Round bales

[Orange4X4]

1. Will my L2350DT be able to move a 5ftX4ft round bale?
I googled round bale weights 5X4 around 1100lbs & up,
6X5 - 1400lbs & up, I know it depends on density &
moisture content.
I'm thinking of buying a 3pt bale spear, I think
the tractor manual says 3pt will lift 1800lbs.
I also have a front loader , but they are not rated
over 800-900lbs.
2. Would I have to add weight to the front end?

 

[CobraTom]

2350DT only weights 2200lbs... The LB400 loader is only rated for 400kg (880LBS), without the weight of the spear (100LBS or so) and you would definitely need a rear weight to fully utilize that capacity.

I would not recommend lifting a bale that size on that small of a tractor on the loader.

That being said, it is fully doable on the 3PT Hitch. 1800LB capacity.. You may need to ballast the front bucket with a bit of weight to make it stable.

 

[Tx Jim]

I'll bet there are a lot more 4X5 bales that weigh closer to 800#s than 1100#s. It takes a very,very tight 4X5 bale to get close to 1000#s @ 16% moisture or below.

 

[vic gerbasi]

1. Will my L2350DT be able to move a 5ftX4ft round bale?
I googled round bale weights 5X4 around 1100lbs & up,
6X5 - 1400lbs & up, I know it depends on density &
moisture content.
I'm thinking of buying a 3pt bale spear, I think
the tractor manual says 3pt will lift 1800lbs.
I also have a front loader , but they are not rated
over 800-900lbs.
2. Would I have to add weight to the front end?

If you r going with front fork dont forget ballast[snowblower] etc
I believe a 3pt spear will work for you. try to borrow one and trial it

 

[D2Cat]

Tx Jim is right on with the weight of round bales. If you check around your area you should easily find 800-850# bales, maybe even lighter. If you can't find them, find someone who bales and sells hay, and ask them to bale the weight you know your tractor will handle safely.

Find someone who actually takes some bales to the scales to have facts, not opinions of weight!

 

[skeets]

I cant remember seeing a 1000 pound bale around here, they normally go about 700 to 800 and thats packed pretty tight. Big square bales like the kid get out on the left coast go around 300 to 350. And like the man says talk to someone the weighs them cause grass weights differ moisture weights differ theres a lot that goes in to them

 

[nickelplated5s]

Mine are in the <700lb range and yes you can have the baler kick them out smaller. It rains so much here I leave mine in the barn and unwrap to feed, 3 horses won't go through one quick enough to put it in a feeder. I only mention that as they are a pain to unwrap when you get into the core.

 

[NewtoOrange]

It also depends if they are wet from outside storage. I would guess that your loader with something in the bucket would offset a 1000 lbs or so depending upon terrain and distance.

 

[majorwager]

Round bales are the worst for handling. Very unstable to stack, however wrapping does make them more manageable. The only advantage is they are inexpensive to make and can be produced by the 90 hp tractors that a member constantly brags about.

The labor intensity has driven the cost of the small squares up to a point where they are not affordable for hobby horse owners

We have weened horse owners away from small squares to large squares. They are baled by the claas 3x4 baled to a length of 50 inches which makes them manageable for many compact tractors. 8 ft bales are available if requested. Of course a 225 hp Case is connected to the pto, as large squares require truly higher hp. The 90 hp is marginal for the discbine but some make due with what is available, and are willing to operate at slower speeds than optimal. True hay producers in this area don't bother with 100 hp tractors to achieve production yields. The Windows in the weather for ideal hay are so limited, that large baling implements are the only option.

Krone now has a baler, 1200 bigpack HD that allows the bale to be produced in an 8 ft length, but comprised of up to nine individualized tied bales within the 8 ft

 

[D2Cat]

Major, I've seen posts where you get after another member (and enjoy making negative comments on any comment he makes) for not answering the OP questions, but haven't you done the same thing here?

Just an observation that might help you ease back on some of your complaints!

 

[majorwager]

D2cat,

Thank you for noticing. Post was designed to show your exact point.

Often a thread is taken to the subject of large tracor business production when the OP thread is focused upon a compact tractor issue .

It was preferred that another member raise the issue and thank you for that.


There is a recent post where member states the OP aftermarket cab would fit in the bucket of his LARGE tractor, tell me that is helpful.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'll chime in, in as much as I run round bales almost exclusively.

The closer your bale spear is to the pivot point of the FEL arms, the more you can lift.

I run a double round bale spear on both my 's, and they are well capable of lifting a pair of round bales at any weight I roll them. I also have a bucket mounted spear that I load bales on trailers with but one at a time.

Far as weight of a round, that depends on moisture content and how tight you roll them. I only bale when the RM is at 15% or below (I have continuous moisture measurement on my balers so I can gauge the RM as I bale).

Most time I roll 4x5's but sometimes 4 x 6's. The 4x5's will average around 900 pounds (I wrap them tight with wrapping pressure set high, it's adjustable) and 4x6's will average 1100 pounds. Just a guestimate based on charts that came with my balers, I never weigh them and I don't know of anyone that does. Farmers don't own scales as a rule.

My customers buy by the round and they want stout rounds all the time. The more dense they are the less they have to refill their feeders.

