big bale handling

[neilw]

Would a bale squeeze (one that grabs it from the sides) be OK to handle the bigger size big square bales or are these more for round bales?? Or would an "over the top" style grab or spike be better??

[Deere-est]

You can get a bale squeeze for square bales anyway bud. Used one in NZ. Is it straw or silage?

[neilw]

Straw mainly. You'd need a pretty hefty machine to lift one though wouldn't you??

[Kiwi6920]

nope, 2wd 4440 jd with allied loader and prongs will lift 3 bb960 straw bales or 2 heston/case/fergy bales no probs

if your useing a tractor loader, you will lose smoe lifting cap with the weight of the grab, i myself prefer triple prong bale forks with bullhorns

simlar to these forks

http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://northsideweldinginc.com/images/thumbnails/bale_fork_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://northsideweldinginc.com/bale_forks.php&usg=__BJ7uFu8ERdyGg7kOgzvvKHM6Hhc=&h=274&w=242&sz=38&hl=en&start=29&itbs=1&tbnid=1ki1mcqe829bIM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbale%2Bforks%26start%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26tbs%3Disch:1

[neilw]

Thanks for the info, all!!

[Deere-est]

I wouldn't bother with a squeeze for straw. A grab will do it, looks like a flat eight but larger dimensions and longer tines to hold the big bales. Standard sizes to carry two or three bales. The latter working well with a three bale accumulator.

Again, a couple of examples from my past work. I'm driving the FH, this is up at Chiseldon.

[Deere-est]

Another being loaded and one being unloaded at a farm.

[neilw]

Just slightly off topic, but bigger bales would require bigger trailers, would it be feasible to draw these trailers ion spraying tramlines to reduce compaction, or is there a mechanism (apart from a bale chaser) to get all the bales "dropped" in a group??

[neilw]

Another being loaded and one being unloaded at a farm.

Cheers Tris, that answers my question nicely - you do cover a lot of ground in your work!!!

[Deere-est]

I like to keep it varied You can get a three bale accumulator, whether they go bigger again depends on bale size etc I guess. Running on tramlines is ok but you end up with areas of heavy compaction. Personally I'd sooner spread the traffic across the field to avoid heavy compaction and thus, having to subsoil.

[masseyjack590]

I like to keep it varied You can get a three bale accumulator, whether they go bigger again depends on bale size etc I guess. Running on tramlines is ok but you end up with areas of heavy compaction. Personally I'd sooner spread the traffic across the field to avoid heavy compaction and thus, having to subsoil.

wouldn't it be better to just subsoil what needs doing rather than the whole field lots of people near just do headlands and tramlines because it saves diesel etc 

[Tractorman810]

we always kept to one route round the field, usally arround one side so to speak, then  subsoiled with the 1250 before ploughing, would take longer than following the tram lines across the middel say, but as mentioned they preffered one route all the time, each year was different to, most fileds could be accessed via the ditch bridges etc so we hade various routes out

as for big bales, have only ever seen spikes this way, but have seen the grabs like tris posted (flat 8 style) up suffolk

[Deere-est]

wouldn't it be better to just subsoil what needs doing rather than the whole field lots of people near just do headlands and tramlines because it saves diesel etc

You missed my point, Jack. I wouldn't subsoil at all. Hence why I'd spread the traffic across the field. Reduce cost, compaction and workload without dramatically reducing yield.