ATV Bale Hauler Doubles As A Trailer

ATV Bale Hauler Doubles As A Trailer ATV'S ATV'S 34-1-30 Don Davenport set out to make a bale mover for his ATV and ended up with a 2-wheeled rig that easily converts into a small flatbed trailer. "It can be used behind a small tractor, car or 4-wheeler," says Davenport, noting that the trailer is big enough to haul his ATV. The trailer is so well balanced that a child can lift a 5 by 6-ft. round bale off the ground. Once secured in place, the weight balances just behind the wheels, making it easy to pick up the hitch and move the load even by hand. The frame, made of 1/4-in. wall, 2-in. square tubing, is pretty straightforward. Open to the rear, it can be backed over the load to be moved. Where Davenport's design really shines is in its lift apparatus. It's essentially two jacks operated by a 4-ft., U-bar lever. The jacks can be engaged separately or together. For even greater leverage and easier lifting, a cheater bar can be fitted to a stub on the front of the U-bar. "It has about a 30 to 1 leverage before you need to use the cheater bar," says Davenport. "An adult can lift a round bale using both jacks, and a child can do it lifting one side at a time." The jacks are simply 20-in. sleeves of 2-in. angle iron welded together with a nylon bushing inside. The sleeves ride over upright 2-in. sq. tubing. The U-bar latches every 2 in. on the sleeves to lift them. It can be reversed to lower the load in 2-in. increments. "When the sleeves are all the way down, they ride about 3 ft. off the ground," explains Davenport. "Removeable curved shafts or knives slip into brackets on the sleeves. When down all the way, the knives are at just the right height to slip into the middle of a bale." The knives pivot on the sleeve brackets. To force the knives into the bale, the cheater bar is slid over the upper end and pulled down. Removal is the same action reversed. Once the bale has been "jacked" off the ground, it's secured with pins that lock the sleeves in place. When not in use, the hooks are reversed in the brackets so they ride inside the uprights. To use the trailer for moving loads other than bales, Davenport built a floor panel to set the load on. You load whatever you want to carry on the platform and back over the load, attaching chains to the brackets on the uprights. Once the floor panel has been raised to the level of the frame, safety chains are attached to secure it in place. Davenport says he has pulled the trailer, with the 4-wheeler in place, down the highway at 80 mph without a problem. With no springs, it's a little noisy on rough roads, he admits. The trailer has proven useful around the shop and for moving bales as intended. Davenport is offering the units for sale for $950 plus shipping. "It doesn't require a 3-pt. hitch or hydraulics, yet you can lift a pallet of bricks," he notes. "It could even be pulled behind a pair of oxen." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Action Machine, 611 Phoenix St., Fort Smith, Ark. 72916 (479 646-7024).

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