Moving Round Bales with a BX

[zoltanthegypsy]

We had an unusual report from a BX-25 customer that while his neighbor was baling hay the ford 5600 bit the dust. Rain on it's way they backed the BX up and baled the final two loads with it!!!! This is a kicker baler and was towing a wagon to boot!!!

He said you felt every plunger stroke and just thinking it probably pushed it ahead a foot every time.

[Completely OT!] A wagon? What luxury. 45 years ago (or so) I worked on Jim Painter's farm as a high-school summer job. The wheel tractor pulled a kicker baler, and behind that was me on a sled.

IIRC, the sled was a 2x6 or so with a bunch of 2x4 fingers trailing behind. I would stack the alfalfa bales 3 or 4 high then jam a pike into the ground ahead of them and walk them off the back of the sled. All the while things in motion and bales being excreted out the back of the baler. Fun.

Jim had a coffee can screwed to the tail of the baler as a place to put odd bits of metal and twine to keep them out of the field. My favorite (only) way to pass the time was to catch mice as they popped out of the bales and see how full I could keep that coffee can. Big fun except when the occasional rattler wiggled out of a bale.

Jim was a great guy to work for, and I was in amazing shape, but I don't really miss those days. When we cut roads into the wheat he always baled the wheat straw. 150# or so green. *grunt*
[/OT]

Z.

 

[Grateful11]

I remember watching a show called "Rescue 911" many years ago. This one episode had a Dr. that farmed part-time and he was moving round bales with his front end loader, he lifted one just a bit too high and it rolled back across the hood, hit him right in the face and chest and severed his spinal cord, he still practices medicine, if he's not retired by now, from a power chair that lifts him up to a standing position. No feeling from the waist down. We bought a L3940 which is the smallest tractor "I" would consider using to safely move round bales.

 

[SPYDERLK]

We had an unusual report from a BX-25 customer that while his neighbor was baling hay the ford 5600 bit the dust. Rain on it's way they backed the BX up and baled the final two loads with it!!!! This is a kicker baler and was towing a wagon to boot!!!

He said you felt every plunger stroke and just thinking it probably pushed it ahead a foot everytime.

Please let me know if that BX25 has any transmission problems in the next year. I baled with my BX1500 and noticed the plunger strokes as well. I believe the HST was hitting relief pressure with reaction to each stroke. No immediate effect noted, but the trans died about 8mo later with a broken cradle bearing. It showed one failure symptom in the interim when I think about it, but later became acute suddenly and failed completely within a month. I think baling may have broken that cradle. :confused2:
larry