You'll like this big bale transport "sled" that's quick and easy to load and has no moving parts to wear out or maintain.

Chandler Haggard, Gustine, Texas, built the sled as an alternative to complicated hay-hauling trailers. It consists simply of an 8 by 16-ft. sheet of 1/2-in. thick plate steel that slides over the ground towed by chains.

"I had a machine shop weld two 8 by 8-ft. sheets of plate steel together. Then they used a press break to turn up 8 in. of one end at about a 45 degree angle. Then they used 1-in. dia. rod to make an eye for either side of the sled to attach to tow chains. The eyes are welded to the sled just under the front bend," says Haggard.

The bale sled carries eight 4 by 5-ft. bales and a ninth bale is carried on a 3-pt. mounted bale fork. "It doesn't damage the field, and it slides smooth and easy," says Haggard, noting that the bale sled works best on relatively flat fields. There's nothing on the surface of the sled to hold the bales in place. It's just a flat, steel surface."