# Round bales without a tractor



## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

I have a tractor, but one of the small places I used to ride at pushed theirs with the front of their truck.


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

I push mine by hand, by myself, haha.
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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

We've pushed em before. By hand sometimes. Oh what fun. Like I mentioned, I'd like to build a spear for the truck. I can move em and haul em with my rollback but it gets stuck a lot easier and costs more to use.
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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

We buy roundbales, store them in the barn and then peel off what we need for feedings. When i do feed roundbales whole...my mom and i roll them out by hand. *Huff*Puff*Huff*Puff* :-D
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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

We push them by hand as well xD its insane since we have a 40 acre land and some of our pastures are at the very back of that...and the round bales are stored up front. Imagine how horrible it is when its muddy and rainy out to push them all. LOL. I always look like I've changed ethnicities once I'm done.


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## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

I knew some people growing up that would wrap a log chain around the bale & drag it with their truck. it worked pretty well


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## Skunkworks (Oct 22, 2012)

I do the same thing, buy 2 at a time and push them off the back of my truck. I'm tempted to snag my stepdads bale stabber thingy when he sells their cows off. It's a 2 wheel, bumper hitch, single bale hauler that uses a pull-a-long to rotate the bale stabber and bring the bale up and off the ground. It's super easy to get it into tight spots and will haul down the road 55mph+. Really wish I had a picture. He built it about 20 years ago and I would love it just so we can move bales around here easier.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

When our tractor has been out of commission, we would push with the truck or wrap a chain or heavy duty ratchet strap around the bale and drag it. Pushing was the easiest when the bale was on it's side.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

I've hand fed mine and also dragged them with a rope and the truck.....


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

We started using round bales this winter and push or pull them with the truck. Might go back to small squares when spring comes. 

The bales slide ok in the snow. Those that have moved them in the summer with pushing or pulling, is it more difficult or easier?
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

It kind of depends on what the ground is like. Honestly pushing them in the summer is not big deal if the are on their side so the can roll. We've had to do it before :lol:


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## Island Horselover (Apr 4, 2012)

We have a trator too, finally :0) Before we would get 4 bales at a time, roll them off the truck and we winched a bale on an older truck that just stands in the field and the horses eat from it... The truck was pretty beat up as you can imagine :0) Now we have a huge tractor with a spear on the front and a hay bale feeder and life is way easier and we are able to change the bale within seconds! I really appreciate our John Deere!!!!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

We have a tractor & a bobcat but if I was putting a roundbale in the pasture, it was just as easy to push it off the truck. I have a few roundbales in the hay shed that were put there by the bobcat & I pitchfork off those. I suppose if I was going away & needed to put one in the pasture & I had no machine, I'd be screwed! I can't budge them by hand!
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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

YES YES YES ! I wanna see the spear mounted on the front of the truck, Like a flat bed jouster !


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Joe4d said:


> YES YES YES ! I wanna see the spear mounted on the front of the truck, Like a flat bed jouster !


What's funny is, I plan to put it on the front!
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

I honestly cant see that working without some major modifications. You need some way to life the bale even a little bit with the spear on so would need some sort of hydraulics as well as some serious beefing up of the suspension on the truck. :/


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

We are fortunate enough to have our hay stored by our friend whom is also our supplier. We pick up 2-3 bales at a time. We used to use a round bale feeder but found there would be too much wasted hay, and my gelding would turn it into bedding  

I no longer drop the round bales in their paddock for a free for all - it just wastes too much hay. Therefore I have a hay shelter in which we store our hay and I pick off the bail daily and top off their mangers. This way we aren't wasting any hay which has become such a precious commodity in our area, and I can also control how much they are eating.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

My plan is all hydraulic. Actually one cylinder running from the crossmember forward to the front to a rack I'll build with a fulcrum to the bale spear. And would be able to be folded so the spears point straight up (and also be removable). All of which is well within my ability to do myself. Also the truck has hydro boost brakes already so I can tie the hyd into that if they'll do the job. If not I'll mount a belt driven hyd pump on the ole girl and use that. Though I'll try the current pump first. As far as beefing up the suspension, no worries there, it's rated for 10000lbs already.
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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

why is the theme from the A team playing in my mind right now ?


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Ha!!! Though mad max maybe better 
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> why is the theme from the A team playing in my mind right now ?


Macgyver comes to my mind. Gonna have to use duct tape somewhere though.
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## Spotted (Sep 19, 2012)

when we didn't have a skid steer, I would line the bales up and fork off 1 bale at a time. Use a post to tie the bale to and take off in the truck. It would pull the bale off the truck.
Another idea is spear the bale right through the ceter and have a rope on each end of the bale tied to the truck and roll it . 
If you plan on having horses for a very long time I would invest in a bob cat or tractor, much easier on the back and can be used for all sorts of things.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Yeah a tractor is on the list. Actually I have access to equipment when I need it, but for moving a round bale it'd take longer to warm up a machine then it does to just use the truck.
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Spotted said:


> when we didn't have a skid steer, I would line the bales up and fork off 1 bale at a time. Use a post to tie the bale to and take off in the truck. It would pull the bale off the truck.
> Another idea is spear the bale right through the ceter and have a rope on each end of the bale tied to the truck and roll it .
> If you plan on having horses for a very long time I would invest in a bob cat or tractor, much easier on the back and can be used for all sorts of things.


Unless we win the lottery, new or even used equipment isn't anywhere in the near future. Hard to do living paycheck to paycheck.
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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Joe4d said:


> why is the theme from the A team playing in my mind right now ?


Am reading this, and thinking about how much rear end equestrians kick! I love it!


