Home-Built Self-Loading Hay Basket

Home-Built Self-Loading Hay Basket BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 21-4-19 "I hate to buy anything that I can build," says Gary Lisowe, Gillett, Wis., which is the reason he built his own self-loading - and unloading - gravity basket for small square bales. "I spent a total of $250 to build it. I saved a lot of money because commercial models sell for $3,000 or more," says Lisowe, who built two identical wagons out of wood. The basket measures 10 ft. wide, 12 ft. high, and 12 1/2 ft. long. It holds about 80 50-lb. small square bales. When the basket is full, Lisowe simply pulls up to an elevator, trips a lever, and the hinged back panel swings open allowing all the bales to fall out. He used 2 by 3-in. white oak lumber to build the basket frame and 1 by 3-in. boards for the slats. The basket bolts to a steel frame made from 3-in. sq., 1/4-in. thick tubing. Bales are pushed out of the baler up a metal slide into the basket. The axle was made by welding two 4-in. wide channel irons together. Both wagons have 15-in. rear tires and spindles. The 14-in. swivel wheel in front is off an old International mower conditioner. Sheet metal fenders mount over the rear tires. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Lisowe, 5461 Klatt Road, Gillett, Wis. 54124 (ph 414 855-6127).

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