No-Hydraulic Bale Accumulator Easy To Use

No-Hydraulic Bale Accumulator Easy To Use BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 31-5-11 "It's built heavy and handles bales of different lengths, yet you can pull it with an ATV," says Steve Crutchfield of Bascom, Florida, about his Hay Master bale accumulator. He came up with the idea after helping his brother-in-law load and unload bales from a bale wagon using hydraulic-powered equipment. "Hydraulic machines require consistent-size bales," he says. Since balers don't always bale the same length, that means constantly changing the accumulator's hydraulic sensor. "We use vertical levers so the chamber doesn't close off. It's very forgiving," Crutchfield explains. "It's the heaviest-duty ground-driven accumulator on the market." No hydraulics, microswitches, chains or pulleys means less down time with timing, adjusting and maintenance. A series of levers simply guides bales into four chambers as the accumulator is pulled through the field at speeds up to 10 mph. Crutchfield offers both an 8 and a 12-bale accumulator. Both can be pulled with equipment as small as a truck or ATV, with the minimum of a 30 hp engine. The accumulator runs off to the side. Besides gathering bales from a field, it can also be hooked up directly behind any model square baler. Crutchfield says he sells to many people who put up horse hay as well as large producers who bale straw. Crutchfield sells through dealers in several states and also sells direct. Cost for the 8-bale accumulator is $6,800 plus freight. Cost for the 12-bale accumulator is $7,800 plus freight. He also sells bale grapples to pick up the grouped bales. The 8-bale grapple fits loaders that are 40 hp or more and sells for $2,200 plus freight. All products have a 3-year warranty. Request a free DVD to see the accumulator in action. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hay Tech, 6468 Wolf Pond Rd., Bascom, Florida 32423 (ph 800 355-1957; video @ haymaster. biz; www.haymaster.biz).

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