Bale handler recommendations.

tractorporn

Well folks.

Don't handle a huge amount of bales here around the 50 mark each year but I'm thinking of buying a roller type bale handler. I've gotten away with loading the bale carrier with the tine grab so far but our contractor has bought a fusion so no more wrapping in the yard. I reckon I'll get more use from the roller type using the tines for hay/straw and for feeding out bales. Looking for what makes people find best. I'm hoping to spend under the 1500 mark.

Reggie.

tractorporn wrote: »

Well folks.

Don't handle a huge amount of bales here around the 50 mark each year but I'm thinking of buying a roller type bale handler. I've gotten away with loading the bale carrier with the tine grab so far but our contractor has bought a fusion so no more wrapping in the yard. I reckon I'll get more use from the roller type using the tines for hay/straw and for feeding out bales. Looking for what makes people find best. I'm hoping to spend under the 1500 mark.

The roller grab should be well under the 1500

thetiredfarmer

The soft hands type will also handle hay and straw and can be used to grip 2 bales at a time (straw) for high stacking. Very gentle on bales especially if you need to carry them from the field to the yard.

tractorporn

Reggie. wrote: »

The roller grab should be well under the 1500

Good to hear. Any makes to look out for?

tractorporn

thetiredfarmer wrote: »

The soft hands type will also handle hay and straw and can be used to grip 2 bales at a time (straw) for high stacking. Very gentle on bales especially if you need to carry them from the field to the yard.

Yeah but I feel they're a bit on the heavy side for road work and I like the idea of the roller type breaking up a bale when feeding it out.

farisfat

I bought a Scully elephants trunk last year, I'm very happy with it.

Bass Reeves

OP what kind of tractor are you using. What loader is on it. Very hard to find a roller handler 2nd hand. If you're tractor is a fairly handy size you will want to limit weight of handler. As as being heavier some handler's have a wider frame at the front pushing the bale further out from loader making it heavier on the tractor. Flemming is the lightest and cheapest. It will be more than adequate for 50 bales/ year. Price them on DD and ring a few places. You might get one delivered for the 1k mark

tractorporn

farisfat wrote: »

I bought a Scully elephants trunk last year, I'm very happy with it.

Cheers for that. Are they heavy?

hopeso

I have a McHale here....No problems with it........

tractorporn

Bass Reeves wrote: »

OP what kind of tractor are you using. What loader is on it. Very hard to find a roller handler 2nd hand. If you're tractor is a fairly handy size you will want to limit weight of handler. As as being heavier some handler's have a wider frame at the front pushing the bale further out from loader making it heavier on the tractor. Flemming is the lightest and cheapest. It will be more than adequate for 50 bales/ year. Price them on DD and ring a few places. You might get one delivered for the 1k mark

We've a 90hp Kubota here with a kubota loader. Not really interested in a second hand one tbh. The kubota is a bit light on the back end but have a weight made up for it. Have seen a few local enough so might have to give a day having a look at them. Lad close to us has quickie implements and they look decent, the Fleming ones look good too

memorystick

Can you draw wrapped bales on those bale carrier trailers and would a soft hands be able to unload them?

hopeso

tractorporn wrote: »

We've a 90hp Kubota here with a kubota loader. Not really interested in a second hand one tbh. The kubota is a bit light on the back end but have a weight made up for it. Have seen a few local enough so might have to give a day having a look at them. Lad close to us has quickie implements and they look decent, the Fleming ones look good too

I know that McHale offer them with or without the brackets that attach it to the loader fitted. It might be something to watch for if you’re looking at a few...No point having to weld them on later if you can get them already fitted.

Say my name

tractorporn wrote: »

We've a 90hp Kubota here with a kubota loader. Not really interested in a second hand one tbh. The kubota is a bit light on the back end but have a weight made up for it. Have seen a few local enough so might have to give a day having a look at them. Lad close to us has quickie implements and they look decent, the Fleming ones look good too

I have a quicke here and can't fault it. They're the best when it comes to quality imo.

I got mine specified with small rollers on the tines as I'd be stacking the wrapped bales on the trailer. The bigger rollers would be too likely to burst the bales when unloading.
I like the hoops that keep the bale out from the loader as it's large enough to allow me to take two straw bales off at a time one on top of the other off the trailer when putting into the shed.
It has a lock feature that stops the rollers or tines swinging when you squeeze them into the last. So it's fairly solid then on the road or between bales, etc.

If you get one you won't regret it.

GrasstoMilk

tractorporn wrote: »

We've a 90hp Kubota here with a kubota loader. Not really interested in a second hand one tbh. The kubota is a bit light on the back end but have a weight made up for it. Have seen a few local enough so might have to give a day having a look at them. Lad close to us has quickie implements and they look decent, the Fleming ones look good too

Quicke's one is very good I'm told, weve a McHale one here for 15 years or more now and it's still going great. Used to do 1500 bales of silage a year with it an 500 straw. Down to about 300 bales now and 200 straw this year I'd say.

