Round bale size??

[BobCurry]

Thanks for all the replies! I will be moving round bales only in the winter and the rest of the time mowing, landscaping, etc. Loaded tires and other weights in back of course! I would need to lift them off a trailer, put them in to storage, and then move them into the pastures one at a time, low and slow.
If I use a 3pt hitch spike, can a 2810 gear move them?

Bob

 

[wiam]

With a 3 point spike you should not have a problem moving them, except reaching onto a trailer. It would have to be a pretty low trailer. I have moved 4' x 4' silage bales with a spike on the back of a little 430 JD and a Case VA. These are 1950 's tractors 13-15 hp. I even built a ramp so I could put them on a wrapper with 3 point. Yes the neighbors laugh at me sometimes, but you do with what you have.

Will

 

[hudr]

I would buy the biggest tractor I could on my budget. I have a 50hp 5005 and we put up 6x6 bales at nearly 1800 lbs. The 5005 is at the edge of its envelope on these. My brother-in-law puts up a 4x6 bale at about 1000 lbs and the 5005 tosses them around. I can even use the FEL w/o a ballast bale on the back (I do have loaded tires). With Dad's bales I have to pick the 3pt bale up first and put the FEL bale down first. Figure the tractor you NEED then get the next size up. Think about it... If you work the thing at its max how long will it last as compared to a larger tractor working more towards the middle of its envelope?
My .02

 

[fish_wisperer]

thats some good advice, i needed something like a c35, i got a 4500, now im glad i did. this texas clay is a heavy duty job for a front end loader, even with the 4500 i might need to water my tires, not to carry the dirt but to dig into it.

 

[BobCurry]

Thank you everyone for the great insights. My wife has informed me there will be no tractor until the house is built and we haven't even poured the slab yet. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif AAGGHH! I guess I'll re-engage in 6-8 months. Time to go sailing in the mean time!!

Thanks!

Bob

 

[Tim_in_IA]

You need to tell her this is the best time to get a tractor! You'll have a lot of mess around and mud and cleanup. Also a tractor with a beefy fel is the ticket for moving constuction materials (pallets of lumber, plywood, etc).

Are you a doit yerselfer or is someone else doing it?