"Angled" Bale Handler Makes Rollout A Snap

"Angled" Bale Handler Makes Rollout A Snap BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 34-2-10 Unrolling a big round bale couldn't be easier with Peter Robinson's Bale Handler. The Australian put his industrial design training to work when his 70-year old father needed a better way to feed round bales. "I wanted a 3-pt. mounted handler that included a bale spear," recalls Robinson. "The key was designing the frame holding the spike to hold the bale at an angle." With Robinson's design, the operator backs into the bale with the spear, picks up the bale and carries it to the spot where unrolling should begin. For smoothest unrolling, insert the spear in the clockwise end. Remove twine or netting with the bale off the ground. Release the swing arm, lower the 3-pt. arms, and drive forward to begin unrolling. As the bale edge hits the ground, it swings around into a diagonal position. If lowered fully, the bale swings around until one side is completely on the ground and unrolling flat. "To stop unrolling, simply raise the bale off the ground and lower it again when you want to resume," explains Robinson. "When the hay has unrolled completely, raise the handler, stop and reverse the tractor slowly as you slowly lower the bale handler again. The swing arm skids back into place, and the spear is again latched in pick-up position." Robinson has been selling his Bale Handler in Australia for nearly 25 years. Currently they retail for a little over $1,000 (U.S.). While Robinson has no plans to market his unroller in North America, he's considering selling plans if there are requests. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Peter Robinson, 645 Toomuc Valley Road, Pakenham, Victoria, Australia 3810 (ph 61 03 5942 7252; mobile 61 0407 52 96 52; http://home.iprimus.com.au/pjrob/).

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