Thought some of you might enjoy seeing my new bale wagon.. I made it stout enough to carry 1500 pound bales.. works pretty slick, once I got the kinks out.

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It has a 3500 pound winch to lift the bale and a power steering pump to run the hydraulics to open and close the arms on the bale unrulier.. I run that off from a battery powered drill… I have 300 pounds of salt in plastic sacks in the front to offset there weight of the bale, so the front end doesn't pop up.. I need to come up with a better way to hold them as they tend to slip and slide a bit.. just need to fence off a portion of the front and stack it in there or get some old tractor weights or something smilier...

everyone's bale roller is a little different because we just use what we have. yours looks like it should work OK thanks for posting pictures. I am going to come up to the ranch supply store, and get some things this spring. I will call you when I know for sure when. I would like to visit with you as Melvin was my cousin. Dale was up here last week. I'm working on a different bale pick up & unroller, will be able to carry 1 bale and pickup another. So I can feed 2 without going back to the bale yard. got about 1 mile haul to feed them. If your drill battery goes bad you can take it apart an connect 2 wires and use a car battery to run it. I have a drill I did that with to use where there is no electricity. they work along time if you don't get them real hot.

A lot of work to engineer! I sure admire you for your skill and persistence.

This year I was introduced to big square bales. My pasture renter sold me some at a wonderful price and even delivered them along with a skidsteer to put them into my barn where he stacked them 2 high. A very reachable height for me. The big squares are held together with only 4 strings. Once I cut the strings, the hay comes off in neat big slices. Altogether a different experience from stacking and feeding out small squares or hassling in the middle of winter with the big rounds.

I love the cordless power source feature. I am a big fan. Great work!

Looks good rdennis. Have fun with it.

Now that looks like high tech for me, astonishing what some people can do in their workshops. My only way of moving big round bales is putting a chain around them and drag them. But then I only have short distances.

Thanks all, fore there replies., So your a cousin to my wife Dad, huh, KC.. Sure, let us know when your coming, we will put on a feed for you or meet you at the cafe and buy you lunch… where a bouts are you located?… if you want to call the number is 985 5419.. you know the prefix….I've fed with this every days so far and haven't found anything wrong, other than if it had been built on an old car or pickup frame it would sure ride smoother… may have to take some leaf springs out of the bottom of this undercarriage.. it was an old wagon they used for hauling gravel or something,springs are real stiff..

Neighbor bult one of these years ago that would haul two bales, he said the problem was, after you get the first bale loaded, it's hard to see to get hooked on to the second bale.. he made it just like one on a flatbed and used a gas motor to power it.. I wanted to get away from any gas powered operations.. and need the stuff to be run by hand for the effort involved to give me some exercise! Should go back to pitching it on and off, when i used to do that, I really got in shape.. was feeding about 200 cows.. only been feeding a bale or a bale and a half, lately.. but when we get snowed under I will have to feed 5 or 6.. I found out years ago, it was easier to set the stacks close to the cattle than to haul the bales a long distance...

I'm south of Ainsworth Ne. Used to run by you to get around the scales. I know you would have to set the seat higher just to see the second bale or make a higher step to stand on. we made a Hydraulic forecart to run a bale pickup and a little dirt scraper I have 1 yard. we also ran the log splitter of it used a 5 horse BS engine took about 20 gallon gas to feed and split wood with all winter. It takes 1 tank of diesel a month with the JD 4430. Used to feed stakes with a sled and hand fork I stayed I was in better shape then to but round is a shape.

There is a great article in RH by Kari M.on his "War Wagon" bale mover. The rear wheel spindles are in a wishbone configruation minimizing the front end 'lift' you are experiencing. Check it out.

Wally

Wally b, how would I go about finding that article?

the video was on PG 36 this morning under "Wes unroller video". the article was in RH magazine after it was posted on here

KC, I don't get the magazine ( I know! I know! I should!) and not aware of what PG 36 is...

Very nice! Like the power steering pump idea.

You need the Jun/July 2013 issue for the article on the war wagon, maybe Uncle Joe can sell you a back issue. I think PG 36 means page 36 on this message board.

Good luck. I am watching these kinds of threads so I can build one this summer.

Todd

I'm sorry that is page 36 of the front porch.

The June/July 2013 is for sale on our website: June/July2013

Or you can call us at 1-877-647-2452!

Thanks all! I better get a subscription.. I think I tried one time to get the online edition, but never could make everything work.. sometimes, computers are not all that smart! :D

I love the idea of a power steering pump and a cordless drill. I am also looking into the use of an accumulator driven off a wheel to charge. This is a fun rig.

Wes can tell you more about the operation; the good the bad and the ugly.

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. KM


Great

Rdennis: Did you call us for any technical support on the digital edition? Uncle Joe is out of the office this week, but is very good at troubleshooting technical problems. Let us know ...

Thanks! Good looking rig… only thing I'd change for this country with steeper side hills and such is the sing tire in front…

Rural Heritage, I don't remember, I tried to get the subscription on line at one time, been quite awhile ago.. not rurally into magazines mailed to me… I may try again.. thank you for asking...

As to the use of the power steering pump, the guy who originally came up with it, used it tired into a bicycle some way and peddled the bipedal by had, so as to get more speed evidently.. this will work by hand, after it is started at a bit of a higher speed.. maybe if there is a low flow power steering pomp out there, then you could just put a wheel on it and spin it by hand.. the drill works good, but your always going to wonder about the charge, especially in cold weather...

Man, I need to proofread before I post!

peddled the bike pedals by hand, someway….

The RH Front Porch forum is such a great service that I feel every user should support it by having a subscription of the magazine. It's like with many other things we enjoy, we should be willing to contribute financially so that we can be sure it will be there for us in the future. And the magazine is really worth it!!!

Rdennis, I think everyone who sees a 3 wheeled rig says the same thing. Won't work in hills and tipsy. I'm here to tell you and more that have ridden with Wes will agree you can not tip that unrolled over. Many have had the same comment. All left shaking their head mumbling "I'll be damned."

km,. yes, after looking it over and thinking about it, i bet it ain't.. it's a slick unit only thing about the 3 wheeled deal, is now , in snow, you're making 2 sets of tracks..which translates to a harder pull, which with the way this team acts, might be a good thing! LOL

Ok, I just subscribed to the digital sub.. hope it works this time!

Got my notice that I now can read the digital edition.. thanks! Good stuff!

Rdennis you are correct. In the snow this won't work as well. Trouble is where Wes is the snow is a hit or miss deal. He can have snow then blow it into a pile on the bush lines and bare of the nobs.

I want to build another rig that has runners. It will be work about the same way. I want to make it all manual without hydraulics. When it is 40 below it is tough to make oil flow.

This is a neat little hand pump that is fairly inexpensive that I have used in projects. I use is to run the squeeze on the unroller and another one to run the dump on my dump wagon. It has a valve to switch from open to close. Isn't super strong but will pump a fair volume to open or close the rig in about 30 seconds. hand pump

KM, I used ATF fluid in my lines.. the guy who made something similar to mine, gave me the idea.. it doesn't get so froze up in the cold…
When I originally wanted to use a steam, my idea was to get away from anything that wasn't manual operated.. me and my team both start and run in the cold with out getting plugged in! :D

I saw some hand pumps but am not real familiar with them and knew this deal would work as the friend had used it in a similar situation… when I went to a bigger cylinder, it took longer, but I had more power to open and close..

there are 4 videos of my new bale unroller on Facebook, on my page, if anyone is on there and wants to see more in action.. Robert Dennis