Accumulator “Cross Stacks” Bales

Accumulator “Cross Stacks” Bales BALERS The 10-bale Hay Accumulator from Parrish AgriTurf packs bales for a trailer-wide load The patented accumulator is like no other turning 2 bales sideways before adding 2 sets of 4 bales lengthwise With other accumulators 2 bales have to be repacked by hand to cross-stack or tie the stack     “By alternating the 2 odd bales when loading the trailer the load is more stable for the long haul to the barn ” says Spike Parrish Parrish AgriTurf “Each set of 10 bales fills the width of the standard 8-ft wide trailer without any manual labor saving time and money ”     Parrish got the idea for his accumulator nearly 25 years ago while doing custom hay baling When a client asked him to put up small squares instead of his normal big round bales Parrish looked for a way to save labor     “I found really good equipment for mechanical handling but it was for large operations and not feasible for me ” recalls Parrish “There were a couple of small systems but they weren’t very dependable looking ”     Parrish had learned from his father a sheet metalworker and part-time farmer that when it wasn’t feasible to buy you build With the help of family members who were in the metalworking and welding industry he tackled the project He came up with an 8-bale drag-type accumulator that required no hydraulics timing adjusting or maintenance     “We started building accumulators for ourselves in 1996 ” says Parrish “At the end of each season we would sell the old one and improve the design Sometimes we would custom-build one for another farmer ”     In 2005 the business changed from custom baling to building equipment and Parrish came up with his 10-bale cross-stacking design     “I realized I had something no one else did and got it patented ” he says “Once it was protected I started building them for sale ”     Today Parrish AgriTurf builds the 10-bale model as well as 8 and 12-bale models without the cross-stacking All 3 models can be used to gather bales already laid on the ground by the baler or hooked directly to the baler The company also builds grapples to match     “Our suggested price for a 10-bale accumulator and 10-bale grapple is $9 500 ” says Parrish “Dealer price depends on transportation costs from the factory We’ve sold accumulators from Texas to Virginia and are now getting responses from the upper Midwest ”     While Parrish no long custom bales he stresses that he still raises and bales hay for himself “Baling our own hay allows us to work with and improve our accumulators and grapples every year ” says Parrish     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Parrish AgriTurf 1973 Asbury Rd Albertville Ala 35951 ph 256 660-1116; info@parrishagriturf com; www parrishagriturf com

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