Moving large square bales, with no machinery. Let’s do this.

[Hay Dude]

Well, I finally realized one way square bales are inferior to round bales. I always knew this, but now it’s come to be a problem.

Customer messaged me last night. Has 4 easy keepers and wants to feed them big bales on the ground with NO hay hut or feeder.
Ridiculous, I know, but ifn that’s what they want, who am I to judge? She’s too far to run them over to her with loader tractor.

Problem is, she only wants 2 per month. If it was round bales, no problem, just roll them off the trailer onto the ground, but my 4x4x5 hay blocks don’t roll so well

Trying to think of ways to deliver them without tractor. Best I can come up with is load them on the bed of my Ram and me and my son push them off, but at 1000lbs each, won’t be easy, or will it? I think I might put a 5’ long pc of 4x4 under the back edge of the bale to give it some “slope”, then strap down real, real tight. Then when I get there, the slight angle off the edge of the truck, we might be able to shove them off.

Would love to have a cheapy, easy to chain down skid loader right about now….

 

[WM75Guy]

Use the dump truck or a small dump trailer.

 

[skid mark]

Is there something you could secure a rope/strap to? If so, secure rope to bale and anchor and drive truck out from under the square bale?

 

[Engineer42]

Or something similar under the bale

 

[Hay Dude]

Use the dump truck or a small dump trailer.

I have considered this.
However, it’s a risk that the strings could break upon impact to the ground.
Don’t have a small dump trailer.

 

[Hay Dude]

Is there something you could secure a rope/strap to? If so, secure rope to bale and anchor and drive truck out from under the square bale?

I asked Customer if she has an “anchor point” like this, but she’s a bit clueless. I am working on this idea as we speak.

 

[oldnslo]

What are you unloading into for her storage area?

Would round posts or pipe under bales make roll off easier on presumption only one bale high.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Way back when I used to haul fence posts, some yards did not have anything to unload the 4x4xhowever long bundles. The bundles were placed two wide on the deck on 4x4 dunnage. Two more side by side bundles on 4x4 dunnage over the first bundles. Long stakes were placed into the stake pockets. Small chains/binders from stake to stake to hold posts should the bandings come loose. Followed that up with 4inch straps over the load.

Anyway, after the straps, cross chains and stakes were removed, I would climb up on top of the load, shove a stake in between the bundles and start popping them off. It looked like a tornado had gone through and the yard workers had their day set up for them to organize the mess but I was out of there.

What I would do then is put a couple of 2x4's or 4x4's across your flat bed and stand a couple of 2x4's verticle between the bales. At the drop site, jam another 2x4 or a bar between the bales and pry the first one off. Then, stand on the deck and slip your pry bar under the second bale and pry that one off.

Even if the strings break, so what, the buyer is feeding on the ground anyway.

 

[Carl_NH]

2 or three pipes then a piece of plywood with the bales strapped to the plywood on truck bed should roll off easily - will cost her a sheet of plywood each delivery.

 

[Tpondel]

This is where a Star Trek teleport would come in handy.

 

[Hay Dude]

What are you unloading into for her storage area?

Right into the field.

Would round posts or pipe under bales make roll off easier on presumption only one bale high.

Sure, some schedule 40 under the bales could work. Nice idea.

 

[LHF2019]

I can't solve your problem but you seem like your determined to sell to this customer. I would hope your getting compensated above and beyond. Customers like this are a no deal. Of course we don't even consider delivery.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Maybe to assist in the pipe under the bales idea, if no slope is handy, bring your own, an 8"-10" high ramp under the front tires could help ... Even 2X12's made into ramps, hardwood would be better though ...

 

[dieselscout80]

Maybe mount a winch at the rear of your truck and a roller at the rear of the bed and use the winch to pull the bale off.

Another option would be place an air bag like this (below link) and not much $$. The question is would your bed’s headache rack take the force of pushing the bale off. These are designed to lift a suv/truck.

