Self-Loading Wagon Makes Big Bale Handling A Snap

Self-Loading Wagon Makes Big Bale Handling A Snap WAGONS/TRAILERS New Wagons 23-5-26 When Calvin Carls went looking for a big square bale mover he knew what he wanted but he just couldn't find it. Like thousands of other FARM SHOW readers, he decided that if you can't buy it, you might as well try to build it. Carls's big bale mover not only carries up to 24 large bales from field to barn, it also loads and unloads the 640-lb. bales. And it didn't cost anywhere near what he would have paid for a commercial bale carrier. " I wanted a machine that would pick up and haul a large load of square bales over a long distance because I often work alone in the fields, and I don't have anyone to drive wagons," says Carls. The Pennock, Minn. farmer had done some small equipment modification projects in the past, but he had never tackled a job this big or complex. After drawing his ideas out on paper to get a better feel for the design in his head, Carls began to assemble the pieces he would need. Two axles from a gooseneck trailer, a used hoist from a light duty tandem truck, and steel from a local blacksmith shop formed the base. A worm-drive gearbox, used hydraulic motors, cylinders and more steel finished out the parts list. After uncounted hours and an expenditure of about $4,600, Carls had his big bale mover. The 9-ft. wide bed of the wagon consists of 32-ft. long steel rails laid about 6 in. apart. The two axles, rated at 9,000 lbs each, are more than capable of handling the 15,360 lbs. in an average 24-bale load. Designed primarily for 2 by 3 by 8-ft. bales, Carls reports that the unit can handle other size bales as well. Three hydraulic remotes and a hydraulic motor are required to run the unit. A rotating arm complete with hydraulic-activated grapple forks grabs the bale and lifts it. The hydraulic motor on the worm-drive gear box activates a chain drive on the second section of the arm to rotate the bale up to 360 degrees. The combined action stacks the bale as the arm is retracted up and over the wagon. A steel framework on two sides and the back end helps to form and hold the stacked bales. Once up to 12 bales have been loaded by the arm and grapple forks, the front-mounted hoist raises the bed, forcing the first tier of bales to slide to the rear. When the wagon is full, it's pulled to the storage site, opening the end gate and raising the hoist to allow the bales to slide completely off the wagon. Carls reports that he has applied for a patent on the bale mover, and a couple of companies have indicated an interest in manufacturing it. In the meantime he's busy using his invention as he intended, moving bales quickly and easily from field to farm yard. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Calvin Carls, 12670 120th Ave. NW, Pennock, MN 56279 (ph 320 264-5514).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.