"No Hydraulics" Bale Mover Keeps Weight Over Wheels

"No Hydraulics" Bale Mover Keeps Weight Over Wheels BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 28-5-28 If you use big round bales but don't want to have to use a tractor or truck to haul them, you'll be interested in this new pull-type bale mover that can be pulled by a pickup, ATV, or even a garden tractor. It can be used to both load and unload bales. Invented by Ivan Davis, Jefferson, Wis., the two-wheeled rig can be used to transport round bales as well as 6 1/2-ft. long big square bales. It has a ball hitch on front and three bale spears on back. The spears mount on a pivoting mechanism that's raised and lowered by an 8-ton hydraulic jack. To load a bale you back up and spear it, then use the jack to pivot the bale up off the ground. To unload you release the jack so the bale drops, then pull ahead to slide the bale off. "The wheels always stay centered around the bale, which eliminates any weight problems with the tongue and allows it to be pulled easily," says Davis. "With other pull-type bale movers, the lifting unit is at the back so the bale has to be pivoted up at a 45 degree angle in order to put weight over the wheels. That transfers a lot of weight onto the tongue and also onto the back end of the vehicle. On my machine, you need to lift the bale only about two inches in order to put the center of the bale's weight over the wheels. As a result, you're transferring only a few pounds onto the tongue. "It works great for anyone who's tired of paying high prices to get bales delivered to their farm. You can use the family car to go get a bale. Then when it's time to feed your animals you can use your 4-wheeler or garden tractor to move it. "I came up with the idea when a friend of mine needed to haul 80 round bales located four miles from his house. He had to use his tractor to retrieve one bale at a time each day in order to feed his horses. After I built the machine he was able to haul 20 bales a day. It wasn't long before I had people showing up at my house asking if they could rent my bale mover for a day." The unit can be equipped with fenders and lights. Attachments can be fabricated to turn the machine into a pallet lift or cherry picker. Davis says he's not interested in manufacturing the bale mover himself but welcomes inquiries from anyone who's interested in manufacturing the unit locally. He says he spent about $333 on materials and estimates the selling price of a manufactured unit at about $1,000. He's also willing to sell plans. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ivan Davis, 415 S. Fischer Ave., Jefferson, Wis. 53549 (ph 920 674-5373; email: OUTPUTg@ticon.net).

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