Roller type Hydraulic Bale Handler query

cjpm

Looking to buy one of the above to handle some wrapped silage bales but mostly hay and straw. Just wondering what design works best

Ram above pivot (Fleming etc) where the ram extends to grab the bale

Ram below pivot (Prodig etc) where the ram contracts to grab the bale

Which design is best? I understand a contracting ram has less power. Is that an issue with these handlers??

cjpm

Trunk isn’t an option as I stack straw in a low roof shed.

mr.stonewall

Do you have a tine grab or Spike already, if you have definitely consider the truck handler. Really quick with silage bales loading and stacking. Very quick loading trailers with hay and straw

emaherx

I've a roller type and BIL has soft hands. The soft hands is far better at loading/unloading trailers and can be used to stack under a low roof without issues. I would go soft hands if buying again.

I've low roofs too.

bt12

Have a pro dig one very happy with it, opens wider and closes more than the Fleming better built too

Had roller ram over pivot here for last 15 years but is worn beyond repair. I tried all the types this year before buying again. The trunk with the vertical ram was by far the best, couldn't get to grips with the soft hands at all. Anyway, I bought a quicker flexibal as I couldn't justify €2200 on a trunk. The flexibal is ram under pivot and far better than my previous roller type. Also handy if you want to carry 2 bales of hay or straw.

If you can stretch to the 2 grand then get the trunk though.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002014#Comment_121002014

How are the soft hands for bales squeezed onto a trailer i.e. a bit tight

There seems to be a bit difference in pricing across the different types too.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002135#Comment_121002135

No issues with trailers that don't have high bale racks front or back as you can work at an angle front or back to get a good grip on end bales.

Probably a different story with a tight trailer with high front or back, but I've none. Low fronts/backs on trailers are fine if you can grip top half of bale

mr.stonewall

Saw a neighbour this week having fierce trouble with soft paws and bales splitting. Could have been grass or driver error, just don't know.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002784#Comment_121002784

Or poor quality plastic?

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002784#Comment_121002784

Netting torn or not applied right?? strange for bale to split even if you damaged wrapping plastic

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002889#Comment_121002889

Film instead of net. Strange indeed

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002811#Comment_121002811

Same plastic that's used locally

timple23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003021#Comment_121003021

Had bales made with film, would often split in two when the black plastic was opened and were being placed into a ring feeder.

Tonynewholland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003338#Comment_121003338

I've seen it happen with short bale tines on well chopped bales

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003023#Comment_121003023

I've never split plastic just squeezing one, if I did, I question the plastic. I've seen very wet bales split open if they are placed down too roughly with any handler, I guess it is easier to accidentally drop a bale with soft hands compared to roller type.

What do you mean by locally? same as you use yourself or same as everyone else? There is probably a variety of brands available locally. I used 2 different brands myself in the last field, both good ones I trust but have come across a number of pure useless brands over the years, some wouldn't even come off the wrapper dispenser without tearing.

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121006583#Comment_121006583

It's main brand out of the local coop. Just a strange on the splitting

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121006941#Comment_121006941

If it's decent plastic then I assume the operator is the issue combined possibly with wet bales.

Most co-ops stock multiple brands.

Bass Reeves

I have heard of waste issues on silage bales handled with soft hands and with trunk ones. Use the roller ( Flemming type) one her on the farm for silage bales. Cheap and cheerful.

TinyMuffin

Have a JM Agri trunk on the tractor and a double JM Agri on the loader. Wouldn’t even look at another now. Have Mchale roller type for stacking bales in the shed and rarely gets used at stacking bales.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010159#Comment_121010159

We have the TR3 and an older roller type here too. Only real argument for choosing the roller one if you were picking it today might be that you can use it with the rollers removed for hay/straw. A little bit cheaper to buy but not a huge amount if using for any reasonable amount of bales. TR3 is bigger as well and you have to be more careful of it on the road. But apart from that it wins hands down for handling wrapped bales.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010159#Comment_121010159

Have a static lifter, roller type, soft hands and JM Agri trunk here. Trunk does 90% of the work. The soft hands we never use, only give it to other lads that want a loan of it because they’re still stacking bales standing up instead of on their round.

