stacking hay in the barn?

[BryanM]

Just wondering if any of the hobby hay farmers such as myself(very small time) ever tried using pallets too unload off hay wagon and stack ine the barn. Been thinking about using my cut with forks too unload and stack either directly on top of each other or use some kind of rack system.

Or does anyone else have any other ideas?

 

[funny farmer]

I have a bunch of 12 foot pallets that I use to stack hay on. It keeps the hay in good condition, but I've never tried to pick them all up with one.

 

[zzvyb6]

This could be a great idea. The pallets would have to be solid floored so someone on a wagon won't twist their ankle stepping around on them. They probably should be custom sized so that a nice bale count stack fits snugly on it and has a total weight that your tractor can raise up. And the pallets have to all fit on a wagon and stay on it while you are loading it. Is that what you were thinking? Or was there some other way to accumulate hay on a pallet that could be lofted into a barn or storage area? This would make delivery kinda neat, too. If you could load the pallet(s) into the back of a truck when its time to retrieve them.

 

[BryanM]

ZZ thats exactly what I was thinking! Maybe fit it on the wagon between the side rails I was thinking of building pallets to say hold fifteen to 20 bales a pallet. I just have to design a pallet to match what my cut can handle and that will stack either ontop of the top row of bales or into a frame system!

And wouldnt that save time unloading wagon and say loading a customers trailer?

Maybe even a tie rope too snug the bales to the pallet! O I cant stop the ideas are rolling now!!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

ZZ thats exactly what I was thinking! Maybe fit it on the wagon between the side rails I was thinking of building pallets to say hold fifteen to 20 bales a pallet. I just have to design a pallet to match what my cut can handle and that will stack either ontop of the top row of bales or into a frame system!

And wouldnt that save time unloading wagon and say loading a customers trailer?

Maybe even a tie rope too snug the bales to the pallet! O I cant stop the ideas are rolling now!!

Wouldn't a simple pull type accumulator be better with a grab? If your trying to stack hay on pallets in the field and have to move them into the barn I fear you will have loads falling on a regular basis where as a simple accumulator with grab would do exactly what you want but without the hassels of dealing with pallets.

 

[AKfish]

Wouldn't a simple pull type accumulator be better with a grab? If your trying to stack hay on pallets in the field and have to move them into the barn I fear you will have loads falling on a regular basis where as a simple accumulator with grab would do exactly what you want but without the hassels of dealing with pallets.

Sure it would Robert... but what is the cost? The accumulator (even the old Farmhand ones) is a few thousand and the grabber is a few thousand. Likely have close to $5K in the 2 implements - if they're in good shape - used.

I've been using pallets for a couple of years to load hay in my barn. Put 20 at a time and use the FEL to place 'em thru the doorway and up high to stack. Lot better than draggin' them off the trailer one at a time and then stacking.

(But... I'm gonna get an accumulator and a grabber - one of these days, too!)

AKfish

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Sure it would Robert... but what is the cost? The accumulator (even the old Farmhand ones) is a few thousand and the grabber is a few thousand. Likely have close to $5K in the 2 implements - if they're in good shape - used.

I've been using pallets for a couple of years to load hay in my barn. Put 20 at a time and use the FEL to place 'em thru the doorway and up high to stack. Lot better than draggin' them off the trailer one at a time and then stacking.

(But... I'm gonna get an accumulator and a grabber - one of these days, too!)

AKfish

I was just looking at it like this, he has to put the pallets on his hay wagon, then have someone on there to manually stack them properly. Hope they stay in a bunch and then use his tractor to move each pallet. Send the pallet to his customer and then have to worry about retrieving the pallet. Yes, it can be done but seems like a rather large hassle for his setup. I stack on pallets in certain barns to keep air flow under the stack when I am stacking on the ground. I just see a lot of headaches involved in trying this but if he can get used pallets for free then try it and see how it goes. I just know how hard it is to keep hay bales on a standard sized pallet while moving the pallet with a tractor. So in order for me to see this working he would have to build oversized pallets so he can stack a decent size pile that would be somewhat stable while being moved around.

 

[BryanM]

I think I would build a few pallets to suit the bale size and stack on wagon accordingly so maybe I could lock them together then take a tractor and stack into barn on pallets.

Robert you are probably correct on grapple and accumulator but my small time op I fear It would cost too much to justify such a equipment buy. I tell you as of now I am a one wagon deal and only have wife and kids helping stack and it seems that only I stack in the barn which is okay but time consuming. Now if I could cut that time and hassle down, I think haying would be alot more fun.

As far as giving pallets to customers I was thinking more along of the lines of pulling pallets up next to their trailers too make it easier to load on their trailer for both them and I.

Just a thought! O -AKFish do you have any pics of your hay stack on pallets or and on wagon?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I think I would build a few pallets to suit the bale size and stack on wagon accordingly so maybe I could lock them together then take a tractor and stack into barn on pallets.

Robert you are probably correct on grapple and accumulator but my small time op I fear It would cost too much to justify such a equipment buy. I tell you as of now I am a one wagon deal and only have wife and kids helping stack and it seems that only I stack in the barn which is okay but time consuming. Now if I could cut that time and hassle down, I think haying would be alot more fun.

As far as giving pallets to customers I was thinking more along of the lines of pulling pallets up next to their trailers too make it easier to load on their trailer for both them and I.

Just a thought! O -AKFish do you have any pics of your hay stack on pallets or and on wagon?

Well I am a 4 wagon operation but only one of me to do everything. I know all too well the hassels involved with handling hay and I wish I knew this 5 years ago when I was planning to get into haying. I never would have spent the money on kicker wagons and would have sold the thrower off my baler I bought. Handling bales by hand is always going to be a hassle and that is something I am trying to eliminate from my operation and would recommend you look into an accumulator and grapple setup just to get an idea what the prices are running as you never know, you may find a good deal.

I said last year after haying season I wouldn't go into another hay season without some sort of automated hay handling system but I did and am regretting it. This is the last time though as I can't put up with the headaches anymore

If you do go with the pallet route I would be interested to hear how you made out and any pros and cons you learned doing it.