moving round bales with this?

dirt clod · Oct 21, 2008

My L3300 is to small for jobs I do. I know I need bigger, but got to work with what I have for awhile. Large Round bales are too heavy on the fel, same goes for pallets of seed/feed. Would the King Kutter Pallet Mover Model# PM-15 work ok for both pallets and round bales? Would the hay just roll off the side? I can not seem to find any measurements for this model.

JoeinTX · Oct 21, 2008

I would say that the pallet mover is not going to work for you unless you have way of chaining down or securing the bale once on the pallet.

Round bales, even with a rear hauler attachment, can be squirrelly and do weird things. I've lost bales simply driving through the field that seemed well in place and secure....bump here, rock there.....there they go.

Getting a decent 3-pt round bale moving attachment is not that expensive from places like TSC or Norther Tool, etc.....$200-400.....that'll do a much better job.

radman1 · Oct 22, 2008

I agree, the KK pallet mover probably wont do well with round bales. They will tend to flip off the back and will be difficult to get the pallet mover under the bale since the tines are not flat. I also wonder if your L3300 can lift a round bale. How big/heavy are the bales?

An item to consider is a 2 wheel bale mover that is pulled by the drawbar. These have a long spear that goes into the bale. The bale is then tilted forward by a winch or hydraulic cylinder. The weight is then mostly carried by the 2 wheels on the mover. I have an old, homemade version on the farm. Sitting in the trees somewhere.... I have seen comercial versions.

radman1 · Oct 22, 2008

This isn't quite what I described earlier about a 2 wheeled bale mover. Different than what I had, which used a spear and tilted with a winch. Might be an option to consider.

Beaver Valley Supply Company - Tumble Bug Bale Transporter

Rara Avis · Oct 22, 2008

Agkrane - home

Bird · Oct 22, 2008

I sure moved a lot of round bales (5' x 5') with a homemade version of the King Kutter pallet mover on a 50 hp White tractor. Personally, I think it would work just fine. Of course, you pick up the bales from the end, not the side, so they won't roll off.

EastTexFrank · Oct 22, 2008

Bird said:
I sure moved a lot of round bales (5' x 5') with a homemade version of the King Kutter pallet mover on a 50 hp White tractor. Personally, I think it would work just fine. Of course, you pick up the bales from the end, not the side, so they won't roll off.

I'm with Bird. I've probably moved thousands of them by now with a home made, 2 long prong, 3-pt attachment. Back up to the end of the bale, drop the forks and back up under it, pick it up and off you go. You do occasionally lose one off the forks but that's usually because it's not on straight. It's no big deal to runa around and pick it up again. If that's what you want to do, I think it'll work just as well as a bale spear on the back.

dirt clod · Oct 22, 2008

Thanks for the replies. As for as picking up with the 3 point I have no doubts it will. These are the large rolls that fill a hay ring nicely. I have been carrying these with clamps on the fel bucket, its not a "relaxing" job though. Some I guess are wet or packed tighter as the fel will not lift them above the hay ring.
I'm getting the 27 1/2" harbour freight quick hitch. Another member made some forks that would fit into it for a carry all. Thinking about making something like that except with a bale spear for each lower hook and one for top. Could make a setup with forks also. I already have the supplies on hand to build so it would be very cost effective.

farmboy12 · Oct 22, 2008

That Ag-Krane is pretty Kool! I'll have to show that to Pop. I think it would look good behind our M4900!

bjcsc · Oct 22, 2008

You must be moving 1200lb round bales? If so, I'll think you'll find that the width required on rear forks to cradle the bale won't fit into a pallet. So a fixed pallet mover is out. I don't see any value in a rear pallet mover (except the one like Paul posted) as you can't get anything off of a truck or trailer anyway. What are the specs of your setup? I looked around TBN and found some posts saying about 1056lbs. for the L480. I found your 3pt. capacity listed as 3000lbs., but I'm not sure how accurate that is as the same set of specs listed your machine weight at nearly the same...

If I were you, I would get a 3pt. bale spear and forget about moving pallets...