bale loader/lifter

[tomturkey]

Being a one person operation, was looking for a way to load small squares on the rack by myself. Found an old wheel/chain drive bale loader. How were these units pulled alongside of a hayrack? Did it require additional help?? Just did not look like it would accomplish what I had hoped. Tell me about them. thanks gobble

 

[Ken Macfarlane]

I bought a henry pop up bale loader this summer. We have it attached to the 27 ft flatbed. You drive and it puts the bale onto a platform up top. If you don't get it the next bale kicks it onto the wagon. If you don't have sides you will only get 1-5 bales on before they start rolling back off. With something like a thrower wagon you could line it up with the door area and probably get 50 bales on before stopping to stack/arrange.

I like it. It can load the hay faster than humanly possible to stack it on a wagon though. If conditions are right it can pick up 30-60 bales a minute.

 

[tomturkey]

Ken: how does it hook to the tractor AND the hay rack also. I thought that I could probably stand getting on the rack every fifth bale to stack. But my fields are small and odd shaped making for lots of turning. My wife will help me by driving the tractor while I load and stack, it is just a lot of on and off up and down. A little much maybe for a 62+ hobby hayer. thanks gobble

 

[donjr]

Tom, they hook to the side of the wagon or trailer or truck. They're fast enough when you learn how to use one that they can put two or three stackers to the test, but you need help on the wagon. What you need to do is pull a wagon behind the baler, get a bale thrower, or a NH stack trailer. Or look into an accumulator behind the baler and a grapple for your loader.

 

[tomturkey]

Donjr, Thanks for the reply. Yes after viewing some You tube clips of bale loaders, I've come to the conclusion that even with odd shaped fields and many turns, I just need to pull the rack behind the baler. Then go back to the rack when the bale train reaches the back of the rack. Again thanks for your input. gobble

 

[showcrop]

Tom, If your wife is willing to help, build a chute to go on the back of the baler. you stack while she drives, pulling the baler.

 

[tomturkey]

show, she will drive only after the suns rays are sideways. Usually not much before 730. She has problems with overheating. I feel fortunate she will help me at all considering her condition. Only have one more cutting this yaer (maybe, very dry) then I can rest up for next year. thanks for you input gobble

 

[donjr]

Simple solution- go to TSC and get her a sunshade. It will cut the field temps by ten or fifteen degrees. No lie!

 

[Bret4207]

I;m pretty much a one man show too. Small, irregular fields, hills, etc. The answer you seek is a "bale basket". No kicker, just a chute the bales run up. Back opens and dumps at the elevator.

 

[Fordfarmer]

I agree with Bret - get a hay basket (or two).

 

[Anonymous-0]

How much ground are you haying? I'm a one man operation too, but 50 acres got to be too much like work, even with a kicker to load the rack. Bought a skid steer and made up a accumulator/grapple system over the winter a couple years ago. Hardly have to break a sweat now.

 

[BobH in NH]

Kids bought me a Nebitt bale loader about 8-9 years ago. Essentially a vertical conveyor. Works great providing you have 2 people. Since they are both married and gone and the wife can"t take the sun and heat (malaria more than once growing up on the Gold Coast while her dad worked for the British Govt) I added sides to my hay wagon and also used the farm truck with side boards. Neither were totally satisfactory. Too much on/off when bales started dribbling over the sides.

So I graduated to a Hesston 5530 Rounder and a Bobcat to stack back at the barn.