Amazon.com

Note may still need the PVC pipe rollers under the bale for either option.

 

[sandman2234]

I would use a roller bed down each side of the trailer, but ONLY BECAUSE i HAVE THEM!
Do you have a future project in mind that might need some PVC pipe? As was suggested, find several pieces of pvc pipe, probably in the 4" or larger range and put them on the deck spaced about 2' apart. That would allow the hay to roll, however as the pipe gets debris in front of it, the pipe won't roll worth a darn. The larger the pipe, the easier it will overcome piles of hay in front of it.
You know anyone putting in pipe that might have some drops that they might let go cheap?
Another thought..., and be careful with this one, is to unload them sideways. Now that is going to REQUIRE you to put jackstands of some sort under the pockets of the trailer so that the trailer doesn't capsize or flip. Going off the side reduces the distance you will have to move them, reduces the amount of pipe you have to put under the bales.
Putting a pair of 2x4's under the bales as opposed to another members' post saying use a piece of plywood.
Can you use satelite view of the address to see if there is any trees large enough to use as an anchor?
With limited knowledge of the property before going there, I would probably make it where I was self-sufficient rather than relying on something there that might not work out.
The idea I like best is to mount a winch in the receiver of the truck and use it (along with several chains to extend it's length). You would need to make sure you can pull from the front of the bale so that the bale will come off the bed before running out of chain. Obviously a roller on the back of the bed to change the direction of the pull would be needed. Tractor Supply and Harbor Freight have some nicer pulleys. Don't get the little small one, where the wheel is about 1.5" diameter, because the wheel is cast and will break under tension. (ask me how I know that, and I had 4 spares!! Broke them all before I went back and bought a good one!)
David from jax
Another suggestion, try this at the storage area for the hay bales BEFORE you make the trip to go unload them. A lot easier to "fix" stuff that goes wrong if you happen to have a big tractor sitting there.
David

 

[Hay Dude]

Yes, I have plenty of PVC pipe laying around to help.
I *think* me and my son might be strong enough to muscle them off, but PVC under them could help.
He pretty strong

 

[airbiscuit]

A second vehicle could be an anchor point

 

[MMC]

Use the dump truck or a small dump trailer.

I still believe a used dump trailer is a really good option. As I get older (OK, that ship already sailed), maintaining even one more engine is a pain.

And many times not really cost effective for the use a piece of equipment gets. I have had a 14K dump trailer for maybe 15 years. Amazing how much use it gets around a farm. Tires and some grease occasionally is really a lot of bang for the buck.

And I agree on tractors on the highway. Pretty high costs there (as you already know).

How about an intermediate dump trailer and maybe use it for some extra smaller deliveries behind a chosen prime mover?

 

[Hay Dude]

I still believe a used dump trailer is a really good option. As I get older (OK, that ship already sailed), maintaining even one more engine is a pain.

And many times not really cost effective for the use a piece of equipment gets. I have had a 14K dump trailer for maybe 15 years. Amazing how much use it gets around a farm. Tires and some grease occasionally is really a lot of bang for the buck.

And I agree on tractors on the highway. Pretty high costs there (as you already know).

How about an intermediate dump trailer and maybe use it for some extra smaller deliveries behind a chosen prime mover?

I’m working my way to a very nice 30K dump trailer, but have to sell my dump truck first.

One things for sure, I have realized a dump trailer can be a useful tool for these 4x4x5 smaller feed hay squares I need to deliver beyond the reach of my tractor.

 

[4570Man]

I’m working my way to a very nice 30K dump trailer, but have to sell my dump truck first.

One things for sure, I have realized a dump trailer can be a useful tool for these 4x4x5 smaller feed hay squares I need to deliver beyond the reach of my tractor.

If you put a piece of plywood under the bales the PVC idea would probably work but I don’t have a lot of confidence that you could overcome the friction between the hay and the pvc pipes. If you were willing to flop them on the ground to start with why don’t you just use the dump truck?