Soft bale handlers.

satstheway

Looking at a Fleming soft hands type bale handler for loader. Can you lift bales that are a few months old and set them down or draw them on trailer without any damage. Or would they tear the plastic at that stage?

Dunedin

satstheway wrote: »

Looking at a Fleming soft hands type bale handler for loader. Can you lift bales that are a few months old and set them down or draw them on trailer without any damage. Or would they tear the plastic at that stage?

If the bales have not sagged and were stacked well then there should be no issue. Sagged bales are tricky.

Also, you can often tear a bale just getting in at it if they are very tightly stacked but if you can come in at an angle you should be ok.

Gillespy

Elephant trunk/swan neck type is your only chance of getting away with minimal damage. Far superior bale handler and not much if any difference in price. They will stack like the soft hand type too.

jntsnk

Some handlers tear the bale easily. Been looking for one myself . Keltec seem interesting as they say no possible tearing and are very well built .

Panch18

Gillespy wrote: »

Elephant trunk/swan neck type is your only chance of getting away with minimal damage. Far superior bale handler and not much if any difference in price. They will stack like the soft hand type too.

Have 1 on order, desperately waiting for it to be delivered!!

kevthegaff

I have a soft handler from rossmore if anyone is interested in swapping it for the normal ones as I have a double carrier at the back iykwim

Gods Gift

Gillespy wrote: »

Elephant trunk/swan neck type is your only chance of getting away with minimal damage. Far superior bale handler and not much if any difference in price. They will stack like the soft hand type too.

Yep. Bought one as didn’t like the soft hands.
Bale was out too far from tractor. My Mchale bales weigh 850 to 900 kgs. Easier to put top bale on it’s round when stacking too. Catches bale where all the plastic is.

RobinBanks

Gillespy wrote: »

Elephant trunk/swan neck type is your only chance of getting away with minimal damage. Far superior bale handler and not much if any difference in price. They will stack like the soft hand type too.

What are these like if you want to stack baled on their ends? say for example if you want to stack 3 bales of hay on top of each other.

raypallas

Gillespy wrote: »

Elephant trunk/swan neck type is your only chance of getting away with minimal damage. Far superior bale handler and not much if any difference in price. They will stack like the soft hand type too.

Priced one the other day 1600 quid, what would the standard pipes be now?

mr.stonewall

Panch18 wrote: »

Have 1 on order, desperately waiting for it to be delivered!!

You won't regret it. Super job and super quick

Gillespy

RobinBanks wrote: »

What are these like if you want to stack baled on their ends? say for example if you want to stack 3 bales of hay on top of each other.

They will do that. As you reverse back taking the bale off the trailer, release it and flip it to stand it up. Then grab it as you drive forward and place it where you want it. Very versatile handler. Can't recommend them enough. We have one of each, I prefer the swan neck (vertical ram) but the elephant truck is very good too.

RobinBanks

Gillespy wrote: »

They will do that. As you reverse back taking the bale off the trailer, release it and flip it to stand it up. Then grab it as you drive forward and place it where you want it. Very versatile handler. Can't recommend them enough. We have one of each, I prefer the swan neck (vertical ram) but the elephant truck is very good too.

Thanks for info. Is it the TR-3 one you are referring to when you say swan neck

richie123

I have a finger type Nugent bale handler and stack 3 high on its side.works very well.i would never buy a a squeeze type soft hands because you have to absolutely squeeze the **** of of the bale to stop it falling through ...you have to crowd though 90 degrees every time to lift a bale . because your squeezing so hard u need more plastic..and lastly a friend owns a soft hands and he's fixed it 3 times where its collapsed due ruptured welds or cracks.
I've yet to see a stack of bales on there ends that diddnt collapse somewhere at some point ..not as safe.stacjed on there sides they never move.

Panch18

mr.stonewall wrote: »

You won't regret it. Super job and super quick

By god you weren’t wrong. Some job I have to say.

The 2 prong handler will be getting the bin!!

Gillespy

RobinBanks wrote: »

Thanks for info. Is it the TR-3 one you are referring to when you say swan neck

Yeah, that's the way I think the names work anyway. The Scully one being the elephant trunk type. Having both, the elephant truck is probably better in the field, I find it easier to place the bale accurately and have a nice load. Some trailers you need to place the bales a few inches out over the edge. The swan neck is faster, can approach bales from an angle and square them up. Faster unloading too I think. Won't go wrong with either.

mr.stonewall

Panch18 wrote: »

By god you weren’t wrong. Some job I have to say.

