Hydraulic Spike Unwraps Big Bales

Hydraulic Spike Unwraps Big Bales HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 5-5-34 Big bale handling and feeding devices keep getting better and better, and the new Apache "Hay Chief" is no exception. It's a hydraulic bale spike with something extra ù a paddle type side fork that peels off the hay, regardless of how tangled or tightly packed, placing it right where it's needed. "You can lay out a long, narrow, fluffy windrow that produces less waste when feeding cattle. Animals won't walk all over it, as with a wider windrow, and you can space animals out better with a longer line of hay," says Vern Delp, of Apache Enter-prises, Norfolk, Neb. Another advantage is that the spike picks bales up and spins them, rather than unrolling them along the ground. Thus, it makes no difference if one side is flat from sitting in the field. Snow on the ground won't bother it either ù you just drop the hay on top, Delp points out. The Hay Chief has a rear, hydraulically controlled arm that supports the back end of the bale. "There's a cable attached to the rear arm that runs to the side fork to peel off hay as the bale turns," explains Delp. "When you raise the arm, the fork lifts out of the way." The unit fits category II and III tractor hitches and can also be used to transport bales. The just-introduced Chief sells for $2,383. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Apache Enterprises, P.O. Box 306, Norfolk, Neb. 68701 (ph 402 371-5952).

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