New "Accumulator" Designed For Smaller Bales

New "Accumulator" Designed For Smaller Bales BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 29-6-26 "My new bale accumulator is designed to handle the smaller 32 to 40-in. long bales favored by many smaller hobby farmers. It's built simple with no hydraulics or electronics, and it groups 15 bales at a time," says custom baler Ken Kuhns of North Bloomfield, Ohio. The accumulator is designed to handle 14 by 18-in. square bales that weigh 40 to 45 lbs., which is about 15 lbs. less than a conventional 50-in. long bale. The machine hitches to the baler drawbar, with the hitch centered 5 to 8 in. back from the end of the baler chamber. It has a single wheel on front and two wheels on back, which support a floor that's permanently mounted at a 45 degree angle. A twisted chute mounts on front of the machine and hooks up to the baler chamber. The baler pushes bales to the top of the chute, which turns bales on edge for better curing in storage. Bales fall downward out of the chute into one of six rows. As gravity moves the bales downward, the last bale in each row swings a door to open the next row. The last bale in the "grab" opens the back gate. As the accumulator unloads itself, springs and counterweights return all the gates back to their starting positions. "I built it because of the booming horse industry and the rising popularity of other hobby animals. I wanted to sell a smaller, lighter bale that's easier to handle," says Kuhns. "I couldn't find a bale accumulator that did everything I wanted it to do. It'll handle bales as fast as the baler can make them. Most other bale accumulators can't handle bales shorter than 36 in. A 45-lb. bale is a lot easier to handle than a 60-lb. bale. Other accumulators form bales in groups of 10. Being able to handle 15 bales at a time reduces pickup time by 50 percent. I've been able to load 210 bales on a wagon in less than 8 minutes. Other accumulators store bales flat, but I think they cure better in the barn when they're on edge. "My machine won't work with balers that have 16 or 18-in. wide chambers. I plan to eventually offer a model for such balers." Sells for $8,325. Kuhns also offers a 10-bale model that sells for $7,950. A loader-mounted bale grabber is also available. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kuhns Mfg. 4210 Kinsman Rd., North Bloomfield, Ohio 44450 (ph 877 296-5851 or 440 693-4096; Kenny@kuhnsmfg.com; www. kuhnsmfg.com).

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