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Bale Unroller Beats Big Bale Rings
Bale rings work great when the weather is good but on wet ground, cows often end up in muck up to their knees. That's why Charlie Golden switched to 3-pt. mounted bale unrollers more than 30 years ago.
"If you unroll the hay, you can feed them just what they need," says Golden. "Plus I've noted that if I unroll
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Bale Unroller Beats Big Bale Rings LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 31-2-32 Bale rings work great when the weather is good but on wet ground, cows often end up in muck up to their knees. That's why Charlie Golden switched to 3-pt. mounted bale unrollers more than 30 years ago.
"If you unroll the hay, you can feed them just what they need," says Golden. "Plus I've noted that if I unroll hay on my poorest ground, all the activity will improve it."
He built his first unroller before he had hydraulics on a tractor, using a 3-speed transmission on a pto drive. He would lean out the back window to shift it. It worked so well he went through the patent process and sold a number of them to area farmers. While retired from daily use, Golden keeps it in shape as a backup.
Once he had a tractor with hydraulics, he made two unrollers with hydraulic drive. One is painted Ford blue and the other Deere green and they're in use on a daily basis throughout the winter.
A long spear and a short spear stab and hold the bale in place. The first spear, a 6-ft. long, 1 15/16-in. dia. cold rolled steel shaft, is mounted through a 36-in. diameter disc made from 3/8-in. plate. Crossbars radiating from the center of the plate strengthen it. The second spear is about 14 in. long and made from 1-in. steel. Its purpose is to keep the bale spinning with the center spear.
"Originally I tried a third spear, but it held too much hay, so I cut it off," notes Golden.
The center spear extends through the disc to twin pillow box bushings and a 30-tooth sprocket wheel. The bushings are mounted on double A-frames made with 3-in. channel iron. The twin A-frames are 4 in. apart and have a 12 by 28-in. rectangular frame at their base with pins for the lower arms of the 3-pt. hitch. From the base of the rectangle to the tip of the A-frame measures 36-in.
"The A-frame should be only as wide as your 3-pt. hitch so there is no sway when you drive with it loaded," says Golden.
The rectangular frames also hold a hydraulic motor mounted in a corner. A no. 80 chain connects a 9-tooth sprocket on the motor with the large sprocket on the spear.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charles Golden, 287 Firetower Rd., Okolowa, Ark. 71962 (ph 870 274-3260).
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