LOADER USE

[Bandit2026]

My son and I bought a CK 35 Kioti with the front loader. now I would like to get a set of forks mainly to load round bales with. With some ballast on the rear will this tractor handle them??

 

[treman]

It really depends on how heavy the bales are. I have a ck27 and while I am sure it would lift a decent sized bale I don't know if I would be wanting to. Do you know how heavy your looking at? That would be a place to start.

The manual calls for 700 min counterweight on the back to use the loader to the 1100lb max loader lift. Also I would look into filling the rears with fluid.

 

[LD1]

Round bales come in many sizes.

Big 5x6 heavy bales....probably not.

Smaller 4x4 or 4x5 bales, you can probably handle them. But Why forks and not a bale spear?

Either way, get something that removes the loader. The forks or spear that clamp on the loader wont work well. THey put the load farther out, and still have additional weight of the bucket.

 

[Tx Jim]

I agree bale spears are better and a whole lot safer for handling rd bales. My double bale spears can also be carefully used as pallet forks. Several yrs back I baled hay for a gentleman that was confined to a wheelchair for letting a rd bale roll back on him while sitting in tractor seat using bale forks raised TOO HIGH & tilted too far back.:thumbdown:

 

[k0ua]

In case you are wondering why using forks for handling round bales is dangerous, it is because people have been known to raise the bale too high and roll back enough that the bale comes off of the forks and comes down the loader arms and smashes the operator. There was a thread on here that outlined that exact thing happening to a fellow, and he survived but is now a quadriplegic.

A bale spear, spears the bale and it cant come down the loader arms and squish you. I would really "rethink" the fork idea.

As stated, a CK35 is pretty small for handling large round bales, Maybe some of the smaller ones OK, but be sure to ballast heavily, and hold the bale as low to the ground as possible and go slow. A bale that the tractor can lift off of the ground is one thing, but lifting it to full height is another matter.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I have an L3400 that is pretty comparable in size to your ck35 and while I wouldn't flinch at using the 3pt to move around our 4x4 bales, I'd be really cautious using the loader to move them around if I was on anything but dead flat ground. I would have a counterweight or another bale on the 3pt to keep me upright. I have loaded r-4's on the machine as well.

 

[texasjohn]

Welcome to TBN. I'm not familiar with the exact model you have, but recently on TBN there was a thread discussing what size tractor is needed for FEL round bales. The general thoughts were:

bales vary from under 1000 to 2000 lbs
the 3ph with bale fork or spike will lift a heavier bale than FEL
rear ballast is needed, loaded tires are where most people start, then add more
a 50 hp tractor is the beginning point for using a hay spike
a hay buggy is another choice for smaller tractors

You say "load" round bales...where are you trying to load them...how high a lift? how big bales?

If the specs for your FEL are actually 1100lb loader lift, then I see no way it would lift almost any bale, since the entire bale sticks out in front of the lift point.

You say you have just purchased the tractor and are new to TBN, thus I assume you are in learning mode...as we all are. Hopefully, you have a quick attach FEL. If so, best idea would be to borrow a quick attach hay spike, find a bale in your area, ask owner if you can experiment with your tractor and see how it works.

 

[tman1020]

There are quick attach forks available that have a add on bale spear option. I think Titan makes one. Probably everything attachments as well.

 

[N2DFire]

Hi Everyone.

I would be the "My son" the OP mentioned. Thanks for the replies thus far.

To address some questions / concerns voiced thus far:

The tires are loaded and we are in the process of building a ballast box as well.

Bale size will mostly be 4x4 (maybe a 4x5). We are "hobby farmers" and will most likely only be moving 2-3 bales a season at most and not for very long distances. We don't really need to lift for a lot of height to stack / unstack but being able to unload a roll from a truck/trailer would be nice. I'll just push/drag it off and then pick it up w/ the 3pt if I have to.

The reason he said "forks" vs spear is that being such low use we're looking to use multipurpose attachments instead of buying a lot of different "job specific" ones.

Right now this one (SpeeCo Ultra Fork) is my leading choice as we can use either the loader or the 3pt as the size/weight dictates for bale movement, still have limited pallet fork capabilities, and also use the forks to move some brush / debris.



Thanks again for the advice and info. Please keep it coming.

 

[texasjohn]

That's the right approach...suspect you will end up using the SpeeCo fork as a 3ph almost exclusively for hay. Do you know how much the bales you want to move will weigh?? Remember that when wet from rain or when first baled is when they weigh the most. Put chain hooks on that fork...you will never regret it. I note that there is not a "roll back" barrier...so DO be careful when lifting ANYTHING very high....it can come back on you.
Putting a hydraulic top link on the tractor could be the single best additional item...really helps in getting the right "tilt" when using a bale fork on the 3ph. I have one, highly recommended.

Welcome to TBN, "son"....

 

[Xfaxman]

Hi Everyone.

I would be the "My son" the OP mentioned. Thanks for the replies thus far.

