Silage Block Grab

TimTam82

Im hoping to purchase a new silage block grab this winter and Im looking for advice on the best porducts out there and what I should be looking out for in a product! Ill be feeding over 100 animals with a Massy 4255 with quickie loader. So any advice would be helpful!!!!!

vanderbadger

TimTam82 wrote: »

Im hoping to purchase a new silage block grab this winter and Im looking for advice on the best porducts out there and what I should be looking out for in a product! Ill be feeding over 100 animals with a Massy 4255 with quickie loader. So any advice would be helpful!!!!!

you mean a shear grab right?

TimTam82

Ya thats right!

dasheriff

I have a mchale 4ft 4" with a few years now and i find it a great job anyway, never had a problem with it so far..

grumpyfarmer

Why a shear grab? and not a tine grab i find them just as effective on the silage pit face when used correctly plus they are Alot more flexible i.e. moving bales and dung etc and they are easier and cheeper to maintain and i reckon easier on a tractor too.

dasheriff

grumpyfarmer wrote: »

Why a shear grab? and not a tine grab i find them just as effective on the silage pit face when used correctly plus they are Alot more flexible i.e. moving bales and dung etc and they are easier and cheeper to maintain and i reckon easier on a tractor too.

They prob are easier on the tractor alright but the shear grab leaves alot cleaner and neater finish and also seals up the face alot better aswell..

TimTam82

I have a tine grab at d mo. Happy enough but find it doesn't clean d face of d pit well. Nd as I hav 2 travel a small distance with the silage (50m-100m) and d amount of waste silage lost on the ground is a lot. I also find that the seal in the pit is poor with the tine grab and when it comes to reopening the pit theres alot of cleaning of the face and alot of waste silage

Rovi

I ran a McHale sheargrab for years and was always very pleased with it.
The life of them is to keep the edges sharp and the pivot points greased; this makes them much easier on the tractor/loader too.
We always sharpened with a file, BTW, never an angle grinder!

TimTam82

I'm also wondering about the ram size. Is this something that is important or is it just a wise man's tale?

Rovi

TimTam82 wrote: »

I have a tine grab at d mo. Happy enough but find it doesn't clean d face of d pit well. Nd as I hav 2 travel a small distance with the silage (50m-100m) and d amount of waste silage lost on the ground is a lot. I also find that the seal in the pit is poor with the tine grab and when it comes to reopening the pit theres alot of cleaning of the face and alot of waste silage

A good operator with a good sheargrab will leave the pit face lovely and neat and undisturbed. It'll certainly last much longer than a messy pit face.

TimTam82 wrote: »

I'm also wondering about the ram size. Is this something that is important or is it just a wise man's tale?

All other things being equal (oil flow rate/pressure), a big ram will be slower, but will be more powerful and easier on the tractor; a small ram will be faster but will put a higher demand on the tractor and may even 'stall' the hydraulics.

It's a balancing act, but I'd be erring on the side of the bigger ram.

49801

Rovi wrote: »

I ran a McHale sheargrab for years and was always very pleased with it.
The life of them is to keep the edges sharp and the pivot points greased; this makes them much easier on the tractor/loader too.
We always sharpened with a file, BTW, never an angle grinder!

Some would argue that you. Should never ever sharpen the blades.
This is as you will most likely not do it right and over heat the steel ruining the temper of it. Wish some ones had told us that before the angle grinder was let at ours.

Have a mchale here too. Strongly built. Needs a refurb now if anyone has recommendations I the cork area that would do a good job pm me

vanderbadger

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/machinery/3824345

Juniorhurler

We sharpen ours ourselves and use the grinder with an abrasive disc thats a little like sandpaper overlapping on the disc. Does a right job and doesn't seem to heat the teeth too much therefore not ruining the temper.

We sharpen them regularly though so we are never spending to long on the one spot to heat it up.

munkus

On the question of shear grab Vs tine grab, I was told that using a tine grab would burn out the clutch in no time, as you're ripping the silage off the pit. Anyone found this to be the case?

TimTam82

iv had a tine grab for over 11 yrs on the same tractor and no prob with the clutch!!! I guess it depends on how u take the silage away from the pit. I close the grab, tilt up nd down until silage brakes away from pit then pull away. the clutch is under no pressure then.

kevthegaff

TimTam82 wrote: »

iv had a tine grab for over 11 yrs on the same tractor and no prob with the clutch!!! I guess it depends on how u take the silage away from the pit. I close the grab, tilt up nd down until silage brakes away from pit then pull away. the clutch is under no pressure then.

i had to change the clutch on my yolk, prob to do with me bad knee:(, they seem quite expensive tho sheer grabs

boroboy

have mchale 15-20 years.great grab and never needed to be edged.as sharp as day1

bob charles

No shear grab, or tine grab, just use the bucket for loading all forage. Im too lazy to be changing pipes and all that lark. A tidy operator with just a bucket is grand. Would be going through feed quick enough though. If you are crossing the feed face within 5 days and the feed is going off you have other problems