Truck-Mounted Big Bale Hauler

Truck-Mounted Big Bale Hauler BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 21-4-13 "We wanted something that would eliminate the need for a tractor and loader yet still get bales off the field quick," says Mike Geile, Wheatland, Wyo., about his new big square bale mover that mounts on a 1981 Ford 8000 2-ton single axle truck. He bought the truck equipped with a 22-ft. long van body. He removed the body and used steel plate to build his own bed. The rig will load and unload eight 4 by 4 by 8-ft. bales weighing up to 2,000 lbs. apiece. It's equipped with 13 hydraulic cylinders that are operated by six toggle switches mounted on a console inside the cab. Power is provided by a hydraulic pump belt-driven off the engine crankshaft. The loading arms are fitted with 3-ft. sq. clamps made out of channel iron and angle iron. They lift the bale onto a two-bale table on top of the cab. As the second bale is brought up it pushes the first bale back against a pair of forks. The operator then hits a switch that causes the table to rotate 90 degrees and set the bales down onto the flatbed. A pair of forks that mount behind the cab are then used to slide the bales backward far enough to make room for the next set of bales, and the forks return to their original position. The process is repeated until the bed is full and the first two bales are setting against a pair of 8-ft. long forks at the rear of the bed. The operator hits a switch to tilt the bed 90 degrees, then hits another switch to lower the forks about 12 in. onto the ground. Then he drives away, leaving the eight bales stacked four high and two deep. "I came up with the idea but my father Charles designed and built it," says Mike. "It saves a lot of labor and money because commercial self-loading units sell for up to $160,000. We didn't have to do any cutting on the truck frame at all. We're considering going into commercial production and are willing to sell this unit for $30,000 to $35,000, not including the truck. The bed could be made to fit any truck with a long enough wheel base. We were able to buy the single axle truck for only $4,250. However, a tandem axle truck would probably work better to support the 8-ton load," says Geile, noting that the rear forks can also be used to load eight bales at a time. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mike Geile, 133 Preuit Rd., Wheatland, Wyo. 82201 (ph 307 322-3649 after 5 p.m.).

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