To address some questions / concerns voiced thus far:

The tires are loaded and we are in the process of building a ballast box as well.

Bale size will mostly be 4x4 (maybe a 4x5). We are "hobby farmers" and will most likely only be moving 2-3 bales a season at most and not for very long distances. We don't really need to lift for a lot of height to stack / unstack but being able to unload a roll from a truck/trailer would be nice. I'll just push/drag it off and then pick it up w/ the 3pt if I have to.

The reason he said "forks" vs spear is that being such low use we're looking to use multipurpose attachments instead of buying a lot of different "job specific" ones.

Right now this one (SpeeCo Ultra Fork) is my leading choice as we can use either the loader or the 3pt as the size/weight dictates for bale movement, still have limited pallet fork capabilities, and also use the forks to move some brush / debris.

View attachment 408451

Thanks again for the advice and info. Please keep it coming.

I can vouch for how handy the UltraFork is. It should work fine for the 4" bales.

I had to add a longer spear for the 1400 pound, 5x6 bales that we use.

I added angle brackets for picking up the 2000 pound feed bags, a light duty receiver hitch for moving bumper pull trailers and a heavy duty receiver hitch for gooseneck trailers.

 

[N2DFire]

Put chain hooks on that fork...you will never regret it. I note that there is not a "roll back" barrier...so DO be careful when lifting ANYTHING very high....it can come back on you.
Putting a hydraulic top link on the tractor could be the single best additional item...really helps in getting the right "tilt" when using a bale fork on the 3ph. I have one, highly recommended.

Welcome to TBN, "son"....

Thanks.

We actually have some hooks lying here to put on the bucket, if we end up with this fork, we'll add some to it as well. Waiting for the local Southern States Co-Op to get back to me on a price. They don't normally carry / stock that fork so he's e-mailing SpeeCo.

I'm with you on the top link but I haven't quite talked Pop into adding the rear remote kits yet - trying to twist his arm into a 3rd function on the FEL and a EA 50" Wicked Root Grapple first.

If I can't talk him into that and end up working brush with the forks, then adding a shield with some flat bar stock and stretch metal is definitely first thing on the agenda.

 

[N2DFire]

Xfaxman -

Thanks for the pictures and the recommendation!! I think for our use it will be a very handy item as well.

 

[5030]

This is how I do it.... I put a rear mount (3ph) spear on the back and spear up a round for ballast then I have a front spear that goes on my bucket so one on the back and then one on the front. Got both spears at TSC BTW. Now, I typically handle high density 4x6's but my tractor is much larger than yours. (Kubota M9000).

I'd go with the front and rear spears plus the rear spear has a 2 1/2" ball on the top for moving gooseneck trailers around....

 

[SSdoxie]

I have the Bobcat vesrion of the CK27, same frame & wieght but little different loader. I handle 4X4 mixed grass bales 1 per week with no problem. My R1rear tires are filled and set out to same outside width as R4s. I have on ocassion picked up a bale to feed with no rear ballast but when I do I make sure I am not lifting to dump it in the bunk while setting on any side slope. My loader is rated @ 1480 lbs. compared to your 1074# but my max lift height is 3" less. Stability at full lift height is part of the capacity calculation, no idea how much the additional 3" lift reduces actual abilty.
I have no problem in height to unload from a trailer. My hay supplier brings it in on 30" Goose neck trailer and loads 2 high on traailer plus 1 bale on the upper deck and I can lift them off easily.
If you get that combination fork/bale spear, spear the bale to pick it up. Much easier to pickup and keep control of the bale versus using pallet forks. I do use my pallet forks occasionally but seldom, bale spear works so much nicer.
I will be getting some 4X5 bales later in March because my regular supplier ran out. I know I can pick them and move OK, just have to go slower.
For the few bales you plan to handle you should be fine, just don't get in a hurry and use adequate rear ballast on the 3pt.

 

[95ram]

I can vouch for how handy the UltraFork is. It should work fine for the 4" bales.

I had to add a longer spear for the 1400 pound, 5x6 bales that we use.

View attachment 408486

I notice you have a Century Livestock polyethylene feeder. How are you liking your so far? We've had ours for about 2 years and it's held up great. No more broken welds or bent up metal to fix.

 

[Xfaxman]

I notice you have a Century Livestock polyethylene feeder. How are you liking your so far? We've had ours for about 2 years and it's held up great. No more broken welds or bent up metal to fix.

Have had it about 3 1/2 years, like it. Much better than the steel ones. It is the 4 ring Horse Feeder.

This is the Cattle Feeder, if you use it for horses, they will rub a lot of their mane off, reaching in under the top ring.

Century Livestock Feeders

 

[95ram]

The second one, which is for cattle is what we have. We have scottish highland and those horns are **** on everything.

 

[N2DFire]

Wow!! $675 for the UltraFork. Ouch. Think I'd rather buy a cheap(er) 3pt spear and put the rest of the $ toward a grapple. LOL

Thanks again everyone for all the info, advice, and guidance.