KubotaTerry
Member
Normally we get the 'normal' size bales of hay (about 70 or 80 lbs), but the wife shows up this time with a dozen 3 x 3 x 8 foot, 1000 lb bales. Apparently the rains we had in Colorado this year have been hard on the hay crop and the small ones are rare. I have an L3400 with an LA463 loader on the front and a box blade on the rear. No forks or anything that would make moving these large bales of hay possible. I managed to rig some "forks" out of 2 x 12" lumber attached to the loader bucket. Then if we shoved the bales off the flat bed onto the ground and positioned the loader, we could roll the bales onto the improvised forks. But that was just the start of the battle. The L3400 didn't want to lift the 1000 lb bales. It would just barely lift them a little bit, then by curling the bucket back so the bale tilted back against the bucket, I was able to lift it a few feet off the ground. Just barely enough to allow stacking them two high. I had to have someone stand on the back of the box blade to keep the back wheels on the ground (I don't have wheel weights). I managed to get all the hay put away, but it was a battle. If we ever decide to purchase the big bales again, I would like to get set up better for dealing with them.
Looking at the specs on the LA463 loader, I can see why it was having trouble lifting the bales. It would be OK lifting that much in the bucket, but when the load is further out like I had it, the lifting capability drops off fast. Curling the load in toward the tractor helped, but it was still a struggle.
So what can be done? I see there are cheap fork attachements that just attach to the bucket, but that is going to leave me in the same situation with the lift limit. For more money, there seems to be fork attachments that take the place of the bucket. That would probably work since it would get the load in close to the tractor and allow it to lift the load and maybe even keep the rear wheels on the ground. Are these things universal? Is there one that could mount on the LA463 loader?
How do you guys move the big bales?
Terry
Looking at the specs on the LA463 loader, I can see why it was having trouble lifting the bales. It would be OK lifting that much in the bucket, but when the load is further out like I had it, the lifting capability drops off fast. Curling the load in toward the tractor helped, but it was still a struggle.
So what can be done? I see there are cheap fork attachements that just attach to the bucket, but that is going to leave me in the same situation with the lift limit. For more money, there seems to be fork attachments that take the place of the bucket. That would probably work since it would get the load in close to the tractor and allow it to lift the load and maybe even keep the rear wheels on the ground. Are these things universal? Is there one that could mount on the LA463 loader?
How do you guys move the big bales?
Terry