Anybody put up hay with the harpoon forks and the rail in the ba

[FarmboyBill]

I am wondering about a way to take off the forks, and attach a special pair that would be heavy enough to drive down into the hay, and pull it out in the winter to feed. One could do this with the old double harpoon forks, but there not heavy enough by double the weight to sink down into the hay, at least until the top of the hay has dropped significently. I cant think of a way to weight them, so was wondering if anybody had any ideas. Im getting, and will get to old to be climbing around up on a haymow, and/or ladders.

I could pull them up and over the mow, and I could devise a quick release from the tractor, so that the forks would drop, then just back up

NOPE, wouldnt work, There would be no way to get the forks to come back to the center of the barn (3 bay), to drop the hay unless I rerouted the rope through a pulley at the opposit end of the barn, BUT id have to reroute it back again to get it to work right. To big a pain.

Gotta be some way.

[uncle Will in In.]

Put a heavy wheel chair ramp up to the mow, and let the cows go up and get it themselves. Put s slatted floor in the mow to prevent manure buildup up there. Always wear a raincoat to go in the barn.

You would make more money if you baled the hay and sold it when the price got out of sight.

[fordson major]

moms uncle was up in his 80's and still feeding loose hay, not sure how he had it rigged but he used a McKee blower to pick it up in the field. saw a rig made with teeth from a dump rake that went on the rail, wish i had grabbed it now. long gone as a BTO bought the place and bulldozed all.

[FarmboyBill]

Will, this plae im looking at onoly has around 5 farmable avres. I will run haygrazer after corn. I want to feed out a few stockers in the winter on hay and fodder. This place has 2 wells, HOPEFULLY working so ill have water.

[Vickie44]

FBB wouldnt you be mad to go to the trouble of moving and still not have water !

[FarmboyBill]

Mad, no. Im close to my kids, I have a barn, a celler, and a REAL house. I could get city water for a grand if I had to,

[coolrunnin]

Why dont you make your life easier and get a small round baler even your tractors should be able to handle those. then you dont have to deal with all the physical labor and crawling around.

[coolrunnin]

Why dont you make whoever owns the place test the wells before you purchase the place?

[FarmboyBill]

hmmmmmmm Didnt know I coulds do that. BUT Since the place has gone into receivership, I imagine there, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I know that there selling the place AS IS, which means what is, IS.

[FarmboyBill]

I just dont like round bales. Aint crazy bout loose hay either, but dont know if ill have a bailer by then or not. I SHOULD HAVE, but just setting here, not doinbg much, waiting on something to happen with that place, I just gotta be thinking on things.

[coolrunnin]

Even square bales have to be handled= manual labor, even at my age I can find better things to do than haul hay in the summer. Good luck finding hay crews these days.

That place is kind of expensive for as is! I would really start thinking about really lowballing the offer.

[FarmboyBill]

Hay crew/ I got kids and grandkids close by, plus both a loose AND a bale loader

DDs friend/agent just made an offer of 40, which I imagine is a waste of time.