Hauling small bales on a car hauler

[CDN Farm Boy]

Without seeing the bales first hand, I'm going to go out on a limb and say its the operator, particularly how the baler is adjusted is the reason for the inconsistency in the bales. They need to tighten the clamp on the back of the baler which will slow the exit of the bales out the back. This will solve both problems of spongy and inconsistent bales as it causes more pressure from the plunger to pack the hay tighter to push it out the back. Tighter bales are easier for the baler to make consistent length.

 

[powerscol]

Brick stacking will work for you, but better yet build yourself some edge supports out of 3/4 ply or lumber. mine happen to be 1x8x8 oak - old flooring hinged with old fire hose. you will need two boards set 3 inches apart and then hinge with the hose or other suitable material. Mine happen to be 8' long and I use several sets. These are placed on top of the stack with the second board hanging down the side, one each side and front and back too if you wish. You then throw you tie down straps over and secure. With this method the boards hold everything in line. you can also rip down 3/4 plywood to an 8 or 12 inch width and do the same. I have even used them on the corners and wrapped a tie down strap around the stack in one situation of loose straw bales.

Hope this helps

 

[CobyRupert]

Compress it and lock it down. Run a rope from front corner to other front corner, enough slack so it will loop up to the top of the load. Another between back corners.
Get a block and tackle and pull the two loops towards each other at the top of the load

 

[boggen]

i have never seen someone try and stack bales, straight on top of each other. always has been brick style. to interlock it all together. the only time i have seen straight bales stacked on top of each other. is in pictures. were a side has collapsed and fallen all over. some of the pictures i remember seeing over the years came along with some sort of accident (bails fallen down on someone)

 

[RedNeckRacin]

You gotta learn how to stack hay. The different sized bales are pretty common thing to deal with. Hay bales are not made in a factory with precision machinery. We used to stack 7 rows high on the wagons coming in from the fields. And used no tie downs. Also, we stacked on a pickup 80 bales plus and only ever used a single rope from the front tow hook back to the hitch and never lost a bale going down the road.

 

[wmonroe]

You gotta learn how to stack hay. The different sized bales are pretty common thing to deal with. Hay bales are not made in a factory with precision machinery. We used to stack 7 rows high on the wagons coming in from the fields. And used no tie downs. Also, we stacked on a pickup 80 bales plus and only ever used a single rope from the front tow hook back to the hitch and never lost a bale going down the road.

I grew up with my dad using an old worn out baler that rarely made two bales the same length or density. A lot of time was spent stacking those bales on the wagon and in the barn and I learned very quickly how to stack it correctly.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I grew up with my dad using an old worn out baler that rarely made two bales the same length or density. A lot of time was spent stacking those bales on the wagon and in the barn and I learned very quickly how to stack it correctly.

:thumbsup: