Bale Unroller Beats Big Bale Rings

2007 - Volume #31, Issue #2, Page #32

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Bale rings work great when the weather is good but on wet ground, cows often end up in muck up to their knees. That's why Charlie Golden switched to 3-pt. mounted bale unrollers more than 30 years ago.
  "If you unroll the hay, you can feed them just what they need," says Golden. "Plus I've noted that if I unroll hay on my poorest ground, all the activity will improve it."
  He built his first unroller before he had hydraulics on a tractor, using a 3-speed transmission on a pto drive. He would lean out the back window to shift it. It worked so well he went through the patent process and sold a number of them to area farmers. While retired from daily use, Golden keeps it in shape as a backup.
  Once he had a tractor with hydraulics, he made two unrollers with hydraulic drive. One is painted Ford blue and the other Deere green and they're in use on a daily basis throughout the winter.
  A long spear and a short spear stab and hold the bale in place. The first spear, a 6-ft. long, 1 15/16-in. dia. cold rolled steel shaft, is mounted through a 36-in. diameter disc made from 3/8-in. plate. Crossbars radiating from the center of the plate strengthen it. The second spear is about 14 in. long and made from 1-in. steel. Its purpose is to keep the bale spinning with the center spear.
  "Originally I tried a third spear, but it held too much hay, so I cut it off," notes Golden.
The center spear extends through the disc to twin pillow box bushings and a 30-tooth sprocket wheel. The bushings are mounted on double A-frames made with 3-in. channel iron. The twin A-frames are 4 in. apart and have a 12 by 28-in. rectangular frame at their base with pins for the lower arms of the 3-pt. hitch. From the base of the rectangle to the tip of the A-frame measures 36-in.
  "The A-frame should be only as wide as your 3-pt. hitch so there is no sway when you drive with it loaded," says Golden.
  The rectangular frames also hold a hydraulic motor mounted in a corner. A no. 80 chain connects a 9-tooth sprocket on the motor with the large sprocket on the spear.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charles Golden, 287 Firetower Rd., Okolowa, Ark. 71962 (ph 870 274-3260).

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Bale Unroller Beats Big Bale Rings LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 31-2-32 Bale rings work great when the weather is good but on wet ground, cows often end up in muck up to their knees. That's why Charlie Golden switched to 3-pt. mounted bale unrollers more than 30 years ago. "If you unroll the hay, you can feed them just what they need," says Golden. "Plus I've noted that if I unroll hay on my poorest ground, all the activity will improve it." He built his first unroller before he had hydraulics on a tractor, using a 3-speed transmission on a pto drive. He would lean out the back window to shift it. It worked so well he went through the patent process and sold a number of them to area farmers. While retired from daily use, Golden keeps it in shape as a backup. Once he had a tractor with hydraulics, he made two unrollers with hydraulic drive. One is painted Ford blue and the other Deere green and they're in use on a daily basis throughout the winter. A long spear and a short spear stab and hold the bale in place. The first spear, a 6-ft. long, 1 15/16-in. dia. cold rolled steel shaft, is mounted through a 36-in. diameter disc made from 3/8-in. plate. Crossbars radiating from the center of the plate strengthen it. The second spear is about 14 in. long and made from 1-in. steel. Its purpose is to keep the bale spinning with the center spear. "Originally I tried a third spear, but it held too much hay, so I cut it off," notes Golden. The center spear extends through the disc to twin pillow box bushings and a 30-tooth sprocket wheel. The bushings are mounted on double A-frames made with 3-in. channel iron. The twin A-frames are 4 in. apart and have a 12 by 28-in. rectangular frame at their base with pins for the lower arms of the 3-pt. hitch. From the base of the rectangle to the tip of the A-frame measures 36-in. "The A-frame should be only as wide as your 3-pt. hitch so there is no sway when you drive with it loaded," says Golden. The rectangular frames also hold a hydraulic motor mounted in a corner. A no. 80 chain connects a 9-tooth sprocket on the motor with the large sprocket on the spear. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charles Golden, 287 Firetower Rd., Okolowa, Ark. 71962 (ph 870 274-3260).

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