You need to check your lift capacity at the pivot point on the loader. It's spelled out in your owners manual (or should be, mine is)

One thing to keep in mind always is, even if you can lift a bale, the higher you lift it, the higher your CG becomes and the more unstable your tractor gets. Even with my bigger tractors, I always keep the bales close to the ground unless I'm loading them on trailers and then and only then do they get lofted and when they do, I'm lined up to set a bale on the trailer.

I put that wager clown on ignore so I don't have to read negative comments from him. Never did that on any forum but I did this time.

 

[D2Cat]

Flip, around here guys will take a bale on their PU truck spike and weigh them at the feed co-op, or rock quarry. Knowing what a bale weighs make it pretty easy to know what the rest in that field weigh. And some guys want to know what tonnage they are buying.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Flip, around here guys will take a bale on their PU truck spike and weigh them at the feed co-op, or rock quarry. Knowing what a bale weighs make it pretty easy to know what the rest in that field weigh. And some guys want to know what tonnage they are buying.

I sell by the bale and always have and my big customer has never inquired as to weight so I don't. He just paid me for the year the other day (I supply him on credit and collect at years end). Been a great customer over the years.

I just go by my bale weight charts that correspond to the packing tension and diameter. Got a nice payment of 10 grand. Went right in the bank too.

I picked up an additional 15 acres a few weeks ago and he will take that as well.

Took me a few years to develop the business to what it is today. I quit dealing with horsey people a few years ago because they either want to stiff you on payment or the hay isn't exactly what they want so they whine. I don't have that issue now. This guy feeds steers (like I do) and a couple horses (like I do again). He knows what I run is always good. No questions asked ever.

Just hope I can deliver next year. Getting to a surgery date for my issues and the surgeon said I'll be fine for next summer. Fingers crossed on his word.

My customer is very understanding and never pushes. He knows what is going on with me and knows that so longs as I can do it safely, he will get his forage.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Because he buys in the quantity he does and he actually pays me (a concept), I cut him a good price. I sell to him below what everyone else sells at. Not in this to get rich, don't know of any rich farmers anyway.

I've held his per bale price the same for the last 3 years and absorbed the rising inputs. If he wasn't like clockwork I would not do that.

Fertilizer almost doubled this last year. That was sticker shock but I ate it anyway. I might increase a bit this year but I'll discuss it with him before hand. I believe in fair play always.

 

[skeets]

The only rich farmers I know around here are the ones that have the gas wells being drilled on their property. Some have pretty much turned farming into a hobby. Others still are up at the crack of dawn doing what they have done since they were kids. But there are a ton of new quads and side by sides, new pickups and new tractors. So I guess its all good

 

[Bulldog]

1. Will my L2350DT be able to move a 5ftX4ft round bale?
I googled round bale weights 5X4 around 1100lbs & up,
6X5 - 1400lbs & up, I know it depends on density &
moisture content.
I'm thinking of buying a 3pt bale spear, I think
the tractor manual says 3pt will lift 1800lbs.
I also have a front loader , but they are not rated
over 800-900lbs.
2. Would I have to add weight to the front end?

You'll probably find that your loader and 3pt are going to be very close in capacity when it comes to round bales. My L3000 is that way except my loader is a little stronger even though the 3pt is rated for like 2000# (according to tractor data) and the loader should be like 900-1000#.
Mine will handle most 4x5's fairly well. I had to cut the size down on my Vermeer baler so it could pick them up but other than that I've been able to handle the rest that I've been around.

 

[CobraTom]

Some of you guys get so sidetracked. 2 pages of replies and half of them are describing their lives or not helping the OP at all.

We get it, there are many factors that effect the weight of a bale, density, machinery used, what is being baled, etc.
See here:
http://beeffax.tamu.edu/files/2013/09/2012-Bale-weight-how-important-is-it-Banta-E-319-.pdf

Lets call a 4x5 bale 900LBS without knowing the rest of the facts.

What the OP was asking:

L2350DT only weights 2200lbs... The LB400 loader is only rated for 400kg (880LBS), without the weight of the spear (100LBS or so) and you would definitely need a rear weight to fully utilize that capacity.

I would not recommend lifting a bale that size on that small of a tractor on the loader.

That being said, it is fully doable on the 3PT Hitch. 1800LB capacity.. You may need to ballast the front bucket with a bit of weight to make it stable.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I agree. If I had his unit, I'd utilize a rear mount bale spear as well. He should not need and front end ballast (other than the FEL empty bucket because the center point of the lift arms are close to the centerline of the rear axle, unlike the FEL which is AHEAD of the centerline of the front axle quite a bit. Only problem with that is, the total lift of the bale will be substantially less.

I run a rear bale spear (and double front spears) and I think can raise the rear bale (depending on where I stab it) about a foot to a foot and a half at most.

So for moving them around, the rear spear will work, but for placement in a feeder or uprighting the bale, it won't work.

 

[Orange4X4]

Thank you for your help,
I would not try to lift bales with the front loader.

What I'm thinking is a Cat1 3pt spear, I'm also not going any distances
usually only less than 300 feet.
Another farmer round bales our hay and puts them just outside electric fence.
The bales are not plastic wrapped , just wrapped with netting.
Again thanks for the help.