Small Hay Grapple Installed

[powerscol]

I finally got the remotes run to the front and got the hay grapple installed. It is the small unit made by Kuhns manufacturing. It is their 4 flat, or 5 on edge model. Here is the contact information.
John Byler
Sales Manager
Kuhns Mfg LLC
john@kuhnsmfg.com
www.kuhnsmfg.com
877-296-5851

The unit is a perfect fit for my tractor and loader capacity. I know already it is going to save me a lot of work and speed up the pick up in the field. If needed I can quickly stack and cover if rain is comming. I think this will also work to load out bales too.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Neat little attachment but how do you get the bales set side by side so that you can pick them up?

 

[woodchipper]

That is a dedicated unit... why not having chosen a grapple with long bottom tines instead?

 

[2458n]

I can see how it would be helpful in a one man operation. When baling we use one man on the wagon and go slow enough that one person can keep up. If you do not have a second person your set-up would be the way to go.

 

[powerscol]

Neat little attachment but how do you get the bales set side by side so that you can pick them up?

In the field you slide the unit along the ground and gather (swing into the bale along the closed side). This does not hurt the bale. You can also grab one or two and go on to the next, release and then pick up the others.

 

[powerscol]

That is a dedicated unit... why not having chosen a grapple with long bottom tines instead?

Long bottom tines get in the way of stacking. With this unit I can pick up 4 bales as shown (long ways), then pick up the next 4 sideways to get good stacking, especially when loading sideways on a wagon or trailer, or into the barn.

 

[TomSeller]

Neat little attachment but how do you get the bales set side by side so that you can pick them up?

You scoop one at time, first one, second one next to the first one ......

 

[TomSeller]

That is a dedicated unit... why not having chosen a grapple with long bottom tines instead?

A traditional grapple is not going to pack the bales together and provide for stacking them in nice piles.

 

[powerscol]

I can see how it would be helpful in a one man operation. When baling we use one man on the wagon and go slow enough that one person can keep up. If you do not have a second person your set-up would be the way to go.

In my case it is just me doing everything.

 

[powerscol]

TomSeller - sounds like you have done this before. I just played a bit today, getting the hang of it, and adjusting hooks. Do you have any tips to help when the real time comes?

Thanks

 

[TomSeller]

TomSeller - Do you have any tips to help when the real time comes?

Don't worry a bit, a little practice and up you will do fine. Thanks for sharing the pictures, we don't get enough farming applications on here as others.

 

[amberg]

powerscol, how long do you make your bales? I have a lady that likes me to make the bales 32", how well do you think it would work for the short bales? I talked to john today and he said that you seemed well pleased with yours. I am very interested in trying one because my two hay helpers have moved away and I am no longer able to move square bales. ( 500 to 800 bales a year )

thanks amberg

 

[J_J]

Haybuddy System

https://youtu.be/PUdIDgAvxc8

W R Long Grapalator

https://youtu.be/elYZs-OfoH4

If it ever breaks on you, get the old lady out there.

https://youtu.be/fIVAlV8YVF0

At the end of a hot sweaty day, you just never know what will happen.

 

[powerscol]

powerscol, how long do you make your bales? I have a lady that likes me to make the bales 32", how well do you think it would work for the short bales? I talked to john today and he said that you seemed well pleased with yours. I am very interested in trying one because my two hay helpers have moved away and I am no longer able to move square bales. ( 500 to 800 bales a year )

thanks amberg

Mine are 36" but I back off the tension to make 55lb ones. I went and measures the unit and it will work with a 32" bale, either long ways or sideways. The front hook will enter the bale just back from the front edge which should be fine.

J_J made some good suggestions, and there are others out there, but none would fit my smaller tractor. Some folks were also not willing to modify their unis to fit either and all were more expensive. I posted my search in a thread here. You need to be careful of the unit weight, and the weight of the bales compared to your lift capacity. John and his engineers worked with me on this and came up with a great solution.

Hope this helps

On edit - I just noticed the tractors you have available, so you could go with one of their accumulators and a much larger grapple than I have. Just depends on the room you have to maneuver in the barn if you plan to use it to stack.

 

[powerscol]

Haybuddy System

https://youtu.be/PUdIDgAvxc8

W R Long Grapalator

https://youtu.be/elYZs-OfoH4

If it ever breaks on you, get the old lady out there.

https://youtu.be/fIVAlV8YVF0

At the end of a hot sweaty day, you just never know what will happen.

Some good choices, especially the last one AMBERG does have other choices as he does have the bigger tractor to run an accumulator and a larger grapple if he so chooses.

 

[amberg]

Some good choices, especially the last one AMBERG does have other choices as he does have the bigger tractor to run an accumulator and a larger grapple if he so chooses.

I would like to see my old lady do that. I would not even need the round baler. OR a square baler. the big grabber would be nice, but I only have one horse lady that I bale for now, she only needs about 3 to 4 hundred bales a year, I would never get the thing paid for.