Stay away from prodig, friend has a new enough one and it has cracked a few times on him. Have heard of similar with other prodig gear

CCM

I've a Rossmore on be here this couple of years handling around 500 bales a year. It's well put together but could have done with a bit less steel, tis very heavy. Neighbour has a Flemming one and I'd probably go with one of them if buying again

tractorporn

memorystick wrote: »

Can you draw wrapped bales on those bale carrier trailers and would a soft hands be able to unload them?

Thanks for all the info folks, I'm on leave next week so I'm on a mission over to Tullamore to price the quickie off Shaw.

We have drawn wrapped bales on ours before but you have to watch out for briars/branches hanging out on the road as they can damage the plastic.

farisfat

tractorporn wrote: »

Cheers for that. Are they heavy?

I don't find it any heavier great tool for handling wrapped bales....I wouldn't go back to drawing and wrapping again.
Could you not hire someone to do it for you ...it's a big spend for 50 bales.

tractorporn

farisfat wrote: »

I don't find it any heavier great tool for handling wrapped bales....I wouldn't go back to drawing and wrapping again.
Could you not hire someone to do it for you ...it's a big spend for 50 bales.

Not too many round here at that sort of work, theres a real opening for someone with a keltec transporter round here.

ppn

Can't say I agree about the Rossmore being very heavy. It's heavier looking than the light Fleming but you could still move it easily and tip it up by hand. Was thinking of selling mine and getting a soft hands but a bit put off now that some have said they can damage particularly soft bales. Any thoughts?

I've noticed that some have long 'hands' like the McHale and others are much shorter. Is there a reason for this?

Bass Reeves

tractorporn wrote: »

Bass Reeves wrote: »

OP what kind of tractor are you using. What loader is on it. Very hard to find a roller handler 2nd hand. If you're tractor is a fairly handy size you will want to limit weight of handler. As as being heavier some handler's have a wider frame at the front pushing the bale further out from loader making it heavier on the tractor. Flemming is the lightest and cheapest. It will be more than adequate for 50 bales/ year. Price them on DD and ring a few places. You might get one delivered for the 1k mark

We've a 90hp Kubota here with a kubota loader. Not really interested in a second hand one tbh. The kubota is a bit light on the back end but have a weight made up for it. Have seen a few local enough so might have to give a day having a look at them. Lad close to us has quickie implements and they look decent, the Fleming ones look good too

Not sure which 90 hp one you have but rear iift on older ones is a bit limited. If drawing wrapped bales and if you are only drawing 50/year you may have to draw than two at a time one in front and one at back.so you may need a rear bale lifter as well. Unless you are doing dry bales you are unlikely to be able to handle two at the back

hopeso

Say my name wrote: »

I have a quicke here and can't fault it. They're the best when it comes to quality imo.

I got mine specified with small rollers on the tines as I'd be stacking the wrapped bales on the trailer. The bigger rollers would be too likely to burst the bales when unloading.
I like the hoops that keep the bale out from the loader as it's large enough to allow me to take two straw bales off at a time one on top of the other off the trailer when putting into the shed.
It has a lock feature that stops the rollers or tines swinging when you squeeze them into the last. So it's fairly solid then on the road or between bales, etc.

If you get one you won't regret it.

I never saw one that locked the arms from swinging.. On one hand, as you say, it would leave the whole thing more stable when travelling, but on the other hand the free swinging arms are far kinder to wrapped bales. They move with the bale when you go over a rut or are travelling on the side of a hill, while the solid arm digs into the bale in such situations...

tractorporn

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Not sure which 90 hp one you have but rear iift on older ones is a bit limited. If drawing wrapped bales and if you are only drawing 50/year you may have to draw than two at a time one in front and one at back.so you may need a rear bale lifter as well. Unless you are doing dry bales you are unlikely to be able to handle two at the back

Usually it's an out farm where we make bales so carry them home on a 6 bale carrier. So would only be using the front loader for loading the carrier and stacking in the yard. It's an ME9000 and even though it has twin assister rams at the back I dont think I'd chance a double lifter.

Say my name

hopeso wrote: »

I never saw one that locked the arms from swinging.. On one hand, as you say, it would leave the whole thing more stable when travelling, but on the other hand the free swinging arms are far kinder to wrapped bales. They move with the bale when you go over a rut or are travelling on the side of a hill, while the solid arm digs into the bale in such situations...

No they won't be able to lock when you have a bale on. Well maybe they would but you'd never need to tighten it in as much as the full squeeze on the handler and if you did I'd say the bale would fall off. If it's not on the full squeeze, it'll swing.