Roller type Hydraulic Bale Handler query

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.

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

Or poor quality plastic?

Film instead of net. Strange indeed

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

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.

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

Most co-ops stock multiple brands.

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.

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.

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.

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!