Hay accumulator/grapple

[kthompson]

Just have some coastal Bermuda sprigged to add to that over the next two years to end up with about 40 acres. Have friend who also raises hay (all is square bale) and will be doing my cutting and baling as long as I need him to at what I think is a fair price. He has connections to get enough help to handle the bales but I do not. Planning on hay accumulator with grapple to do my loading and stacking. So think I must have hay accumulator as my first hay implement. Think the 10 bale size with two long and four rows wide and two across. It is my understanding there are more brands than I can find on the internet and am looking for recommendations on brand, design and any other thoughts.

This is totally based upon videos on line but like the WR Long with the removable dividers. I like thee think right Kuhn brand with the string running around the bales to help stabilize them when stacked. I do not care for the ones with no rails to keep the bales straight.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

The Kuhn system does indeed work and the learning curve takes awhile, The more you handle the bales, the looser the stacking gets. I wanted to try a string wrapping around the bales but we sold the equipment before the upgrade. If I was ever going to do small square bales again, I'd take a real hard look at a bale bandit.

 

[powerscol]

Kuhns Mfg LLC | Innovation in small square bale handling. I have one of their small hay grapples - the 205 model. The worked well with me to add the extra hooks needed for what I was up too. Service after the fact is excellent too. I had som question on the operation the second year and when I called they remembered me and offered advice on better operation. Whats nice is they have matching set ups. Be sure to consider the trailer width and length you will be transporting on and the area in the barn you will be stacking to properly choose a unit. Going too big can slow you down. I used cardboard and a pallet to mock up the size to see if I could maneuver in my barn for stacking. Reconsidered the size. I am thrilled with my unit and it versitility, Excellent construction too. Give them a call and just chat about you needs and they will help. They don't just sell units, they want their units to work for you. Other brands I looked at and called just did not want to take the time to be sure it would work for me.

One last thought - I sized mine so I would not need additional ballast out back - makes for better operation in tight spaces.

Good luck

 

[M5farms]

Hay Master, Inc. great product.

 

[kthompson]

I have only seen any of these in use on computer but concern I have and a friend also expressed, the sliding of the baled hay along the ground not pick up dirt into the bales?

Anyone know anything on WR Long brand? I like it and they build them within 300 miles maybe within 200 miles so shipping should be less. They have a dealer who does not stock special orders with in 10 miles of me. Kuhn does not have dealer less than I think 150 miles of me.

 

[ProjectKing]

Kuhns Mfg LLC | Innovation in small square bale handling. I have one of their small hay grapples - the 205 model. The worked well with me to add the extra hooks needed for what I was up too. Service after the fact is excellent too. I had som question on the operation the second year and when I called they remembered me and offered advice on better operation. Whats nice is they have matching set ups. Be sure to consider the trailer width and length you will be transporting on and the area in the barn you will be stacking to properly choose a unit. Going too big can slow you down. I used cardboard and a pallet to mock up the size to see if I could maneuver in my barn for stacking. Reconsidered the size. I am thrilled with my unit and it versitility, Excellent construction too. Give them a call and just chat about you needs and they will help. They don't just sell units, they want their units to work for you. Other brands I looked at and called just did not want to take the time to be sure it would work for me.

One last thought - I sized mine so I would not need additional ballast out back - makes for better operation in tight spaces.

Good luck

I've followed your small hay grapple build. It's pretty slick. I talk with Kuhn at the National Farm Machinery show this year. They offer a small accumulator and grapple package. Looks pretty slick. Uses gravity to collect the bales then dumps them. After you are done baling you come back with the grapple and load up.

If I'm not mistaken you do not use an accumulator and just use the grapple. Is that correct? How does that work for you? I would like to do same to save buying accumulator since I would only be baling 3 acres at a time.

 

[ProjectKing]

Hay Master, Inc. great product.

Have you used one of these accumulators? I'm curious if it damages the bales to drag them across the ground.

 

[kthompson]

I have not used any of hay accumulator. I have seen those the bale moves from baler to a trailer which dumps when it gets loaded and then you use a front end style to lift and move them for loading or stacking.

Then I have seen them that are pull behind style or front end mount used that run across a field catching the bale and most have rails or such to line the bales up but the bales are sliding on the hay stubble. On the front end mount models they use those designs to also load with. Well the best I can tell same attachment they use to load from any other attachment used to accumulate the bales.

Below is youtube of WR Long's which is about same as any other brand I have seen.

W. R. Long Grapalator - YouTube

 

[powerscol]

I have only seen any of these in use on computer but concern I have and a friend also expressed, the sliding of the baled hay along the ground not pick up dirt into the bales?

Anyone know anything on WR Long brand? I like it and they build them within 300 miles maybe within 200 miles so shipping should be less. They have a dealer who does not stock special orders with in 10 miles of me. Kuhn does not have dealer less than I think 150 miles of me.

If you get the correct unit, you do not slide across the ground. With mine I swing in, hook up/lift and go to the next bale. The swing in, unhook the first, gather the second and hook up. No sliding and the hook/unhook does not tear up the bale and works well. Once you get into a rhythm it takes only seconds to gather.
Now with an accumulator that drop the bales in a block. it gets easier. You would line up and gather (slight side swing takes the slack out) and hook up all at the same time. Again there should be no need to slid across the ground with the right equipment.

I had the same concern and chose not the get the type that you slide to gather bales. With that type of unit you cannot stack and un-stack easily either which was a big disadvantage for me. Hope this helps.

 

[powerscol]

I've followed your small hay grapple build. It's pretty slick. I talk with Kuhn at the National Farm Machinery show this year. They offer a small accumulator and grapple package. Looks pretty slick. Uses gravity to collect the bales then dumps them. After you are done baling you come back with the grapple and load up.

If I'm not mistaken you do not use an accumulator and just use the grapple. Is that correct? How does that work for you? I would like to do same to save buying accumulator since I would only be baling 3 acres at a time.

You are correct I just use the grapple. Would love the accumulator, but don't have the tractor to pull with the baler. I have gotten very handy at gathering up the bales. Takes less than a minute to gather the 4. Once you get the hang of it it goes very quickly. One trick I did learn is to adjust the hooks to be clear of the strings, Otherwise hooking and unhooking a bale several times to gather the rest is not and issue. I run mine off a rear remote, but if you have a 3rd function off the loader controls it would go even faster.

It will even pick up a round bale if you squash it a bit. Neighbor lost a load going up their hill last year and were trying to roll them up the drive, Their little BX tractor was no help either. I saw the circus and went over and was able to tilt the grapple up and over the bale and get a good grip. I was at max capacity, but able to walk them up the drive to their barn. To use, they hang the round and roll off what they need to feed - pretty slick.