Anyone move round bales with a L3800?

gsganzer · Nov 29, 2015

Anyone use their L3800 (or L3901) to move round bales with a FEL bale spear or a 3-pt spear? I'm not planning to move them far, just unload from a flatbed and put out in a feed ring, traveling over flat ground.

nybirdman · Nov 29, 2015

You had better get an idea of their weight.To many different sizes/weights to offer a guess.

JimRB · Nov 29, 2015

I move fescue/rye rounds that weigh less than 1,000 pounds with my little JD870. It uses the same size tires as a L3800. If I had known I was going to move round bales, I would have bought a bigger tractor. Off the trailer they go, down to a few inches off the ground. Never lifted back up unless I am on my concrete aisle. If you are buying a tractor, go bigger. If you have a tractor that small, you can do it if you are careful.

RedNeckRacin · Nov 29, 2015

I move round bales all the time on the 3 point with the l3400. With the loader I could do it, but why bother when my jd handles them 2 at a time comfortably on the loader.

Wagtail · Nov 29, 2015

You shouldn't have a problem as long as you have proper counter-balance hanging off your 3PH, keep the load low & slow. A 2 spear minimum on your FEL will keep the round secure.

My 4105 has just a few more horses under the bonnet and haying season starts in about a week (rounds, silage is going on now)... I'll be out helping with my rig, gathering and then loading the flatbed. No problems at all.

Speedex · Nov 29, 2015

My neighbor has an L2550 with a 3 point bail spear. Has no problem moving them around.

Green Power · Nov 29, 2015

We have a L3200 (slightly smaller) I havent seen the loader specs, but it looks like it could handle it, i would have plenty of counterweight though.

Speedex · Nov 29, 2015

Here's the loader specs. I have an L3200 and I think I'd be pretty close once you get that far out and depending on the weight of the bail. It'd be a pain to grab a wet one and have no way to move it

4570Man · Nov 30, 2015

Depends on the size of the bales and desired lift height, it should work on the loader. It will definitely work on the 3 point hitch. Here is 1,000 pounds of concrete on a L3800.

Green Power · Nov 30, 2015

Speedex said:
Here's the loader specs. I have an L3200 and I think I'd be pretty close once you get that far out and depending on the weight of the bail. It'd be a pain to grab a wet one and have no way to move it
View attachment 448909

So i suppose it could, just be on the limit.

mikes1165 · Nov 30, 2015

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 · Nov 30, 2015

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 · Nov 30, 2015

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 · Nov 30, 2015

kubotacres said:
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 · Nov 30, 2015

Grateful11 said:
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 · Nov 30, 2015

Grateful11 said:
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 · Nov 30, 2015

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

LD1 · Dec 1, 2015

gsganzer said:
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 · Dec 1, 2015

LD1 said:
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 · Dec 1, 2015

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.