Information on round bales needed please.

darragh o meara

Lads,

I'm a mechanical engineering student and have been tasked with designing a single round bale transport trailer suitable for towing with a car or quad.

What I'm looking for is information on round bale dimensions and weight. Information resources that I could reference in the report would be appreciated ie, Farming journals etc.

The only information I can find is from a Canadian website which lists bales in sizes from 4 x 4 foot to 6 x 6 foot weighing from 180kg to 700kg. However from talking to one or two farmers I know the average they deal with is a 4 x 4 foot bales weighing approx 500kg.

Information would be greatly appreciated.

bbam

I'd have thought the bale could go up as far as 750kg for wetter silage, you'd need to design for the upper end of the
Potential weight.

Surely a quad isn't capable of pulling a round bale, you Could be designing a lethal combination there.

Timmaay

I've a friend who got one of his silage bales weighted last year, just shy of a ton supposedly! Have fun including a factor of safety of say 2 or 3 for the likes of that ha!

darragh o meara

bbam wrote: »

Surely a quad isn't capable of pulling a round bale, you Could be designing a lethal combination there.

I think the quad thing is just more hypothetical to give an idea on how small he wants it and to show that I cant just get one from a tractor and bolt some wheels on.

pakalasa

Have you seen this one;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzwiCYcpLNM

As for the density of bales; See Table 11
http://www.teagasc.ie/research/reports/beef/4284/eopr-4284.asp#c3

eorna

normally tractor lifts bales very handy...this years silage is just about making it...was lifting 750kg feed the other day and was no bother so that tells me the bales are a good bit heavier than that..just allow for that.
also i have seen bales of different sizes all the time..i am sure someone here has a baler and can go to all the settings 4 you..

redzerologhlen

pakalasa wrote: »

Have you seen this one;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzwiCYcpLNM

As for the density of bales; See Table 11
http://www.teagasc.ie/research/reports/beef/4284/eopr-4284.asp#c3

I have one problem with the one in the video pak, the axle needs to be behind the bale because if it was a bale of silage he was lifting the back wheels of the quad wouldnt be touching the ground.

Op you should ask here too, the lads on that forum are always making bits and pieces http://www.forum4farming.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=20

pakalasa

4X4 feet is 1.35 M2, so if you go with the density of water, the bale can't be heavier than 1,350 Kg. Cover that in your design and you can't go wrong.

yellow50HX

most bales are 4x4 but a lot of balers can do 4x5. we use chopped bales and the lad that does them weighted one last year at just shy of 800kgs. that was a good dry bale. reckon ours are about 750kgs

darragh o meara

yellow50HX wrote: »

most bales are 4x4 but a lot of balers can do 4x5. we use chopped bales and the lad that does them weighted one last year at just shy of 800kgs. that was a good dry bale. reckon ours are about 750kgs

Would they be silage or hay?

What type of bale are you designing for?
For instance a bale of hay would weigh an awful lot less than a bale of silage, and a bale of straw would be lighter still.
Also silage bales are wrapped in plastic, which shouldn't be punctured unless they are going to be used soon afterwards.

darragh o meara

Deleted User wrote: »

What type of bale are you designing for?
For instance a bale of hay would weigh an awful lot less than a bale of silage, and a bale of straw would be lighter still.
Also silage bales are wrapped in plastic, which shouldn't be punctured unless they are going to be used soon afterwards.

That has yet to be clarified but at the moment I'm basing it on a ton weight 4x4 bale, the design I have in mind doesn't use a spike so puncturing it shouldn't be a problem.

As stated above a quad probably ain't gonna tow this unless its impeccably balanced over the axle or axles. But in saying that I've seen a local lad tow an 8x4 cattle trailer with a quad once!! He didn't manage the turn though...

yellow50HX

darragh o meara wrote: »

Would they be silage or hay?

silage, not sure what a bale of hay would weight but i'd say proably about 400-500kg when its in the field

Bizzum

darragh o meara wrote: »

But in saying that I've seen a local lad tow an 8x4 cattle trailer with a quad once!! He didn't manage the turn though...

This is a completely different dynamic that what you propose to do. I can drag an empty 12'X6' cattle trailer around the yard myself but it bears no relationship again to your plan. I'd be worried for your safety that you are thinking that way;)

darragh o meara

Bizzum wrote: »

This is a completely different dynamic that what you propose to do. I can drag an empty 12'X6' cattle trailer around the yard myself but it bears no relationship again to your plan. I'd be worried for your safety that you are thinking that way;)

Only a comparison to show the capabilities of some quads. I definitely wont be designing anything that would risk injury. I've had the design brief changed to just a car or van.

yellow50HX

darragh o meara wrote: »

Only a comparison to show the capabilities of some quads. I definitely wont be designing anything that would risk injury. I've had the design brief changed to just a car or van.

forgot to ask is it for, transport or for feeding? reason i ask is, is this for bring a bales from place to place or is it for bringing a bale to like an outside farm and pushing up to a feeding barrier?

darragh o meara

yellow50HX wrote: »

forgot to ask is it for, transport or for feeding? reason i ask is, is this for bring a bales from place to place or is it for bringing a bale to like an outside farm and pushing up to a feeding barrier?

From place to place.