"My 3-pt. round bale lift has enough reach to stack bales three high on the ground or two high on a wagon, and can dump bales over a fence or into a feeder," says Richard Hicks, Stanton, Mich.

According to Hicks, the unit lifts bales much higher than a conventional 3-pt. bale spear and keeps them level. It's fitted with a 1 1/2 by 8-in. hydraulic cylinder that leverages the spear up higher as the 3-pt. is raised. Maximum lift height is about 9 ft. Hicks can lift 4 by 4-ft. bales three high on the ground and 4 by 5-ft. bales two high. The boom that the spear bolts onto keeps the bale perfectly level all the way to its stacking position.

"I use it on my Deere 4010 tractor and couldn't be happier with it," says Hicks. "I got the idea when I priced a new front-end loader. My 3-pt. bale lift is easier to mount than a loader, and it keeps the traction and weight on the rear wheels so the front wheels don't have to plow through mud and snow. I also have a better view of the bale as I spear it than I would with a loader. It's built strong -- I've used it to lift 1,000-lb. bales."

Hicks says he's willing to build units, excluding the cylinder.