Hay slinger/unroller

[Charolais]

I made this back in 1986. It needs a good painting again but still works like the day I built it. I use a small hydraulic motor to rotate the spear. It can sling the hay off either side. So it doesn't matter which way the bale is turned when I spear it.

I unroll an average of 200 rolls per year since I made this. Replaced the chain several time and replaced the sprockets once. Had a bull that was feeling frisky to butt the roll of hay pretty hard. Hard enough to break the weld joint on the rear bearing. Ground the old weld joint out and welded it back up. Other than that it gets some oil on the chain and grease in the bearings once a year. Amsoil oil and grease of course. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif That's the extended lubrication plan. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I tried hay rings here and was wasting a lot of hay. By unrolling the hay it saves close to 1/3 of what I was feeding in the rings. And can feed in a different place every day.

 

[Charolais]

View from the other side. I've unrolled 1,500 pound bales with this. That was some hay I bought while we were in the drought. My rolls are 1,000 pound.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Sure looks like it works well. I have a few questions for you:

How fast (RPMs) does it turn?

Any specs on the size of hydraulic motor you use?

When you unroll a bale, how long of a trail does it make?

Do you throw it off or just pretty much unroll it and make a compact line?

Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Charolais]

Hi Gary.
<font color="blue">Any specs on the size of hydraulic motor you use?
</font>
I used a hydraulic motor from Northern Tool and Equipment. The one in their catalog today that's close to what I bought is item#1007-1501 - Displacement (cu. in.) 17.9 - Max. gpm 14 - RPM 250 - max pressure 1600 - Max. torque (in. lbs.) 2890 - weight 16 lbs. I have flow controls on the motor also.

<font color="blue">How fast (RPMs) does it turn? </font>
I never checked the speed but set it up with the flow controls to turn slow with the engine idling and it turns faster as you throttle up.

<font color="blue">When you unroll a bale, how long of a trail does it make?
</font> I try and get 125 to 150 yards per roll. That's with the 1,000 pound roll and depends on how thick the layers are. I try and get a continuos even layer of hay as I unroll.

<font color="blue">Do you throw it off or just pretty much unroll it and make a compact line?

</font> I try and keep a compact line. When it's wet and sloppy I can turn the roll fast enough to sling the hay to the side, like up against a fence or the tree line. Just have to drive a little faster to keep it spread good.

I can get the sprocket size if need be. I just don't remember what they were right off the top of my head. I used #50 chain and #60 would be even better for larger rolls.

The cows clean up all the hay. When they finish you can hardly tell where it was unrolled. It's also good for figuring pounds of hay per head if you weigh a couple of rolls and get an average. Most folks over feed hay and waste a good deal too in hay rings or just sitting the roll on the ground for the cows. In normal winter weathere here I found that cows eat all they need in 2.5 hrs. and hold their body condition well.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Clever and efficient design nicely executed. Was this developed from a comercial design, or was this an invention? Thanks for the photos.

Cliff

 

[Charolais]

Thanks Cliff
I saw one on a dealer lot. Couldn't see the hydraulic motor, sprockets or chain. They had a safety cover over that and wouldn't let me take it off to look. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif There price was $1,195 way back then. I built this one for under $450 with the motor being the most $$$.

My Dad doesn't feed now but did up till 1996. He's always said that little hay spinner was the most valuable piece equipment on the farm. He liked the savings in hay. It allowed us to increase the herd by 8 head on the same acres of hay land.

 

[Banjo]

Looks like a neat idea. Any chance of a shot of it in "action"? I'm assuming the hay does a half twist as it comes off the bale?

Appologies in advance if I'm missing the obvious. Andrew

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue"> Clever and efficient design nicely executed. Was this developed from a comercial design </font>

Lely Mfg. made or maybe still makes this commercial unit. It was a bit pricey at $2000, retail about 5 or 6 years ago, however, it does come with a solid bar that may be extended along the side of the roll of hay and on that bar (about 2 inches diameter) you slide a roll or plastic wrap to make haylage or just weatherproff your round bale. I sold 2 of these to local farmers after they saw them at the National Farm Machiney Show in Louisville, Ky--As far as I know they are both still in use, with no problems--Ken Sweet



*Wildlife Foodplot Equipment and Supplies, Just in time for Spring Planting*

 

[Charolais]

Hi Banjo.
When I start feeding hay I'll get a couple of pics and post them. I stockpile Fescue and right now the cows are still grazing. Got another 18 acres in front of the cows that hasn't been touched yet. Last years I didn't start feeding hay till March 1st. If we get ice or snow I may have to feed hay for a day or so and get a picture then. So far we have been snow and ice free. Ain't we been lucky. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Had a high pressure park right off the coast of Va. and we've been in the 60's and 70's going on 3 weeks now. That's starting to change soon. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

And no you're not missing something. You're right on the money. It does something like a half twist as you're moving along. I try and not pile the hay and spread it as far as possible. That way they eat it all and not lay around on hay. I also feed in a different spot everyday so it keeps the manure from building up and no muddy mess. As I said in another reply about. It's a good way to meter the hay per head if you have an idea of the weight of the bale.

We all try and cut hay before it goes to seed. But going to seed does happen in wet spells. So unrolling the hay will spread those seed and when spring comes you have new grass where ever you fed too. I have used this to seed cutover land and have had good stands of grass with it. The cows eat the hay and walk the seed in the ground.

 

[Charolais]

Hi Ken
<font color="blue">It was a bit pricey at $2000 </font>

It sounds pricey but if you use it to cover the rolls with plastic and store rolls outside it would be a pretty good pay back just in loss of hay and quality of that hay.

I store all my hay under a roof. But if I couldn't make a slinger and know what I know now I'd buy one at that price just to unroll hay.

Some years back I know of farmers that wasted more hay than I would use to feed 40 head through a winter. They have wised up now. Some use bale feeder wagons and most unroll. Net wrap has helped them too. And many put up hay sheds for the round bales.