2011 - Volume #35, Issue #1, Page #19
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"Flaker" Makes Bale Buddy Feeder Even Better
"We replaced the motorized paddle we originally used with the flaker, which basically cleaves flakes off, feeding precisely what you want," says John Sparks, who along with Todd Whatley invented the Bale Buddy. "Without it or the paddle, the number of segments that fell off the bale as it was pushed over the edge, depended on how tight the bale was. The paddle pushed off individual flakes. The Big Bale Flaker gives the operator better control of how much of the bale he wants to feed at one time."
The Bale Buddy still uses motorized winches and a skid plate to move the bales to the side of the flatbed, controlled by a remote control in the cab. With the flaker, there's a second remote that cleaves off a section, and breaks up tight chunks.
"Our reloader repositions new bales in the flaker once an initial bale has been fed," says Sparks. "The skid plate returns to home position, and the Bale Buddy pushes another bale into position with the flaker."
A safety arm locks into place enabling you to feed a portion at one spot, retaining the remainder of the bale for another location. The flaker also has a "Flake Stabilizer" to hold loose hay in place. This prevents flakes from tumbling forward in a domino effect.
The Bale Buddy is available with Flaker Assist in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6-bale models. The base unit is priced from $2,550 for the single bale unit to $7,700 for the 6-bale unit. The Flaker Assist is priced at $900.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bale Buddy Manufacturing, Inc., P.O. Box 237, Hennepin, Okla. 73444 (ph (580) 504-0777 or (580) 504-5564; www.bigbaleflaker.com).
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