pop up bale loader

[Anonymous-0]

I just saw a pop up bale loader for sale locally, and 'm thinking of having a look at it. I've never actually seen one working, so I was curious what to look out for.

Also, just in general, were these things worth the trouble? Do you need really level ground to run one? I'm curious why they never caught on around here (even pre-round bales I mean). Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[showcrop]

Hi, are you referring to a baler mounted thrower or kicker?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Seen several kinds called a pop up loader but the most common in our area was the Kneib loaders later bought out by Bush Hog. So find a Bush Hog dealer to see if any parts available yet. Stand upright hitched to side of trailer for loading but lay down for transport. They made them for John Deere and several others so no telling what color you might find one? Orange and green, Orange & white, Red & white, Green & yellow, Green & white or others. On those loaders the chains wear or can get stretched and if sprockets are worn you will tear up more bales than it's worth using it. The axles were just common shafts in bronze bushings and if not kept greased will be worn badly and probablby just have to get those made new at a machine shop. Later ones had ball bearings on outside hubs but all had a trip lever for drive inside wheels to throw out for transport. One in good shape works like a dream but a worn out one is a real headache tears up lots of bales. Once you get a good one in shape NEVER loan it out or even rent it as idiots won't grease it just wearing it out so you get to rebuild it again. There were other laoders too like those ran on a angle with chain conveyor and some round merry go around types too but I never used those kind.

 

[thurlow]

Used one (Kneib) for years; it's rusting down over here in the weeds. Always figured it replaced 2 men, and...........it never got tired or needed a drink of water. If kept serviced, it was trouble free. We hauled hay on 24 x 8 cotton trailers with sideboards removed. The loader would work anywhere you felt comfortable with the trailers.

 

[Anonymous-0]

This one is kind of high but most here bring $200-$1000.
Kneib / Bush Hog pop up loader

 

[banjo]

have an old john deere that has seen lots of bales. it sat inthe fence row for probably 20 years. got it out last year greased and oiled everything and it still works.

best if it is hooked to a truck bed. trailers are harder to hit the bales right as the pickup needs a wider turn, then the trailer is too far from the bales. gooseneck trailers are worse as they dont follow the truck like a bumper pull trailer will. But if you have perfect fields and not too many sharp turns then it will sure help.

 

[msb]

There were two different manufactures in the early 1950s when they first came out. Can't remember the other brand , it was different than the Kneib, but worked the same. Maybe a Universal? It will come to me in the middle of the night.lol. Oh, for a bunch of old Farm Journals, Hoards Dairyman or Successful Farming issues of the 50s.

 

[Anonymous-0]

What we did was make a extension hitch from channel iron we bolted on each truck or trailer on LH side when loading hay. Had to take it off of course on some roads or be careful with it sticking out a foot or less from the side when loader was off. I've seen some custom haying guys use a sliding extension hitch put on permanently on side or also put a piece of pipe for a adjustable hitch rail sleeving another pipe with hitch welded on it and set screws or pins along semi truck trailer side to keep moving the loader back as the stacking and load progresses. Less walking, throwing and work. Oh you know how to clear a hay trailer fast? Yes, snakes can come right up that loader with bales lol. NOT fun!!

 

[BobH in NH]

I have seen two totally different types of bale loaders. The most common is the vertical conveyor, like the one posted by Ole Shovel. I have one which looks almost if not exactly identical, with a different name, and in New Idea green and orange colors. Have also seen ones with inclined (slanted) conveyor, and several others which used Ford car rear ends with a pulley on the pinion shaft and belt drive to the conveyor chain. From what I learned there were a fair number of both national and local manufacturers of these units back in the 50s and 60s, and a lot of farmers made their own.

The second less popular type was commonly referred to as a "one-arm-bandit". One manufacturer was Snowco. Their loader had a single drive wheel and two smaller caster wheels, and a mechanism and spring-loaded arm which grabbed the bale and tossed it up over the side of the truck or trailer. A real pain to set up!

My preference - go with the conveyor type. Two people can do real damage to a field of bales in short order. I learned that all bales need to be string side down or they are prone to jambing. Conveyor type is also much more friendly to loose or banana bales. We fought with a Snowco for several seasons and never got it properly adjusted. Never had issues on hills or small fields either.

 

[Ron in AR]

Here's a pic of mine in use. I've used it hooked to my truck and hooked to my trailer. Works great. Once you get the hang of it, the driver can wear out a couple of stackers real quick! Course, you still have to put it in the barn the hard way. Mine originally had just steel skids shoes on the front, but I put the small wheel barrow type wheels on it and it worked much better. My fields are pretty uneven and have lots of terracing. Never posed a problem. Good luck. Ron

 

[Barb Lee]

Hi, We just (hours ago) acquired a Henry bale loader out of a local used implement yard. It looks good, complete and functional. We're having a little trouble visualizing how it hitches to the side of the trailer. Easy enough to build an attachment for the trailer for the obvious hitch, but it looks like the vertical "guard rail" alongside the elevator just bumps up against the side of the trailer? Am I missing something?

Thanks!
Barb

 

[Tx Jim]

The new ones I saw came with a hitch that dropped in a stake pocket and as you said then the rail bumps against side of truck or trailer.

 

[lenapahguy]

(quoted from post at 10:35:12 08/06/08) I just saw a pop up bale loader for sale locally, and 'm thinking of having a look at it. I've never actually seen one working, so I was curious what to look out for.

Also, just in general, were these things worth the trouble? Do you need really level ground to run one? I'm curious why they never caught on around here (even pre-round bales I mean). Any comments would be appreciated.

My dad was in the prairie hay business in NE Oklahoma in 1960s. We used a Kneib and a Henry. There was also a conveyor type that has a gentle incline and would be best for the small round bales. I lived on the back of a truck with the Kneib. We had several hay buyers that would bring their large IH trucks to the field and we would hook loader to front for a while then the back. We would tied down to the load, and they would take off down the Interstate.

 

[lenapahguy]

There was another off brand called a "Cherokee" with a rotating wheel at the top. It was terrible as the bale would get stuck at the top. With the Kneib, one driver and one on the truck we would have a full load of 120 bales in the field in 15 minutes. That was fast driving and fast stacking. Our goal was 100 bales per hour in the barn.

 

[OzMF35]

This is one I picked up locally here in Australia, it looks a bit odd and they don't appear to be as common as the conveyor type, but there were still a few of them here back in the day. I'm yet to put it to use but am told they work quite well!

Its badged MF 512