sdPete - 1/10/2019 06:52 That's a nifty deal I have a Cat 262 wheeled. It has forced the procedure to be: set bale on end on the ground, back away, get out remove wrap, open gate. Get in loader pick up bale as is drive in yard approach feeder. Set bale down on ground outside of feeder, tip it so original ground contact area is on the ground, then spear the bale a bit above center. Pick up bale to put in feeder, normally the rotted hay on bottom of bale falls off , place bale in feeder, drive back out of yard, set loader on ground exit machine close gate. The driver risks on this procedure involve climbing in and out of loader, but with loader in down position safety is maximized and I don't worry about the bale falling on someone. Maybe your bales are different from mine. I find that as soon as I take the net wrap off of a bale I start dropping hay. This is on both shedded very dry bales and bales that have been stored outdoors. If I took the net wrap off a bale outside the gate then carried the bale into the pasture over rough ground I'd have a lot of hay on the ground. I don't take the wrap off until right before I set the bale in the cradle or ring and still leave some on the ground. You can see that in the pics above. Carrying a 5x6 ft bale upright like that may drop less hay but it seems very difficult to spear and carry a bale like that and still see where you're going. It's a lot easier taking all of the netwrap off on a horizontally bale suspended a foot or two above the ground than one sitting on the ground vertical.
Edited by Jim 1/10/2019 10:06
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Some "Side Door" hay pics
