Loader Space required to use tractor indoors

[RobertN]

Have you considered a skidsteer or compact-track loader?

The work you describe is exactly why the skidsteer was invented up in North Dakota(have read the "Bobcat Story" a couple times; very interesting how they were developed forworking in barns on ranches).

New Page 1
Our Story - Bobcat Company

 

[dgeesaman]

My tasks will be: plow driveway, move lg. sq bales, drag arenas, turn over and move the manure pile, move trailers, and maybe rear finish mowing. Lg sq bale handling is a lower priority (we'll start with 50lb small bales), but I want to be sure that it can be done.

Both will do most of those tasks, and the skidsteer will be quite agile for these tasks, but I think it won't be as versatile in the end and harder on the turf. Both will cost about the same ($15k-18k) in a package that can lift these loads. To be honest I looked at the skidsteer option but did not consider as a whole replacement for a tractor - would that truly be an option?

If I was going to spend $15k on this large bale thing, I like the idea of adding $10k in concrete floor to the building and a $5k forklift over a skidsteer in the existing gravel-floor building.

 

[RobertN]

I've put a bunch of hours on skidsteers(I like compact track loader better "CTL"). The thing I found, is that they have TONS of implements, but they are much more expensive than a compact utility tractor. CUT's and SS/CTL do overlap in ability, but both have tasks they really shine in.

The price of implements is mostly reason I have a CUT instead of a CTL

 

[jinman]

The price of implements is mostly reason I have a CUT instead of a CTL

I absolutely agree. Also, with a tractor, you can easily move two bales at once with a rear and front mounted spear. Being able to use two implements at once and the cost of implements are two reasons we don't all own skidsteers or CTLs.

Dgeesaman: An old forklift on a concrete floor would make bale handling inside the barn a snap. Almost all forklifts could handle a bale without even breathing heavily. The other reason for going to concrete & forklift is dust control. Once the crushed stone inside a barn drys out, you will raise a cloud of dust just walking around, even more driving a tractor with 4 wheels and a down-pointing exhaust. Lots of dust comes in from outside. With concrete, you can sweep it up or run a shop vacuum. With gravel, you just can't efficiently control the dust unless you wet down the floor. That would raise the humidity inside your barn and cause problems with your hay probably. I see crushed rock as a temporary solution until you can afford a concrete floor. Dust in a barn is always a problem even with the best of conditions. Weekly maid service is probably out of the question.

 

[dgeesaman]

Concrete is the perfect answer for everything. It's on my "list" of projects that would step up this property, and who knows when it may happen. Tying the concrete project to the hay handling will help it get done, and make it a solid rationale for including it in the horse business expenses, so... we'll see.

Interesting about the implement pricing. I hadn't done any shopping for CTL implements. Since they are less common and generally only commercial end users, it's understandable that the costs are above what us regular Joe's can justify.

 

[ironpen]

I am not trying to be a smarta**....but why don't you just leave it outside? Nobody in Alabama that I know of puts round bales indoors. If you want to cover them, you can, but it's not necessary. Maybe the difference in weather here and in Pa. makes a difference?? I would like to hear your thoughts on that. I travel to Montana in winter to hunt....and they all have them outside as well. Have you considered leaving it outside? Again, I am not trying to be a wise guy....I am just interested in your reasoning.

 

[dgeesaman]

Short answer: I have horses so that's not an option.

Long answer: I'm not a hay expert, but what I do know is that round bales you see in the fields are for cattle and other animals that will eat most any grade of hay. They have a tolerance for mold and partially fermented material. Round bales stored in the field will work.

So horse hay has to be relatively high quality, fully cured, and stored indoors. Horses will never eat moldy or fermented hay and you wouldn't want them to if it was there. I've never seen round bales done to this level of quality. The options for horse hay is large square bales or small square bales.

If you feed a lower grade of hay than normal to the horses they will simply pull it apart and leave it on the ground unless they're starving. Or instead of hay on the ground, there will be a colicking horse on the ground.

 

[aczlan]

So horse hay has to be relatively high quality, fully cured, and stored indoors. Horses will never eat moldy or fermented hay and you wouldn't want them to if it was there. I've never seen round bales done to this level of quality. The options for horse hay is large square bales or small square bales.

I have seen it done, but it is not usually done as most horse people don't have the capacity to handle round bales, don't want to deal with stacking/handling them, or can't find decent quality round bales.

If you feed a lower grade of hay than normal to the horses they will simply pull it apart and leave it on the ground unless they're starving. Or instead of hay on the ground, there will be a colicking horse on the ground.

Yep.

Aaron Z

 

[nwltruck]

Why can't you use a fork lift on gravel? Many are built to run on gravel.

 

[dgeesaman]

Why can't you use a fork lift on gravel? Many are built to run on gravel.

I briefly researched it and did not see the option. That would be a great option - can you suggest how to tell which ones are made for it? (Keep in mind a $5k budget for used)

David