Soft hands are a disaster if you ask me, especially with soft leafy second cut or strong paddock type grass. They cause air pockets in the bale when being stacked. Also with a soft hands lads generally stack the bales standing up so even if there’s no damage caused by the soft hands itself, when bales are stacked like that if they sag the polythene doesn’t shrink with them and you end up with air around the sides of the bale and plenty of waste in the winter.

I really learnt that lesson here with my own silage a few years back. There was a few of us drawing bales from the one field so all handlers were being used. The trunk and roller type were stacking on their rounds, we made a different stack with the soft hands so we wouldn’t be in one another’s way in the yard and put the bales standing 2 high. There was plenty of waste on the standing bales in the winter, a bucket of the loader full on some of the bales. Used them first then used the same silage from the same fields stacked on the round and there wasn’t a forkful of waste from the whole stack. Never stacked bales standing since then.

mr.stonewall

I can't understand folks making a stack of bales on the end. From a safety perspective, its madness. Bales can slip easier. When on the round they just sit or lock into each other.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010248#Comment_121010248

The proof is in the pudding there. The extra cost is only small in the beginning, but it's long term, it's cheaper. For most farmers, the TR3 will last a lifetime, couldn't say the same about some of the softhands out there. The build quality is just top notch If you are in the market. There is bound to be a farmer locally that will have one of each, some may let you have a go of it. The speed at which you can load, unload and stack is just super. In tight yards, you can drop the bale and lock the steering straight away. Bale tape becomes redundant

In the last lots of bales, a bale rolled into a 6ft drain. Loaded up the double handler on the back and reached in this the tr3. Picked the bale out with no damage. Couldnt even dream of doing that with any of the other types without having a heap of dung

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010011#Comment_121010011

I would have more waste of the bale handler on the back of the tractor than with the trunk handler. Since the switch away from netting to film this has reduced. The netting tended to pinch the plastic when sitting on the tubing or the ducksfeet.

Putting them in a big stack on the rounds also helps reduce waste as bales sit into each other and seal any small nick

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010741#Comment_121010741

A lot depends on the tractor you have I be reluctant to use the trunk or soft hands as both are heavier ( and the trunk has weight further out) and carry the bake marginally further out then the rollers.

I never have an issue with waste. I stack on the sides( the same way a bale of hay sits out in the field). I have a 90hp tractor. Stacking on the side all bales knit I to each other to an extent.

Not really sure of the economics of the film. I think it's costing over a Euro a bale extra. I would prefer an extra layer of wrap or source Silawrap which is becoming harder to get every year. Larger co-op do not want to stock it.

@cjpm if your tractor is below 100 HP get a roller handler and the lightest one you can get( usually a Flemming), I much prefer the implement on the tractor to wear/break than the tractor or loader.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010741#Comment_121010741

Same as that with the trunk, absolutely zero waste.

Any man that damages bales with a trunk handler should just be told driving is not for him because it’s almost impossible to damage a bale with the trunk even if you tried.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010923#Comment_121010923

Silotite would be superior to Silawrap if you can get it.

I’ve a few pallets of Silawrap used this year and I always like to use some of it as they’re an Irish company but whatever they’ve done this year it’s not as nice to use as it used to be and the lads driving the wrapper hate it too. The last 2 or 3 bales worth on every roll come off it very loose and you have to slow down the wrapper to a snails pace to get it to stretch properly, doesn’t happen with any other brand and we’d be going through a lot of them during the year. I also don’t like the unnecessary wrapping of the roll in plastic inside the box. No other brand do it and it’s just another waste to get rid of as well as slowing you down changing rolls.

Silotite Pro I was sceptical of when it came out first, they’re longer rolls of a thinner plastic so more bales per roll. There was a period around this time last year where it was all that was available around here so lads had to get it and most lads that used it were very happy with it and some went and bought it themselves to give to us to use this year again. It’s not available any more at the minute as it’s sold out but I think I’ll get a few pallets of it next year and see how it goes. I like the idea of getting more bales without having to change rolls and if customers are happy with it then that’s the important bit!

cjpm

PM me if any of ye with a trunk down in Munster would be interested in selling the roller handler that ye have gathering dust in the shed 😉