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| After reading the posts on bale spears for loaders I am still puzzled why there are so many bale spears still in use. Surely all newer tractors and loaders these days have a third circuit to run a grappel cylinder?
Before round bales became popular here everyone stacked hay loose in one form or another. Everyone had a grapple in the first place so bale spears just never caught on here. I still don't know anyone in this area who uses one. Doesn't a bale spear get in the way of using the loader bucket for other chores like moving snow?
FWIW, I have mostly retired my old Farmhand F10 especially from handling round bales. My 5x5 bales weigh about 1300 lbs and are just too heavy for it and the tractor. The bales that must be stacked for transport my neighbor still does with his F11 with 5' manure fork/grappel on a Super M. That's the bare minimum equipment to use on the level on a nice dry day.
As far as feeding bales, I have a double bale carrier for my big tractor and a smaller bale carrier for my smaller tractor. I also have a shop built bale unroller to feed with that works best with new crop bales that roll easily. Currently I am using the big tractor with the double bale carrier to feed this winter. I'm feeding old crop bales and just use the tractor dozer to roll out the bales.
I am impressed with Cliff's spear that he can remove it or use it for snow as is. Should get a patent on that!
Edited by John SD 1/2/2011 17:53
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Amherst WI | I don't know of anyone here that has a bucket with a grapple, except for the townships/county for clearing brush. Everyone has spears or pallet forks. |
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Osakis, MN | I can't think of hardly anybody around here that has a grapple on a farm tractor. Easier to pop the bucket off and pickup the bale spear that isn't so hard on the bales I think. It might just be me, but I can't imagine useing the grapple bucket for things that I would regularly use the bucket for, would seem like it would make it awkward and clumsy. Funny how things are so different across different areas. |
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| Nobody has grapples here either, For one thing a bale spear is alot cheaper. |
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Saronville NE | Havent had a grapple in years, spears are so much faster and easier for moving bales. Also dont damage netwrap and make the hole in the net a funnel into the bale. The new quicktach ldr buckets and spears and such you can change in under 2 min, why have the grapple? Only thing a grapple is good for is moving tree limbs and such. Also spear is way cheaper then grapple also. |
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iowa | We use a spear for moving bales to storage and loading the inline wrapper. Then we use a grapple bucket for making feed, grinding hay and most everything else because it is so much more versable and safe
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Driftless SW Wisconsin | I think that is a key point - the quick tach loaders such as the ALO Euro connection system are so quick and easy to change attachments that there is no need to leave the bucket and its weight on the loader when feeding hay. I am amazed at how INconvenient it is to change attachments on some of my customers loaders.
Not too long ago I was at a customers farm in W MN and he had a bucket on his loader. We had to lift something and discussed the relative merits of using chains off of his loader bucket vs just hooking up the pallet forks I saw on the other side of the shed... After watching him go through the process of changing I saw why he seemed to prefer the chains to switching to the pallet forks.
With a smaller tractor, using a spear and not carrying that heavy bucket around is a lot safer when handling 1500-1600 lb 5x6 rounds. I do see a lot of grapples out west where folks are feeding portions of twine tied big squares or using it to chew off a pile, etc.
Another benefit of a spear is I can move my OD wrapped bales without putting a hole in the plastic. Visibility is better with a spear also.
Jim at Dawn
Edited by Jim 1/2/2011 19:59
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nc ks | We use spear for moving and loading as to not damage top of bales. We use a grapple for tub grinding bales as you have more control and don't have to be backing up at the same time you set the bale down. |
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| I use the grapple and don't even have a bale spear. I almost always take two bales at a time too, so a spear would never work. I am considering getting a spear for the skid steer, since it would be easier then trying to grab a big bale with the bucket and grapple. I think if I do get a spear for the skid steer, I am still going to use the grapple fork since it would make it easier to hang on to the bale, and the grapple fork is double quick tach, so it can be switched easily. Another thing is the name. "Here", we usually refer to a grapple as a "grab" fork. Must be the German in us. Ya think? |
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SESD | Spears for speed and no damage to the bale from field to farm or trailer. Grapple to feed with as it is just easier to roll the bale and handle it while removing strings and not dropping it into the hay ring. |
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Eastern Nebraska | We just pop the bucket or forks off and use a spear for our Quicke loader with the euro quick tach. Takes a minute, you only have to unlatch it and when you hook the other attachment up it latches automatically. I like a spear because you don't damage the netwrap. Some times when the netwrap is froze down we'll use the pallet forks to get under. Loading and unloading a trailer with a spear is soooooooo easy. |
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| Jim, I can see why a spear would be better than a grapple for a plastic or net wrapped bale. There are a few guys who use net wrap here but most still use twine. I use sisal and as little as possible. I don't bother picking up the twine off old crop bales.
