Big Bale Wheelbarrow

Big Bale Wheelbarrow HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 12-2-16 "I use it to move half a round bale from the storage barn to the feed alley so I can unroll the half bale right in front of the cows," says Ben Urech, Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island, about his big round bale wheelbarrow. Urech first cuts the bales in half with a "foot-operated" knife he made out of an old coulter blade. 'Me blade is welded to the end of a T-handled shaft fitted with a side foot peg. A "V" was cut out of the center of the blade and all edges sharpened. "Standing on top of the bale, I'm able to work my way down through the bale in about 10 min. I cut the V in the end of the blade so I can cut with just half the blade if I hit a tough spot," Urech told FARM SHOW, noting that he's used the bale blade to cut through more than 250 hay bales and 80 straw bales with no problems. He recently bought an electric-powered, hand-held bale knife that does the' job quicker - in about 7 min. - and with less effort. (Urech's big bale knife sells for $800. Information avail-able from: FARM SHOW Followup, Butterwick Ag Supply, Rt. 1, Box 102, Whiting, Vt. 05778 ph 802 462-2252) Urech simply runs the two wheel cart up against a half bale, tips the cart up on end, and then wraps a chain - which attaches to the handles -around the bale. Then he just tips the cart back to load the bale. (Since the accompanying photos were taken, Urech has substituted a 20-in. long metal hook for the chain. The hook swings freely from the crossbar on the handles. He simply tips the cart up and sinks the hook into the top of the bale, aid pulls the cart back. "It's much more convenient and, unlike the chain, it's out of the way once the bale's been unloaded," says Urech.) The bale wheelbarrow was fashioned out of 1 1/4-in. dia. waterpipe and two wheelbarrow wheels. He made an axle out of a heavy-duty jackstand from a automobile tire jack. The wheelbarrow easily handles the half -bales made out of Urech's 900 lb., 4 112-ft dia. bales. With aslightlydifferent cbnfiguration, he says it would work for larger 5 or 6-ft. dia. bales, too. "It's balanced just right so the weight is centered over the axle with a little weight on the handles. It works well even pulling through snow and mud. If the ground is dry, you can easily push it," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ben Urech, Rt. 3, Bonshaw, P.E.I. COA 1C0 Canada (ph 902 6754356).

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