The 2 prong handler will be getting the bin!!

One of the best buys here. And made of tough stuff

minerleague

Gods Gift wrote: »

Yep. Bought one as didn’t like the soft hands.
Bale was out too far from tractor. My Mchale bales weigh 850 to 900 kgs. Easier to put top bale on it’s round when stacking too. Catches bale where all the plastic is.

have soft hands here ( rossmore ) stack silage 3 high o flat ends in a pyramid shape ( coming in half a bale each row ) stack hay 4 high by putting 1 bale on top of another and lifting bottom bale. Are the elephant trunk handlers very heavy looking compared to soft hand types?

roosterman71

Any harm to ask what the going rate is for a new elephant trunk handler? Going to swap over to one for my place from the standard 2 pronged job

grange mac

roosterman71 wrote: »

Any harm to ask what the going rate is for a new elephant trunk handler? Going to swap over to one for my place from the standard 2 pronged job

Have one for sale... As good an new... Only few weeks old but manufacturer wouldn't take it back.

Water John

grange mac wrote: »

Have one for sale... As good an new... Only few weeks old but manufacturer wouldn't take it back.

Sorta doesn't answer the question.

grange mac

Water John wrote: »

Sorta doesn't answer the question.

Well they retailed at 1600 end of May... Hope that helps

RobinBanks

grange mac wrote: »

Have one for sale... As good an new... Only few weeks old but manufacturer wouldn't take it back.

Pm details of it please

Water John

grange mac wrote: »

Well they retailed at 1600 end of May... Hope that helps

I thought I'd seen that as the price but wasn't sure and didn't want to put up an incorrect post. I'd presume that's plus VAT?

roosterman71

I've been quoted by 2 lads that make them this morning. €1600 and €1475. Both including VAT

roosterman71

Whats the difference between the "Elephant Trunk" and "Swan Neck" handlers? Is it the way the holding arm pivots?

And how would you stack on the end using either?

GrasstoMilk

roosterman71 wrote: »

Whats the difference between the "Elephant Trunk" and "Swan Neck" handlers? Is it the way the holding arm pivots?

And how would you stack on the end using either?

Presume the dearer one is the jm agri one rooster?
Its the one I'd go for, looks a much better design

roosterman71

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Presume the dearer one is the jm agri one rooster?
Its the one I'd go for, looks a much better design

No. Neither are JM Agri.
Both are from local lads that make different bits and pieces.
I'm trying to suss out now which one is the better job for stacking on the end. One is the same as the JM where the ram is back at the tractor. The other has the ram out at the end and just opens/closes the nose part in/out from the bale

Panch18

roosterman71 wrote: »

No. Neither are JM Agri.
Both are from local lads that make different bits and pieces.
I'm trying to suss out now which one is the better job for stacking on the end. One is the same as the JM where the ram is back at the tractor. The other has the ram out at the end and just opens/closes the nose part in/out from the bale

You can get the JM Agri one for the price you quoted earlier - I would defo recommend going with that

roosterman71

I hear ya. I'd rather buy from the lad down the road though. He's made plenty of other things for us over the years and is an excellent man to make stuff. I always try to buy as local as possible and keep those around in business.

Whenever I get it, I'll post a few pictures. My main concern is how to stack on the end. These trunk type handlers come in 2 main guises. Which is better for end stacking?

JM type where the ram is back at the tractor, or this type where only the front part hinges:

GrasstoMilk

roosterman71 wrote: »

I hear ya. I'd rather buy from the lad down the road though. He's made plenty of other things for us over the years and is an excellent man to make stuff. I always try to buy as local as possible and keep those around in business.

Whenever I get it, I'll post a few pictures. My main concern is how to stack on the end. These trunk type handlers come in 2 main guises. Which is better for end stacking?

JM type where the ram is back at the tractor, or this type where only the front part hinges:

I'd go for the jm type one.
They look easier to get in down behind bales

mr.stonewall

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I'd go for the jm type one.
They look easier to get in down behind bales

+1 on the jm handler. The geometry and build quality in the handler is excellent. It's not a load of box steel welded, loads of specific parts cut for it. The neck is tapered and very easy to get between bales. Remember you will prob use it for 20 years so an extra few Bob (100) to get a right one, is very small money over the 20 years