For the bales I make at the home place that will be fed from rows at the end of the hayfield I "tricked" my baler computer into thinking it had 2 twines. I do this by wrapping one twine around both twine sensor pulleys on the baler. (Hesston 856A) |
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| Sheep Herder - 1/2/2011 19:02 I use the grapple and don't even have a bale spear. I almost always take two bales at a time too, so a spear would never work. I am considering getting a spear for the skid steer, since it would be easier then trying to grab a big bale with the bucket and grapple. I think if I do get a spear for the skid steer, I am still going to use the grapple fork since it would make it easier to hang on to the bale, and the grapple fork is double quick tach, so it can be switched easily. Another thing is the name. "Here", we usually refer to a grapple as a "grab" fork. Must be the German in us. Ya think?
2 bales are possible with 2 spikes
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 bale spikes 026.jpg (99KB - 671 downloads)
bale spikes 027.jpg (95KB - 740 downloads)
bale spikes 028.jpg (95KB - 793 downloads)
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EC Kansas | Sisal may work well in your dry climate, we gave up on it years ago as it went to pieces fast in wet years and so did the bales. It takes a lot of plastic to keep a bale good around here, that's why net is so popular. |
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WY, OK | We use both, I like grapple for everything except loading trucks with net wrapped bales. You tear them up a lot more with the forks and the skidsteer with a spear can load faster than a tractor with either. The best thing about grapples is being able to take 2 bales in the loader, one on the back spear and still be able to plow snow on the way. We do have one JD with no 3rd function and therefore no grapple it either goes out with the bucket and rear spear or the front and rear spear, either setup isn't ideal especially when you need to fed 4-6 bales and need to be able to take as many as possible with you. Taking the bucket and 1 bale you might as well just put the blower on and make a path for the truck.
We use a 640 with a spear, 740 with a spear, 265 with forks and TV145 with forks and skidsteer with a spear. |
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S.E. Sask. | The bale spear has worked great for me. Small operator with a small 47 year old tractor and no third hydraulic circuit for a grapple. Mine is a Westward. The bucket has to come off as this spear and frame is a separate unit. Its either one or the other.
That being said, I posted a comment over on machinery forum re: the spear I broke today. I don't know if there are stronger ones available but I sure never expected this one to break on my small bales. |
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New Ulm, MN | Spears here for picking up stacking and moving, no grapple yet but buliding on for the skidloader (yes the 610 has the factory third hydraulic!) to make loading pen pack maunure much faster. Grapple at work is for manure. hauling/peeling hay off raound bales and putting in feeders (after washing) Spears for moving and stacking. My next project is to build on of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYMPsfP8Hz8
http://www.loaders.com/aspx/product/default.aspx?productid=54 |
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| I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Thanks for posting. |
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| Boy this is a different stokes for different folks thread . I could even imagine working with a spear . I haven't seen one around here in years . We load hay both round out and butt out and we are always grabbing 2 at a time . It takes us 15 minutes to load 28 bales and about the same to unload . You screw up a couple of straw bales with a grapple , usally someone doesn't do a good job of loading the truck and you loose them off the truck .
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Central ND | I find it odd people own a good baler and a stack mover and semi trailer to haul bales and have a good poop wagon.......and no grapple on their loaders to load them with ..... Grapples can be used for manure, straw,Loose hay, Brush and carefully picking up other things like feeders and long posts,brush piles...Woven wire, scrap iron pieces...
Our local hay grinder guy says HATES going to grind hay at farms where they only use a bale spear. The machine is running empty while the bale on the spear fell apart and is laying in the snow.
Another plus of the grapple is you don't have to take it off to do other jobs with the loader bucket.
And we need those buckets to shovel snow here 2 - 3 times a day in the winter.
Edited by School Of Hard Knock 1/4/2011 14:36
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Ste. Rose, MB | Agreed!! We only use our grapple fork for everything you mentioned & anything else we can figure. Don't own a spear & prolly never will. Have pallet forks for the loader & 96" bucket w/ grapple & get the job done pretty quick & tidy. |
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West Central Illinois | We dont use a grapple just leave the bucket on an chain pallet forks in to move round bales or when we r not gunna be usin the bucket for a while put the pallet fork/bale spear on. |
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bale spear vs conventional bucket/grappel?......
