Anyone move round bales with a L3800?

[mikes1165]

I've got an L3901 and I unloaded 44 4'x5' (probably 6 to 700#) round bales from a flatbed and put the in my hay barn. I have now moved 6 bales out in my pastures without any problem. My pastures are far from level. The three point hitch will lift them with no problem but won't lift them very high off of the ground nor unload them from a trailer. As previously mentioned be sure and add ballast(counterweight on the 3pt hitch) and the FEL will handle them fine .I use a single spear with 2 short stablizing spears. As with any load on the FEL low and slow and straight as possible and you'll be fine.

 

[LD1]

Too many variables to give a clear yes/no answer as to if it will work.

A clamp on spear places the load about a foot and a half farther out, plus adds the dead weight of the bucket. That lowers what it can lift.

Removing the bucket and using a QA bale spear keeps the load in tighter and looses the weight of the bucket, That will lift more.

Bales can be small 4x4 and dry, or big 5x6 and wet. Could range anywhere from 500# to well over 1500#.

So answer these questions and we can give a better idea if you can make it work.

1. What size bales
2. what type of spear

A 3PH spear will move about any of them. Dont do much good for unloading, but know alot of people that have smaller tractors use the loader to just knock the bales off the trailer, use the 3PH to move them and to feed the animals. Carry the bale to the feed ring, then use the loader to flip the feed ring over the bale rather than try to lift the bale into the ring.

 

[Grateful11]

They move either two 4x4' bales or one 4x5' bale here everyday with an L3940. There's a quite a bit of difference between a 4x4 and 4x5 bale. There's almost a big weight difference in how the bale is rolled up. Some balers make a soft/folded core bale that doesn't weigh near as much a bale that's dense all the way to the core. The JD 448 baler here make a bale that so dense sometimes it's hard for them to get the spear in them out in the field where there's nothing backing them up. All the spears here two QA FEL spears and two 3 points are all forged spears so they're not very big in diameter like some of those spears that are just turned points on a piece of 2" round stock.

 

[Grateful11]

Like others have said it depends on weight/size. I can lift them with my l3200 high enough to place them into my bale feeders. My rear tires are loaded with a boxblade. I don't have a spear but im looking at purchasing one.

Sorry I couldn't resist this one, how the heck did you get a box blade in your rear tires?

 

[LD1]

They move either two 4x4' bales or one 4x5' bale here everyday with an L3940. There's a quite a bit of difference between a 4x4 and 4x5 bale. There's almost a big weight difference in how the bale is rolled up. Some balers make a soft/folded core bale that doesn't weigh near as much a bale that's dense all the way to the core. The JD 448 baler here make a bale that so dense sometimes it's hard for them to get the spear in them out in the field where there's nothing backing them up. All the spears here two QA FEL spears and two 3 points are all forged spears so they're not very big in diameter like some of those spears that are just turned points on a piece of 2" round stock.

Big difference a L3940 and an L3900 also

 

[kubotacres]

Sorry I couldn't resist this one, how the heck did you get a box blade in your rear tires?

Lol, I went to correct it, and it deleted somehow. Oh well.

 

[gsganzer]

Thanks folks. The bales I'm finding are around 1000# and under, so I think I'll be fine.

 

[LD1]

Thanks folks. The bales I'm finding are around 1000# and under, so I think I'll be fine.

You wont be fine with a bale spear on the FEL like Mikes1165 shows a pic of in post 11. Puts the weight too far out there. A spear that you remove the bucket and get the bale in a few feet closer, 1000# is gonna be about the limit

 

[gsganzer]

You wont be fine with a bale spear on the FEL like Mikes1165 shows a pic of in post 11. Puts the weight too far out there. A spear that you remove the bucket and get the bale in a few feet closer, 1000# is gonna be about the limit

Agree. I'm contemplating modifying mine for SSQA, that's part of the reason I was asking the original question. I knew I was at the upper limits of the FEL capacity for moving a bale anyway. It's funny, I went round and round contemplating the SSQA when I bought this tractor, and ultimately talked myself out of it. I could never really figure many uses for a fork or spear that would justify it. Now with more horses, I'm looking at feeding round bales and it might be worthwhile.

 

[motownbrowne]

In my opinion, the SSQA is super nice, not only for switching between the bucket and (in my case) forks, but for simply dropping the bucket. I generally leave the loader on, but only pick up a front implement if I am going to use it. For just about every task I do, it's more convenient not to have a big heavy metal object sticking way out in front of the tractor. I know that taking off the loader would be better, but it's just a little too inconvenient to put it back on for an occasional task. Having the ability to drop off or pick up the bucket in seconds is a good enough compromise. I think if you do add SSAA you'll be happy.