'side car' bale loader

[jimg]

Wondered if anyone has seen/used this sort of bale loader: Build a Hay Bale Loader Plans Basically very simple - attaches to side of truck or wagon and is ground driven. My neighbors friend stopped by this past w/e w/ one and wondered if we'd like to use it. Sadly my wagon deck didnt have a steel cuff to hook it to. However, it seems like a neat idea, sort of a poor mans bale wagon. His looked to be not home made. The plans at the website above are free.

 

[Willl]

Years ago we did almost the same thing w/ a gas powered hay elevator. But instead of a side mount, we mounted it in the center over the hood and cab.

Front of the elevator hovered about a foot off the ground which still required a guy to toss the bale onto it. Beat tossing them up on to the flat bed.

 

[jimg]

I think the idea w/ this one is that no one is needed on the ground. At least thats my perception. In that case you only need a driver and stacker. Your setup though is interesting as you use a single piece of equip to load the trailer and barn. Cool!

 

[Willl]

Actually we only needed 2 guys and a bungee cord.

 

[slowzuki]

Neighbours farm had a "george" like that that we would use some times. Picked off the ground to the top of the rack. They used it mostly on their 5 ton truck and would dump the hay at teh barnyard. Smooth steel deck with hay chaff was the worst thing I have ever stacked on.

 

[Trac-Tech]

Hi Guys
When I was a teenager and trying to earn a little money in the school summer holidays, these thigs were common everywhere. There were a couple of locally made units in NZ. One was a McConnell and the other was a Sam. There were two versions of each, one was ground driven like the one shown or as mentioned by Willl an engine. The engine one could be used in the barn as well. The only difference from the one shown here and the one we used to have was that they had a dog clutch to engage and disengage the chain on the axle at the bottom and a sprocket that the elevator chain ran around. The guide and the skids at the front were on a piviot so when transporting on the back of the truck the guides and the skids were inverted and the tow hitch was then looking forward. The two brands differed in colour and also the McConnell had a three point hitch to the truck and the Sam had a two point hitch. These were common until the mid-late eighties when round bales were taking over. Thanks for the thread, a bit of a stroll down memory lane for me.

 

[slowzuki]

A note on the one we used, it was totally enclosed and went straight up, not an open sloped ramp.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have one stashed in a field that is now inoperative but salvagable. I scrounged a chain pulley off of it to work with my mow elevator. Come and get it: (Brighton. Michigan).

 

[charlz]

We used these as a kid, works well but you still need manual labor Sure beats throwing bales up from the ground though. Replaced by pull behind and then self-propelled stacker wagons. I still see them sitting in the weeds every now and then.

 

[Mrpetty]

Hi, if you see one of these loader, I would like to see some pictures and perhaps buy one. We used to use one all of the time. 2 people can move a lot of hay in a day... so in your travel if you spot one, whip out your telephone and take a pic and send it on...

Thanks

 

[D7E]

I remember we had a pair of them when i was a kid , I do remember everyone being very glad when perry loaders and flat 8's came around after. It was a pain moving them from farm to farm and they did'nt load very high so it was awkward finnishing off 8-9 layer loads they worked well though.

 

[Mrpetty]

We generally used a 2 ton truck to haul with and we could get over 100 bales per load, way back when, now with a dual axle trailer, we can get 120+. The cost for a bale wagons is high for PT farmers, just making hay for horse lovers...

 

[slowzuki]

You must have used 3 string big honking bales. We get 80 in a regular 1/2 ton.

We generally used a 2 ton truck to haul with and we could get over 100 bales per load, way back when, now with a dual axle trailer, we can get 120+. The cost for a bale wagons is high for PT farmers, just making hay for horse lovers...

 

[Mrpetty]

My memory is getting shorter and shorter... probably more bales than 100... like 160? Oh well, 75+ has clouded the distance a little )

 

[banjodunn]

G'day these were/are very common over here and were made by a few different manufacturers but the best of them was the one made by new holland ( just for the aus market i believe ), we also had quite a few local engineers that made hay 'elevators' for loading from the truck into the stack usually powered by a 3.5 - 4 hp motor in fact the one at home was prob bought back in the early 60s and is still used today. They are a great idea and i have memories of shifting a couple of thousand a day on an 8 ton with a rack above the cabin so we could get about 350-400 a load ( if my memory is correct) with my dad, brother and uncle, used to do a bit of contract too was a good way to earn a bit of money then hard but honest


Jon

 

[D7E]

never saw a motor on them they were land drive off the wheels !

 

[Mrpetty]

Field elevators were land driven in our country: stack models used electric motors... and were without wheels, just handed up to the top of the load and worked their way down as the bales moved to the stack.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day just read what i wrote and it does sound confusing ( hmm seemed ok when i wrote it :laughing the loaders used in the paddock to load onto the truck were ground drive and the stack elevators were engine powered


Jon

 

[hayboysnz]

Hi there our family transport business still currently runs about 20 mc connell hay loaders as we are picking up around 130 000 conventional hay bales a season. Our hay loaders would have pick up millions of bales as we have been in business for 30 years they are well build piece of machinery and have served us well.