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Central Kansas | Seems to be a fair price....is it one of the older versions (solid red/orange color)? These machines were not made to be modified to work properly. I do not know the set-up problem with your acquaintance and his accumulator, but it seems pretty drastic to make modifications so it will work. Just my opinion here....but I would set the machine up to your baler according to the manual and give it a trial run. 100's of this machines in operation in Kansas.....and pretty much trouble free.
Don't know the trip points and/or activation devices for the Steffen....but you should be able to stop baling and shut things down, then start up again without a problem. Most of the older versions (like the Farmhand) have activation trip levers and 'pop-up' plates. These are essentially fool proof so once again, it might pay to "read the manual" before taking out the fire ax.
Stacking on trailers: zoom... I can only tell you what I and others around here with the Hoelscher or Farmhand do....might not be a universal way by any means. All of my 4 wheel hay trailers are 20' or a few inches longer. This allows 3 full 'dumps' of 8 bales to be placed per layer......or 24 bales. There is room on the bottom layer to space the pads or dumps a few inches apart......and then subsequent layers can be built to the back. The backs of my trailers all have a square tubing rack that catches even the bottom half of the 5th layer. It angles back at about a 15 deg angle so you can stack a little to the back with each layer effectively tying your load together a little better. As for the bottom layer...most of these 4 wheel trailers are about 8' wide....my 30' goosenecks are 102" or 8 1/2 '. My bales are about 38-40" long, so here is what I do. The first layer is placed with the tractor loader and claw to the far edge of the trailer (you can mark this point by painting a line down the trailer deck on the near side....but you get used to just about where to go) and released. As you back up, raise the claw about 12" above the pad of bales and when the front edge of the claw is within 12" of the ends of the nearside bales, tip the front edge of the claw down to touch the bales, hook them with the 3rd function and either continue to back up pulling the 4 near bales to edge of the trailer nearest you....or even lift the front of the fork a little to pick the ends up making them easier to pull stopping when the nearside bales are right at the nearside trailer edge. What this leaves you is the edges of the bales on the first layer pretty much even with the outside edges of the trailer.....and a space between the bales down the center of the trailer of about 10-12". The next and subsequent layers are centered on this bottom 'stretched' layer of bales giving you a nice stable base. If your trailers are sized right, you can then set the 2nd layer back about 4" from the front edge, the 3rd about the same place, then the 4th and 5th set back a little pushing against the trailer back. 20' trailer can haul 120 bales like this (with the Farmhand) without strapping the load if you aren't going too far. Most use their little square bale trailers to haul round bales as well and the trailer back can be a hindrance for that operation. My backs are easily removed for that work...and of course, the gooseneck trailers do not have backs. They are stacked toward the front of the trailer using the stem as a stack back for the first 3 layers. You can get more bales by running ridge bales by hand, etc.....but HEY!...this is mechanized muscle and I don't want to defeat its purpose. I just stack them like they come off the accumulator.
The 10 pad Hoelscher can be loaded the same way...but local lads don't use a trailer back and simply come in from the rear of the trailer every 2-3 layers and place a layer on from the rear, tying the layers below into the load by crossing them.
I suspect this is all about as clear as mud to you and I apologize for that up front. If you like the size of your bales for whatever purpose you make them, then leave them at that length and weight. Adjust your stacking procedure to fit your package size.....and adjust your accumulator to accomodate the bale. These machines are pretty flexible and can be made to fit most any operational deviations.
There is always debate about how to stack little square bales. Back in my 'do-it-by-hand' days (late 1950's for crap sake), we put the first layer of a stack on the ground 'cut side up' and sprinkled it with rock salt. Subsequent layers were stacked flat. Others insist that 'cut side down' is the best way but it always seem to me that the open stems on the bottom would help wick moisture. The cut side up position would seem to allow the 'sweat' to occur more effectively. Correct me here if I'm wrong, but the Hoelscher flips the bales out of a side chamber baler with the cut side down. Your Hesston baler would have the cut side facing out....right? Probably doesn't make a flip bit of difference....but we sure can get some hot ones going on a cold day at Cheryl's Cafe over this very subject. I generally get them stirred up...then leave ;o) Ya know....I love talkin' about this stuff. | |
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hoelscher bale accumulator