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Ok. I just don't get the A team thing. I've kicked it around and just don't get it. I can be a lil slow though
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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Nightside said:


> I push mine by hand, by myself, haha.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


LOL!! It sucks when it rolls back towards you right?!!!!!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

The A team was always breaking out welding equipment and creating some kinda super vehicle to save the day.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

We've rolled them with the truck when we were having tractor issues, have to watch the the tow hooks, they have a tendency to tear the mesh.


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

I don't have a tractor either. Those things weigh over 800 lbs. I can throw myself against them all day and they won't budge.

I have a small pile of loam in the pasture that was left years ago. It's just the right size to drive the truck up it and tip the bed enough so I have a gravity assist to get the first bale off. I'm not strong enough to shove the second bale out like this. I usually resort to tying a rope around the bale and a tree and pulling it off.

If the bale lands on it's side I can usually roll it a short distance. If it lands upright I can't tip it to roll it without help. It lands where it lands.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Here is a picture of a bale spear that attached to any pickup bed or flatbed truck. Some of them hook over a gooseneck ball and take in and out easily. Some have hand winches but most have electric winches.










Here is a picture of a bale buggy. We have one I bought used at a farm sale for $100.00. I did need better tires, but we have used it for many years to move a bale at a tome to a lease pasture.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I've seen those in bed bale movers. Actually know a guy with one on a flat bed. I don't like the bed being lost for the bale mover though. That's why I'm planning on a front mounted, actually like the one pictured but upside down n backwards under the front. Lol
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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

We pick them up, as needed, from our hay guy - one at a time. He drops them into the back of the truck with his tractor and when we get home we just push them out. The looser bales/ones that have been on the bottom of his pile and gotten squished out of the nice tight round can be a bit of a struggle, but most of the ones we get DD and I alone can get them to slide right out.


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

Sue, yalls lil dodge looks to be one tough cookie. That things barely squatting at all.
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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

There are bale spikes that go in or out of a pickup or flatbed in about 5 minutes. A friend had one the hooked over the gooseneck ball. Two people could handle it easily


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## ARTEMISBLOSSOM (Apr 3, 2011)

I use round bales and don't have a tractor. What I do is get the bales one at a time as I need them and get the farmer to load them on my pickup so that they would roll out . Then I drive out in the field to where i want it and open the tail gate and drive forward about 50 ft or so and then drive fast backwards and slam on the brakes and it rolls right off.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Anyone try one of those tumblebug hay trailers? TSC has a version of it as well on their website. We are thinking about getting one because pushing bales around is a bit rough with my husband's bad shoulder.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

We had two loads delivered, 28 total. For some stupid reason we put them along a barbed wire fence (not next to the horses of course) so it's a pain to wiggle behind there to roll away... Move ours by hand then roll it with the Ranger. Sucks when it's muddy, no traction and I tear the yard all to heck, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

In all honesty, if your bales are very heavy, I'm not sure that you can get away with a front load spike. You'd definitely have to weigh down the back of the truck or else the whole truck would just tip forward when you tried to pick the bale up.

All I can really say is that you guys are making me very glad that I have a tractor. Though, I have used a saddle horse to pull a bale off the back of the pickup before. There were no trees to hook the rope to so I just dallied up and he pulled it off for me.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> We had two loads delivered, 28 total. For some stupid reason we put them along a barbed wire fence (not next to the horses of course) so it's a pain to wiggle behind there to roll away... Move ours by hand then roll it with the Ranger. Sucks when it's muddy, no traction and I tear the yard all to heck, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!


Don't ya' just love the after thoughts?....:lol:


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Cat said:


> Anyone try one of those tumblebug hay trailers? TSC has a version of it as well on their website. We are thinking about getting one because pushing bales around is a bit rough with my husband's bad shoulder.


I have heard good things, but haven't seen one in action. We have a friend thinking about one...at $1000 much cheaper than a used tractor.
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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

goneriding said:


> Don't ya' just love the after thoughts?....:lol:


:lol: Yeah, and we have three tractors... 7 miles away! Not worth the death defying trip up the mtn to move them... Just chalk it up as exercise, and a good reason to keep up with our tetanus shots :lol:


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

Muppetgirl said:


> LOL!! It sucks when it rolls back towards you right?!!!!!


Yeah it does! I have a technique. I throw myself at it towards the bottom, using my shoulder, and get it to creep up enough so I can wedge my knee under it, then push with my shoulder and stand up straight and it will roll... til it gets to the **** flat part. Repeat! It takes me about an hour and a half to move two bales where I need them to be. It is uphill to one of the pastures.
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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Be careful rolling bales ...I had a bale gather a little too much speed and didn't get my old man foot out of the way fast enough and it rolled up on my ankle. That took 2+ months before it felt almost normal again.
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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

PaintHorseMares said:


> I have heard good things, but haven't seen one in action. We have a friend thinking about one...at $1000 much cheaper than a used tractor.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Not just purchase price - but think of the long-term maintenance costs involved. A trailer will cost a lot less than an old used tractor!


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Well I just bought one of these over the weekend:
Round Bale Mover - 2130102 | Tractor Supply Company

Found it on craigslist for about 1/2 the price and only 3-4 years old. 

Moved our first bale last night and it worked great! A little getting used to the mechanism of it, but once we got it down it went pretty smoothly. This will be much better than trying to push the bales around like we have been. I recommend it do anyone who is considering one. 

Our concern was how road-worthy it would be, but it handled great on the expressway empty - so should be fine for most driving. Just thought I would give feedback on this since I actually tried it now.


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