Simple equipment for moving round bales.

[Windy in Kansas]

It is very easy to build a simple trailer to move round bales with the design using a purchased 3 point equipment two tine bale fork. Such as shown here on this site: http://www.worksaver.com/product/bale-3pt.html

Crude drawing shown here of similar trailers used in my area.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...y/scan0237.jpg Linked rather than embedded for those with dial up ISP.

Brackets are fastened to an axle wide enough to accommodate the bale and proper lighting. The brackets must be long enough so that the bale fork tilts over the top of the axle instead of hitting it, shorter for less strain is better however. Make brackets appropriate for the 3 pt. arrangement of the fork you use. The fork also needs to mount low enough so that the tines are fairly flat when backing under a bale so that they don't just dig into the soil.

Install a winch on the trailer tongue or on a short bracket above it to accommodate swing of the winch handle. Fasten winch line to the top of the bale fork so that it can be used to tilt the bale from the ground.

Modern round bales are more compact and contain more mass than they did a few decades ago. Size everything appropriately from bale fork to towing vehicle.

[Old Vet]

The only thing is that you need to move the axle so you can lower the the bale. A movable axle is what I think you need. The thing is back heavy so what ever you hitch it to will have a tough time moving it down a road it will move from side to side. You will not be able to move it down a highway at unless you stay under 30 Miles per Hour.

[highlands]

Here's how I do it:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/2006/12...ering-hay.html

That article has a series of photos of the technique as well as showing how I put the hooks on the bucket. If you already have a bucket loader capable of handling the weight this is an inexpensive technique.

What ever you do, work safely. Round bales are heavy.

The other big thing we do is to get as much of the hay organized in the fall for winter feeding as possible so I don't have to move it. Once the snows come it gets harder and hard to do.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

[Windy in Kansas]

highlands, that reminds me, I have a front bale spear that I need to sell at auction.

I bought some round bales of straw in 1997 for mulch and they were really too heavy for my tractor. Perhaps it would work better IF I didn't have the weight of the bucket and the weight of the spear. Front spear is very heavy as the shaft is solid.

I tend to remember that a local auction company has an after harvest sale each year so that would be a good time to sell.

I'll keep the fork for the back of my tractor but really wish it would fit pallets in addition to bales. I'd like to set 3 point equipment on pallets which could then be moved easily for mowing around.

[ksfarmer]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/a...y-trailer.html

The 10th post on this discussion shows a type of bale hauler I used to own. It worked great and could be pulled by anything with a hitch. The only problem was in real slick conditions when the wheels would slide instead of holding while the bale pulled up. Once loaded the bale was very stable . Worked great most of the time.

[Windy in Kansas]

I have seen the type that clamps into the sides of the bale with spinners and then tilts forward with a winch. Letting it down against the ground with the strings taken off and it could be unrolled when driving forward. A little more complex for the basic handyman here to build than the unit first shown here. It could almost be bolted together once an axle with tongue is acquired.

[fordson major]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

I'll keep the fork for the back of my tractor but really wish it would fit pallets in addition to bales. I'd like to set 3 point equipment on pallets which could then be moved easily for mowing around.

we have a new holland bale mover (i think its an 80, have the fork lift grapple type as well the 90)like this, works well with our heavy round bales, move them across the field then pop them on the wagon (with one still on the three point) with the loader then slide the one off the spear ready for lifting on return.