455dan]

“If it works for you, it works for you” someone once told me.
I think the backhoe buckets are built so strong, that type of spear would work.
Probably tear-up a normal farm tractor bucket.

Thanks for sharing. I might have an older backhoe in my future. Handiest machine on the planet.

The more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that not only are they the handiest machine, They are or can be the biggest Bargain in the machine world. I shudder when Looking at what a person gets for their money with new Rider lawn tractors SCUTs and CUT's.

By the pound these old industrials flat out dollar for dollar and dollar per pound of machine are pretty much unbeatable especially if you get a good one.

 

[Hay Dude]

The more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that not only are they the handiest machine, They are or can be the biggest Bargain in the machine world. I shudder when Looking at what a person gets for their money with new Rider lawn tractors SCUTs and CUT's.

By the pound these old industrials flat out dollar for dollar and dollar per pound of machine are pretty much unbeatable especially if you get a good one.

I would like to find an older 580M “plus”