Bale Blanket For Big Round Bales

Bale Blanket For Big Round Bales HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 19-1-29 "My new bale tarp lets one person build and cover a stack of 15 round bales in only 10 to 15 minutes. The smaller stacks let you remove a few bales at a time from the stack without having to expose a lot of bales," says inventor Scot Benson. The new-style tarps are designed to cover only the stack's crown. Bales are arranged in three layers, with six bales on the first and second layers and three on top. The bottom layer of bales is arranged in three rows of two with the bales placed on end on wooden pallets or truck tires. A pair of tie-down ropes is placed across each pair of bales. Once all 15 bales are in place, the tarp is unfolded at the base of the stack, leaving the stitched hem facing upward. One corner of the tarp is tied about 2 ft. from the top of the base bale, then the two end ropes are tied together. One end is tied to the loose end of the tarp, and the other end is tied to a block so that the tarp can be thrown over the stack. The process is repeated on the other end of the stack. You then pull one end of the tarp over, then the other end, and adjust the tarp evenly on both sides of the stack, and detach the end ropes used to pull the tarp over. "It takes one person only 5 to 7 minutes to make a stack of 15 bales and 7 to 10 minutes to put the tarp on," says Benson. "I came up with the design after we tried using conventional one-piece tarps. It took several people 3 to 4 hours to cover a stack of 60 to 100 bales and I had a hard time keeping the tarp secured. Another problem was that if I wanted to remove only a few bales I had to re-secure the tarp or leave the entire stack exposed. And the big tarps didn't work well on smaller stacks. If I want to use three bales per day, I can untie only the first section of tarp and let it hang down. When I need bales from the second row, I remove the rest of the tarp. There's no need to cover the bottom layer of bales because water runs off the tarp without contacting the first layer. I've had hay covered for two years that's still in its original condition. "The nylon material is more expensive than polyethylene so my cost per ton covered is about the same. However, the nylon is stronger and will last much longer." A 14 by 20-ft. tarp designed for 4 by 5-ft. or 4 by 6-ft. bales sells for $80. A 16 by 20-ft. tarp designed for 5 by 5-ft. or 5 by 6-ft. bales sells for $85. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Beefit Services, S & A Benson, 2476 Weddell St., Earlville, Ill. 60518 (ph 815 246-7147).

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